caveman goes midi

[chovie d]

just got a microkorg and want to use the PC editing software for it, therefor i need some midi cables. I could just go buy single midi to usb cable for $50 but i thought I would ask you folks a couple questions first as I have no clue about midi...midi schmidi I always say.

I have several other devices which can use midi ( a yamaha drum machine and a Roland hard disc recorder ). I guess midi allows for these devices to "talk" to each other? Maybe they will get together and have a conversation and come up with a decent tune for me? Should I get an interface with more than one midi in/out and see what they say to each other? or just plug em in using the single cable as needed (i never needed midi before..so I have no clue what I need it for now)Is there some kind of uber-interface with say optical in, rca in with preamp for phono, multi midi in/ out, mic pres, xlr and 1/4 inch ins, and toaster oven?

thanks and sorry for the ignance per usual.

[apropos of nothing]

Yup. Made by several companies. I would keep it simple to start. Skip the USB interface and just get the game-port to MIDI connection (which is under $10) unles you're using a Mac, in which case, USB is the simplest and cheapest. I have a Roland/Edirol USB 1-in/1-out that works nice.

Reason I say that is that since your prime application is the MicroKorg editor, I hear that is happiest with said game-MIDI converter, and has problems with some of the USB varieties. If you do go USB, lurk around a MicroKorg forum and see waht works for people before you drop the dough.

The combined audio/MIDI interfaces are made by several companies. Hang around in the computer world forum and you'll see pros & cons of several. There isn't a far&away best-of-show, near as I can tell -- it all comes down to $, + time. Caveat emptor, measure twice, and all that.

[syrupcore]

depending on what you might want to do, you may or may not need multiple outs. midi can be daisy chained from one device to the next via the 'thru' port. each device get's it own 'channel' out of 16 possible channels. so, theoretically you can have 16 devices on one chain.

there can be a few problems with that but the two that you might be concerned with is a) do all your devices have a thru? lot's dont. and b) if you want to do things like dump patches, you might need to hook up the device directly from it's out, not it's thru.

if that means nothing, stick with 1in/1out. you can always upgrade.


Will