I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
channels of MIDI in all my software applications?

Richy wrote:

>I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
>that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
>channels of MIDI in all my software applications?

Yes and yes.
--
================================================== ======================
Michael Kesti | "And like, one and one don't make
| two, one and one make one."
mrkesti at comcast dot net | - The Who, Bargain

You will be limited to 16 channels for external devices (hardware).
There's no limit to MIDI channels for software devices (softsynths
VSTi's etc.)

Richy wrote:
> I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
> that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
> channels of MIDI in all my software applications?

--
Oolong Tea direct from Taiwan
http://www.teafromtaiwan.com/

OK. Sounds good. I think.

I'd like to be able to use both external devices and softsynths
together.

Here is what I'd like to do (hypothetical example):

16 MIDI channels (channels 1 through 16) assigned to an external MIDI
keyboard connected to the soundcard via MIDI cables + 32 MIDI channels
(channels 17 through 48) assigned to internal softsynths = 48 MIDI
channels total.

Will the soundcard support this sort of thing?


On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:11:24 +0800, Rosco <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>You will be limited to 16 channels for external devices (hardware).
>There's no limit to MIDI channels for software devices (softsynths
>VSTi's etc.)
>
>Richy wrote:
>> I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
>> that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
>> channels of MIDI in all my software applications?

The sound card doesn't affect the assignment of softsynths, so as long
as your software can handle that number of voices (32 channels x
polyphony) you should have no problem.

You probably won't assign them as MIDI channel 17 etc. It will more
likely be Softsynth #1 MIDI channel #1, Softsynth #2 MIDI channel #1 etc.

Just out of curiosity - do you have a hardware keyboard with 16
instruments? I haven't dabbled in hardware for a while but when I had
my external MIDI devices most of them were limited to 8 instruments.

Richy wrote:
> OK. Sounds good. I think.
>
> I'd like to be able to use both external devices and softsynths
> together.
>
> Here is what I'd like to do (hypothetical example):
>
> 16 MIDI channels (channels 1 through 16) assigned to an external MIDI
> keyboard connected to the soundcard via MIDI cables + 32 MIDI channels
> (channels 17 through 48) assigned to internal softsynths = 48 MIDI
> channels total.
>
> Will the soundcard support this sort of thing?
>
>
> On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:11:24 +0800, Rosco <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>You will be limited to 16 channels for external devices (hardware).
>>There's no limit to MIDI channels for software devices (softsynths
>>VSTi's etc.)
>>
>>Richy wrote:
>>
>>>I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
>>>that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
>>>channels of MIDI in all my software applications?

--
Oolong Tea direct from Taiwan
http://www.teafromtaiwan.com/

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 15:18:44 +0800, Rosco <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>The sound card doesn't affect the assignment of softsynths, so as long
>as your software can handle that number of voices (32 channels x
>polyphony) you should have no problem.
>
>You probably won't assign them as MIDI channel 17 etc. It will more
>likely be Softsynth #1 MIDI channel #1, Softsynth #2 MIDI channel #1 etc.
>

Why/how would you do that? How can MIDI channel #1 have more than one
instrument assigned to it?

>Just out of curiosity - do you have a hardware keyboard with 16
>instruments? I haven't dabbled in hardware for a while but when I had
>my external MIDI devices most of them were limited to 8 instruments.
>

Kawai K11. It supports 16 MIDI channels. It actually has 4 MIDI ports
for a maximum of 32 MIDI channels (2x2) but I've never used more than
the 16 (1x1) arrangement.

As far as instruments it's got the standard GM sounds.

I'm not sure what you mean by 8 instruments.

>Richy wrote:
>> OK. Sounds good. I think.
>>
>> I'd like to be able to use both external devices and softsynths
>> together.
>>
>> Here is what I'd like to do (hypothetical example):
>>
>> 16 MIDI channels (channels 1 through 16) assigned to an external MIDI
>> keyboard connected to the soundcard via MIDI cables + 32 MIDI channels
>> (channels 17 through 48) assigned to internal softsynths = 48 MIDI
>> channels total.
>>
>> Will the soundcard support this sort of thing?
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 13:11:24 +0800, Rosco <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>You will be limited to 16 channels for external devices (hardware).
>>>There's no limit to MIDI channels for software devices (softsynths
>>>VSTi's etc.)
>>>
>>>Richy wrote:
>>>
>>>>I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
>>>>that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
>>>>channels of MIDI in all my software applications?

The MIDI spec only allows for 16 channels, so even if there is 32
channels on a device and they may be called channel 17 etc. they are
really MIDI port A channel 1, MIDI port B channel 1 etc. Same thing
with soft synths - they each have an output channel so you can have
several devices each on a different MIDI channel 1.

By instruments I mean individual "sounds" or combos etc. Sure, every
MIDI device can handle 16 channels but on my old M1 for example there
were only 8 "instruments" or "patches" that could sound at once. Each
instrument could be on a separate MIDI channel so it only every needed 8
MIDI channels at any one time.

Richy wrote:

>>You probably won't assign them as MIDI channel 17 etc. It will more
>>likely be Softsynth #1 MIDI channel #1, Softsynth #2 MIDI channel #1 etc.
>>
>
>
> Why/how would you do that? How can MIDI channel #1 have more than one
> instrument assigned to it?
>
>
>>Just out of curiosity - do you have a hardware keyboard with 16
>>instruments? I haven't dabbled in hardware for a while but when I had
>>my external MIDI devices most of them were limited to 8 instruments.
>>
>
>
> Kawai K11. It supports 16 MIDI channels. It actually has 4 MIDI ports
> for a maximum of 32 MIDI channels (2x2) but I've never used more than
> the 16 (1x1) arrangement.
>
> As far as instruments it's got the standard GM sounds.
>
> I'm not sure what you mean by 8 instruments.

--
Oolong Tea direct from Taiwan
http://www.teafromtaiwan.com/

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 04:44:02 GMT, Richy <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
>that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
>channels of MIDI in all my software applications?

The Audiophile has one MIDI port for connecting external devices. One
port supports 16 channels. So if you want more than this, you'll
need to install a further physical MIDI interface.

If you install software synths on your computer, each sets up its own
internal MIDI port, allowing it to talk to your sequencer directly on
(up to) 16 channels. So the physical MIDI port on your soundcard
doesn't enter the picture.

Your sequencer will see a choice of MIDI outputs. One will be the
physical port. The others will be your installed softsynths. Each
will potentially support 16 channels, though a particular softsynth
may actually use fewer.

CubaseFAQ www.laurencepayne.co.uk/CubaseFAQ.htm
"Possibly the world's least impressive web site": George Perfect

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 11:48:02 +0000, Laurence Payne
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 04:44:02 GMT, Richy <(E-Mail Removed)>
>wrote:
>
>>I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
>>that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
>>channels of MIDI in all my software applications?
>
>The Audiophile has one MIDI port for connecting external devices. One
>port supports 16 channels. So if you want more than this, you'll
>need to install a further physical MIDI interface.
>


>If you install software synths on your computer, each sets up its own
>internal MIDI port, allowing it to talk to your sequencer directly on
>(up to) 16 channels. So the physical MIDI port on your soundcard
>doesn't enter the picture.
>


>Your sequencer will see a choice of MIDI outputs. One will be the
>physical port. The others will be your installed softsynths. Each
>will potentially support 16 channels, though a particular softsynth
>may actually use fewer.
>
> CubaseFAQ www.laurencepayne.co.uk/CubaseFAQ.htm
> "Possibly the world's least impressive web site": George Perfect

Excellent! Thanks for the explanation! This all makes perfect sense
now.

I'm thinking about getting it from mtlc.net. Does anyone have any
recommends?

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 19:41:51 GMT, Richy <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>
>
>On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 11:48:02 +0000, Laurence Payne
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 04:44:02 GMT, Richy <(E-Mail Removed)>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I'm considering the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. It has 1x1 MIDI I/O so
>>>that's 16 channels right? Does that mean I will be limited to only 16
>>>channels of MIDI in all my software applications?
>>
>>The Audiophile has one MIDI port for connecting external devices. One
>>port supports 16 channels. So if you want more than this, you'll
>>need to install a further physical MIDI interface.
>>
>
>
>>If you install software synths on your computer, each sets up its own
>>internal MIDI port, allowing it to talk to your sequencer directly on
>>(up to) 16 channels. So the physical MIDI port on your soundcard
>>doesn't enter the picture.
>>
>
>
>>Your sequencer will see a choice of MIDI outputs. One will be the
>>physical port. The others will be your installed softsynths. Each
>>will potentially support 16 channels, though a particular softsynth
>>may actually use fewer.
>>
>> CubaseFAQ www.laurencepayne.co.uk/CubaseFAQ.htm
>> "Possibly the world's least impressive web site": George Perfect
>
>Excellent! Thanks for the explanation! This all makes perfect sense
>now.