Need more than 16 midi channels

michelp · Post by **michelp** » Sun Sep 21, 2003 11:33 pm

For big band scores, I would like to be able to define more than 16 instruments (considering the doublings etc...).
A trumpet section often needs to be divided and each staff should be able to use different sounds : open, tin mute, cup mute, flugelhorn, etc
Trombones : open, muted...
Saxes : sop, alto, ten, bari, flute, clar, bass clarinet
Guitar, piano, bass, drums

Ideally, instead of giving the same sound to all the staves within a section, I would rather give each staff its own midi channel. So I need more than 16 midi channels.

I use an external sound module, Roland's Sound Canvas SC88V, which seems to be able to play 32 "instruments", on channels A 01-16 and B 01-16, but I can only send to the first 16 channels (A) via my MOTU Express XT, connected to my modem port (serial, on the Mac).
According to the Finale manual, I would need a second midi interface connected to the printer port to send to channels 17-32.
Is it so ?
The MOTU interface itself has 2 ports for serial connection to the Mac. I currently use port A. Should I use port B for the other 16 channels and reconfigure Midi Setup to include Printer port ? (It's kind of a drag to mobilize the printer port for midi, too).
Would the SC88 then receive on channels B 01-16 ?
Or is there another way to achieve this without loosing the use of the printer port ? Any help would be welcome. Thanks.

rtarantola · Post by **rtarantola** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 3:56 pm

Yes, you would use the printer port for an additional 16 MIDI channels. No, there is no way around using your printer port for achieving 32 channels. Just use the B port on the MIDI interface. Ray

michelp · Post by **michelp** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 9:38 pm

rtarantola wrote:Yes, you would use the printer port for an additional 16 MIDI channels. No, there is no way around using your printer port for achieving 32 channels. Just use the B port on the MIDI interface. Ray

Thank you for your very clear answer, Ray.
Would you happen to know how things would work if I get a Mac G5, with USB ports (or Firewire) to use for midi. Will I have to use 2 separate USB ports as well (with 2 new USB midi interfaces) ?
Any midi interfaces on Firewire ? 2 again ? Thanks.

rtarantola · Post by **rtarantola** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 3:31 am

Using a computer with a USB port, you will only need one MIDI interface. You plug one USB cable from the computer into the interface. Even the smallest (i.e. Fastlane by MOTU) MIDI interfaces have A and B sides for 32 channels with USB. Of course you can buy a multi-port interface and get even more channels. A word of warning, the G5's are brand new and although I'm sure USB interfaces will probably work with them fine there may be issues using a G5 until everyone catches up to Apple. Ray

michelp · Post by **michelp** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 9:57 am

Thanks a lot.
Does anyone have experience of midi via firewire (on the Mac) ? I have just spotted this Audio/Midi interface which is connected to a PC or Mac via firewire :
M-Audio FireWire 410 Audio/midi
http://www.midiman.com/products/m-audio/fw410.php
I assume such a Firewire interface would also offer A & B to get the 32 midi channels I need for Finale... ?

rtarantola · Post by **rtarantola** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 3:48 pm

No, that is more of an audio interface. The MIDI says 1x1 which is only 16 channels. As you've found there are firewire audio/MIDI products available. Ray

mjolnir · Post by **mjolnir** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 9:53 am

There is an alternative approach which might be useful in some instances: instead of increasing the number of MIDI channels, use staff styles, or define playback espressions to obtain some effects. Since impossible for the same instrument to play with a cup mute and a plunger mute at the same time, you don't really need two channels for this.

ns

michelp · Post by **michelp** » Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:34 am

mjolnir wrote:There is an alternative approach which might be useful in some instances: instead of increasing the number of MIDI channels, use staff styles, or define playback espressions to obtain some effects. Since impossible for the same instrument to play with a cup mute and a plunger mute at the same time, you don't really need two channels for this.

Thanks for the reaction. I am aware of this method (changing staff styles for different instruments on a single staff) and I use it. But the problem is that if in "Instrument List" I give the same midi channel to my 4 trumpets (to stay under 16 channels), I have noticed that if a sound changes for one trumpet, all the other trumpets change as well...Is there a way to set up things so that this doesn't happen ?
As I couldn't find a solution, I went searching into another direction : how to have more than 16 channels, so that each trumpet can have its own midi channel and its own sound (muted, open, flugelhorn,...). See above for very clear answers on how to use midi interfaces to have 32 channels.
Thanks to everybody.

Wildman · Post by **Wildman** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 10:49 am

You can use the express xt thru usb. You can also run 2 xt's at once.

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