8 in 8 out MIDI interface needed

[paulears]

I've been running an M-Audio Midisport 8x8 MIDI interface for years now, turned on 24/7. As many people experienced them failing - I left mine turned on, and it's been trouble free - until yesterday where it stops talking to the computer via USB, which is sadly a common fault. I can't seem to find anything to replace it with. M-Audio no longer do the rack mount 8 ch version (I wonder why?) and I can't find much out there apart from the MOTU - but it's too expensive. Anyone got any suggestions - second hand would do, but can't even find one on the usual sites? 4 channels out is not enough, I need at least 7.

[jmdh]

I've been very happy with the Focusrite Sapphire Pro 40 on a Mac - I understand it gets pretty good reviews generally. That's firewire, but the Scarlett 18i20 looks like an almost identical USB version, about to be released.

[PeterT]

PM sent.

[Shez]

I've been very happy with the Focusrite Sapphire Pro 40 on a Mac - I understand it gets pretty good reviews generally.

The Sapphire appears to only have one midi out?

[jmdh]

I've been very happy with the Focusrite Sapphire Pro 40 on a Mac - I understand it gets pretty good reviews generally.

The Sapphire appears to only have one midi out?

 

Oops, I completely misunderstood the requirement. I read the requirement as an 8in 8out audio interface with MIDI. Sorry!

[paulears]

Thanks for the PMs folks - I've responded directly. Peter pointed out that there are some good serial devices out there, but I have a lot of Carillon 19" rackmount computers I use for audio and video, and on the machine I need to look at, the new motherboard doesn't have serial - however, as the machine has a tape transport style panel on the front with real buttons (from an early machine) I tried a serial card and the result was lots of glitching - which I couldn't solve. The later transport panels use midi, but that panel is on the video machine annoyingly. There are a few MOTUs on ebay, but most of those have serial connections too, and just not sensible to try. I suspect the best thing to do is to wait until another M-Audio 8x8 turns up - because Cubase stores interface details with each song, so every song loaded back in needs manual editing of MIDI assignments if I do get something else. Rather a pain really, this one.

 

At the risk of offending readers, I'll just say

 

Thanks

 

 

Paul

[PeterT]

Paul, It's not worth trying a USB-Serial adaptor is it? That way the serial bit stays 'outside' the computer (unless I've got the idea completely wrong)

 

Just a thought...

[paulears]

To be honest, I don't know? Anybody tried these?

[Shez]

I use one with my PAT tester - it works is all I can say. Whether it would work with continuous time-critical midi streams is another matter of course.

[paulears]

That's what happened on the card serial interface - I'm recording multichannel audio and the old Tascam interface I used (with half the track count as the new system) just played up when the serial interface was used - just tiny glitches, clicks and pops. The system is very stable now, so I'm keen not to mess things up.

[TomHoward]

I use USB-serial adaptors with old serial programming cables for our radios, no problems.

[paulears]

Yes - I have one in my van for programming my radio too - but I'm worried about disturbing the audio processing.

[richard_cooper]

I've not used one of the 8 channel ones but I've seen a 4 channel working OK

 

ESI M8UXL

[paulears]

Excellent - that gives me at least a couple of option to consider and they are about the same price as the MOTU Express XT USB