Midi and LAN

[Cheez]

The 5-pin midi cable has always been the standard for communication between digital music equipment. For those working with multiple computers and tons of midi gears, the midi cabling can be a hassle. Furthermore, a midi interface with multiple in-outputs are not exactly very cheap.

Now there´s MIDIoverLAN+, a relatively cheap program that allows the composer to link multiple computers/DAWs via LAN. There are some great reviews about it. Wonder if anybody out there (particular those who use multiple computers) has successes with it.

Here´s the link: http://www.musiclab.com/products/rpl_info.htm

 

[Tripper]

true, MLan looks promising, but its all about integration with other gear. if i´m not mistaken, Yamaha holds all the lisenceing rights, and tho they are NOT charging development cost, other manufactuers are reluctant to take it up..



We have competing standards all over the place, we cant even deceided whats considered loud anymore... wonder if this will catch on?

 

[Cheez]

Aha. Just stumbled upon the Yamaha site and realised that mLAN is really using the IEEE 1394 firewire protocol. And you´re right - they hold the license.



But I´m refering to something else quite different. MIDIoverLAN+ is not mLAN - it uses the LAN networking cable. The program is quite cheap; a network card and cable is also quite cheap. Furthermore, now with the Gigabit ethernet cards coming out, speed is going to be way faster than firewire. I´m sure there must be people thinking about connecting multiple computers via midi. Especially with so many great softsynths coming out now (and slowly replacing hardwares synths), there must be some thinking about standalone PCs dedicated to running only softsynths. Anyone out there?

 

[jogn]

There seems to be 2 standards out there for connecting midi instruments in a network. One is using VST system link and the other is mlan. The first uses asio2.0 compliant soundcards with spdif and the other uses firewire. I´m not too sure that any of the companies out there are likely to use tcp/ip as a transport protocol for any of this because it means that there is less vendor lockdown to the specific devices and connectors. So, it´s unlikely to get out of the province of hackers and their ilk.

However if anyone can get it going over 802.3 reliably, i´ll be the first to sign up.

 

[qfactor]

I´ve tried MIDIoverLAN from its free download version and have got it to work.
With one MIDI kbd controller connected to a PC to another PC with an SB Live soundcard.

Managed to get it to play from another room! Cool! :wink:
Haven´t figured on a good use for it yet, though!

While u´re at that site, check out the "RhythmnChords" plug-in that simulates guitar strums on Cakewalk. Another cool tool!

QF :lol: