[sdiy] MIDI Router

[Doug Terrebonne]

There's also the Roland A-880, Digital Music MX-8, Yamaha MEP4, and the old MOTU MTP II can be programmed from the front panel. All of these MIDI patchers/processors are pretty dirt cheap these days, why bother re-inventing the wheel?

Doug
--- On Sat, 4/11/09, Sean Ellis <tensiontype at hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: Sean Ellis <tensiontype at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] MIDI Router
> To: "Matthew Smith" <matt at smiffytech.com>, synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
> Date: Saturday, April 11, 2009, 12:26 AM
> Its not exactly what you want but maybe look at a Kawai
> MAV-8, works very 
> well for me.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Matthew Smith" <matt at smiffytech.com>
> To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
> Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2009 4:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [sdiy] MIDI Router
> 
> 
> > Quoth Scott Nordlund at 2009-04-11 10:41...
> >> It would be a lot easier to just use switches.
> >>I don't know how often you'd really need to
> go
> >>messing around with it, but for my purposes at
> >>least it would be more or less "set and
> forget".
> >>You'd need a microcontroller if you wanted to
> >>merge/filter/etc. (in which case you'd do the
> >>routing in software rather than using the
> >>multiplexers) or to store settings, but for
> >>simple routing I don't know how much useful
> >>functionality it would really add.
> >
> > Have to agree to disagree on that ;-)
> >
> > The whole reason for having this device is to be able
> to change routings
> > frequently - especially the MIDI outs of modules going
> to the computer
> > for backups.  I can send patch changes quickly and
> easily from my K5000
> > workstation.
> >
> > As regards microcontrollers, I come from a very much
> digital background
> > and, for me, they are often the simplest and economic
> solution for a
> > whole host of applications.  Also a big fan of
> distributed computing -
> > inclined to use several slow/cheap devices rather than
> one big, fast,
> > expensive one.  I2C, SPI can make life easy. (That
> will require more
> > complex programming and also be a pig to solder!)
> >
> > I looked at using a microcontroller for routing when I
> first considered
> > this but then realised that I would need something
> very fast to do so,
> > if I were to scan 8 (or more) inputs running at MIDI
> Baud rate, then
> > reproduce the incoming state on the outputs.  Note
> that this isn't just
> > an 8 into 1, it could be up to 16 into 16 which would
> require a heck of
> > a sampling rate which would entail the use of devices
> that I'm not
> > familiar with programming and have not-so-friendly SMD
> packages to solder.
> >
> > Using multiplexers means that I can use a pair of
> slow, $3, uCs and 8 x
> > $0.25 mux devices to do the job.  (Using the extra
> uC(s) because it's
> > easier (for me) and cheaper than buying latches and
> decoders.)
> >
> > You mention mergers - yes, I'm thinking of making
> provision for adding a
> > couple of them.  If I present the thing as a 12x12, I
> have a) room for
> > expansion and b) 4 inputs and 4 outputs that may be
> used internally for
> > merges, arpeggiators and anything else that I might
> decide to throw in.
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > M
> >
> > -- 
> > Matthew Smith
> > Smiffytech - Technology Consulting & Web
> Application Development
> > Business:      http://www.smiffytech.com/
> > Blog/personal: http://www.smiffysplace.com/
> > LinkedIn:      http://www.linkedin.com/in/smiffy
> > Skype:         msmiffy
> > Twitter:       @smiffytech
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