[linux-audio-dev] Re: MIDI

Don't forget DMIDI IEEE P1639. Distributed MIDI over ethernet. It is still
alive and well and I'm developing code for other Os's apart from Linux. Also
working on a MIDI BOX with 32 MIDI ins and 32 MIDI outs all separately
addressable and just plugs into a 10/100/1000 ethernet hub/switch.
regards,

Jennifer Dillon

Dave Robillard writes:

> On Sat, 2006-11-11 at 21:41 -0500, Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Saturday 11 November 2006 21:00, Tony Nelson wrote:
>> >At 4:21 PM -0500 11/11/06, Gene Heskett wrote:
>> > ...
>> >
>> This thread might be of interest to the linux-audio-dev group, so I've
>> added them to the Cc:
>>
>> >>Yup, and its been a constant src of amazement to this old fart that
>> >> when the midi spec was setup, they used a serial port, thats fine, but
>> >> when they set the data rate at only 31,250 baud, ...
>> >>
>> >>Consistently attrocious timeing, with the horns always 1/16 beat late
>> >>unless the actual output order of each instrument is scrambled in the
>> >>order output. That would make it sound a heck of a lot less
>> >> mechanical. And there isn't a heck of a lot that can be done until we
>> >> put midi on an optical circuit running at several megabytes/sec.
>> >> Something like TOS maybe?
>> >
>> >Firewire. Many products already, plenty of speed, almost robust enough.
>> >1/8 millisecond isoch cycle times; each cycle can contain packets from
>> > many senders; each packet can contain lots of notes.
>>
>> More robust IMO than the din connectors now used for midi interconnects,
>> however the cabling itself can't help but be more fragile when subjected
>> to the rigors of a jam session with bodies walking on them all night.
>> And that has to be a consideration else the first users will get
>> discouraged at the high cable failure rates and revert, particularly if
>> they have a tin ear and can't hear what to many of us would be an
>> extremely obvious improvement.
>>
>> But I like that idea, a lot. Maybe some enterprising LAD people could get
>> together and spec something like a midi interface running over firewire,
>> complete with the repeaters so it can be daisy-chained just like midi can
>> be, and hopefully release it into the PD as a new midi-2 interface
>> standard. And design it such that it never, ever gets into the snails
>> trail of the 31,250 baud interface it uses today.
>
> Forget Firewire - Ethernet!
>
> Far cheaper, far more common, more hardware available (eg switches)
>
> -DR-
>
Received on Wed Nov 15 04:15:01 2006