Erratic MIDI

[jperser]

I have a Midiman 4x4 Midisport interface. All too often, this device will just stop communicating midi, especially when a cable is plugged into the input and output on the same channel. I don't know if this is a flaky usb midi device or is digi having some wierd midi thing.
All my midi experience is the mac and I've never seen this problem there.

What's the best midi interface device to use to digi?

[Numachida]

I picked up an 8X8 (Midiman) to use with PTLE and had similar problems to the ones you describe. Also lots of other wierd stuff. Booted Cubase on the same PC, loaded the same MIDI file-everything the same except PTLE-no problems. Currently using Cubase for MIDI-PTLE for audio.

[jperser]

So have I gotten screwed by going with PTLE? I used to do everything MIDI but have been moving toward audio. Are you using the USB on your 8x8 or the serial connection? I'm wondering if it makes a difference? I was thinking about taking the 4x4 back and getting the 8x8 for use with the serial port. If it does the same thing there then the problem is purely a PTLE one.

I like to work partly in MIDI, some sequencing and then use PTLE to record the audio and do the mixdowns. Is it feasible to do that on the same machine or should I be trying to use 2 pc's for this?

I'm really disappointed in how terrible the MIDI in PTLE really is. I've been using Performer on the Mac for years and there really is no comparison IMHO.

[Numachida]

First let me say that my situation is complicated by two things. I'm using a HUI, and I'm recording to a SCSI drive. I'm sure they aren't helping the situation. PTLE would function just fine without these, but I've got them and I'm going to keep using them. I got the 8x8 specifically for the serial interface. My first USB MIDI interface caused PCI bus busy errors, and Digi recommends a serial interface. All was good with that until I started loading up tracks and plug-ins. Anyway-I love PTLE for audio. No regrets whatsoever. It is a mature, elegant and intuitive piece of software. They will get the MIDI side together. For now it's my console and tape machine. It's OK if it thinks it's too much work to also be a sequencer. How much do you want ONE cpu to do? How about striping one PTLE channel with SMPTE and slaving your Mac with DP to ProTools? Good luck!