So if I understand aright. 1.) The faster the computer the more complex a simultaneity sound I can trust to achieve.
2.) More RAM gives me the opportunity to store sounds of higher fidelity or have more sounds at the ready.
3.) Larger drive gives my the opportunity for a larger library of sound.
That's it!
Presently I am working with 32 channel serial midi box. What I'm having trouble visualizing is the 64 channel universe. Do I need a piece of hardware for this?
I'm assuming that this means you have 2 midi ins and outs. (16 channels each) Each midi cable has 16 channels. So in a hardware only situation, you would need a midi interface with 4 ports to be able to have 64 channels of separate midi available (four cables 16 channels each going to whatever devices) However......
With softsynth systems this would be software driven I would've thought. If this is the case all I need my keyboard for is to hear my noodling and punching in notes to the score -- i.e. a basic serial card.
That's right. If you only have your keyboard, you only need a 1X1 midi interface ....the rest will take place in the machine. And that depends on which softsynth or softwampler you are using. Different ones act differently. The softsampler that I use the most (Mach5) has 16 channels of midi per "instance". Instances are like having multiple devices (ex. In outboard speak I may own 2 JV-1080's...in softsynth speak I have 2 instances of the JV-1080)
This is where you start to get into the need for RAM and Processor power. In the example above, to have 64 midi channels going, I would have four instances of my softsampler open where each instance has 16 channels available. GPO I believe has 8 "players" per instance. (Think of the players as channels.) So to have all 64 channels in Finale filled up with GPO players, you would have to have 8 "instances" of GPO open with 8 players (channels) per instance. (Finale's maximum is 64 channels....so as you can see, another midi channel limiting factor is your "sequencer." In this case I am considering Finale the sequencer.)
If I got the basic serial card and just plug in my system as it is I should be up and away no?
You could do it this way. But I would suggest getting an inexpensive USB midi interface. Check out the Edirol UM-1X. It is an all in one 1X1 interface. (cables, interface and usb connector are all one piece) It'll cost you around $50.00.
Best,
Karen -- Karen Guthery [EMAIL PROTECTED] ichat: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
