Multiple Midi Controllers
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happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
Sure.
I think Windows has a MAX limit of 8 MIDI devices plugged into USB.
That may be an XP Limit only.
Gary
I think Windows has a MAX limit of 8 MIDI devices plugged into USB.
That may be an XP Limit only.
Gary
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Yes, it's most certainly possible to connect more than one USB MIDI controller to your computer. They can all be configured for different uses e.g. you can use piano keys on one controller, drum pads on another and faders on a third. If you need any help setting them up, let us know.
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Windows has a limit of 10 MIDI devices, not 8. However, I think the built-in Microsoft GS Wavetable Soft Synth (or whatever it's called) might count as one of them!
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
Thanks for the correction Michael.
However, is that limit restricted to XP or does it still in exist in more recent versions of the OS?
Gary
However, is that limit restricted to XP or does it still in exist in more recent versions of the OS?
Gary
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Yes, it's also for the versions after XP.
Another thing to be careful of is that a MIDI device's "ID" within the OS is linked to the USB port it's plugged into, so if you plug the same device into 2 or 3 different USB ports from time to time, it will be seen as 2 or 3 different MIDI devices by the OS.
Also, even if you disconnect a MIDI device, it will still be registered within the OS!
This means it can be easy to exceed the limit without realizing it. I forget whether it's Roland or Korg, but one of them has a USB MIDI driver utility that will list all of the MIDI devices which are registered within the OS, and will let you remove any that are no longer being used.
PS-- That's how I learned that the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth counts as a MIDI device-- I was using the utility to remove extra "devices" from where I'd shuffled my keyboards back and forth between different USB ports, and noticed that the Wavetable Synth was listed as one of the MIDI output devices.
By the way, I think it's 10 MIDI input devices and 10 MIDI output devices-- in other words, I think it might be possible to have more than 10 MIDI devices connected as long as some of them have MIDI In ports only, and others have MIDI Out ports only. But I'm not certain of that!
Another thing to be careful of is that a MIDI device's "ID" within the OS is linked to the USB port it's plugged into, so if you plug the same device into 2 or 3 different USB ports from time to time, it will be seen as 2 or 3 different MIDI devices by the OS.
Also, even if you disconnect a MIDI device, it will still be registered within the OS!
This means it can be easy to exceed the limit without realizing it. I forget whether it's Roland or Korg, but one of them has a USB MIDI driver utility that will list all of the MIDI devices which are registered within the OS, and will let you remove any that are no longer being used.
PS-- That's how I learned that the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth counts as a MIDI device-- I was using the utility to remove extra "devices" from where I'd shuffled my keyboards back and forth between different USB ports, and noticed that the Wavetable Synth was listed as one of the MIDI output devices.
By the way, I think it's 10 MIDI input devices and 10 MIDI output devices-- in other words, I think it might be possible to have more than 10 MIDI devices connected as long as some of them have MIDI In ports only, and others have MIDI Out ports only. But I'm not certain of that!
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