Topic: Time to upgrade? MIDI interface, Casio Privia PX330, Podium Free vs. License

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • October 17, 2013 at 02:41 #24893
    Guy Mayberry
    Participant

    Friends,
    I’ve been using Podium Free for about a year, and I think it’s time to for me to upgrade. I just got a Casio Privia PX330 to use as a MIDI controller and instrument sound source, and I believe I need to make use of multiple MIDI I/O. I’m thinking about something like the MOTU MIDI Express 128 to use with my Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, and not using the MIDI interface on the Saffire Pro 40.

    It seems that the PX330 listens to MIDI on all channels. That probably explains why one would need 128 note polyphony – using the PX330 as a mutli-timbral instrument. So I’m thinking I can isolate the PX330 from my vintage Yamaha DX7 and TX216 modules (that only “listen” to one MIDI channel) via the MOTU MIDI Express 128. My experience is that Podium is sending MIDI out on certain channels and working quite well with the vintage Yamaha gear – that only monitor the assigned MIDI channel (since I don’t have them in OMNI mode) – but the PX330 is now monitoring it as well. And I don’t know of a better way to shut that off and make the PX330 behave other than to isolate it on its own MIDI I/O.

    And in order to make use of the MOTU MIDI Express 128, I need to license Podium to be able to support mutliple MIDI I/O. So instead of 1 MIDI out for each of the 16 channels, I’d have 8 MIDI outs with 16 channels each. And, presumably, 8 MIDI ins as well.

    Does anyone use the MOTU MIDI Express 128 with Podium and another audio interface?

    Does anyone have other thoughts on how to deal with the MIDI impact of the Privia keyboards with other vintage gear on a single MIDI I/O?

    Thanks, GM

    October 17, 2013 at 17:46 #24899
    Zynewave
    Keymaster

    Hi,

    I don’t have any experience with the devices you mention.

    To limit yourself to one MIDI output, you would need to block/mute the two channels you use for your other gear in your PX330 multitimbral setup. But you would then be down to only 14 simultaneous instruments in your PX330.

    Frits

    October 17, 2013 at 21:32 #24906
    Guy Mayberry
    Participant

    Frits,
    Thanks for the quick reply.

    Is it fair to say that I should be able to use the MOTU MIDI Express 128 for the MIDI interface in Podium, while still using the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 for audio – and thereby ignore the MIDI ports on the PRO 40? This would be along with the licensed Podium…and therefore have 8 separately addressable MIDI ins and outs with 16 channels each?
    GM

    October 20, 2013 at 11:19 #24924
    Zynewave
    Keymaster

    That should be possible. It should also be possible to use the MIDI interfaces of both the MOTU and the Focusrite at the same time. I would recommend that you install the Podium Demo version to verify that your setup works with Podium, before purchasing a license.

    October 27, 2013 at 04:12 #24967
    Guy Mayberry
    Participant

    OK – so for those of you following along…..I hooked up the Casio PX330 via a USB to use that as MIDI. After wrestling with the wrong ASIO driver for the Saffire PRO 40, I got the demo version hooked up and can separately address the two MIDI interfaces as I expected.

    I’m gonna dink with it a bit more to confirm, but it’s looking good so far. And, hopefully using the USB for the MIDI I should be able to avoid purchasing something like the MOTU MIDI Express 128. I’m trusting that the latency wouldn’t be any worse thru the USB cable.

    Thanks for the guidance.
    GM

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