>>>> B: You have the "jumper" in a wrong jack.
Are there any jumpers to set (beside the buttons on the front)? I don't see any jumpers to set on the studio4 (or are they hidden in the unit itself). The manual says nothing about "jumpers".
What I meant by "jumper" was that you have to have the first St4 connected with Port A and then "jumper" from Port B to Port B on to the second one. >>
Not Port B "Thru"<< This is the way they
must be connected for then to operate as "one" using a single-cable config.
2.) Problem about "cluster"/hanging notes (Studio 5LX):
I have found a workaround. Hanging notes only appear when Logics midi connection is set to "OMS". When you switch tracks with the cursors while playing keyboards you get this "hanging notes".
Workaround: Set in Logic the midi connections to "Logic built-in drivers" and check also OMS to work additionally with the built in drivers, every time I switch the tracks (while playing keyboards) there are NO hanging notes anymore. Crazy but maybe an OMS issue in Logic?!
Are you by some chance trying to switch tracks while recording
without stopping? As in: disarm the first and arm / switch to the second on the fly? Not that it really matters (because if you found a setting that works, then problem solved, but while I don't use "old" Logic, so I'm not certain) but I seriously doubt they expected you to do that.
3.) Studio5LX or studio4 competition:
I am still not convinced which one delivers better midi timing, because I am using only ONE midi connection (modem port (gport) for all my midi). I have already ordered a Keyspan USB to serial converter with TWO serial to make some test with TWO connections. Maybe the Keyspan USB has better timing than the gportG4 on my modem port.
But I have read good and bad things about USB Midi .... But with two serial USB connections I could connect both studio4 without any problem. But the USB midi timing... mmh ....
Let me make a statement:
95% of what you read on the internet about "MIDI Timing" is bullshit - pure uninformed bullshit.Let me make another:
99% of what you read on the internet about "USB MIDI Timing" is bullshit - pure uninformed bullshit.There is no "MIDI timing" as in some sort of accurate clock to keep time with the music and drop the notes in the right places
except in your DAW.The only "timing" that takes place in a serial port / connection - old Mac serial or USB - is the data clock that keeps the stream moving at the rate designated by the serial protocol.
That's
why there
are MIDI interfaces. They are what buffer / store the MIDI bytes as they come in at a far faster rate than the MIDI protocol, then clock it out again at the MIDI protocol rate. Note: USB stands for
Universal
Serial
Bus. It has NO special protocol for MIDI. That's also why a Keyspan has no problem turning ONE USB port into TWO RS-422 and sending MIDI through both - there are NO special timing requirements within the USB system for MIDI and the USB data rate is faster than the two serials combined. That's also why performance is better with two St4's if you use the TWO-cable hookup
if (important if) you're sending enough MIDI down the one cable to potentially choke the stream. For example, I always use TWO serial ports (created with ONE Keyspan) because I often send MTC down one port for tape sync and that will screw up MIDI timing very quickly with one line only. The timing bytes
must get and do get priority over notes which can cause those notes to land less accurately.
When people give you long-winded descriptions about their superior "MIDI timing over USB" gadgets, ask them if they've also bought into stuff like Audioquest $100 USB cables too…'cause they "sound" better, right? Most of MIDI-over-USB complaints are directly due to manufacturers implementing it on the cheap - as in too cheap to even include / use a standard MIDI connector and an interface that works. You can get away with leaving quality interface circuitry out up to a point - then the data overruns and underruns just turn everything to shit.
Lastly, the St5 IS a better -performing unit that two St4's can possibly be due to its built-in 68000 processor. It can easily handle a massive amount of MIDI incoming over both ports and distribute it out to any or all MIDI outs with perfect timing because it has the buffer memory and the accurate clock built in. This is a discussion in extremes though, a dual-St4 pair will keep up just fine until the very limit - and that limit is different for everybody because no two setups are alike or used exactly the same way.
I'm tired now…