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[GaryN]

So regarding OMS, it looks like it's working well so far.  I do have one question though..  with OMS.. it feels like (and maybe i'm just not seeing it right) maybe OMS only supports 16 midi channels collectively?  Or does it also still support 16 midi channels per OUT as FreeMIDI does via USB? 

You confusing a couple of things. Every MIDI cable (as in 5-pin DIN) supports 16 MIDI channels.

OMS or FreeMIDI  "tags" MIDI data with an ID. You can have a huge pile of synthesizers. On each MTP MIDI port you can have as many as 16 - each set to a different channel. 8 ports X 16 Channels = 128 synths that ALL appear in a huge OMS setup diagram. Send a note-ON to any one of them and OMS and your MTP together make sure it gets to the correct synth. Can you really have 128 synths/devices on one MTP? Yes. Why? Because you don't use them all simultaneously.

You need to "rename" stuff in your head. Think of synths, modules etc as "Instruments". Yes that's weird if you're using MIDI to switch a MIDIverb or something, but generally, they're instruments.
Think of your MTPs as "Interfaces" - that's what they are and what they do.
That leaves "devices" as any other little splitter, doo-dads whatever that are NOT instruments or interfaces. The Keyspan adapter is a device.
Those are the conventions OMS, FreeMIDI and everybody else uses.

[part12studios]

yes a midi cable can support 16 channels..  i just wanted to be certain that serial based devices could handle the full 8 in / 8 out (128 individual midi channels technically, but almost certainly you'd experience midi lag if you tried to control 128 midi devices at once with notes / info going to all of them in realtime!).  it would seem it must..  but when it didn't for me i had to back up and make sure..

and this questioning isn't on my lack of MIDI understanding, but lack of experience with OSM.   So far my experience with this actual hardware / software.. was something different than i would have expected if it behaved as it does with USB..  the picture as configured indicated to me that each had it's own IN and OUT in the OMS configuration screen.. yet if both were on channel 1.. it complained that they were overlapping.. (it told me this, not my lack of trying) that seemed odd..  they are physically each going into and out of their own MIDI ports. If each has it's own dedicated MIDI path I'd think they could both be set to MIDI 1..    This is how many of my devices were setup when i was using them (same hardware, just usb instead of serial) would allow me to do it that way via FreeMIDI. 

But yea that's cool.  That's how I approached them with FreeMIDI.. it just hit a surprise snag when the two devices were conflicting and before i brought the whole gang over (some devices are still on my MIDI Express which is pure USB)..  maybe there is some OMS setting i'm overlooking that somehow thinks the devices are sharing the same 16 midi channels?  or maybe something is wrong.

I will say so far so good other than that snag..  obviously i have more gear to configrue and test, but the DW8000 seemed to get the MIDI Clock signal without drama..  i was finding situations when using USB that it felt like the DW8000 was not always reliably getting MIDI clock when I would start playing which was annoying to say the least..  but serial is good so far

[part12studios]

and i did btw see what was going on looking closer.  the ports were ok..  but apparently it was bitching about devices (on different ports) having the same sysex id, which is more specialized than i need at this point.  so i just ignored the warning messages there.. 



i like the visual representation better with freeMIDI but i got it working well.  looking forward to putting it to good use.

Also be thanks to you all for your insight and encouragement.       Would have been much tougher without this awesome community. 

Sincerely,
Caleb