Multiple MIDI Express 128's not reliable

[andyjh]

I'm hoping someone else out there is using more than 4 MIDI Express 128's on a PC (Win 7) to confirm my issues, as I have 6 of them, and I find that the order of the units sometimes gets scrambled at boot up. That means all software sends to the wrong ports, I have to reboot and then the "normal" order is returned. Though that normal order is actually "2,3,4,5,1,6"

MOTU support don't seem interested in resolving this, I assume because it only happens on 5+ units, and I'm probably the only person ever to connect more than 4 on a system,
so I was hoping someone else out there is also trying to do this, and either has a solution - or can nag MOTU for some action from them.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Welcome to the forum. Not being a PC user, I can't answer that and hopefully someone will, but I am wondering of it possibly the operating system that cannot handle the multiple units or MIDI channels?

Anyone?

[elfan]

Oh, this is most definitely true. I've run 3 MOTU Express 128 boxes and 1 M-Audio Midisport 8x8 in parallel for many years (first in Windows XP and now in Windows 7 64-bit). I'm using every single port so it's safe to say that I've got a decent amount of outboard gear set up in Ableton Live 8. Most of the time the order stays the same (which is to say that the order of the first and second MOTU interface is swapped). But sometimes the first and second interface change places. The third interface is never affected. And recently I got a fourth MOTU interface and so far that one has not been affected either. Needless to say it's ANNOYING when 8+8 ports become unusable. I don't know if MOTU or Windows is to be blamed but I would like it to be fixed.

Thanks,
Tomas

[elfan]

Update: I was wrong, my setup consisting of 3 MOTU Express 128 interfaces and 1 Midisport 8x8 interface was stable in its ordering. Until I added the fourth MOTU interface. Now it seems like the fourth interface has pushed all the other MOTU interfaces up one step so that the one previously known as "Express 128" is now "2- Express 128", the previous "3- Express 128" is now "4- Express 128" and the new interface, the one that I thought would be called "4- Express 128") is called "Express 128". Because WHY NOT? Why would that NOT be the least intrusive way of adding an interface to an existing setup? That's ok, I'll just move around every single MIDI instrument in every single one of my MIDI project.

This does not change after reboot either. This is the way thing are now.

Seriously though, get your •••• together, MOTU.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I'm not convinced it's just a MOTU issue and may be because the OS is seeing the hardware and arranging it as it sees fit. Just a guess.

[Nucleus]

Hi all,
I have only two Express 128 running under Win7 and I have exactly the same problem that sometimes the enumeration of the two devices gets mangled/switched. From that point my software (Cubase and MQuest Pro) adress all my synths wrong. I contacted MOTU more than a year ago and they acknowledged this and said they would work out a solution but still nothing.
Now I have to manually connect and disconnect the interfaces "hoping" that Windows will revert to the initial enumeration. Very professional....

[sertem]

I'm hoping someone else out there is using more than 4 MIDI Express 128's on a PC (Win 7) to confirm my issues, as I have 6 of them, and I find that the order of the units sometimes gets scrambled at boot up. That means all software sends to the wrong ports, I have to reboot and then the "normal" order is returned. Though that normal order is actually "2,3,4,5,1,6"

MOTU support don't seem interested in resolving this, I assume because it only happens on 5+ units, and I'm probably the only person ever to connect more than 4 on a system,
so I was hoping someone else out there is also trying to do this, and either has a solution - or can nag MOTU for some action from them.

I planned to buy and use 5pcs motu MIDI Express 128 in same computer. Now I use mac, but I will switch the pc.

Does the same error persist?

[sertem]

I bought emagic amt8 and unitor, total 5 pcs, very cheap, flawless working in mojave. Sorry motu, you must improve yourself if you want to sell MIDI interface