i really don't understand a lot about midi
and i would like to know what connections i have to make if i want to link a pc where i'm running Kontact (i would like to use this only as a sampler) to another where i would run cubase .
i use a pc-180 roland master keyboard linked to the pc running kontakt and i would like to record midi on the pc running cubase.
what do i have to do?
thanx
adam

I don't know the roland pc-180, but just in case, most roland keyboards have 2 midi out's and two midi ins.
In that case there's no problem, but I guess seeing your post the pc-180 has only one midi out and one midi in.
And I assume you don't have a midi-patchbay.
This means your midi signals can only go to one receiving slave device, which slave device will have to transfer the midi signal "thru" to another slave device.
As your two slave devices are computers with soundcards, only the latency alone will make it almost impossible to work in realtime.
Secondly your software should support sending midi-out to more as one device.
(sampler software + midi-out for midi thru signals to other soundcard -> midi in->software cubase.
This routing can be achieved by installing hubi's midi software on the pc where your sampler software is.
Once achieved you need to make sure cubase is not sending mid-out again as you create a midi-loop.


The easyist and most wanted way is using a midi-patchbay.
No latency problems
Easy routing

You can ofcourse try out first, as the hubi software is free for download (it's freeware) but I doubt or it will work without latency problems.

Fred

Note:
I don't have the link for hubi on hand, but I'm sure that with one google search you will find it.

my roland mast keyboard has only a midi out
that i would link to midi in on my sblaster platinum and then from midi out to midi in on my audiophile 2496 (is it ok?).
i don't understand the problem with latency
and what is a midi patchbay?
thanx fred

When the Roland PC-180 has only one midi-out and no mini in, a midi patchbay is overdone unless you have more hardware midi-devices you would like to connect in a midi-chain.

Instead of sending all midi signals thru all different devices, a midi patchbay sends the midi-signals directly to each receiving midi device from the sending midi-device.

A typical midi-chain in your situation can look like this;
sending device(f.i. pc-180) -> midi in (first midi device) -> midi thru (first midi device) -> midi in (second midi device) -> midi thru (second midi device) -> midi in (third midi device) etc....

The midi signals recieved on midi in are copied to the midi-thru port and travel to next device without much delay.
The longer these midi-chains are, the more latency (delay in tansmission) builts up, until it is audible and no longer of any use for realtime usage.
The avarage rule is not to exceed a maximum cable lenght of totally 8 meters.

With a midipatchbay all devices are connected to the patchbay so an example;
midi-out -> midi-in patchbay -> device one
-> device two
-> device three
etc..

Back to your situation;
As you say described above, you need a midi-tru connection for having the receiving midi-signals copied in further transportation.
As far as I know there are no PC soundcards with a midi-tru connector.
Your midimen audiophile and your sb live definately don't have this connector.
It's just midi in and out.

You can solve this by either hardware or software.

Hardware:
As earlier mentionned a midi-patchbay will do the job, but is overdone in your situation, so a hardware device which will just copy the midi-signals and acts like a midithru port will do.
As I recall these devices are made by Phil Rees and pretty cheap.

Software:
You need software which will copy the midi-in signals received on the midi-in port straight to the midi-out port, without interference of your sequencer software.
There are several free software utilities which will do this.
Look for midi-ox, midi yoke.

The reason we want the midi-in signals captured/copied straight to midi-out are;
1. Most sequencer software won't allow you to send midi internal and external at the same time.
2. The sequencer software will cause a huge delay in transmission and cause "latency"
3. You will have to choose precisely which midi-channels can pass thru and which channels not.

I'm glad you mentionned your soundcards.
The audiophile is a pro-card.
(make sure you have latest drivers)
The sb live is a consumer card.
So the most likely cable routing would be;
PC-180 midi-out ->audiophile midi-in ->
audiophile midi-out -> sblive midi-in
So midi-ox or midi yoke software on the pc with your audiophile card.
I never tried these utilities with pro cards, so not sure or the midimen card allows you to do this, so you have to try out.
If not there's no other way as using the sblive first in the midichain.

Note:
I chequed the Kontakt sampler software as did not heard from it.
This software sampler can function as vst plugin!
Why don't you use it with cubase?
1. asio drivers which work excellent on the
audiophile card.
2. no tricky midi routing required

Is you pc not fast enough maybe?

Anyway let us know how it works/outcome as these things are often usefull for others.

Fred

fred,thanx for your detailed reply.
i've just ordered a p4 1.8ghz pc,hope it's fast enough! When it's delivered i'll set it up as indicated and post my findings.
thanx once again
Adam.