Midisport 8×8 Midi Interface -- Use Serial or USB?

[MikeDee]

Hi, Bob -

I'm still using a Midiman [now M-Audio] Midisport 8×8 serial/USB MIDI interface. Up to now, I've always had to connect it to various laptops via USB[1.1], since none of the machines had a serial port.

But now that I have the Pro-Star, which sports both serial and USB[2.0], I can connect either way. So my question is: How would you connect the Midisport, via serial or USB[2.0]...and why? (Might it be merely a preference [perhaps based on past experience], or does one have a technological or performance advantage over the other?)

Best personal regards,

[Bob L]

I have had experience with the original usb midi devices that was troublesome.

I have always seemed to get better performance from the serial connection.

Of course, now that we have usb 2.0, things seem to be doing much better.

I really can't say whether to use the serial or usb connection... you should try both and see if there is any noticable differences.

If you need the usb ports for extra devices like external harddrives and such, perhaps the decision will be serial just to keep the usb ports available for other things.

Bob L

[MikeDee]

Thanks for replying so quickly, Bob. Yes, USB 2.0's extra bandwidth does help things run more smoothly...perhaps it might finally be as stable as good ol' tried-and-true serial.

Perhaps a good reason to go with USB 2.0 ==> unless I'm mistaken, the Midisport will not be hot-swappable when connected to the Pro-Star's serial port (as it is when connected to a USB[2.0] port). Pro-Star has confirmed this as I type.

Oh, btw...when I installed SS on the Pro-Star, all of the views were quite small, as was the whole application window, even when maximized. They remained so even after I loaded the 1680 × 1050 F-key file. I had to expand just about everything to bring 'em up to full size. Had I done something incorrectly to cause this?

Thanks again!

[Bob L]

My guess is that your screen res does not fit any of my original included F-Key sets... these were before the newer wide-screen and vertically condensed laptop screens of today.

Just arrange everything once and save the F-Key set and you'll be fine.

Bob L

[MikeDee]

I had a sneaking suspicion that the issue might be related to the widescreen.

Funny how a 17" widescreen is basically a 15" with an extra 2.42..." horizontally. My Sony is (per the ol' 3-4-5 right triangle, courtesy o' Pythagoris) 9h × 12w × 15diag. The new Pro-Star, which is 17diag., is also 9h...so, doing the math, we wind up with 14.4222 and change for the w.

Fortunately I'm quite comfortable with the dimensions of the widescreen...and the new F-key views look great...a lot o' real estate!