MidiOverLAN !!!!!

elektro80 · Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 3:35 am Post subject: MidiOverLAN !!!!!

MusicLab has been working hard to make their MIDIoverLAN communicate not only between several MIDI apps on a single machine, but between those on several computers, which finally led to creating a new enhanced version of MIDIoverLAN. It's now called MIDIoverLAN CP, a cross-platform solution for communication between MIDI applications both local and over network.

The new solution can now communicate between PC and Mac computers on a network.

MusicLab MIDIoverLAN CP features:
Transformation of a MIDI device into multi-client one with just a single mouse click
Convenient control panel
The most MIDI time accuracy possible
Mac/PC compatible

System requirements:

Minimum:
PC: Windows XP SP1, Pentium III 500 MHz, 128 MB RAM
Mac: OSX 10.2.4, G4 400 Mhz, 128 MB RAM

Suggested:
PC: Windows XP SP1, Pentium 4 2 GHz, 512 MB RAM
Mac: OSX 10.3, G4 800 Mhz, 512 MB RAM

MIDIoverLAN CP for up to 2 computers costs $129. MIDIoverLAN CP in a bundle for up to 4 computers costs $199, and an 8-computer bundle is available for $299.
http://www.musiclab.com.

mosc · Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2004 8:52 am Post subject:

I'm sure this is very good software. If anyone is interested in jamming with other people using MIDI over the internet, I think TJT has written some software to do this. Maybe we could drag him out of the woodwork, but we should probably start another tread...

DrJustice · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:04 pm Post subject:

Hi!

On a slightly more general side of the matter:

I've just been trying to find out about standards efforts, manufacturers support and such for "MIDI over LAN". I found out about IEEE P1639 (http://www.plus24.com/ieeep1639/), but a quick search landed me no documents on the hard facts. Mostly some news flashes from 2003, a few blind alleys and dead links. There's a few other protocols; info here: http://www.openmuse.org/transport/mip_oview.html. Then there's a few products which seem to use proprietary protocols.

In the end I'm a wee bit confused. Does anybody know what the general state of "MIDI over LAN" is and where it is going? It would be good to know where to start if one wanted to support this (in a product), and indeed if it is even worth considering.

A concerted effort to bring MIDI over LAN (ethernet) would be Good IMO. Fast, cheap and simple.

Any info or views on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

DJ
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play · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:15 pm Post subject:

I've had some experience with OSC (open sound control) which is built in to reaktor and I think also traktor. I've synced clocks successfully with relatively low latency on a LAN. Apparently it is possible also to do this with MAX:

http://www.randominterface.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63&PN=1&TPN=1

Here's some links to various implementations of OSC:
http://www.cnmat.berkeley.edu/OpenSoundControl/

There is even a php OSC class but it can only send messages so it's not a full implementation.

I'll have to check this program out because it sounds a lot more flexible than having to use only programs with built-in OSC support.

DrJustice · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:49 pm Post subject:

Thanks play!

OSC looks very interesting. I like the idea of being able to send a float to //somehost.net/studioX/synthY/partN/osc1/fm_amount Smile

Also nice that it already is eastblished in some solid projects. Got the docs and sdk - now I got some reading to do.

DJ
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jksuperstar · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:53 pm Post subject:

There used to be a few more programs available on the IEEE Proposed website. The idea is not necessarily to push MIDI of WAN, like people jamming over the NET, but to connect multiple computers, and eventually other gear, using readily available Ethernet. Scale to Gigabit ethernet, and your talking FAST response.

The only problem, is that they have to shoe horn it into TCP/IP, which is a free for all when it comes to bandwidth allocation & synchronizing things to time. For running MIDI, it's not too bad, as long as your running a small number of nodes, or have everything on switches. Gigabit solves much of the problems, only becuase it's faster. Had they been able to use just UDP, things would have been alot more efficient, but then it wouldn't run nicely over your already used computer network, with plug & play networking. Definitely not driven by studio mentality, but by home user mentality.

I do love the idea...MIDI is just *way* to outdated to continue much longer.

play · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:15 pm Post subject:

yep.

tcp/ip and midi are both pretty primitive but if al you need is a clock sync then you're set. UDP wouldn't work for that anyway.

tjt · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:17 pm Post subject:

ocp · Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2004 9:34 am Post subject:

For those of you using MacOSX, there's iMIDI: http://www.grantedsw.com/imidi/
Still under development though, but it's free!

Wink