Ableton Forum

Hello all! I'm having a bit of trouble when it comes to connecting more than one USB MIDI device on my WindowsXP / Live configuration. I've been searching for help, maybe someone here can tell me more about it.

I'm using Live 4 with an ESI M8U 8-port MIDI interface - this is USB only. I recently acquired a BitStream 3x midi controller, which can be connected through MIDI or USB. When in USB, it presents two drivers, BitStream 1 and 2, corresponding to MIDI outputs 1 and 2 on the unit.

The BitStream has an arpeggiator function, that needs note input. In order to do that, I have a MIDI keyboard that I plug into the MIDI IN port of the BS3X. Then, the unit merges this input with its own data, and sends it through port 1 only, so I have to use that port to route notes + arp + controllers into the same MIDI track so I can play an instrument or record a part.

Here's the problem: When running Live, All MIDI inputs initialize OK except for the Bitstream 3X port 1. Rescanning MIDI ports doesn't help at all, but I can always use BS3X port 2 normally. This allows only the controller information in, but not the notes from the keyboard, or the arpeggiated part.

The reasons I'm posting this here are these:

- I'm also using Cubase SX, and I don't have this problem there;

- this happened also with any combination of my old m-audio radium and oxygen controllers, the X-Station and an Emagic MT4 interface - one is OK, but more than one start to create problems (in Live), so its also not a driver specific problem;

- this happens both in my laptop and in my DAW;

This points to a Live-specific situation.

I'd like to know if anybody else has or had this sort of problems. I could route everything in MIDI through the ESI (that's why I got an 8-port, anyway), but I'd like to know a bit more on this before I start changing cables. It would be interesting to know if Live 4 in XP is actually capable of supporting multiple USB MIDI devices.

Thanks!

So, it doesn't happen to anybody else?

Cool

Well eh , maybe the bitstream isn't full duplex (= it can only be used by 1 application at a time)

- maybe your port 1 is already occupied as the default midi-device for your operating system (well assuming you work with a PC , haven't got the slightest clue how midi is handled on a mac)

- maybe you run an application like sounddiver in the background through your port 1

But this wouldn't explain why it still works in Cubase ...

The other option is that you have maxed out your midi-devices in ableton : I have a triggerfinger , U33e and a 4*4 midi hub , all usb. These days the U33e is no longer part of my setup but I remember that when I used them all together , the U33e also appeared as 2 devices but I had to disable 1 of them in ableton , otherwise my midi-devices were maxed out. If I didn't disable it one of the other devices wouldn't work ...

Found this sollution somewhere on the forum , but I can't remember the exact reason and haven't seen any posts since about maxing out the midi devices nor found any official ableton documentation about it.