Can I hook up two MIDI interfaces to the same computer?

Factual Questions
1

Just checking before embarking on this particular journey.

I run 90% of my ‘enthusiast’ recording studio on my Dell with XP pro. I use Cubase, Reason, Sonic Synth, and a Creamware Luna card.

This weekend I’m going to set up my new V-Drum kit (woohoo!).

Currently I have a Steinberg midex 1 in 3 out MIDI interface. I really need to keep this interface because it’s the only one I’ve come across that works so well with Cubase and the virtual synths I use.

I also have an older Midisport 4 in 4 out interface gathering dust that I’m thinking of using for the v-drum kit plus my spd20 octapad and whatever else. Nothing I attach to it will have the performance requirements that my virtual synths need.

I know I have at least 2 USB ports on my Dell that aren’t being used for anything. Can I simply hook up the midisport and use it and the steinberg? I don’t know why, but for some reason I thought I could only use one interface.

My other options are to either use the 1 in midex and plug in the V-drums when I need to record them (but I wouldn’t be able to record them and the octapad simultaneously midi-wise) or get the Steinberg 8 in 8 out interface, but that’s another 400 bucks.

I tried and tried to get the midisport up to snuff in terms of getting latency free performance from sonic synth and reason, but I just couldn’t get there. I suppose I could take another crack at it but the Steinberg works great and I’m loath to mess with it. (If it ain’t broke…)

This might be more of a Cubase question than a computer question but I thought I’d try here first. Thanks.

2

As someone who is going through headaches of my own with MIDI and Pro Tools, I would suggest the following sites that have forums to get a resolution to your questions:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/ - Not a basehead site like I thought it was :wink:
http://www.tapeop.com/
…and I’m sure some dopers can give you some helpful info as well.

3
      • It should work with both. I have a SBLive and an M-Audio 2496 in my computer (running Win98 then) and I used both midi interfaces at once, and had no problems. The only reason I can see that it might be a problem is if you had any software that did not allow you to select your MIDI inputs and outputs manually.
        ~
4

Thanks for the links.

It took me a long time to get my system to the point where I could simply boot up, launch the apps, and start making music. Between XP, the Luna card, the steinberg interface, and a host of OS tweaks, patches and updates from steinberg I was finally able to make it all work (and I’ve forgotten just about all of what I did). Now it’s everything I hoped it would be. That’s why I don’t want to mess with it too much.

The main source of my problems was getting a computer that was ahead of where the software and driver development was.

Good luck!