MIDI Patch Bays better avoided ?

[clintrubber]

Thinking of adding a MIDI Patch bay to my setup.
Curious to hear if this would be better avoided when not strictly needed. This because of the added delays (I thought at least a few milliseconds were unavoidable).

Are patchbays simply a tradeoff between convenience & tightness of timing ?

And much difference w.r.t. delays between the various models ?

Roland A-880
Akai ME30P-II
Akai ME30P


Thanks,

Peter

 

[Nate Tschetter]

Howdy

I've had different patch bay setups over the years. Sycologic, JL Cooper, Opcode, etc. Never noticed anything too terrible with the timing.

What is your application? A lot of MIDI interfaces offer patching capability.

 

[clintrubber]

Thanks for the response.

#1
Application is to have more possibilities
with the four INs & four OUTs that my present
MIDI-interface of my PC has. Don't have that much
repatching to do, but I can't connect all at once now, especially with a few samplers I'd like to give more MIDI-channels (multitimbr.)

#2
And I must admit that Akai ME30P-II I saw seemed for a OK-price.

So while it'd definitely be convenient, it isn't
absolutely impossible to do things without. But I don't want to get bitten by additional delays.

Since I'm new to these kind of patchbays I was wondering if certain models are regarded as 'better' compared to others. I guess the Roland A-880 is the mother of all MIDI patchbays,
but I assume that's because of it's higher number of inputs and ease of use (?)

Thanks,

Peter

 

[gdoubleyou]

Actually tightens timing, all devices receives midi data at the same time as opposed to the delay that occurs when daisy chaining.

Each device in the chain adds delay,some delays are perceivable some are not.

 

[clintrubber]

Hadn't looked at it this way, thanks.

What I was also concerned of was that MIDI & audio from my DAW get a delay offset - but this can of course be compensated for.

Anyone happens to be using those old Akai MIDI patch bays ? (ME30P-II etc)

Thanks,

Peter

 

[Nate Tschetter]

Howdy

I haven't seen one in eons. G-dub is right about the timing though. Check into a multi-port MIDI interface before you get a patchbay. They're not that much more expensive and its one less thing to dick with when things go awry.