Routing MIDI messages in a shared music studio environment

Abstract

The Rhodes Computer Music Network (RHOCMN) is a network which allows main studio resources to be shared. RHOCMN is growing into a multi-workstation environment and additional devices are being incorporated into the system. A star configuration is used for transmitting MIDI from a MIDI patch bay to the workstations and MIDI devices. This imposes several disadvantages on the use of the studio, such as wiring problems. In a quest to avoid problems related to MIDI in RHOCMN, the MIDINet system was developed. The idea was to acquire a viable solution to MIDI's main problems which does not involve a redefinition of the MIDI specification.