Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

My computer is my bedroom, and my drums are in the basement.  I have 
an ethernet network that "hubs/switches" in the basement.  It would 
be about 20 feet of cable to run directly between them.  Is that 
distance OK?  Is there an ethernet or wireless setup that might suit 
me better?  I know there's USB-2-MIDI interfaces.  I also know that 
there's wireless USB.  I know that I'll be doing some running back 
and forth for loading and unloading, but don't have another computer 
at the moment to put down there.

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "bparker0701" <bparker0701@y...> 
wrote:
> My computer is my bedroom, and my drums are in the basement.  I 
have 
> an ethernet network that "hubs/switches" in the basement.  It would 
> be about 20 feet of cable to run directly between them.  Is that 
> distance OK?  Is there an ethernet or wireless setup that might 
suit 
> me better?  I know there's USB-2-MIDI interfaces.  I also know that 
> there's wireless USB.  I know that I'll be doing some running back 
> and forth for loading and unloading, but don't have another 
computer 
> at the moment to put down there.

I feel your pain. I've agonized over a similar situation. I'll let 
someone with more computer savvy answer about the wired and wireless 
options, but I seem to recall that MIDI connections are okay up to 
about 50 ft., which would leave you well within range, if not exactly 
within striking distance.

Wow.

The simple answer: Yes you can run a MIDI cable that far w/o a problem.
The Complex answer: Why?? I can't imagine a reason I would want a
computer connected to my drums that far away. For sequencing? How would
you start/stop/punch in/edit/view? Would you have a friend to sit there
and walkie-talkie to you? :) For archiving you set? Man what a pain! run
up the stairs to load the program, back down the stairs to the module,
then back upstairs to see how it did. like I said, wow.

Maybe it would be better for you to simply remove the brain from the set
and carry it upstairs for use as a GM module or to save/load kits. Seems
like a bunch less trouble... My PC is a bout 4 feet away from my kit and
it's *still* too far. I have to lean way over to start/stop sequencer and
I squint to see the display when I record. I thought about making a
laptop part of my kit but I'm afraid one of my inaccurate stick swings
might go through the screen... ;)

Vern

--
Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE     | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer     | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services  | paying you? Of course, if the network
vern@... www.txis.com  | is up, then we obviously don't need
Cell 507-7851 Desk 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" VLG



liberatusvirus said:

> --- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "bparker0701" <bparker0701@y...>
> wrote:
>> My computer is my bedroom, and my drums are in the basement.  I
> have
>> an ethernet network that "hubs/switches" in the basement.  It would
>> be about 20 feet of cable to run directly between them.  Is that
>> distance OK?  Is there an ethernet or wireless setup that might
> suit
>> me better?  I know there's USB-2-MIDI interfaces.  I also know that
>> there's wireless USB.  I know that I'll be doing some running back
>> and forth for loading and unloading, but don't have another
> computer
>> at the moment to put down there.
>
> I feel your pain. I've agonized over a similar situation. I'll let
> someone with more computer savvy answer about the wired and wireless
> options, but I seem to recall that MIDI connections are okay up to
> about 50 ft., which would leave you well within range, if not exactly
> within striking distance.
>
>
>
> Community email addresses:
>   Post message: DTXpress@yahoogroups.com
>   Subscribe:    DTXpress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>   Unsubscribe:  DTXpress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>   List owner:   DTXpress-owner@yahoogroups.com
>
> Shortcut URL to this page:
>   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DTXpress
>
> Alternate DTXpress site:
>   http://www.dtxpressions.com
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

> I feel your pain. I've agonized over a similar situation. I'll let
> someone with more computer savvy answer about the wired and wireless
> options, but I seem to recall that MIDI connections are okay up to
> about 50 ft., which would leave you well within range, if not exactly
> within striking distance.

I think your best bet, if it's correct according to the MIDI specifications 
(having a cable up to 50 ft away), your best bet is to go with MIDI directly, 
so that you don't have to deal with delay that's inherent in networks.  You 
have to deal with cable or media signal propagation (amount of time it takes 
a signal to travel the length of a network cable or through the air), network 
equipment delay (the time it takes for the signal to travel from one incoming  
interface to the outgoing interface in the hub), and the signal generation 
delay (amount of time it takes for a computer to take a sound or track 
information, break it down through the network stack, package it into data 
that can travel an ethernet or wireless network, and then put the signal on 
the wire).  This is not to say that ALL delay will be eliminated with direct 
MIDI connection.  But whatever the MIDI specs say for maximum cable length, 
DO NOT go over that length, as it's there for a reason.  Whatever it is, it 
was designed so that at the maximum specified length, the signal is still 
strong enough and clean enough that there's no question as to the 
interrpretation of the signal coming off the wire at the other end. 

These issues are very real when considering a WAN (wide area network that 
covers more than a city-wide area), because there's delay in many network 
components and the cabling along the path, and the fact that WAN's are 
usually done over slow serial lines, make for a decision-making headache for 
network administrators.  But your situation is very easy to resolve compared 
to these enterprise-level efforts. ;-)

Stephanie, former CCNA-prepped network administrator