Is the Roland/Edirol A-880 a good choice of you want to hook up multiple computers (3 atm) to multiple MIDI modules (also 3) with some room to grow? I want to be able to switch between computers and devices and I do have a little rack. This is for DOS gaming, ScummVM and listening to old MIDI game soundtracks.
As these seem to go for $150 or so, are there good cheaper alternatives?
I have the UM-550 and I quite love it. The UM-880 is the king of the castle, but they are pricey.
The A-880 is a solid choice. Typically Yamaha/Akai/Kawai patch bays are cheaper, especially on Yahoo Auctions, but it really depends on what features you want.
Modules: CM-64, CM-500, SC-55MkII, SC-88 Pro, SY22, TG100, MU2000EX, PLG100-SG, PLG150-DR, PLG150-AN, SG01k, NS5R, GZ-50M, SN-U110-07, SN-U110-10, Pocket Studio 5, DreamBlaster S2, X2, McFly, E-Wave, QWave, CrystalBlaster C2, Yucatan FX, BeepBlaster
Mark of the Unicorn's MIDI Timepiece units can routinely be had for around $50 USD. I use a networked pair of MTP II and MTP/AV units in my larger setup, and an MTP/AV USB unit in a smaller rack.
I use an Akai ME30P I got off ebay for $45 (including shipping). It has 4 inputs and 8 outputs, which are plenty for even a large MIDI module collection.
