Yes, sir.
My laptop is a
Lenovo Thinkpad W701ds. It runs Windows XP Professional SP3. It's using 3 GB RAM (there's 16 GB installed, but Windows XP 32bit can only address 3 GB). I've got an Intel SSD hard drive in it. I am running Cubase VST/32.
I have 8 Virtual Ports connected to the 8 MIDI ports on the AL-88, both in and out. They are all enabled. I am only using one computer. My setup is straightforward, the AL-88 setup to act as an 8x8 from a single PC, just as my Midisport 8x8/s was doing previously.
I am controlling, in my current sequence, 4 devices. I am able to send and receive from each unit. I am able to perform sysex dumps in MIDI-OX (but only when Cubase is shut down, otherwise I get a driver error from MIDI-OX).
Additionally, I hooked up the Midisport 8x8/s to control a single synth as a control and it doesn't have any problem at all looping and starting and stopping MIDI, at least on a single MIDI port. I used this unit at the same time as the AL-88, so it was odd watching the juxtaposition of the working unit and the train wreck.
It's possible that some sysex is being sent, but not very likely. I playback sysex at the start of the song, but that shouldn't affect the duration of the song. I can check the MIDI stream for anomalies.
When I get to the studio, I will setup a very straightforward test and attempt to monitor the data stream as best I can to see what it contains and if there are any CPU spikes.
I really hope we can work this out. I've been fretting over USB MIDI for over a decade now and I'm so happy that someone figured out a way to flank it! Had I known about the project ahead of time, I would have totally been an investor and a cheerleader. Let's get this damn thing to work!