Playing just one instrument can be just the thing you wanted at the beginning of your journey but how do you go on from there? 

There are several solutions for this question and I’ll go over some of them briefly.

Before you start on any multiple midi device setup you should make a list of devices you have

This list will come in handy when we have to assign midi channels to all of the midi devices. 

Ideally each instrument needs to have a different midi channel to work independently . 

Also be prepared that multitimbral synths also requires multiple midi channels on that one device.

For example the Novation Circuit has 2 synth tracks and a drum track, the two synth tracks have midi channels 8 and 9 and the drum track midi channel 14 ( this means indeed 3 midi channels out of 16 midi channels on  one chain (midi output))

In my case that would be

As you can see with only 10 midi devices in one chain I’m already running short on assignable midi channels. I reserve midi channel 1 for testing new equipment because they almost every time come with standard settings on midi  channel 1. Midi channel 16 is the overall channel for midi messages like midi clock, so I don’t use it to avoid problems. And I have 2 synths that are not listed (implemented) in my setup due to space related problems.

1) You can just simply use the midi thru output on a synthesiser from where it continues the inputted midi IN signal through the midi OUT/THRU on to the midi in from the next midi instrument in the line.

This can continue trough a whole lot of synths until you stumble on a synth without a midi out/thru connection. 

2) A midi through break out box, it has one midi input and lots of midi outputs, the most cost effective device in the list. However it sends the midi IN signal to ALL outputs at the same time, which is good to eliminate latency, BUT all connected gear will have that original signal from the input what means that in 99% of the time the signal was never intended to need to go to instruments 1 to 14 because only device 15 was the destination (as an example). A lot of useless traffic on the midi devices is generated but still used as the most cost effective and plug and play solution.

3) A managed midi hub like the iConnectivity MIO XL.

This midi hub, can route incoming midi signals up to 12 midi OUT ports and even more if you setup more units via ethernet RTP. It also can be a USB midi device router to combine USB and DIN midi devices in a hybrid setup. These usb-hosts ports are NOT accessible like a pc usb hub, it is meant to be used as a host for usb midi devices.

The unit itself comes with software that let you configure the setup and more about this further on.

Down below a few pictures to illustrate the previous text.