DevonB

I'm not understanding why you say it's scare mongering when you clearly avoid doing actions that the updates are clearly there to help protect you from the things you intentionally avoid? If you live and operate like that, and you're happy, I won't argue. But to claim it's not necessary is reckless for the rest of the world who do live with technology for 2020, not 2003. At least, you come off like it's unnecessary for everyone else too, when your situation doesn't apply to most of the rest of the online world. Maybe I just misinterpreted what you were initially trying to say? After you explained it, yes, I would tend to agree it's not necessary for your situation. Context helps. Devon

No, it's more than that. It is OS file updates as well. Latest patch for Win10 was a big deal just from 2-3 days ago. It updated the crypt.dll file within the OS. Bad actors could spoof that they were a legit vendor and install their own software like they were the 'legit' company. Just one of many examples that is nothing to do with their antivirus, firewall, IE, or email client. Great start and that's everything I do today. That doesn't necessarily mean you're 100% protected. Seriously, I've gotten viruses on Facebook. One of the main problems comes from banner ads. If the site is using a banner provider who isn't 100% strict on their ads, that's where they come from. Not the site directly. I've also had my virus scanner and firewall block other legit sites for the same reason.Haven't had it happen in a few years though. It's not scare mongering, it's reality. All of your above steps do help, but over time, the protections become weaker with known issues uncovered in security within the OS files themselves. If they never get patched, then the problem is forever. None of my Win10 installs have an MS account attached to them. It's not necessary and a step that's easy to skip on install. Remove network connectivity during install and it'll allow you to skip. I've done it multiple times now. I will not lose my MS license by failure. All of my licenses are from Win7 upgrades. I still have my license key for all of them. I just enter it again. Writing into the BIOS chip is for OEM vendors like Dell or HP. Not for when you build your own and have a retail copy of the product. Read up on it here if you like - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/does-windows-10-write-code-into-a-motherboard-bios/5cb48c90-0cc2-4c69-bf28-68f7c74f9618 And we all have choices. Go use Ubuntu. Then you'll get security updates and never have to worry about becoming a part of the Borg. Devon

If you never connect your machine to the Internet, then you're mostly covered. Just wrote about this in Recording Magazine.

I'd say it's a design issue or whatever heatsink is on the video card has come loose. The video card that CAME WITH THE LAPTOP should not thermal down a laptop, period. Sure, it's possible that a driver is in a runaway loop and pushes an overheat, it's possible. I doubt that's it though. You could try the raw nVidia drivers out there too if you like. Fortunately, many CPU's come with on chip video chips now. At any rate, I've had a few laptops with nVidia chips that work just fine and do not overheat. Devon

Fantastic, glad to hear. Still means something is wrong as it shouldn't be overheating, but for what you want it for, it doesn't matter, and it'll give you more legs for making the laptop last for now.

I wouldn't doubt the thermal paste has dried up and needs to be re-applied with fresh paste.Not having a good 'seating' can dramatically change the temps.

I miss the days of buying a piece of software, and it just works forever until it breaks with a host or OS update eventually. All these subscriptions, and in app purchase stuff, 'eh, not liking it very much. I guess technically yearly updates that are paid are close, but I don't have to authorize with their website every few days either. I just don't want to be nagged to buy stuff and certainly not while I'm actually making music. Almost bought into the Roland Cloud last year with their subscribe for the year and get two synths instead of one at the end. In the end, I just really wanted the D-50, so I bought a D-05 instead and didn't subscribe. At least whenever Roland decides to abandon Cloud, my synth (hopefully) will continue to work for years to come, or I can buy a replacement. Too many promises and too much stuff abandoned over the last ~25 years of electronic music for me to trust things are going to be there and work tomorrow.It's worse when it relies on the internet connection to authorize, which is my main consternation. More careful where I invest my money these days.

Nord Stage 3 has waterfall keys too. Devon

I have access to a few on there still - Eventide Racks Pulsar Scope XL-1 (EMu) korgms2000 CZSynth mrzr (Ensoniq) Aelsis-ion I got the contents of the Eventide group at least.

Like this -

There are three different types of keys for a synthesizer; diving board, waterfall and lipped. It's making reference to the shape of the key. Waterfall is smooth on the end and rolls over like a counter top. Diving board looks just like it sounds. Lipped has a lip on the end that extends past the end of the key. I personally don't have a preference. It just has to feel 'right'.

Trust me, I get that. Sorting to find posts is terrible compared to Yahoo. But you do have file storage, and you have the advantage of it's the largest platform on the planet right now.Compared to Yahoo that's been a ghost town for years....

Create Facebook groups and start moving the data NOW would be my suggestion.

Lot of files from synths too. Sysex galore! Devon

XP? Probably not. That laptop is what? 15? 20 years old? There is a checker to see if Windows 10 can run on it though. Give it a shot. Devon

Ya, it can be processor dependent. Some just happen to run hotter than others even within the same family and type. Sure, absolutely see if RDP runs with less CPU usage and use your laptop as a terminal. I've done that for my wife's laptop so she could have full access to her desktop no matter where she was sitting in the house or where her desktop was. This wasn't for thermal reasons but for convenience reasons. Works great. Devon

You can. https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/rtpmidi.html One example of a MIDI over Ethernet driver available. Now you'll have to figure out how you want the audio to exit the PC then. Many of the Gigastudio composers were doing multiple PC configs to handle all the sampling they needed years ago. I've had 3 PC's over 15 years ago when I had a dedicated DAW, dedicated Gigastudio and dedicated Korg Oasys computer (had to run ME or less for those drivers and I was already on XP otherwise.) Worked fine back then. I think It was a mix of SPDIF and ADAT to move the audio to my main DAW back then. Been so long, the details are fuzzy in my head. Devon

You could try it. But you'd be better off fixing the thermal problem. Check the fan, the fan ducting to make sure it's not full of dust and make sure the heat sink is still on. If the heat sink is still on, redo the thermal grease on the CPU. Also make sure the vents on the side are clear of any obstruction. Like don't set your laptop on thick carpet on the ground.

CC#0 Value 127 accesses the MT-32 sound set. But that is a small fraction of his sounds. I, like you, would recommend just recording an audio track. Does that work on the Roland Cloud and/or iPad app? That's basically what I was suggesting out of his rack gear could be re-created. Devon

The easiest way is the what you said already; record the backing tracks to audio and just replay them live. That is the most effective way to downsize that rack. Flexibility is always nice, but why is it needed? Unless you plan to edit the MIDI data and manipulate it during the show, I don't honestly see the point? The audio would be the same if you loop it, replay it, restart the song, etc from the MIDI sequence or from an audio track.If there is no editing needed, skip the major headache you're going to have to go through to get it all as MIDI data into your sequencer of choice. Ok, next question - lets say you did get the MIDI data transferred, now what? You'd still need the gear with you to trigger the sounds. Again, record it to audio, and you don't need the gear. If he's wanting to downsize, transferring to MIDI is not going to help you at all. Record it. Getting the sounds into Ableton Live? Ya, record the audio. There is no way to transfer the audio data from external synths into your PC unless there was a VSTi version of the synth. I know Roland has the SC-88 module which would be 'close' to the MT32. All roads lead back to just record the audio. Devon

I'm still on iOS 10.x because I don't want to lose all my 32 bit apps that never got updates. :cry: :cry: I know, suck it up or buy another iPad. Devon

Aha, I hate those install situations where if you don't follow everything juuuuuust right, things won't work. Most installs are forgiving, but there are those that are decidedly not! Glad to hear you at least got it sorted! Devon

That's awesome that you have the ability to upgrade an interface to Thunderbolt. I'm stuck with the MOTU 828 MK3 FireWire only interface, not even the Hybrid unit that came out shortly after I got the FW only unit.However, if you at least have a desktop, you can install a Texas Instruments-based PCIe FireWire 400 adapter card. I've had mine since 2014, and works great! As long as you have an open PCIe slot, you should be able to add one.Now if you're on a laptop, that's a different story. I do want to let me know about an experience I had a few months back that I was not aware of in regards to FireWire 400 6 pin interfaces though. While 'technically' it's hot pluggable, a FireWire 400 6 pin to 6 pin cable I had sitting in my drawer fried my interface during hot swapping. During a normal troubleshooting session, I managed to fry both ports on the 828Mk3. Fortunately, MOTU offers a program to fix your old MK3 still for I believe $100 + shipping. Now I'm not 100% sure thinking about it that it was the hot swap that did it, and if I had it powered down, did the cable swap, and powered it back on that it would have been fine. However, it has made me think twice about using unknown cables in my drawer for FireWire. Because the 6 pin variety does carry voltage (~30v on pin 1) it's within the realm of possibilities that the hot plug killed it. I'll never know for sure (old cable immediately went in the trash and no way willing to risk my interface again ) but I didn't think about a cable frying my main interface.

I just use an M Audio Uno for MIDI to use my iPad Air 2 with my DAW. Works flawlessly for me every time.

I moved the opposite direction years ago when Emagic was bought by Apple and I switched to Cubase for PC. The most important thing for me was MIDI integration with external hardware, which both did well. Least having a patch list for your OB6 could be helpful. I need to find one for Cubase myself still. I haven't looked hard enough yet. Another thing I find important is audio routing flexibility since I incorporate external effects processors into my setup as well. Cubase makes that a breeze once you figure it out and it's set up. But otherwise, a DAW is a DAW. I had to get used to the new workflow, but then again, each move on Cubase again forces workflow changes with new features. If it resonates with you, use it. Devon