I was thinking this Motu through last night and came to a 'knot',
the GSM function will not work through the FireWire cable will it? 
In that a FireWire cable wont transmit the 128 signals (or how many there are)

So if I still want my keyboard to control the keys IN my PC programs I must have an 'on board' card with MIDI jacks.  ?   

ah here is your usb midi.. it's what I use works freaking great.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/183798-REG/MOTU_2256_FastLane_USB_MIDI_Interface.html
or if you have more money then
http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.com/product/MOTU-MIDI-Timepiece-AV-USB?sku=706422&src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0

oops they are showing this one discontinued.. but they probably have a upgraded version.. I cant get their website to come up today for some reason.

LOL "If I had more money".... I'd do LOADS of things.

I like that little fastlane adapter, midi I/O and then in through usb.
Still falling back on usb though.

I've used my creative card so often and it does me fine being in the pc.
I tend to agree with you argument for an internal PCI card so if I do get something it will be PCI card.
I HATE latency when I'm in 'creative' mode, and I use the midi keys a lot to access the programs I use.

Cheers for the links toasty, I still haven't looked into it yet, I just thought of it last night, though it's hard to imagine that FireWire doesn't carry MIDI signals while USB does. I'm sure that if your really going for it that USB would lag as well, it's still restricted in what it can send.

well what I found out is.. audio is more demanding.  what with Ad/da converters.. massive amounts of information that needs to be passed back on forth... Midi while moving lots of info stays digital.. You could probably find a firewire interface with midi...  Take the RME interfaces.. PC's comparable high end stuff to Appogee. interfaces... Way better than motu. Digi 003's  pretty much everything out there other than super high end stuff.. I think I saw a RME with  midi.. I think some motu might offer midi.. but

 The more I researched this the more I found out it's better to separate your midi interfaces away from your audio interfaces... get stand alone midi interfaces.. I use the Motu Fastlane USB.. I have no latencey issues with it at all.. I run a drum maching (which I use to trigger eZ drumer if I want) the other port goes to my keys).. it's really all I need. If I had more keys I would just start assigning channels to devices. 


 Like stated I actually use the motu fastlane usb midi.. usb is fast enough to handle midi .

Now all that stuff said above,, and don't get me wrong I use and love my Motu stuff.. But I am again doing some major upgrades.... If you can swing the $$$$ for pretty much any of the RME stuff.. I'd do it.. it's comparable to or better than Appogee Interfaces ...

My goal is at the minimum ..since I am now sub contracting for a professional studio. Same one I'm leasing gear too.  like stated my minimum is probably going to be along the lines of this.

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/RME-Fireface-800-FireWire-Computer-Recording-Interface-?sku=709320&src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0

It may not be that exact one.. but one like it that is expandable.   There is a very noticeable difference is quality. I'm not sure if this is the one that hooks up to their PCI cards.. Or it might be the one with the PCI card  built into the unit.

Just posting this here to show the tower in working.
It came from the 'dump' with a working power pack, water-cooling system and fan regulator unit.
I bought and installed an ASUS motherboard, Nvidia video card and the processor.
The old creative front card does not work in 7 so it will have to go eventually.