USB Midi Interfaces?

Talk about your MIDI interfaces, microphones, keyboards...

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nickr
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USB Midi Interfaces?

Post by nickr »

First post :)

I used to have a USB Midi interface (USB at one end, 2x midi-in/out port at the other end - my electric piano does not have a USB interface, just the two regular round midi ports.)

Anyway it has gone missing and I want another. There seem to be plenty of very cheap ones available locally, eg

http://www.trademe.co.nz/music-instrume ... 443175.htm

Are all these things basically linux compatible, or do I have to be discerning? I simply want something that will allow me to do very basic midi with the electric piano, especially enter notes into musescore etc.
tux99
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Re: USB Midi Interfaces?

Post by tux99 »

Don't buy the cheap noname ones, in my experience they often don't work at all with sysex dumps.

Get a M-Audio or Edirol one, or some other well known quality brand, they cost a bit more but you will save yourself lots of headache.

The M-Audio USB MIDI interfaces all work with Linux, I have a Midisport 2x2 and a Midisport 4x4 and they both work flawlessly, including large sysex dumps and SDS transfers.
CrocoDuck
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Re: USB Midi Interfaces?

Post by CrocoDuck »

I reccomend M-Audio MidiSport too. They are not so much expensive and works good. If you are going to use it with ubuntu, install the package midisport-firmware, it actually supports:

MidiSport 1x1
MidiSport 2x2
MidiSport 4x4
MidiSport 8x8
KeyStation (old models: 49, 61)
Oxygen
Radium49
Radium61
Uno

while the loader is not required for the MidiSport 2x4 and for newer KeyStation models (49e, 61es, Pro 88).
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English Guy
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Re: USB Midi Interfaces?

Post by English Guy »

Being on a strict budget, I was very pleased with my alesis io2
bmarkham
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Re: USB Midi Interfaces?

Post by bmarkham »

I ordered a cheapie through ebay (like $5-- really) and it seemed to work fine ... UNTIL I started trying to use library managers with my synths. Then I noticed that it also didn't work well when I switched up ports and stuff. $5 wasted.

I replaced it with an M-audio Midisport 2x2 Anniversary Edition -- and it worked like a charm out of the box. Unlike the regular Midisport 2x2, the anniversary edition (which is what you'll likely find in a music store right now -- but it IS labeled) doesn't require a firmware change to work. I'm happy as a clam with it.
tux99
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Re: USB Midi Interfaces?

Post by tux99 »

bmarkham wrote:I ordered a cheapie through ebay (like $5-- really) and it seemed to work fine ... UNTIL I started trying to use library managers with my synths. Then I noticed that it also didn't work well when I switched up ports and stuff. $5 wasted.
Yes, that's exactly what I was referring to when I said:
Don't buy the cheap noname ones, in my experience they often don't work at all with sysex dumps.
Library managers use sysex dumps to transfer the configs and patches to/from the synth.
wyleu
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Re: USB Midi Interfaces?

Post by wyleu »

Have to say I have had considerable ongoing problems with Midsport 4*4 anniversary on Ubuntu 12 -> 16 in various forms.

The 4*4 starts up runs for approximately a minute then just stops displaying the MIDI light for midi in.
Not managed to get any other sort of response on Ubuntu Studio on a decent laptop down to raspberry pi's

It works correctly during it's brief existence on all MIDI in's and outs but once it's crashed it generates confusing data. Given this was going into a live environment it's very dissappointing and un-usable.

I have installed http://usb-midi-fw.sourceforge.net/ and resetting this (rstarting udev) buys you another minute
but this has made no difference overall.

Cheap single port midi/usb leads all work ok.

It worked on Windows , a process I haven't repeated but at present this is a lump of hardware sitting in a box adjacent to a MIDI keyboard set-up that would rely benefit from a 4*4 MIDI patching system that this was bought for.

Any insights appreciated.
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