Best products from r/midi
We found 30 comments on r/midi discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 18 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. M Audio SP 2 | Universal Sustain Pedal with Piano Style Action For MIDI Keyboards, Digital Pianos & More
- Universal sustain pedal with chrome foot pedal for a natural, realistic pedal action
- Classic design with a conveniently located polarity switch for compatibility with all electronic keyboards
- Premium build with a robust, heavy-duty mechanism for uncompromised reliability
- Lightweight, ultra-compact aesthetic provides classic piano style sustain in portable footprint
- Specially designed rubber pads located on the pedals underside grips the floor and stays put while you play
Features:
2. M-Audio Hammer 88 | Premium 88-Key Hammer-Action USB/MIDI Keyboard Controller Including A Studio Grade Software Suite
- Perfect Feel, Ultimate Response - 88 fully-weighted, hammer-action velocity-sensitive keys deliver natural piano feel, faithfully replicating every subtle nuance of your performance
- Plug & Play - Driverless class compliant and USB powered specification provides seamless USB-MIDI connection for playing virtual instruments, controlling recording software and more
- Express Yourself - Conveniently located pitch bend, modulation, volume and octave controls for immersive, expressive performances
- All The Right Connections - Expanded control options for Inputs for Sustain, Expression and Soft pedals included
- Free Online Lessons - Includes FREE 3-month subscription to Skoove. The easiest way to learn piano with interactive piano lessons for beginners and advanced players
- Pro Software Suite Included – MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite, Eighty Eight Ensemble, AIR Music Tech’s Velvet, Mini Grand, DB33, and Touch Loops
Features:
3. CREATIVE EMU XMIDI 1X1 USB MIDI Interface
- 1 MIDI in / 1 MIDI out, USB 1.1
- USB bus-powered, Ultra-fast MIDI response
- Active-Sensing messages filtered, MME, DirectMusic and CoreMIDI supported
- Multiple client support (when used with E-MU Xmidi driver)
- Compatible with: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Vista 32-bit and 64-bit, Intel or AMD CPU - 600MHz or faster, 128MB RAM, 1 USB port, Macintosh: OS X 10.4 or greater, 450MHz G4 or faster, 128MB System RAM, 1 USB port
Features:
4. Nektar Impact GX61 Controller Keyboard
- 61 Premium midi controller with 61 expressive synth-action keys, on-board pitch bend and modulation wheels for performances
- Nektar DAW Integration for most popular DAWs
- 14 MIDI assignable buttons
- Mac, PC and iOS compatible
- Includes Bitwig 8-Track DAW. NOTE: Refer the User Guide before use.
Features:
5. midiplus AK490 MIDI Keyboard Controller
- 49-note velocity sensitive piano style key master keyboard.
- Pitch Wheel. Modulation Wheel. Octave Buttons(Up & Down).
- MIDI out Din Jack, Sustain Switch jack (sustain pedal does not include).
- Plug & Play both Windows and Mac. No driver need.
- ATTACHMENT: Owner's manual, USB cable
Features:
7. midiplus (USB MIDI Host)
- Provide MIDI in and MIDI out jack
- USB MIDI Host is powered by 5V power supply
- power adapter included
- NOTE:Kindly refer to the user manual provided as a PDF manual in the product description section
Features:
8. First Act Discovery Portable Keyboard
Learning to play is easy and fun with the First Act Discovery Digital Keyboard & Microphone37 full-size keys and 3 octaves of digitally sampled sounds, including pianos, organs, strings, synths, and many more100 sounds, 100 play-along rhythms, 10 demo songs, record & playback mode, adjustable tempo,...
9. MIDITECH Midi Controller (i2 mini 32 BT)
Bluetooth switch: connect iPhone, iPad32 dynamic keys (F3 – C6)Octave-buttons up and down with red LEDTranspose buttons up and down with blue LEDVolume slider, pitch bend and modulation wheelsUsb MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI, DIN MIDI out with the adaptorUsb bus powered, no additional AC power adaptor nec...
10. midiplus USB MIDI keyboard controller, 49-Key (AK490+)
AK490+ is 49-note semi- weighted piano-style key master keyboard controller which includes Pitch and Modulation wheels , Octave buttons (Up & Down) and Sustain pedal inputIt's powered via a single USB cable and works instantly with computer building Mac OS X or Windows XP and aboveATTACHMENT: Owner'...
11. midiplus, 32-Key Midi Controller, 32-Key (AKM320)
- 32-note velocity sensitive mid-size key keyboard. Pitch Wheel. Modulation Wheel. Octave Buttons(Up & Down). Transpose Buttons(Up & Down).
- Sustain Switch interface (sustain pedal does not include). USB B type: USB connect to Computer
- Attachment Type: USB cable
- Country of origin : Taiwan
Features:
12. VicTsing USB IN-OUT MIDI Cable Converter PC to Music Keyboard Adapter Cord
Easy to turn your PC into a music studio. Start by connecting an electronic musical instrument to your computer with the provided USB MIDI cable. Within minutes you'll be able to play songs while they are being recorded on your PC. With appropriate software, you can overdub additional instruments, t...
13. midiplus Tbox2X2 USB MIDI Interfaces
- Inputs: 2 MIDI inputs (32 MIDI channels) Outputs: 2 MIDI outputs (32 MIDI channels) Power supply: USB Powered, no external power required
- Power supply: USB Powered, no external power required Operating Systems: Mac OSX, Windows XP and above (no driver needed)
- ATTACHMENT: 2 MIDI cable, USB cable
Features:
14. iConnectivity mio 1-in 1-out USB to MIDI Interface for Mac and PC
- Natively compatible with most operating systems PC (from Windows XP SP3 to Windows 8) Mac (OS X 10.4 or greater)
- Plug and play - no drivers or difficult installation needed
- Ultra Low latency MIDI Input and Output
- 5-Foot Long USB to MIDI DIN 1 In & 1 Out Cable; USB Bus Powered
- Designed by iConnectivity's Award Winning Design Team in Canada. Please refer the User Guide before use.
Features:
15. USB MIDI Host Module - Create a real MIDI OUT port for your pure USB MIDI controllers
- Classic DIN MIDI Out port
- USB Host port, provides power to your USB MIDI device and receives MIDI information
- Mini USB port (for 5V power supply)
- Create a real MIDI OUT port for your pure USB MIDI controllers and keyboards, without a PC.
- USB MIDI Host module
Features:
16. NiceTQ USB2.0 10FT Type A Male to Type B Male Cable Cord For Yamaha YPG-235 76-key Portable Grand Graded-Action USB Keyboard
- Material:Artificial Rabbit Fur
- Plush ball size: 10cm
- Fluffy ball has a great soft hand feeling
- Perfect for handbag/phone/keychain/car pendant accessory and easy to off or wear
- Great gift for woman/lady/girl
Features:
17. S-Engine USB MIDI Sound Module
E-MU 8030-based sound-engine with 128-voice polyphony9 drum sets and one SFX setDrum machine/metronome with 100 drum patternsblue LED displayHI-Z guitar-input TRS jack 6,3mmPLAY/STOP button SOUND/DRUM MODUS button10 function buttons for PRESET, VOLUME, TEMPO, REVERB type and REVERB depthMIDI I/OUSB ...
18. BM-A01 Wireless Bluetooth MIDI Adapter 5-PIN DIN Interface Converter for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Mac
Wireless Connection: Simple and easily connect your instruments to iOS smart device or Mac computer.No Cable Mess: Communicate MIDI instruments with music apps to record or pratice, without any thick traditional midi cables.Bluetooth MIDI Connectivity: You don't have to plug anything into an iOS dev...
this is how i got started, and it is a fantastic and easy-to-read book. Also, it's cheap and easy to find. I didn't even finish it, i just read the first few chapters and now I have a room full of synths being controlled via one master weighted key controller and a box with a bunch of knobs and faders that send midi. I could put all of my synths in a closet if i wanted, and just use my midi controllers to edit them.
there's really only a few things you need to know. Binary and hex notation are not so difficult once you get the gist. Essentially, there are a handful of different messages you need to know about.
Here's a quick run through midi:
FF
0xFF
, where the0x
denotes that the following number is in hexadecimal.10
(in decimal) is represented byA
(in hex),11
byB
,12
byC
,13
byD
,14
byE
, and15
byF
. For example, in hex,0x09 + 0x01 = 0x0A
and0x0F + 0x01 = 0x10
I understand that it can be mind-bending, but the takeaway here is that instead of 'carrying the one' when you add
9+1
in decimal, you only 'carry the one' when you add0xF + 1
, and this is because, in decimal, we dont have a single digit to represent the number10
, and likewise, we don't have a single digit that represents16
.status
anddata
portion. for example, when you hit a note on your keyboard, three bytes will be generated, and these three bytes together is a message. the first byte says that the message is anote on
, the second byte indicates which note you hit, and the third byte indicates how hard you hit the note (which is known as velocity)message
can be a single byte, two bytes in a row, three bytes in a row, or many bytes in a row (depending on the device). for example, aclock pulse
is only one byte, anote on
is three bytes, and acontrol change
(your pitch bend or mod wheel) can be three bytes (or the status followed by many data bytes until you stop moving it)Channel
andSystem
messages. Channel messages happen when you play your instrument, and these events happen on a specific channel. The main takeaway here is that synths only respond to channel messages which are on their channel (like if you had three synths all chained, each on a seperate channel, and you want to play the first synth on channel 1, the second on channel 2, etc.). System messages are more for timing and syncronization, and will generally always be acknowledged if the device recieves the message (like clock pulses, start/stop, etc.).System Exclusive
messages fall underSystem
messages, but only one specific, or one type of, device will respond to these messages.System Exclusive
messages are, surprisingly, exclusive to specific devices. these types of messages are generally more than 3 bytes long, they generally look like this:Start system exclusive
--> a bunch of bytes to do something -->stop system exclusive
** note: if you're thinking "hexadecimal means sixteen! but
0x0F
means fifteen! what's the deal?!" this is because the first digit is zero, so there really are 16 possible single-digit numbers we can represent. the same goes for decimal, where zero is our tenth (or first) number.hope this helps
Checked the reviews on the M Audio SP 2, a few people are using them with Alesis midi controllers:
https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Sustain-Action-Keyboards-Digital/product-reviews/B00063678K/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_next_2?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=2&filterByKeyword=alesis
>It works great! It arrived in an attractive, well-packed, perfect-fit box that can be reused to store it in if you want. I'm using it with my Alesis Vi61 usb-midi controller keyboard. All I had to do was plug it into the Alesis's sustain port in the back of the keyboard, and it work immediately. It sustains when pressed, then it releases the sustain when you lift your foot. If the software instrument you have selected already has a sustain, you will not notice the pedal working. But if you select other instruments, such as acoustic piano, you definitely notice a functional sustain working with the pedal.
​
>I purchased this item because it has a polarity switch, which is essential for my Alesis VI49 midi controller. This pedal feels great, is heavy enough to stay put on the floor, and works like a charm! Great item for the money
Ah, well this costs more, but I'll point you at the controller I pull out when I want to set up ad-hok around the house. I bought multiple smaller and unweighted keyboards for this exact purpose, eventually realizing that what I wanted was something that behaved like a piano and I could haul up and down stairs under one arm (I am not particularly strong). I got mine used so I paid about half the new price, but I still say its a good value at full price. Might be more of an escalation than you are looking for, mentioning it because it is the same motivations that ended me on it.
https://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Hammer-88-Hammer-Action-Controller/dp/B0714D3DVN
You need:
"Lighting to USB 3 Camera Adapter" ($39)
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter?fnode=97
and if your keyboard doesn't already output MIDI over USB,
"CREATIVE EMU XMIDI 1X1 USB MIDI Interface" ($29)
https://www.amazon.com/CREATIVE-EMU-XMIDI-MIDI-Interface/dp/B000JLU26W/r
There are knockoff adapters that could reduce your total cost from $70 down to like $20, but they don't always work right. I have had the above-listed adapters for three years now, used daily with iPad and iPhone, and they work really well. With current-gen iOS devices, latency is very low, and the experience is overall very good.
I'm not the person you were replying to, but if this is what you're looking for then it's US$65 and was on the first page of my google results for "usb midi host".
I was in a similar situation but was thinking of building a multi-port MIDI router with arduino and ended up finding a 2nd-hand one of these for about $100 which was a godsend compared to the time and effort required to develop even a fairly simple MIDI router.
But if for whatever reason you still want to DIY it with an arduino, why not use an Arduino Due which already has a USB host port built into it so no need to buy a shield. Maybe this thread can get you started...
Alternately you could use an Arduino Mega which has 4x UARTS on it so you can run multiple independent MIDI in/out pairs.
I got a MIDIplus AK490 off of amazon. There might be better options, but this one works good enough for me. You might have different preferences, so you should probably check other options before you buy.
Your computer most likely has a USB port. Get a USB MIDI interface for your keyboard. MIDI Out from the keyboard into MIDI In on the USB MIDI Interface. Or if your interface has a MIDI input, just use that.
Here's an $8 one from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Cable-Converter-Keyboard-Adapter/dp/B00ACGMOA6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464819807&sr=8-1&keywords=USB+MIdi+interface
Came here to post exactly this....
​
This product is $35 and may be exactly what you need. Incredibly reliable and nothing to program, just plug it in, and it works -- Mio1 Midi Interface
A USB MIDI host device like this will be able to convert a class compliant USB MIDI signal to regular 5-pin DIN MIDI.
Thanks for the advice!
My bad- the cable isn't 3.0. The cable is this one and I found it in recommendations from other musicians using my same piano. I tried another generic one as well.
I think the problem is that the drivers aren't updated for High Sierra. Some more searching seems to indicate they stopped at 10.12 or 10.13.
I still can't find the driver, though- the Preference Panes folder is also empty.
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Bluetooth-Adapter-Interface-Converter/dp/B07XDGXCQC/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=bluetooth+midi&qid=1569889959&s=musical-instruments&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFJQ05KVk4xSkdZOUomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA1MjUzNTMxTTRMVE1YWEZaQ080JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5ODA2MDlWQlE4QUlNQzBFVEkmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
​
I've also found this device, but it's unclear that it would work with ableton and or resolume arena. I guess there's really only one way to find out, Ill buy it, unless someone else already knows of its validity?