Good Buy

This MIDI interface is nearly perfect. It is lightning fast and comes with the USB cable to connect it to your computer. I have it connected with the Korg Toneworks AX3000B and they work very well together. It does not require any batteries or power cords, because it draws its power via the computer USB port. I have a computer that used the Windows 98 platform; the XMIDI 2x2 software only works with Windows XP or higher. I do have another computer that runs Windows XP though, which I will use. To sum up...it the E-MU XMIDI 2x2 works well.

Interfacing with Reality

I read the first review too. It was part of the reason I bought the E-MU XMIDI 2 x 2.

Alas, reality is different for me... SONAR will not recognize it by default. Each (and every) time I use SONAR I have to configure this interface from scratch. Then, when in SONAR, Ableton Live and ACID Pro 6.0, I have found it to be too slow and/or "twitchy" to function properly with my BFD Drum Plug-In.

But make no mistake about it, this is a GREAT MIDI interface, as long as you don't try to actually record something with it.

I think I will try the M-Audio MidiSport next and hope for better results. Anyone want to buy an E-MU XMIDI 2 x2 for really cheap?

Bad MIDI timing has arrived.

I purchased this unit as a cheap way to get started with driving my hardware synths.

I had previously used an aux MIDI port on my control surface, so I considered a dedicated MIDI interface from a reputable brand to be an upgrade. I was quite wrong, however, as this interface had such bad timing jitter that it was COMPLETELY USELESS.

It took a long time before I found out why my punchy bass lines came out so out of sync and sloppy.

I thought the timing issues were my DAW / PC and spent countless hours trying to "fix" it.

I fixed it in the end by swapping this unit with a Roland unit that I had picked up elsewhere. INSTANT FIX!

This interface may seem like good value, but it's a false economy. MIDI without good timing is like a drummer with no sense of rhythm. Annoying, counterproductive and unlikely to be useful in making good music.