As a musician, you’re probably at least marginally aware that the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch keep getting exciting new instrument apps every day. At this year’s Winter NAMM show, you couldn’t swing a guitar strap without hitting one of these devices. And a staggering number of booths were either using an iOS device or demonstrating software or hardware that went with one.
Maybe you already own an iOS device and have tried some music-making apps but decided that it was more of a toy or a gimmick because it didn’t respond as quickly and accurately as a “professional” MIDI instrument should.
Enter the iConnectMIDI by iConnectivity. This USB MIDI interface offers so many possibilities that you will continue to find many new uses that haven’t even been thought of yet.
Like a standard MIDI interface, it has two MIDI inputs and two MIDI outputs, each with a pair of MIDI activity LEDs. It also has two USB mini ports that can connect to your iOS devices or your Mac/PC. The iConnectMIDI can support up to eight (!) USB devices using standard USB hubs.
But what sets the iConnectMIDI far apart from the contenders is the addition of a USB Type A “host” port. Do you have a nifty portable MIDI controller that only works if you plug it into a computer first? Now many of those devices can plug directly into the iConnectMIDI, with no computer needed!
But all of this is meaningless if the MIDI transmission isn’t tight. Well I can attest that the timing on this box sets new standards for MIDI latency. The specs tell you that the high-speed USB connections are blazing at 12Mbps. But here’s a better real-world example: I watched my friend and keyboard wizard Jordan Rudess wail away on one keyboard controller with his right hand while laying down a killer drum groove on pads with his left hand. The precision of his performance ended all concerns about latency.
With good reason, the iConnectMIDI has been selected as one of the “Best from NAMM 2011” by Keyboard magazine, “Top 50 Products” by Music Inc magazine, and “Top 50 Accessories” by iPhoneLife magazine. Ask your Sales Engineer for more information about this amazing interface.
