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Keith McMillen Instruments MIDI Expander for Keith McMillen Products

MIDI Over USB to Conventional 5-pin MIDI I/O Converter Intended for Use with Keith McMillen Instruments MIDI Controllers
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Item ID: MIDIExpand
Keith McMillen Instruments MIDI Expander for Keith McMillen Products
Keith McMillen Instruments MIDI Expander for Keith McMillen Products
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Keith McMillen Instruments MIDI Expander for Keith McMillen Products
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Connect Your KMI Gear to Your Hardware Synths!

Add MIDI I/O to your Keith McMillen Instruments controller with the MIDI Expander! The KMI MIDI Expander was created by Keith McMillen Instruments for the specific purpose of hooking your SoftStep, 12 Step, QuNeo, QuNexus, or K-Mix control surface to your hardware synths and MIDI-equipped effects modules. The way it works is simple: you just attach your KMI controller to the MIDI Expander via standard USB. The MIDI Expander then converts the class-compliant MIDI data running to and from your KMI controller via a pair of conventional 5-pin MIDI ports. That's it! Connecting your KMI gear to your hardware really is that easy with a Keith McMillen Instruments MIDI Expander!

Related Videos: MIDI Expander for Keith McMillen Products

Keith McMillen Instruments MIDI Expander USB/MIDI Bridge Features:

  • The ideal way to connect your KMI control surface to your MIDI-based hardware synths and effects
  • Simple, rugged, and easy-to-use converter between class-compliant MIDI over USB to conventional 5-pin MIDI I/O
  • True plug-and-play operation — hook it up and you're ready to go
  • Completely bus powered operation means no need for extra cables and bulky power supplies
  • No computer required for operation
  • LED indicators let you easily check power connectivity as well as MIDI in and out activity
  • Only compatible with SoftStep, 12 Step, QuNeo, QuNexus, and K-Mix
  • Dimensions: 4" x 1.25" x 1.25"
  • Weight: 2.5 oz.

Resources

Control Surface Buying Guide
Synth Tricks: The Artistic Joy of Polyphonic Aftertouch
Nov 13, 2013

Warranty Info

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Tech Specs

  • Type: MIDI Expander
  • Ports: In/Out
  • Other I/O: 1 x USB Type A
  • Compatibility: Keith McMillen SoftStep, 12 Step, QuNeo, QuNexus, K-Mix
  • Power Supply: 1 x USB Type B
  • Manufacturer Part Number: K701

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Reviews

3.7

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Super Easy Set Up
KMI gives simple instructions for setting this up. I got it running without reading them. It is really simple and functions invisibly. Of course, it should be part of the 12 Step and shouldn't have to be purchased separately. That said (grumpy old man) it works flawlessly.
by Larry Ellingson from Spokane WA on
Music background: Retired composer, producer, recording engineer now playing with art and sound
Another great piece of gear from Keith McMillan!
I needed the expander to convert some gear from USB to standard MIDI and this has been a great solution. The problem I have had is with some heavy Duty MIDI cables do not plug in. I ended up having to use lighter (smaller ended) cables. However, this does not affect performance. Overall, a nice small and affordable solution.
by Alex MacConnell from Des Moines, Iowa on
Music background: Live Playing, Home Recording
MIDI Expander Keith McMillen
One of the joys of using vintage synthesizers and synth modules is the unique, retro 1980s tones and sounds. One of the challenges of vintage synth gear, though, is that it can be hard to get 2000s-era MIDI controllers to "talk" to this 1980s gear. The 1980s synths have 5-pin MIDI in, out, and thru connectors, but the 2000s-era MIDI controllers have USB connectors.

This is where the Keith McMillen MIDI Expander is needed. You can plug a 2000s-era Keith McMillen MIDI controller, such as the USB output from the 12 Step Keith McMillen foot pedal keyboard (or a little Keith McMillen keyboard for your hands), into the MIDI expander. The MIDI expander converts it to MIDI 5-pin, so that you can plug it into a 1980s-era synth module or 1980s or 1990s synth keyboard.

It has a sturdy metal casing, so it's able to withstand being on a stage at a club or bar. Another good feature is that it has little LEDs that flash whenever there is a MIDI signal going through the box. Astonishingly, not all MIDI gear has this "MIDI signal light".

It's crucial for troubleshooting, because it confirms that the box is getting the MIDI signal from the keyboard you're playing. If you are pressing the key, and no sound is coming out of amp, if you see the MIDI signal LED flashing, this tells you that the fault is with your synthesizer settings/patch or mixer or amp settings, not the MIDI signal chain from the keyboard to the MIDI expander.

Even when you're not troubleshooting, the MIDI signal lights are a reassuring way to check that your MIDI gear is working right before you go on stage. Tap each keyboard or pedalboard, and if you see the MIDI signal light flash, you know the MIDI connection is solid.
by Nathan from Ottawa Ontario (Canada) on
Music background: Blues, jazz, rockabilly, pop
Midi through midi cables
MalletStation is designed to send midi through a USB cable. This enables connection using a midi cable. It is small, light weight and does not require support; it hangs in the air from where it is connected at the back of the MalletStation. It does add a little more set up (power supply, etc). The name can be misleading, nothing is expanded unless you include whatever device is connected through midi.
by RHL from MN on
Music background: Professional jazz vibist
Misleading Copy
I wish the Sweetwater description included the text from KMI's product page, "*Only compatible with SoftStep, 12 Step, QuNeo, QuNexus, and K-Mix". Instead I read misleading things like "hook your KMI SoftStep, 12 Step, QuNeo, or other control surface" and "Confirmed compatibility with SoftStep, 12 Step, QuNeo, and other KMI controllers".

Keep it real Sweetwater. Edit this product description to match the manufacturer's.

-MM
by Mike Mildew from San Francisco on
Music background: Studio Engineer
Hear from a Sales Engineer
What Do Our In-house Gear Experts Think?
Daniel Fisher
There are many reasons that make Sweetwater a great place to work. One fun reason is that you get to meet people who are as passionate and knowledgeable about gear and music as you are. And when you visit their basement, you get to play with lovingly maintained vintage equipment right alongside the latest technical innovations. For example, in one friend's basement, I got to experience how amazingly expressive the polyphonic aftertouch is on his late-'70s Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer. I could hold down a handful of keys and then open the filter on a single note just by pressing down on that key. Sadly, a used CS-80 goes for more than $10,000. Now, you can experience the artistic joy of polyphonic aftertouch with the QuNexus Smart Sensor keyboard controller. Along with velocity sensitivity, it can also send pitch bends from a dedicated pad, plus standard channel aftertouch, and so much more. If you've discovered the joy of analog synthesis, then you'll go crazy with the QuNexus's CV (control voltage) I/O and gate. The CV outputs can control pretty much any analog synth parameter that has a CV input, and the CV gate will trigger your envelopes. The CV outputs can often work on your guitar pedals that have an expression jack as well. The entire CV concept is so well thought out that you can even use the QuNexus as a MIDI-to-CV converter and a CV-to-MIDI converter! (Try to find either of those on eBay for less than this.) The unit is powered and lit by USB, making it a no-brainer to connect to your computer. The free QuNexus Editor software (Mac and PC) allows you to fine tune your performance in ways you probably haven't imagined. For example, imagine having a unique pitch bend for each note just by tilting each key forward and back. Or changing aftertouch to any continuous controller you want. You can even break free of the computer with the KMI MIDI Expander, which gives you a power supply as well as MIDI in/out jacks. Now don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that this is the perfect MIDI controller to play a Rachmaninoff piano concerto. It has 25 keys and octave -/+ buttons to cover all 128 notes of MIDI. What it is perfect for is giving you soul-satisfying expressive control over the notes you choose. There are so many more features found in the QuNexus that you'll have to call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer to learn more about this miraculous controller.
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See also: Keith McMillen Instruments, Keith McMillen Instruments Control Surface Accessories