USB-Midi adapter vs Midi in/outs on Interface

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wisebaxter442

New member
Hi there,

My Focusrite 2i2 doesn't have midi in/out included so I've been led to believe a USB-Midi adapter can be used. Is this exactly the same as using a midi in/out directly from the synth to the interface? I'll run out of USB ports soon anyway so I'll need to upgrade my interface, but can I get away with these adapters for now? Also, can just one be used if I chain synthesizers together? to get midi data from them all? Or do I need multiple adapters?
 
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Basically it's the same - it's not really an "adapter", but really a small MIDI interface. I guess most of the time they'll work just fine, but you'll have to remember that they're built to be the cheapest thing out there, rather than the most reliable one...

As for chaining synths, it depends on the connections you have on your synths - normally a MIDI thru is used to pass along the signals to the other synths down the chain. If you don't have this, you can get a separate MIDI thru box which is basically a splitter. Also, on some synths it's possible to configure their MIDI outs to act as thrus.

Also, MIDI being such old spec, its bandwidth is very limited. This basically means that it's easy enough to clog it up with excess data: basic notes and such usually go through just fine, but if you combine a lot of knob movements and other automation data and try to pass it through to a long chain of synths, you'll get jittery timing pretty easily (although the aforementioned MIDI thru box would get around this). In practice I've found it much easier to just get a separate MIDI interface with enough ports to accomodate all the synths on their own busses.
 
My current audio interface doesn't have any midi ports so could I buy a MIDI interface and use this for the midi but still have the audio being recorded into my existing audio interface? Or do I have to have MIDI and audio recorded in the same unit? The volca series have sync in/out ports on them which I think acts as MIDI thru, but I think I need an interface to expand
 
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It doesn't matter if they're in the same physical box or not - basically the MIDI and audio parts are completely separate anyway. So yes, you can use a separate MIDI interface.

The sync ports have nothing to do with MIDI - they only sync via trigger signals. But you're right in the sense that afaik they pass the sync along, so you can have the first Volca in the chain receive MIDI sync from the DAW & chain the rest via the sync cables.
 
The first thing you want to look at is if any of your current gear can function as a USB MIDI interface (not to be confused with a USB MIDI device) because you don't want to run out and purchase something you may already have.

It's important to note that not all MIDI interfaces are created equal for example when it comes to MIDI input those found on PCIE audio interfaces tend to be the best however the same is not necessarily true of MIDI outputs because some USB MIDI interfaces are better even though USB is shit, this is due to their use of time stamping protocols which make their MIDI outputs extremely tight, for example I use a couple of discontinued MIDEX interfaces with Cubase because they both use the LTB protocol, Logic had the same thing with their now discontinued Unitor interface using the AMT protocol however these days if you were on a Mac you would want to go with a MOTU interface because they can both make use of the MTS protocol.
 
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