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MIDI to USB Cable Suggestions?

guzhogi

guzhogi

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 31, 2003
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Wherever my feet take me…
I have an M-Audio Uno MIDI to USB adaptor. The driver hasn't been updated since 2009, so I fear it won't work with Catalina. Does anyone know if it will work with Catalina? If not, does anyone have suggestions on a new adaptor? Since I have a 2018 MacBook Air, I'd much prefer one that goes to USB-C. Thanks in advance!
 
guzhogi said:
The driver hasn't been updated since 2009, so I fear it won't work with Catalina.
Click to expand...

When it comes to MIDI/Audio interfaces, Look for devices that are "Class Compliant" - they don't need additional drivers on modern Mac OS's and should be future proof (Mac OS bugs notwithstanding...)

I thought most modern USB MIDI stuff was class compliant - I don't have any straight MIDI interfaces (or I'd have replied a month ago) but I have various audio+MIDI interfaces and USB midi controllers, all of which provide basic MIDI and.or audio functionality without needing drivers.

The Roland interface mentioned by #sonsofnarcissus above says it works on iPad which is a strong hint that it is "class compliant".

Here's a random product - can't speak for its quality - that confirms class compliance: https://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Tie-Studio-Midi-1i1o-USB-MIDI-Interface/1MIV

I'd give your M-Audio interface a go without drivers first - they may only be needed for old OSs.

NB: MIDI data rates are slow compared to USB 1 - let alone USB 3 - forget USB 3.1g2 or TB3 - so there's no advantage to using USB-C for MIDI other than not needing an extra adapter. OTOH, audio users may have dozens of devices, and multi-port USB-C hubs/interfaces are still like hen's teeth, so don't expect the audio industry to rush to support USB-C any time soon.
 
theluggage said:
I'd give your M-Audio interface a go without drivers first
Click to expand...

This is probably the best starting point.

Since the Roland's UM One Mk2 was mentioned, on the download page, there is a driver for:
* UM-ONE mk2 Driver Ver.1.0.3 for macOS 10.15

I have one of these devices (although not with Catalina) and from my understanding they can be used with the Roland driver, or without as a "Class Compliant" device. I've heard the Roland driver might provide slightly lower latency, but can't confirm.

Regarding USB-C - this appears to be part of the MIDI 2.0 standard and we are beginning to see a few products offering USB-C and MIDI 2.0 support. The Roland A-88MKII Keyboard Controller is one of them.
 
theluggage said:
My question/concern - for something as straightforward as a USB MIDI interface - would be "Why does it need a driver?"
Click to expand...

From the Knowledge Base article on the Roland site:
https://www.roland.com/us/support/knowledge_base/206872093

The UM-ONE MK2 can be connected to a computer in two different ways, depending on the setting of the small switch labelled "COMP" or "TAB."
  • COMP: This mode requires that you install a Roland driver on your computer for the UM-ONE MK2 to connect. Using this option you can take advantage of Roland's FPT processing technology which provides for faster MIDI processing speeds.
  • TAB: This mode allows the UM-ONE MK2 to use the USB MIDI Driver that is built into your computers operating system, and does not require that a Roland driver be installed. This is useful if you have an OS for which there are no Roland drivers available.
Click to expand...

The Roland driver can be used, but it appears that you do not need to use it, so people making music on unsupported operating systems can still use the interface.

Perhaps the real question should be, why would someone want to use the Roland driver and I suspect the answer is that the Roland driver might offer a better trade off between accurate detection of the MIDI signal and low latency.

theluggage said:
Being US MIDI "class compliant" would be my #1 requirement for a MIDI/Audio interface.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I need to try the UM-ONE MK2 with my linux laptop, which doesn't have a Roland driver and confirm that it works without one. I'm pretty sure there is no Roland driver available for linux and I certainly never installed one.

Update: The Roland UM-ONE MK2 works without the Roland driver on linux and I was able to connect the 5-pin MIDI from my keyboard to the UM-ONE MK2 and map the Roland usb MIDI interface to my audio samples and presets.

Back to the original question, step #1 is to try your M-Audio MIDI to USB adaptor without a driver - maybe that works without any problems. It isn't very clear if this interface was working in the past and what changed.

M-Audio have some troubleshooting info here:
https://m-audio.com/kb/article/1619
 
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