USB MIDI or "old-school" cables?

[SeikoT123]

I have a MIDI question - basically, is it better to:

(a) connect my keyboard controller to my laptop via a MIDI interface (i.e., MIDI cables from my Korg Kronos X to my MOTU hybrid mk3, and then to my MacBook Pro Retina via a Firewire w/ thunderbolt adapter, which is my current setup), or

(b)connect my Kronos directly to the MBP via USB?

More details about my current setup (just in case):

MacBook Pro retina 2.8GHz, 768GB Flash Storage, 16GB memory, 27" thunderbolt screen
MOTU hybrid mk3
EW Complete Composers Collections (Symphonies, etc.) loaded into a 1TB Lacie Little Big Disk (SSD), connected via thunderbolt to my MBP
DP8
Reason 7
Adam a7x monitors
Korg Kronos X

Thank you in advance for your help!

[HCMarkus]

I'd vote USB if drivers are stable. That's how I connect my Yamaha synths.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I'll take USB over MIDI as well. Maybe change my company to USB Life Crisis, too. Nah. Then I'd have to move to Hartford.

[HCMarkus]

Then I'd have to move to Hartford.

Hurricanes hardly happen there; your arrival would definitely be noticed!

Gotta' say... when I first started perusing this site some years back, your MLC moniker gave rise to a good LOL.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I don't ever remember wearing a moniker... j/k. You nailed it in a nutshell...

[Todzilla]

I've gotten ground loop issues w USB connection of my Roland RD300SX to my MBP. It's probably a defect in the Roland's grounding, but I've had to go old school MIDI connector and, hey, no hum.

[HCMarkus]

I've gotten ground loop issues w USB connection of my Roland RD300SX to my MBP. It's probably a defect in the Roland's grounding, but I've had to go old school MIDI connector and, hey, no hum.

I had issues like that with my Yamahas too; I dealt with it by cutting the shield and ground wire on the USB cables used in that application. But your comment does emphasize how cool the optical de-coupling provided for in the MIDI protocol really is.

[mikehalloran]

When MOTU introduced USB MIDI, they claimed sample accuracy, something that wasn't possible before.

Anyone wanna buy a box of old cables and modules?

[James Steele]

When MOTU introduced USB MIDI, they claimed sample accuracy, something that wasn't possible before.

Anyone wanna buy a box of old cables and modules?

Are you talking about MTS or whatever they implemented in the USB versions of the MTP/AV? It's been so long I don't remember... MIDI Time Stamping or something? Only applied to the USB connection between the computer at a USB MOTU interface? Modules were still connected with MIDI cables. Sorry if I'm foggy on that.

[mikehalloran]

I don't remember exactly. Yea, it was likely the connection to the computer compared to the serial port. I do recall that, shortly afterwards, everyone was now offering MIDI over usb. My current keyboards offer both ports but it would surprise me if my Fatar ever saw the light of day again, having only the old style.

I still have my MTP/AV USB but I haven't used it in a decade, perhaps. I did upgrade the chip set and replaced the battery last year - ya know, just in case... It does work perfectly.

There are some very useful sounds on my modules. I may find a project that needs them, who knows?

I have a basement where old equipment goes, never to be seen again. My MIDI modules haven't gone there - yet.

[SeikoT123]

Thank you all for your advice! Much appreciated!

[Shooshie]

I just wrote a rant about 2" tape for the people who want to teach that in college. I suggest that those same people do a course on MIDI cables.

We are still stuck with MIDI protocol, at least for now, but USB connections have blown MIDI cables out of the water, as far as the actual hardware is concerned. It's so great! You just plug it in, and suddenly it all knows who is talking to whom and the device just up and introduces itself to the computer, which then knows all it needs to know about sending and receiving from that device, and they all get along like they'd been working together for years.

I've still got a rack of devices connected with MIDI cables, but I'll be thrilled if the day comes that all my devices are USB or WiFi connected.

Shoosh

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Well, add to that the fact that some devices also don't require power to be used a MIDI controllers if they use USB. I don't think I know of any MIDI cable that provides power to a device. That's one less cord to deal with.

[Dwetmaster]

I don't think I know of any MIDI cable that provides power to a device.

Actually MIDI only takes 3 conductors so in the 5 pin MIDI cable one could easily rewire a device for it to be connected by one cable only. But would imply opening the device and getting the soldering iron out...

[Shooshie]

Well, add to that the fact that some devices also don't require power to be used a MIDI controllers if they use USB. I don't think I know of any MIDI cable that provides power to a device. That's one less cord to deal with.

Bingo. And they hot-swap. I mean… MIDI cables were created back in the day when people were wondering if they could get computers to talk to each other. So, you plug it in, and then the REAL work begins. You have to tell the boxes what to do, what channels to use, and then sometimes you had to turn on certain devices FIRST, not to mention that the MIDI cable was extra; there was also a power cable and if you wanted to hear it, you had to have audio cables, too. USB takes care of the whole shebang. You don't have to tell anything who is talking or on what channel, and… as you observantly pointed out… no POWER CORD! Of course, you can add a power adapter if you're connected to an unpowered hub. Or use batteries. Options abound! And I hope USB is not the end of it. I'd like to see something like near field WiFi to handle the same stuff. We have to do it straight from device to device, and not have to go through a hub, a switch, Modem or whatever you want to call it.

MIDI Cables: the 2" tape of the synth world.