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NAMM2013: iConnectMIDI4+
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 at 10:11AM Last year iConnectivty released iConnectMIDI, a MIDI box that offered the ability to connect your MIDI gear to both your computer and iPad simultaneously. This was a neat trick, but at $179 it was hard to get excited about.
This year will see something worth getting excited about!
The iConnectMIDI4+, available in the first quarter of this year, will more than quadruple the capabilities of the original, for $199.99!
In addition to the 4 In/Out MIDI Din pairs on the device, you can connect 8 more bits of USB-MIDI gear through the USB hub port. Once you've wired your whole studio up to this thing you can then use all of your gear from up to 3 computers/iPads via USB.
This alone is a pretty amazing feat, but they've gone the extra step to also make this some kind of crazy audio pass-through interface. You can steam audio from all of the connected devices!
I can't believe they're selling this for $200. Dedicated MIDI boxes usually start at $350, and only let you connect up to 8 instruments to 1 computer. This thing will even charge your iPad!
12 MIDI connections, 3 computing device connections, and audio streaming between all 3. Incredible! There's even a network cable connector in there to do networked MIDI, though I have no information on how that would work. MATRIXSYNTH has further details.
- 4 In & 4 Out pairs of MIDI DIN Connectivity
- Connect 8 additional MIDI devices via USB Host Port + Powered USB Hub
- Over 64 user configurable ports of 16 Channels of MIDI per port
- Audio Pass-Through Between Up to 3 Computing Devices
- Multi-Host Capability - Connect 3 Computing Devices Directly & More via Network
- Network Connectivity
- Integrated MIDI Manager With Snapshot Preset Storage - For MIDI Thru, MIDI Merge, Filtering, and Advanced Routing Control
- Supports MAC, PC, and iOS Computing Devices
- USB MIDI Class Compliant
- Plug and Play - No Drivers Needed
- Charge iOS Devices
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Reader Comments (16)
It's nice, but where's the audio I/O?
I would almost be the perfect replacement for my IO Dock. But it's not... because there's no audio outputs. I already have a nice audio interface, with a lot of inputs.
I would guess the audio is being passed via USB, i.e. each of the 3 computing devices has access to the others digital audio OUTPUT. Would be an easy way to use 2 iPads/iPhones as dedicated sound modules for your PC DAW, for example (especially since it is providing power to the iOS devices, something most audio interfaces don't do)
The audio I/O is over USB. I hope this means the iPad will just be an accessible USB module from your PC, that you can then send and receive from.
I emphasize the hope... I have no idea what they're doing, but that sounds like that is the case from the available information.
Yes, that was what I was thinking.
And on PC you can only use one ASIO Driver at the same time. So no good if you like your current audio interface.
It would've been great if here were 1/4" T(R)S outputs, like on the IO Dock...
Probably the best iPad audio/midi interface for Mac users :-)
I've been thinking... you NEED a second audio interface. How else are you going to hear sound? But how do you combine them?
@Tom- you can use multiple ASIO devices with ASIO4ALL....
Killer!
iConnectMIDI2+ looks incredible for only MSRP $89.99! I can't wait until it is available.
"iConnectMIDI2+ also features Audio Pass-through. This patent pending technology is integral to using iOS, and multiple computing devices (Mac, PC, and iOS) in a professional environment by enabling the devices to pass not only MIDI data but also audio data from device to device. There are many practical applications for this technology, for example now musicians can use a DAW on their MAC or PC to control a virtual instrument or other music making program on their iOS or other computing device (PC, MAC, iOS) and send the MIDI data as well as audio data back to the DAW without extra cables, or signal degradation or additional analog to digital conversion."
http://www.iconnectivity.com/iConnectMIDI2plus
this is stupid. audiobus is eventually going to make it's way to mac/pc and that'll render this useless.
the only thing good about this is a HQ way to get audio from the ipad to desktop, which is trasticly lacking on iOS, once audiobus for mac is here, this'll be totally pointless (again)
* drastically* typo
Audiobus for Mac? In something like 10 years or so? Lol!
Meanwhile I'll use one of this 200$ or 90$ beauties...
Any update on the release date for this?
That's a good question! I'll ask them for a new ETA... I'm anxiously awaiting it too.
Me three!