USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

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USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by i am monster face » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:12 pm

Okay, I work at a locally owned pro audio store in the midwest. I'm 21 years old, and deal mostly with customers who are younger (18-28) and are looking into getting into home recording. Today I had a kid who came in and asked me if I had a "USB to Midi" cable for hooking up his keyboard to his computer. Under my understanding, no such object exists. I explained to him that there must be an iterface along the chain somewhere. He explained to me he saw one in Musicians Fiend, er uh, Friend and told me I should "get with it." I told him the interface was needed to convert the possible thousands of data sounds that midi devices have that most computers don't have in their sound card. He told me he had an awsome computer with like, 800 midi sounds on it and didn't need to buy the $50 midi man. He just wanted the cable. Am I right to be mocked and made fun of? AM I CRAZY? Or is this kid full of it?
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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by A.L. » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:22 pm

No, I believe it actually exists. Give me a sec and I'll find more info.

edit: ok. He was probably thinking of the first one (the yamaha), but yeah they're basically small converter boxes with cables hard-wired into them.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid ... id/332007/
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid ... id/700715/
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid ... id/701379/

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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by A.L. » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:28 pm

So you're both right, in other words.

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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by i am monster face » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:29 pm

hmmm, so i'm half an idiot.

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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by chris harris » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:42 pm

another thing to consider when discussing midi with customers, is that midi doesn't transmit "sound" at all.... only information... this information can include patch changes, but, no actual "sound" is transmitted.

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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by housepig » Fri Apr 16, 2004 3:54 pm

well, does he want to use his keyboard as a controller, or does he want to get sound into the computer from the keyboard?

if he just wants to use his keyboard as a controller, then he is right on, and knows what he's looking for. if he thinks that the sounds from his keyboard are going to magically transmit themselves over the midi interface, you are correct.
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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by jca83 » Fri Apr 16, 2004 4:05 pm

i use one of these:

Image

hasn't done me wrong yet. an in and an out from DP to/from all my midi gear in a nice thru daisy chain.

the music stores 'round here stock these like they're going out of style. 20-30 bucks.
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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by wenzel.hellgren » Fri Apr 16, 2004 4:08 pm

The kid is probably talking about the Roland/Edirol UM-1. It is marketed as a "usb to midi cable".

http://proaudiomusic.com/index.asp?Page ... rodID=1716

It is, of course, just a single port midi interface. But they don't want it to sound all technical. The word "Midi Interface" probably scares stupid people.

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Re: USB+MIDI=???? TELL ME I'M NOT CRAZY!!!

Post by spiral » Fri Apr 16, 2004 9:36 pm

If you want to "get with it", M-Audio makes alot of USB to MIDI interfaces. I have the Uno. Simple, and works well.

http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=pro ... interfaces

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