Midihub Hardware Suggestions

About DIN ports.
I find in some devices there are universal 5DIN MIDI ports that you can choose to/automatically use as INPUT or OUTPUT port.

Assuming that I will connect to MIDIHUB only one controller, I am still limited to use four din outputs for four devices, leaving three inputs useless.
Universal connectors for DIN A-H may give possibilities for more routes.
If FROM MIDI pipe is set to FROM A, MIDI A is removed from TO MIDI pipeā€™s destination.

I donā€™t know, Iā€™m not expert, just a thought.

I would really suggest to add a standard USB port and make Midihub a USB MIDI host.
Giving the possibility to just put a USB hub and plug every USB MIDI device would make Midihub way more interesting IMO. And there is definitely a market for this.
Beware with ground loops (thinking of you, OP-1).

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Obviously not a popular suggestion as when I replied with the same suggestion on FB my post was deleted.

Less than impressed by that.

Thank you for the suggestion, we would like to keep the device ā€˜simpleā€™ in regard that on the left hand side, thereā€™s only input ports, on the right hand side thereā€™s only outputs. Otherwise, I think itā€™d soon get confusing figuring out which MIDI cable has to go where and what function it works as.

We considered this option for a long time, but we decided to limit the scope of Midihub to be a USB MIDI Interface for hosts, and work with DIN-5 MIDI. This way we can deliver a very high quality and stable product in a very nice form factor and clean user experience.

It does not mean that you canā€™t use USB MIDI-only devices with the effects provided by Midihub - as long as Midihub is connected to a PC or a device like Raspberry Pi, you can easily forward the USB MIDI data to and from Midihub using built-in OS utilities, MIDI utilities or DAWs, for example, ā€˜Audio MIDI Setupā€™ on Mac, aconnect on Linux, MIDI-OX on Windows, I do it myself all the time. :slight_smile:

We would never do that intentionally. Where and when did you post? When producing a post today, we did briefly delete the latest update post, we didnā€™t like how an animated gif got compressed on Facebook (evidently we are not FB posting experts), so we quickly deleted it, and reposted it again with an image instead of a gif. If you commented during those few minutes, then your comment would be gone together with that post, if that happened, sorry about that!

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Ok, dully noted. Too bad for me :slight_smile:

Fair enough, just bad timing I guess.

Just kinda wound me up yesterday having just pre-ordered and waxing lyrical to everyone I know about the hub (I think Iā€™m up to 7 confirmed referrals so far?) felt a bit of a slap. No worries.

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Not sure if this is possible - I think I vaguely remember there may be slight differences in voltage used.

But it would be amazing and VERY popular if port/s, outputs especially, could be configured to be DINSync for older vintage machines such as the Roland MC202 (mine) but the others - 303 606 etc.

I remember looking into DIN sync, but unfortunately itā€™s not pin compatible with MIDI out ports, so it wonā€™t be available at this time.

Late to the hardware party, since the unit is now in full production. So these are more thoughts about a future Midihub v2:

USB Host ( with hub support ) capability. Right now this is the only thing thatā€™s preventing the Midihub from replacing my iConnectMIDI for computerless routing.

Button on the top of the device, next to the LEDs. it seems really weird to have a button that Iā€™ll need to reach over and find by feel, rather than being easily accessible on the top of the panel. While weā€™re at it, having 2 buttons to scroll thru presets forward and back would have been easier to deal with. rapid fire clicking seems like an odd UX design pattern to adopt.

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Not that this matters to me much, but in DIN sync the MIDI data pins 4-5 are optional, so the mandatory part of DIN sync protocol can actually be shared with MIDI on the same output (using custom cables and some care :sweat_smile: ). Pyramid offers MIDI and DIN sync on one of itā€™s output ports this way: https://squarp.net/static/50b525404c07f5376161b8f5fe04d357/fc32b/din_sync_routing.webp

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Yup, lack of USB Host (with hub support) quite literally hurts, as it requires having some other box to fill in that task, and then the MH no longer is the undisputed centerpiece of routing and things get messy and convoluted.

And while Iā€™m daydreaming, a big brother model with moar DIN5 ports wouldnā€™t hurt either :innocent:

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question about power & the normally unused pins of the midi connectorsā€¦

my entire midi rig- all the controllers, through boxes, mergers, controller keyboards, sequencers, even a peavey midi bass- is powered over the outer pair of connections in my midi cabling, from a camcorder supply that generates 8.4V, regulated, & can supply over 3A.
Iā€™ve been running this approach for over twenty years now, without issues, though occasionally Iā€™ll have to adapt a piece of equipment or a cable to work around a midi socket that has something on those pins. I carry spare power supplies in case the main one goes down.
the upside is no wall-warts, far less cabling to rig/derig, less tripping & accidental disconnection, especially on dark stages, less weightā€¦ yadda yadda.
the downside is having to open up & modify every bit of midi equipment to pass through the unused connections. can take ages if the thingā€™s built awkwardly, but usually itā€™s pretty quick, & while Iā€™m doing that, I can assess whether the device could go onto this ā€˜ring-mainā€™ itself.

soā€¦ the midihub. are the unused connections tied to anything? & what would the midihub think of getting 8.4V instead of 5V?

a recent acquisition, the excellent midiplus X3 controller keyboard, didnā€™t like 8.4V, & freaked out. I was able to sort it out by fitting a 5V regulator inside it (standard 7805 device).
would I need to do anything like this to the midihub?

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Midihub requires 5V power supply. Pins 4 and 5 are used on the DIN-5 inputs, and pins 4, 5 and 2 are used on DIN-5 outputs.

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Iā€™m probably going to be ok, then, if I can fit a 7805 into the case somehow. I just wanted to check that pins 2 & 3 of the midi connectors arenā€™t used. sweet. what Iā€™ll do is wire all the 2ā€™s together, & all the 3ā€™s together, so that my supply passes right through to the other connections, then install a regulator to bring the 8.4V down to 5V & run the midihub from that.
Iā€™ll let you know (here) how it goes.

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Hope the pin 2 will be used for GND :slight_smile:

I would LOVE to see a 6x6 or 8x8 version of the Midihub.

I think somebody once pitched the idea of a 6x6 that could be configured as a 4x8 or vice verse, and that sounds quite perfect to me.

I really prefer using my Midihub as a router and filter of all sorts of messages over the various iConnectivity devices I have. The interface for setting up routings/filters is better, having toggle-able presets for different routing configurations is essential, AND the Midihub is able to sufficiently pass power through the DINs for devices that may require it.

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For eurorack it wouldĀ“ve been very practical if there was support for control voltage. Like 8 physical CV slots and internal mapping to/from midi slots. Or even act as a DC-coupled audio interface. Maybe out of scope for this device hehe.

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Totall!

An 16 DIN machine with no predestined purpose and instead programmable as either in/out/thru would be fantastic, that, alone, would resolve the entire midi-routing in my Keyboard lab!

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Yeah ā€“ Iā€™ve filled my current hub and the routing can be crazy on some of my settings. New synths will end up getting hung as Thru lines from an existing synth, so Iā€™m back to daisy-chaining, which I prefer not to use when MH does so much.

Here is my hardware suggestion - a single space rackmount version of this with eight ins, eight outs, and 128 savable patches which are recallable via midi program change. As a bonus, you have it issue a preset group of midi commands to the various outs upon each patch changes, so by switching to a patch, you setup all your gear as well as the midi routing.