MIDI Interfaces

Yamaha's list of mLAN products continues to grow, and their rackmounting i88X offers high-quality mic preamps, analogue, digital and MIDI I/O in a 1U rack unit.

I've just bought Tascam Gigastudio, and in the manual it says 'Note: Nemesys recommends ISA or PCI-based MIDI interfaces, as they are faster than USB or Parallel Port interfaces'. If software manufacturers think USB is so unsuitable, then why do hardware manufacturers make them? Are there any multiple I/O PCI interfaces around any more?

Edirol's first foray into Firewire audio is a compact 10-in, 10-out device with microphone preamps, S/PDIF and MIDI.

Until recently, the benefits of the high-bandwidth IEEE 1394 interface were available only to musicians on a relatively generous budget, but now M Audio are making Firewire peripherals available at new low prices to PC and Mac users.

M-Audio have broken a price barrier with their Firewire 410, which is easily the most affordable Firewire recording interface on the market.

Yamaha's 01X is a digital mixer, hardware controller, audio and MIDI interface that promises an unprecedented level of integration with PC/Mac computer-based DAWs. But can this one silver box really do it all?

The FW1884 is more than just a well-specified Firewire audio and MIDI interface: it also offers detailed control over almost every MIDI + Audio sequencer thanks to its motorised faders, rotary controls, transport buttons and more.

The baby of Tascam's US range of interfaces dispenses with its big brothers' control faders, but does boast stereo audio I/O with phantom power supplied over USB, as well as MIDI I/O.

Much more than just an audio and MIDI interface, Edirol's UA700 also incorporates a preamp with DSP effects, microphone and guitar amp modelling.

With their latest recording tool, Tascam aim to entice hobbyists away from their cassette multitrackers and onto their computers.

Edirol are best known for their desktop music products, but they're heading into the professional arena with the DA2496, a high-quality eight-channel audio interface with a PCI card and breakout box.

Edirol's latest offering is a well-specified multi-port USB MIDI interface which claims to offer excellent timing.

Midex 3 is a one-in, three-out USB MIDI interface employing their Linear Time Base technology, first used in the larger Midex 8.

Musicians using Mac and PC sequencers often complain about loose MIDI timing. Martin Walker checks out an interface from Steinberg which should solve this problem — at least for users of their sequencing software...

Derek Johnson tries out a new multi-port USB MIDI interface that's also designed to allow connection of serial-port gear.

Paul White tries out Emagic's compact two input, four output USB MIDI interface.

Colin Owen rediscovers the joys of Atari-tight timing on his blue G3 Mac with Emagic's AMT8 interface, featuring their new Active MIDI Transmission.

128 MIDI channels would have seemed like complete overkill ten years ago, but today's multitimbral voice modules can use them up at an alarming rate. Martin Russ checks out an eight-port patchbay/interface from Opcode.

Although it's less than a year old, Opcode's highly useful Studio 64X multi-port MIDI interface and patchbay has been redesigned to incorporate even more features (including a wide range of synchronisation facilities), and has re-emerged from its refit as the Studio 64XTC.

As well as providing eight independent sets of MIDI connections, the Unitor 8 features comprehensive synchronisation facilities and even supports video timecode. Paul White explores the Ins and Outs of it.

As PC musicians expand into the world of MIDI outside their computer casing, they'll find a few more MIDI outputs never go amiss. Martin Walker enters a parallel dimension.