Nord User Forum

i wanna get deeper into sequencing and am looking into Ableton Live.

anyway, what's a good MIDI interface for sequencing my hardware synths etc.?

so far i've looked at the NI Komplete Audio 6 and the Presonus Audiobox USB.


any others to suggest?

ps: it would be nice if it were a recording interface as well but it's not necessary.
i'm currently using a Firestudio Mobile for that.

Depends. Mostly on how many ports (not channels!) you need. In other words: how many devices do you need to control (simultaneously)? How many of them have MIDI-through ports, how many MIDI-Inputs do you need.
If you'll need just a simple pair of MIDI I/Os, I'd recommend the Yamaha DX-16. It's not the ceapest interface, but robust, reliable and fast. I dont recommend buying an all in one card, if you only need MIDI. The audio part is generally the more expensive part of it - and affordable audio cards are mostly crap. So, I suppose to stick with a pure MIDI card and base your choice mostly on the number of ports you will need.

i'll probably just start out with 1 device/port.

i can't seem to find anything on a Yamaha DX-16 though.

link?

ps: my outboard gear: Nord Stage 2, Access Virus C.
current software: FL Studio, Reaper

Sorry, it's UX-16, not "DX-16" : http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-production/accessories/usb-midi/ux16/?mode=model

chimney chop wrote:i'll probably just start out with 1 device/port.

That's certainly best for accurate timing. Adding multiple devices on a single MIDI port increases latency, simply because that MIDI port will be busier. Not really a problem for note on/off message, but if you have something timing-critical on that MIDI port (like a drum machine, or something else with sounds with a very short attack phase) you'd probably be able to hear timing is a bit sloppy.

Some of the better MIDI interfaces have a feature where they send MIDI data a bit earlier to the interface than it is needed and they send some additional timing data with it (MOTU calls this MIDI Time Stamping, but other vendors have different names for this). Using this, for example, they can send out multiple messages on multiple ports at exactly the same time (something that otherwise wouldn't be possible). Nice for timing accuracy, but there are downsides; you need special drivers and this only works for playback from a DAW, since it partially depends on the DAW compensating for MIDI latency.

I have an E-MU 1x1 and it works just fine; it doesn't need drivers (= class compliant), but only has a single port. I also have a Cakewalk (Roland) UM-3G, which has three ports and does support the 'MIDI Time Stamping' thing (or whatever Cakewalk/Roland call it), but it doesn't work without installing their drivers.