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WIDI - wireless MIDI that doesn't suck?


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Yes, you do need two to replace a single cable... and I believe it needs the OUT port in order to get power.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Yeah, I thought I read somewhere that for uni-directional use you only need one, but apparently this isn"t the case.

Yeah, even for uni-directional, somewhere there has to be some electronics that sends and some electronics that receives. So the times you can use only one unit is if one of the two devices you're dealing with already has a way to send or receive wirelessly (bluetooth). Summing it up for anyone else reading this, from their web site:

 

How many WIDI Masters do I need?

 

MIDI to MIDI: You can pair two standalone MIDI hardware devices bu using a direct connection between two (2) WIDI Masters.

Bluetooth (BLE) to MIDI: You can connect your bluetooth MIDI controller with any standalone MIDI hardware device by using one (1) WIDI Master that connects with your Bluetooth MIDI controller or or other similar device.

MacOS/iOS BLE to MIDI: You can play your standalone MIDI hardware (automatic switch to WIDI Master slave mode) and pair it with your iOS device or Mac

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I use Forscore for setlist management and to send midi commands by usb to my Modx to change patches. Might be overkill but was wondering if wireless midi might work for this application and let me eliminate a wire and fragile lightning connector. Anybody do this?
Modx 8, Motif ES8, Novation Impulse 61, Mainstage3, Hammond M3, Farfisa VIP-255
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Interesting. It seems like it *should* let you use a bluetooth vortex to send to a 5-pin MIDI device.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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I know it doesn't help much, but maybe this would do it? https://www.cme-pro.com/widi-jack/?mc_cid=1330c6837f&mc_eid=c5f7e756bb and if it did, surely there is some other similar product out there available NOW!

 

BTW @ OP - is it a Vortex 1 or 2?

There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence...

 

Time is the final arbiter for all things

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I have the vortex wireless 2 version. According to cme it uses Its own WiFi 2,4ghz protocol. So no

Bluetooth. That"s why it can"t connect.

 

Ahh ok fair, thanks. I use mine direct to the PC4 USB dongle port. Means I can use the MIDI outs (DIN) and USB for other tasks.

There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence...

 

Time is the final arbiter for all things

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  • 3 months later...

Hi everyone, I also bought a WIDI for Christmas, and I have some issues with it. I'm using it with an iPad 7. It somehow works when using the MIDI out of my SV2 to control the Korg Module app for example. Here the latency is barely noticeable. But when I'm trying to play the SV2 through the MIDI in from a MIDI file I've recorded into Cubasis 3, then there's way too much latency. I wanted to do this to record the audio out from the SV2 into Cubasis, via the audio input of an iTrack solo plugged on the lightning port, but then the audio file is not useable, even if I slightly move forward the audio event to try to compensate the latency.

 

It works at the beginning, but after a certain time, it gets completely out of sync. So I'm a bit disapointed with bluetooth mid, for my use case.

 

Also I've noticed in the WIDI app, that the "prefer low latency" option is not activated, and I can't activate it myself. Don't know why, and could not find any explanation on the web.

 

So if anybody has any hint on how to solve this, I'd be very glad. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to invest in an audio interface which includes midi ports, like the presonus one.

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In case anyone is interested, there's a $20 off code for NAMM.

 

---

 

BUY WIDI MASTER IN OUR ONLINE STORE GET US$20 DISCOUNT. INSTEAD OF THE REGULAR US$59 YOU PAY ONLY US$39 DURING NAMM 2021 ONE LUCKY CUSTOMER WILL GET A FULL REFUND!

 

How to Enter

Apply Coupon: NAMM21

 

https://www.cme-pro.com/product/widi-master/

Nord Stage 3 HA88, Nord Stage 3 Compact, Casio CT-S1, Radial Key Largo, Westone AM Pro 30, Rolls PM55P, K&M 18880 + 18881, Bose S1 Pro, JBL 305p MKII, Zoom Q2n-4K

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Hi everyone, I also bought a WIDI for Christmas, and I have some issues with it. I'm using it with an iPad 7. It somehow works when using the MIDI out of my SV2 to control the Korg Module app for example. Here the latency is barely noticeable. But when I'm trying to play the SV2 through the MIDI in from a MIDI file I've recorded into Cubasis 3, then there's way too much latency. I wanted to do this to record the audio out from the SV2 into Cubasis, via the audio input of an iTrack solo plugged on the lightning port, but then the audio file is not useable, even if I slightly move forward the audio event to try to compensate the latency.

 

It works at the beginning, but after a certain time, it gets completely out of sync. So I'm a bit disapointed with bluetooth mid, for my use case.

 

Also I've noticed in the WIDI app, that the "prefer low latency" option is not activated, and I can't activate it myself. Don't know why, and could not find any explanation on the web.

 

So if anybody has any hint on how to solve this, I'd be very glad. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to invest in an audio interface which includes midi ports, like the presonus one.

 

As I posted somewhere earlier that I'd had some latency problems too. IIRC your iPad 7 uses the same A10 Fusion chip as my iPad 6. I believe it comes down to my iPad not having enough processing power to run heavier apps (in my case, B-3X, NeoSoul 2) and Bluetooth at the same time. No problem with Korg Module, Ravenscroft. I think for the others, and for the future, it comes down to an upgrade to an iPad Pro. Anyone who can corroborate this, please chime in.

____________________________________
Rod

Here for the gear.

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My understanding is that the lowest latency way to use WIDI on an iPad is, besides putting a WIDI device on the keyboard, ALSO put a WIDI device on the iPad (by plugging it into the 5-pin connections of whatever wired interface you'd normally use to connect your keyboard to the iPad). IOW, don't use the iPad's own bluetooth. You still end up with a wireless connection between your keyboard and the iPad, but you maximize the performance of the iPad (and take advantage of any possible bluetooth performance advantage of the WIDI devices themselves).

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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This would not work for my use case, as I would have the iTrack solo sound interface connected to the lightning port. I have also a CCK and I could have use the included USB port to even connect the SV2 to get the MIDI in/out information, but actually the iTrack solo doesn't work when connected to the CCK's lightning port. It must be connected directly to the iPad lightning port. OK, so looks like I have no other choice than to buy another audio interface with integrated MIDI ports. What a pity :-(

 

The WIDI will only be useful to control the iPad apps wireless through the MIDI in port.

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Here's a heads-up for folks who need to use MIDI merge or split boxes... I use one from Touchprone here in Oz that allows me to connect the keyboard MIDI out and create three more out ports...the WIDI master does NOT work with this. The Yamaha MD-BT01 does! I suspect it may be that the WIDI master needs way more current than the Yamaha (and probably the Roland as well).

There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence...

 

Time is the final arbiter for all things

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  • 2 years later...

Hey Folks,

Just resurrected this thread...anybody using wireless MIDI successfully?
I have an older Yamaha DIN Midi wireless setup that worked "OK" but there was still latency.

I also had a Korg mini-keys keyboard with wireless MIDI but it has since died on me (unable to update the firmware and its now a "doorstop" LOL.

I'd love to give wireless MIDI another try....

Your thoughts on the CME Wireless MIDI?

Thanks in advance...
Tom

Tom

Nord Electro 5D, Modal Cobalt 8, Yamaha upright piano, numerous plug-ins...

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5 hours ago, analogman1 said:

Hey Folks,

Just resurrected this thread...anybody using wireless MIDI successfully?

i'm using CME WIDI Master lately and it works pretty well. Using it with Nord Piano 5 73 to play Swam Strings and B-3X on iPad pro, backing up a singer in a country band. Latency is there but not too noticeable with those sustain-y sounds, but it is more noticeable with piano sounds. All but two of the songs are piano songs, so this helps keep it a single board gig.  

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