5 pin din midi, what are you using it for?

[Reezekeys]

You couldn't be more right, Al. Another reason to prefer 5-pin: it's physically more robust. In my case it was my A800 Pro that suffered, not the laptop. Constant small rocking movements as I played would work the "guts" of the A800's USB jack loose. I soldered in a new jack twice iirc, but the tech crew at the Hollywood Bowl, in their zeal to get off work at the official "quit time" (union rules!), stormed the stage after our set and yanked cords out of all our gear like their lives depended on it. That delivered the final blow and my main board was too messed up to solder in another jack.

 

Here's a video I made showing the jack coming apart. I replaced the A800 with a new one, and this older guy sits at home, still very useful to me as I have an extra MOTU Fastlane interface to use with the keyboard's DIN output. My newer A800's USB jack grips the cable better, and is doing fine as it gets much less use that the one on my original A800. I do feel that all this could have been avoided if the jack wasn't soldered to the main board as you see here - but a panel mount jack would have been more expensive for Roland to implement.

 

 

[David R]

At home I prefer to record parts from my Nord Electro 5D, rather than my Novation controller (unless it needs pitch bend or mod wheel). That Nord only uses USB for file transfer or software updates; it doesn’t send MIDI nor audio over USB. I still use a MOTU Audio Express as my home/studio interface. 

 

I’ve also MIDI’d the Nord into my Key Largo on occasions where I need both the Nord & Novation controlling Mainstage (eg layering Rhodes with pads). 5-pin MIDI has saved me on the road when my requested controller shows up with a janky USB port, I can just take the MIDI out into the Key Largo and still have my sounds.

[Konnector]

I currently use 5 pin DIN MIDI for everything in my studio. 4 ports of MIDI I/O from my DAW to 12 synths. Minimal daisy chaining as I have a couple of MIDI I/O selector boxes which allows me to control anything from any of the 7 keyboards.  

[Lou_NC]

What do I use 5-pin MIDI for?

1. Casio CDP-100 piano MIDI-out to Alesis NanoPiano MIDI-in, for better piano voices than the Casio built-in sounds.
2. Korg MPK-130 MIDI bass pedals into Hammond XK-3 bass pedal MIDI input.
3. Cheap 61-key MIDI controller MIDI-out to Hammond XK-3 lower keyboard MIDI-in (poor man's lower organ keyboard).
4. Cheap 49-key M-Audio MIDI controller to Alesis NanoSynth MIDI-in.  (a few string and synth sounds to add to my mainstream piano and organ sounds, as-needed).

Yeah, I'm using older equipment, but hey it works great (very reliably) and sounds good to my ears.  I don't think I'd *ever* have a use for USB MIDI.........I simply don't use computers as musical instruments.

 

Lou

[AUSSIEKEYS]

1 hour ago, Lou_NC said:

What do I use 5-pin MIDI for?

1. Casio CDP-100 piano MIDI-out to Alesis NanoPiano MIDI-in, for better piano voices than the Casio built-in sounds.
2. Korg MPK-130 MIDI bass pedals into Hammond XK-3 bass pedal MIDI input.
3. Cheap 61-key MIDI controller MIDI-out to Hammond XK-3 lower keyboard MIDI-in (poor man's lower organ keyboard).
4. Cheap 49-key M-Audio MIDI controller to Alesis NanoSynth MIDI-in.  (a few string and synth sounds to add to my mainstream piano and organ sounds, as-needed).

Yeah, I'm using older equipment, but hey it works great (very reliably) and sounds good to my ears.  I don't think I'd *ever* have a use for USB MIDI.........I simply don't use computers as musical instruments.

 

Lou

 

Bit similar to you i was using my PX330 to an Alesis nano synth. Later to an Alesis QS6.1.

 

All older gear yes but I like you think the Alesis stuff sounded good no matter how old.

[nadroj]

Hooking up keyboards at home (means I get to play my favourite piano samples with my weighted home-DP action), and formerly for MIDIing two boards together live. 
 

Simple fact is most standard USB-A slots are used for shoving a data stick into a board, and not for transmitting MIDI on. Also, I don’t have a USB-B - USB - B cable handy. Besides, as others have said, a good MIDI DIN connector is almost indestructible once plugged in. I certainly can’t say the same about USB slots. 

[Reezekeys]

3 hours ago, nadroj said:

Simple fact is most standard USB-A slots are used for shoving a data stick into a board, and not for transmitting MIDI on.

 

I'm not sure I understand your point, since most USB keyboards wouldn't be using a USB-A port for that purpose (midi) anyway - you want to connect to a host, not another peripheral. I've never seen a B-to-B cable (I know they exist - just searched & found them, but they are quite uncommon).

[DeltaJockey]

1 hour ago, Reezekeys said:

 

I'm not sure I understand your point, since most USB keyboards wouldn't be using a USB-A port for that purpose (midi) anyway - you want to connect to a host, not another peripheral. I've never seen a B-to-B cable (I know they exist - just searched & found them, but they are quite uncommon).

Keyboards which accept usb midi in do use this, if that's what you're meaning. The Kronos has always been able to accept MIDI in via one of the two type A's, directly from a nother instrument's USB out,  I think the Montage also now supports this after one of the firmware upgrades. I have had others in the past, Roland JP80 I think supported this and others to, just can't recollect which ones I've had that do. Correct me if that's not what you mean

[Mothra87]

I'm using single 5-pin midi cable to loop back into my ES920 to access more sounds within the rhythm accompaniment section. PianoManChuck demonstrated the technique on an MP11 eight years ago.  

[Al Coda]

20 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

You couldn't be more right, Al. Another reason to prefer 5-pin: it's physically more robust. In my case it was my A800 Pro that suffered, not the laptop. Constant small rocking movements as I played would work the "guts" of the A800's USB jack loose. I soldered in a new jack twice iirc, but the tech crew at the Hollywood Bowl, in their zeal to get off work at the official "quit time" (union rules!), stormed the stage after our set and yanked cords out of all our gear like their lives depended on it. That delivered the final blow and my main board was too messed up to solder in another jack.

 

Here's a video I made showing the jack coming apart. I replaced the A800 with a new one, and this older guy sits at home, still very useful to me as I have an extra MOTU Fastlane interface to use with the keyboard's DIN output. My newer A800's USB jack grips the cable better, and is doing fine as it gets much less use that the one on my original A800. I do feel that all this could have been avoided if the jack wasn't soldered to the main board as you see here - but a panel mount jack would have been more expensive for Roland to implement.

 

Great news components are resolderable on the A-300, 500 and 800 (possibly PCR 300, 500, 800 too) circuit boards.

It seems these aren´t multilayer circuit boards then.

DIY soldering on computer mainboards might damage more than help,- just because these are usually multilayer design.

 

With the A-800 Pro, I use both,- USB Midi and 5-pin Midi I/Os simultaneously.

This way, I control hardware Midi modules via 5-pin Din and VIs on laptop via USB.

The advanced  Midi driver´s MIDI routing of the PCR-300-800 and Roland A- Pro models is very useful for very small/ portable rigs and I have to change Midi I/F switch settings only for hardware modules´ MIdi SysEx dumps and bulk loads.

The free BOME SendSX application is great for this and handles all kind of SysEx files, Midi-files incl. auto-conversion to SysEx, bi-directional transmission and offers user selectable Midi-Thru while acting as a Midi-Monitor too.

 

Thx again for all your advice in regards of A-800 Pro !

 

😚

 

A.C.

[kaptainkeys]

12 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I've never seen a B-to-B cable (I know they exist - just searched & found them, but they are quite uncommon).

The reason why they are quite uncommon is because USB is a master-slave bus, meaning that one device (for example, a computer) is the master, while the controller/printer/hard drive/etc. is the slave.  USB-A is generally what is used by the master device, and B (and it's many smaller derivatives) by the slave device, so as not to cause confusion among end users.

[SoundEngine.com]

21 hours ago, Konnector said:

I currently use 5 pin DIN MIDI for everything in my studio. 4 ports of MIDI I/O from my DAW to 12 synths. Minimal daisy chaining as I have a couple of MIDI I/O selector boxes which allows me to control anything from any of the 7 keyboards.  

 

This. 

 

I use it for everything in my studio, except when:

 

1) I'm editing from a computer AND

2) the synth under edit has a USB port 

 

 

[stoken6]

1 hour ago, GotKeys said:

14 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I've never seen a B-to-B cable (I know they exist - just searched & found them, but they are quite uncommon).

The reason why they are quite uncommon is because USB is a master-slave bus, meaning that one device (for example, a computer) is the master, while the controller/printer/hard drive/etc. is the slave.  USB-A is generally what is used by the master device, and B (and it's many smaller derivatives) by the slave device, so as not to cause confusion among end users.

If the answer is a B-B cable, you're probably asking the wrong question... I took a quick look and found this product which states "does not comply with the USB standard".

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Reezekeys]

6 hours ago, Al Coda said:

DIY soldering on computer mainboards might damage more than help,- just because these are usually multilayer design.

 

If I had better desoldering equipment (and better desoldering skills!), I might have saved my first A800. It was my deficiencies in those areas that caused me to need a second A800. It worked out well because I can keep my older one at home and my main unit stays with the band equipment. No more need to move one keyboard between two locations.

[Reezekeys]

13 hours ago, DeltaJockey said:

Keyboards which accept usb midi in do use this, if that's what you're meaning. The Kronos has always been able to accept MIDI in via one of the two type A's, directly from a nother instrument's USB out,  I think the Montage also now supports this after one of the firmware upgrades. I have had others in the past, Roland JP80 I think supported this and others to, just can't recollect which ones I've had that do. Correct me if that's not what you mean

 

I was confused because my A800 Pro has the typical USB-B jack and of course does both midi in and out through that jack. That's what I get for using a controller-only setup for the last 16 years! I thought USB-A ports on keyboards were only for patch storage & transfer. That's cool that a keyboard can act as a host for another USB keyboard, no computer needed.

[Reezekeys]

And here's one of my USB HD enclosures with an A-to-A cable. I suspect the A at the drive end is there only because a B jack wouldn't fit. Seems like USB "standards" are frequently ignored!

 

[stoken6]

1 hour ago, Reezekeys said:

And here's one of my USB HD enclosures with an A-to-A cable. I suspect the A at the drive end is there only because a B jack wouldn't fit. Seems like USB "standards" are frequently ignored!

 

I'll see your HD enclosure with a non-standards-compliant A-A cable, and raise you my A->2xA Y cable, designed to supply the enclosure with power from 2x USB A sockets!

 

Cheers, Mike.

[marino]

I'd be lost without 5-pin MIDI.
I have many synths, of which several don't have USB (the older stuff).

Plus, quite often I set a momentary connection somewhere, to play whatever module with whatever keyboard, and I don't want to use a computer as middleman.

[ProfD]

Well, considering this is my only MIDI KB:

 

5 pin MIDI DIN is my only connection to the KB world. 😁😎

[RABid]

As others mentioned, I use it when hardware only which is quite often. I have a DAWless setup and it is much easier to chain devices when they have MIDI in, out and through with DIN sockets. Also when using keyboards and beatboxes with my Eurorack system.