# Midi keyboard - in/out vs usb



## David Link (Feb 6, 2017)

I'm new to midi hardware. After much study I've decided to start with studio one 3, Steinberg UR22MKII, and Rolland A500. I could plug the keyboard and the ur22 to their own usb. I'm guessing the other option is plug the ur22 into a usb and keyboard into its midi in and out. 

1) If that is correct is there any advantage of using the midi ports over usb in this case?
2) I'm curious what the midi in Port on the keyboard does. If I moved a mapped volume nob in the program or if was automated it happens on the keyboard as well?


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## synthpunk (Feb 6, 2017)

The USB connection is just a way to pass midi through USB, use whichever is most convenient to you or try both ways and see if you get a different feel /response from midi or USB.


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## David Link (Feb 6, 2017)

If you know you're stuff please be more descriptive as I am new and need to know this basic info. I get I can do either. I'm questioning does midi in and out offer anything more then using usb? I get I can send midi over both. Does usb act as a midi in to the keyboard while being an out? Still curious about the purpose of midi in for the keyboard. Does it move the keys and nobs on the kyeboard when automated in the daw? Is that the purpose of midi in? Does that happen over usb as well?

Hope that is clear enough. I don't have anything purchased yet to test things out. Waiting on income tax. If there is no purpose better choice I can skip buying midi cables and a charger.
I'll wait for a decent answer but thanks for the effort.


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## J-M (Feb 6, 2017)

My Nektar keyboard lost connection every time I used the USB-port. Switched to MIDI, no problems. Still can't figure out why it did that. :/


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## David Link (Feb 6, 2017)

Hmm guess that's one reason to get midi cables.


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## d.healey (Feb 6, 2017)

Read the manual that came with your keyboard. USB is both in and out. Generally the only difference is that USB can also provide power to the keyboard (but not all keyboards are USB powered so check the manual)


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## WindcryMusic (Feb 6, 2017)

My Novation Impulse keyboards and Mackie MCU Pro both use a USB connection for MIDI in and out. I've never have had a problem with it, and USB's communications rate is so much higher than that of MIDI that I wouldn't normally expect it to be any sort of limiting factor. But how well one connection type works as compared to the other really depends upon your controller's implementation, so if I were you I'd try to research or solicit comments about the A500 specifically. (Unfortunately I cannot help you with that ... don't have any experience with Roland controllers.)


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## Nick Batzdorf (Feb 6, 2017)

USB MIDI works fine. It's an official spec, along with the more recent Bluetooth MIDI and rtpMIDI (meaning network MIDI).

However, you can run into problems if a USB hub doesn't provide enough power, or if you have USB device that does something funny.

Aso, computers can run into problems distinguishing two or more of the same USB MIDI device. And while USB is exponentially faster than 5-pin DIN MIDI, that's only in theory.

Also also, a USB MIDI device is considered a MIDI interface by the computer, and your DAW can get mad if it's unplugged. For example Logic Pro X will say something like "the MIDI port xxxxx is missing" if you load a project with tracks that use it and it's not there (although you can have it stop throwing up the dialog).

But I'm not saying don't use USB MIDI, just that those are the potential issues.


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