SONUUS i2M musicport—MIDI Converter & Hi-Z USB Audio Interface

Started by Elantric, November 14, 2012, 01:00:43 PM

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Elantric

i2M musicport—MIDI Converter & Hi-Z USB Audio Interface
http://www.sonuus.com/products_i2m_mp.html


No chords - single notes only

Continuing from the appeal of the G2M™ and B2M™, the i2M musicport™ combines the features of both these units (to support both guitar and bass) with an optimised USB interface for even faster MIDI performance. Featuring extended MIDI features and configurability to satisfy the most demanding users, and a high-impedance audio interface that won't suck the tone from your instrument, the i2M  musicport™ is the new way to connect your musical instruments to your computer.

Designed particularly for guitar and bass, it works with most musical instruments including wind instruments and the human voice. Now you can record great-sounding tracks and play synthesizers and samplers how you have always wanted to: by using your favourite instrument.

    16-bit, 44·1 kHz/48 kHz digital audio with Hi-Z input preamp.
    Any musical instrument can be used as a solo MIDI instrument.
    Optimised settings for: Guitar, 4-String Bass, 5-String Bass and Voice/Wind.
    No instrument modifications or special pickups required.
    Robust note detection — minimises wrong notes.
    Very low latency & ultra-fast tracking.
    Ultra-fast, accurate MIDI pitch-bend or chromatic mode.
    Ultra-compact, lightweight and portable.
    USB bus-powered (no power supply required).
    Future-proof upgradeable firmware.

"As it stands right now 'you can have my i2M musicport when you can pry it from my cold dead hands'. It works great. I have been a bass player for 46 years and I have been waiting for this since I first heard synthesizers."

Craig Voorhies
Plug and PlayUniversal MIDI -- No MIDI pickup needed!

Using class-compliant USB drivers built into your computer's operating system, and with no special instrument set up required, the i2M  musicport™ offers a true plug-and-play experience for all musicians.
Ultra-Fast Monophonic MIDI Conversion

Although latency is unavoidable when converting musical pitch into MIDI messages, the unique technology used in the i2M  musicport™ reduces this to a minimum. Not only is the MIDI conversion extremely fast, but accurate and robust. In fact, the pitch-bend detection of the i2M  musicport™ is more accurate than many popular guitar tuners!

Fine nuances of your playing are captured by the i2M  musicport™: note velocity is determined from how hard you play; and subtle vibrato and bends are converted to ultra-accurate pitch-bend messages with virtually no latency. Everything from the emotional subtlety of a 'cello solo to the most extreme use of a guitar's whammy bar are tracked flawlessly.

The optimised USB MIDI interface further minimises latency by intelligently managing data packets and avoiding the inherent delays in the traditional MIDI hardware protocol.

Flexible MIDI Architecture

The MIDI converter architecture is very flexible and powerful comprising six zones (splits), each with configurable pitch bend, MIDI channel, transpose and other parameters.


Hi-Z USB Audio Interface

The i2M  musicport™ features a very high-impedance (Hi-Z) audio input circuit. This means it won't degrade the tone of your musical instruments, unlike typical "line" inputs — often a problem with electric guitars and dynamic microphones. The input pre-amp also has adjustable gain to accommodate a wide variety of musical instruments.

High quality 16-bit, 44·1 kHz (CD quality), and 48 kHz (DVD quality) digital audio can be recorded into your favourite audio application, or used live, for example through amp-simulators with great-sounding results.

An ASIO driver (only supported on Windows operating systems) is available to provide low latency audio and features the unique ability to use any other audio device (even other ASIO devices) as the output audio device so you can hear everything you do in real time.
Future-Proof (Upgradeable Firmware)

To support new features and to make it futureproof, the firmware (internal software) of the i2M musicport™ can be upgraded. This means you can invest with confidence in the i2M musicport™.
Pocket-Sized / Gigantic Possibilities

Fashioned as an in-line ¼"  jack-to-USB adapter, and about the size of a car key-fob, the i2M  musicport™ has an ultra-compact design that can easily fit into your pocket. But this tiny box will redefine your musical possibilities.

An invaluable composition tool, the i2M  musicport™ will let you access new sounds with ease, enable you to create tab and scores, provide you with new inspiration and let you have more fun than you thought possible.

Go on: Unlock your music!
Desktop Editor Software

The i2M  musicport™ features a very flexible and powerful MIDI converter architecture with 6 zones enabling MIDI to be sent on up to 6 MIDI channels simultaneously, with each zone being independently configurable. You can customise each of the operating modes for your particular requirements and exchange these settings with other i2M  musicport™ users.

Four presets can be stored on the i2M  musicport™ so you can switch between these without requiring the Desktop Editor Software. This software is available for Microsoft Windows, and OSX (10·5 and above).


Note: the i2M musicport™ doesn't include its own MIDI sounds, you must use suitable software (sampler, synthesizer, sound module etc) or your computer to record or to hear the MIDI output.










Elantric

See my review of Sonuus i2M here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8291.msg59917#msg59917

With my iPad Mini and enabling "Ultra Low Latency" mode (in JamUp Pro XT), and using my Sonuus I2M + Apple Lightning USB Camera Adapter, this is extremely fast, Low latency -as fast as using a standard Multi-FX unit, and very clean - first IOS Guitar Input adapter I can use that is clean enough i can disable the damn Noise gates and allow all my full dynamic range of my playing on every patch. 

Here is what I have tried for iPad Guitar Audio Interface
(Bad to Best)
* PRS passive "IOS GuitarBud Cable"   =  (junk!)
* Peavey AmpKit  = (total junk &*&%)
* IK Multimedia iRIG  = (consistent, but self oscillating feedback on high gain patches on any IOS Amp Sim)
* IK Multimedia iRIG Stomp  - (works OK for headphones, but way too much "hiss" for live performance when feeding self powered PA cabs.
* Line-6 Mobil In   =  (cleaner audio but way too much latency)
* Korg PX5D + Apple CCK = (works well, but must set a clean - no FX patch for best operation)
* Zoom G3 +Apple CCK   = (works well, but must set a clean - no FX patch for best operation)
* Fender G-DEC 3 Thirty = ( works well, but must set a clean - no FX patch for best operation, and its not very portable for hotel room, but perfect for using at small gigs )
* Alesis I|O Dock = works, but a bit large to carry all the time, no MIDI Sysex, and preamps could be better) 
* Alesis I|O 2 + Powered USB Hub+ Apple CCK - similar to I\O dock, but the Guitar Instrument setting clips and distorts too early.
* Sonuus i2M+ Apple CCK (Im in love with this unit! - perfect for "life on the road" - VERY SMALL and CLEAN, and LOW LATENCY)
 
It has me shouting "Eureka"  - the Sonuus i2M has VERY low Noise on All iPad audio apps. For my needs the Sonuus i2M is a better value than the Apogee Jam, as the i2M has equivalent audio performance with its clean instrument preamp,(despite only 16 bit A2D + its a great hardware monophonic Guitar to MIDI convertor too!

More here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=7347.msg51178#msg51178

and of course the Audio output is supplied by the iPad Headphone Output.

polaris20

Interesting device. I've already got the JAM and the FTP so I think I'll skip, but its a great looking device for someone looking to get into it.

I'm looking at the Roland Duo Capture EX. Looks like a good solution for on the go recording.

Elantric

The Roland Duo Capture EX is cool as it runs on batteries.

I will have a Scarlett 18i6 here next week to try. USe it with an external  8 mic pre ADAT interface gets me multitracks in iPad, and the small form factor is attractive too for my OSX Mac Mini rig or Lenovo W520 rig.

This link takes you to the best reference for IOS Music Interfaces. This is not exclusive for Auria btw. Lots of apps support multi channel audio input today.
http://auriaapp.com/Support/auria-audio-interfaces
After my horrendous experience with the Presonus 1818VSL, all I can figure is many folks must be being paid to hype and recommend that piece of crap all over the net.

mbenigni

Well I found a good price and - intrigued by your review - went ahead and ordered an i2m.  Kind of an impulse purchase and I'm not sure where it's going to fit in versus the gr55 and JamOrigin, but I'm a sucker for tiny form factors like this.  :)

I'm curious, though: if you're using the headphone jack on the iPad for audio output, doesn't this add quite a bit of latency on its own?  Or is the analog out on an iPad actually low-latency in its own right?  And how is its audio quality?  I'm hoping to pull off a similar setup on my surface pro but I imagine I will have to play games with asio4all or something similar in order to keep the output latency in check.

Anyway, if I can't find a good use for it I can flip it to a friend of mine who's trying to sort out his own iPad recording set up.

mbenigni

P.S. I second your opinion regarding the Line 6 Mobile In.  So much latency I gave up on using the iPad for music altogether, as I didn't realize the problem was specific to that interface.  My Mobile In is gathering dust somewhere.  (I'd guess about 2 in 3 music tech purchases I make turn out to be completely worthless, owing to one little flaw or another.)

Elantric

The i2M employs the identical paradigm as using an Apogee Jam with Ipad.
http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/jam.php

The Apple Internal is DAC is just fine, and often superior than many third party interfaces.

Be advised that in the "READ_Me"  / Help file for Jam Up pro recommends iPad 2 or newer for "Ultra Low Latency" mode.

mbenigni

I started experimenting with the i2m and Windows 8 last week.  I'm mostly impressed, and the few caveats are probably more to do with the state of Sonuus' configuration software, or Windows 8, and not the i2m itself.  It's even possible that I'm having problems specific to Microsoft's h/w or driver implementation on the Surface Pro.

Anyway, the monophonic MIDI support is very good.  Setup is easy, there are sensible options for limiting note ranges (notably and painfully missing from, for instance, the GR55), and velocity sensitivity/ dynamics are excellent.  (For the moment I prefer the "expander 1" setting to trigger MIDI bass guitar.)

Audio quality is good and hardware configuration for "chaining" to a different output device is sensibly presented.  There are, however, some issues with configuration under Windows 8.  Most notably, the pre-amp gain fader isn't working properly.  When I try to adjust it from the default -3db, the onscreen control slams left to -12db but there is no actual change in gain.  It seems like the driver is failing to take exclusive control over this setting, even if "exclusive" is selected and all control panel references to the device are disabled.  Using the Windows recording controls to adjust input level on the device has no effect.

This is a significant issue in that the input gain is definitely too high "out of the box".  I get tons of noise at input and I have to attenuate the signal 5-10db with a VST before it sees any other processing, which is definitely compromising signal quality.  (I don't know enough about the architecture of the i2m to say whether attenuating with their setup app is any better.)

Other problems are definitely Win8/SP-specific and not Sonuus issues, but they are worth mentioning:  Microsoft has gotten way too clever with the way the speakers and headphones are treated as separate devices, vs. a single output with a hardware shunt like all us old folks are accustomed to.  The upshot is that different hardware and drivers are visible to the OS, DAW apps, ASIO wrappers etc. depending on whether you have headphones/cable plugged in.  And if this changes while any of the above are already in memory, results are unpredictable.  Sometimes I have to close the DAW after plugging in an 1/8" cable before the i2m driver will acknowledge that it's available; sometimes I have to shutdown the computer altogether; sometimes it just will not work for hours (OK, minutes) on end for reasons I still haven't sorted out.  It's frustrating and over-complicated. 

(And heaven help you if you've previously paired a bluetooth receiver, as this is yet another audio output enumerated in Windows' list of options, and it will sometimes trip up Sonuus even after it is disabled.  Just for giggles I did try the i2m input with bluetooth output to the little belkin receiver on my living room stereo.  The sound was awesome, actually, but the latency was nearly a full second - not usable.)

So, not quite smooth sailing, but still impressive given it's size.  I'm going to fabricate a little pouch to hold the i2m on my guitar strap, sort of like a wireless transmitter, allowing me to run a single USB cable to the SP.  This will be a nice convenient rig for practicing, recording simple ideas, etc. and if it proves out... maybe more.  (Also considering an alternative with a wireless "guitar bug" on the guitar, wireless receiver and i2m on a small pedal board with a Line 6 FBV Express.)

Elantric

Thanks for the review!

Myself - so far I've only used the Sonuus I2M with my iPad Mini, and it works very well there using the Apple USB Camera Adapter.
Used as Audio Input Interface with Jamup ProXT , or driving IK SampleTank IOS. 

mbenigni

Sure thing, happy to share my thoughts.

Update:  I'm still having a tough time with Windows 8 configuration - lots of unexplained driver glitches while setting up Ableton Live preferences - but everything did eventually come together last night.  We'll see if things remains stable as I startup, shutdown, and plug and unplug the 1/8 jack over the next couple of nights.  I think part of my problem(s) had to do with residual registry settings related to bluetooth devices.  As I said, Win8 has beome hazardously complicated in the way it juggles available audio devices.

However, my issue with the pre-amp gain fader in the music port applet is apparently just a matter of mouse/touchscreen compatibility, and not any major sound interface issues.  I was finally successful in adjusting the gain using the touchscreen (fiddly, but functional) rather than a mouse.  Weird.  Similar problems with the onscreen controls for selecting buffer size: they only show one value in the dropdown, but the keyboard can be used to finagle your way to the right setting.  Clumsy, but it's working for the moment.

Anyway, at the minimum (-12db) gain I managed to get noise low enough that Guitar Rig's Noise Reduction component would silence it, without any s/w attenuation or hard gating.  Adding a USB footcontroller via USB hub introduced yet another, worse noise, but that randomly went away after disconnecting and reconnecting.  Again, we'll see...  If I can get this holding steady, I'll post a brief Sonuus/Win8 entry in the recommended audio interface thread.

mbenigni

Update:  As I just posted in the audio interface survey, I decided to send the i2M on the basis of it's being a little too noisy for my needs.  Unfortunately I didn't have the h/w on hand to test with iOS apps, so I'm not exactly sure why my experience differed from Elantric's.

Elantric

Bummer,

I bought my Sonuus I2M specifically for my iPad use , so Ive never even touched the I2M GUI Control panel app, nor reset the Input Gain (have no clue where it currently is set too)

I was using my relatively low output DiPinto Galaxie IV as a test guitar (see my Avatar on left)

Playing in a Surf Band,  in general I'm more interested in clean tones, so I do not own guitars with Super High Output pickups as i can not tolerate typical Muddy high end frequencies, and crackle distortion (heard on headphones when monitoring with a clean D.I. box straight from the guitar ) typical of old DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups.

I prefer my Gretsch 6120 with TV Jones Filtertrons ! 

mbenigni

Yes, cool guitar!   :)  I was primarily testing with my Parker Fly Deluxe, which has relatively high-output humbuckers, but I had similar results with the single coils on my GC-1, which I know to be a pretty quiet and (timbrally) dark guitar.  This one will probably remain a mystery...

vurnt99

Two of my favorite VG peeps discussing one of my favorite bits of gear, the Sonuus i2M. I wish we could source Pro level USB cabling shielded especially for music making! I can't tell you how many Mystery Noises were solved by just changing USB cables. Just got in from the Vai Camp. That was fun!

Elantric

QuoteI wish we could source Pro level USB cabling shielded especially for music making

Suggest read

Use the right USB Cable.
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=11086.msg80947#msg80947

Our tests have shown that you should always use USB cables carrying a /2C (or X2C) code beginning with 24 (e.g. 24/2C, 24AWGX2C, AWG 24X2C). As described above, this means the power wires have a diameter of 0,511 mm, which will reduce the power lost in the cable.


The following picture shows a cable labeled with the code 24/2C. This cable is suitable for use with your NI hardware device:




The following picture shows a cable labeled with the code 28AWGX2C. This cable is not suitable for use with your NI hardware device:


mbenigni

Quote from: vurnt99 on June 27, 2014, 07:11:19 AM
Two of my favorite VG peeps discussing one of my favorite bits of gear, the Sonuus i2M. I wish we could source Pro level USB cabling shielded especially for music making! I can't tell you how many Mystery Noises were solved by just changing USB cables. Just got in from the Vai Camp. That was fun!

Thanks, vurnt99!  Man, I wish I could have attended that camp - you and Mr. Vai are two of my favorite peeps full stop. :)

I agree 100% that USB cables and connections are frequently a source of noise problems, and USB isolation devices tend to be expensive for what boils down to a trial and error process of elimination.

Elantric

Review of Sonuus I2M and comparison to GTM

I never leave home without my Sonuus ITM!

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov11/articles/sonuus-g2m-i2m.htm?print=yes



QuoteSonuus G2M V2 & i2M Musicport
Audio-to-MIDI Converters
Published in SOS November 2011
Print article : Close window
Reviews : MIDI Controller
Sonuus' nifty gadgets make real-time audio-to-MIDI conversion easy and affordable — as long as you only play one note at a time!
Dave Lockwood

Sonuus G2M V2 & i2M Musicport

The Sonuus range of audio-to-MIDI converters makes entering into the world of MIDI sounds and MIDI recording about as simple as it could be for a guitarist. The units require no special pickup or cabling: you simply plug your guitar in one end of the small box and MIDI comes out of the other end. Too good to be true? Well, yes, and no. It is as simple as that, and most of the time it works straight out of the box, but the trade-off for this simplicity is that it can only work monophonically (ie. one note at a time). There may come a day when digital audio processing algorithms are sophisticated enough to pick out multiple discrete notes within a composite audio stream in real time (Celemony Software's Melodyne can already do it as an off-line process), but that day is not here yet. Pitch-to-MIDI conversion systems normally require guitarists to fit an additional, hexaphonic (six-channel) pickup that outputs a separate signal for each string, so that the notes within a chord can each be individually analysed and converted to MIDI. The designers at UK-based Sonuus, however, calculate that there's an awful lot you can still do with a monophonic system, and I'm inclined to agree with them. Bass lines, and lead melody lines or instrumental solos, tend to be inherently monophonic anyway, and that's a lot of musical ground covered straight away.

G2M V2...4U?
We had two systems on test at SOS: the battery-powered G2M V2 — an updated version of the original Sonuus G2M box — and the i2M Musicport, which connects (and is powered) via USB, and which also has some useful software support in the form of the i2M Musicport Desktop Editor (the range is completed by the B2M dedicated bass-to-MIDI unit). If you are one of the people who, like me, tried the original G2M and thought it a bit on the slow side, you'll be pleased to know that the new 'go faster' V2 version does indeed go faster! It is now about as fast as anything else pitch-to-MIDI-based out there, which puts it in the same league as the (sadly, recently discontinued, I believe) Axon range. At around 5ms conversion time, the top two octaves offer no perceptible delay, the middle octaves are still manageable on all but the most percussive of sounds and only the lowest guitar octave is to be avoided, with latency reaching 19ms by open bottom 'E'. Even that isn't the limitation you might think: you can always, as MIDI guitarists have been doing for years, play your bass lines high up the neck whilst transposing the voice module or your software's input processing down to the required register.

The pitch-to-MIDI process outputs pitch-bend messages for any deviation from concert pitch, so it's important that your guitar is in tune, and there's a basic but effective on-board tuner to assist with this. New in V2, however, is an optional chromatic output mode, which doesn't use pitch-bend, so that notes are quantised to the nearest semitone; it's still important to be in tune, though, to ensure correct analysis of your intended notes.
Equally important is ensuring that the input level is correct. Excessive input level sufficient to cause clipping will hinder the pitch analysis process (there's an LED to indicate this), whilst playing too safe with the level will limit the amount of sustain available as the input signal decays below the fixed internal cutoff threshold. Finding a happy medium is not too difficult unless you're running the Sonuus alongside your normal guitar signal and have a tendency to ride your volume control over a very wide range.
Any MIDI controller instrument is dependent on its MIDI voice source being set up in the right way for the two to mesh as a playable instrument. It's all too easy to plug in to something with a slow attack and the wrong pitch-bend range and think that the Sonuus box doesn't really work very well. In fact, it does; you just need to make sure the voice module is correctly set up for its input. The G2M's primary mis-tracking vice appears to be misjudging the octave, but heeding the advice in the manual to use the neck pickup seemed to clean that up considerably, and attacking relatively lightly with the right hand seemed to produce the cleanest, most accurate results for me.
I2M Musicport
Sonuus G2M V2 & i2M Musicport

The diminutive i2M Musicport offers similar performance to the G2M V2 in a package optimised for use with a computer running software instruments or a DAW package. It also includes a 16-bit 48kHz audio interface, which could get you out of trouble at a push but won't be the main reason for anyone buying this box, I feel. Registering the product at www.sonuus.com allows you to download a useful Mac and PC-compatible control utility — i2M Musicport Desktop Editor Software — with which you can both finesse the i2M's note detection and enhance its MIDI output with zoning and multiple output streams, creating the possibility of layered voices and even a limited degree of harmony generation.

For such an apparently simple unit, there's a surprisingly useful number of parameters on offer, all of which can be saved as one of four presets, or Operating Modes. Presets are optimised for the note ranges and characteristics of a number of specific source instruments — guitar, four-string bass, five-string bass, voice/wind — and whilst it is not explicitly stated in the good supporting documentation, I think it's fair to assume that the correct choice of instrument here allows the conversion system to work more accurately or efficiently because it knows it can ignore out-of-range notes or noises.
There are also four user-determined MIDI Configurations, with up to six zones available, and with each zone offering Note Range; Hold On/Off; Chromatic or Pitch-bend mode; Pitch-bend range; Transpose setting; Note Constrainer (which folds back out-of-range notes into the 'constrained zone'); Note Extend (in ms); and finally MIDI channel. Note Extend delays the sending of note-off message by the user-set amount to give the impression of legato playing in the MIDI output, when actually the player is stopping each note slightly early in order to pick the next one cleanly and unambiguously.
Velocity response can be optimised, with up to six steps above or below the default linear setting, shaping the relationship between how hard you have to play to generate different levels of MIDI note velocity, and a Velocity Filter setting allows the exclusion of the kind of very low-velocity notes that are all too easily accidently generated on guitars as you move from note to note. There are also Breath Controller and Note Hold options, taking the i2M way beyond the capabilities of the G2M V2. The i2M also offers input gain adjustment, via the software, allowing it to be optimised for a wider range of source instruments — the 10M? input impedance of the analogue stage helps here too, ensuring that there is no 'loading' of passive, high-impedance sources.
Real-time Or Off-line?
The i2M USB guitar-to-MIDI converter comes with dedicated software, which extends the device's capability considerably.
The i2M USB guitar-to-MIDI converter comes with dedicated software, which extends the device's capability considerably.

Of course, nearly every DAW package now contains a respectable pitch-to-MIDI conversion processor, so if you are content to play your potential MIDI parts as guitar lines and convert them afterwards, you don't need a box like this at all. Personally, I find I play much better MIDI lines when I am able to hear the response of the voice as I am playing it, and therefore find real-time conversion processes far more satisfactory.

Like the G2M V2, the i2M works straight out of the box, with most sources most of the time. With guitars it generates MIDI fast enough for expressive real-time playing and clean enough not to require hours of time spent cleaning up double triggers and spurious notes. Using a bass, four or five-string, as a source instrument for programming (ie. recording MIDI) was less satisfactory, in my experience, requiring you to always play in the higher registers to keep the timing reasonable. And if you can't play the bass as you would normally, you might as well play the part from a guitar and transpose the MIDI into the required register, I feel. I can, however, see a performance application for it with basses, used for doubling a real bass sound with a synth. Provided that the synth doesn't have a prominent attack to its voice, you can get it to sit nicely behind the natural bass sound and support it with either more depth or greater harmonic complexity.
The last thing I tried, noticing that there was a wind/voice option in the source instrument list, was a microphone. I can confirm that it works — you sing notes into the mic and MIDI comes out of the Sonuus — and I can confirm also that I'm not a good enough singer to do useful work with it that way. It would always be quicker for me to play the lines on a guitar. Somebody who is a decent singer, but no kind of instrumentalist could, I think, do useful programming work with this, especially with the help of chromatic mode and a little editing. It requires a little care with the attack of your notes — avoiding potentially pitch-ambiguous consonants and plosives in favour of a clearly articulated "Aaahhh" for each note seemed to give the best results.
I noticed also that in the Sonuus users' forum, there is a sax player apparently getting good results doubling his instrument in a live context, so if it works there, with the potential problems of separation and spill, it should certainly be OK in the more controlled environment of a recording context. I wasn't able to summon up a friendly wind player in time to verify this personally, so try before you buy if you are interested in a Sonuus primarily for that facility.
Plug-and-play
I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how useful a monophonic MIDI converter actually is! Whilst other tools, from the Starr Ztar to the You Rock Guitar (reviewed in SOS August 2011) are clearly preferable for keyboard-like parts, neither of them excels at flowing legato lines, which tend to be, in the main, monophonic... like the Sonuus. These highly affordable little boxes do clean, reliable real-time pitch-to-MIDI in as simple a package as you can imagine, and so long as you already know how to set up the MIDI end of things, this is as 'plug and play' as it gets. There will always be some editing to be done with MIDI recordings derived from guitars, with the occasional scuff or ambiguous attack generating an incorrect note or a double Note On, simply because guitars are not keyboards, and MIDI is the language of the keyboard. But I experienced very few errors, overall: no stuck notes; no long sustained notes being cut off by spurious short notes; just the occasional octave jump or random warble. In short, the Sonuus system operates well enough to do serious work. If you want easy, real-time pitch-to-MIDI and you can work with a monophonic system, I can heartily recommend both these units.
Quotediscussing one of my favorite bits of gear, the Sonuus i2M. I wish we could source Pro level USB cabling shielded especially for music making! I can't tell you how many Mystery Noises were solved by just changing USB cables.

I'm exploring Mil Spec USB Secure  / Beer Proof Cable Mounts for using MIDI hardware on Pedal Boards



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http://www.molex.com/molex/products/datasheet.jsp?part=active/0847271004_CABLE_ASSEMBLIES.xml




There is the other option for simply using Neutrik Ethercon Cables ( same as a Line-6 VDI cable) with RJ-45 connections - but put MIDI Signals and power on Shielded  CAT-5 cables

whippinpost91850

#17
quote Elantric  "There is the other option for simply using Neutrik Ethercon Cables ( same as a Line-6 VDI cable) with RJ-45 connections - but put MIDI Signals and power on Shielded  CAT-5 cables "

This sounds interesting. I'm gonna try adding 20' of cable to the DC side of my Gr55 power supply to eliminate running seperate AC to the pedal end of my rig. I just did the power mod to my FCB1010 and now have power for that running through its MIDI cable

because there is no MIDI through on the GR55 I have to run a snake with 2 MIDI cables and a mono audio cable to use the Fcb1010 with my Kemper and GR55

paul elie

hello , i hooked my gr55 on the sonnus ans it works fine
on the other jack i plug it an amp...
so now it is heaven i got the sound stereo
the left on the computer and ableton....the right on the amp!
Paul.
i am french
so excuse my poor English!
http://paulelie.com/guitares/index.html

Elantric

Quotehello , i hooked my gr55 on the Sonuus and it works fine

Of course unlike the prior Roland GR models, the GR-55 does not work as a MIDI tone module and respond to external MIDI Note On / off messages, and other gear ( USB Host to MIDI converter box) is required to convert the Sonuus i2M USB data to 5pin MIDI 

But the Sonuus i2M works very well for using a guitar to play monophonic Synth leads or Bass lines with other gear  / ipads / PCs / macs  / Korg MicroStation / Roland GR-33, GR20, GR-30,etc




Elantric

Sonuus have a new model  - THE X2M Musicport—MIDI Converter & Hi-Z USB Audio Interface due summer 2016
it will be stereo and 24 bit Audio
http://www.geartube.net/video/s-tJBPmaAeI



mbenigni

Quote from: Elantric on March 21, 2016, 11:28:55 AM
Sonuus have a new model  - THE X2M Musicport—MIDI Converter & Hi-Z USB Audio Interface due summer 2016
it will be stereo and 24 bit Audio

I assume this will be the monophonic algorithm from their previous products?  I'd love it if Sonuus (or some other hardware manufacturer) would team up with the likes of JamOrigin and make a bulletproof polyphonic audio-to-MIDI converter in a compact hardware format.  If it doubled as a USB/iOS MIDI and Audio Interface (Class compliant), all the better!

Elantric

QuoteIf it doubled as a USB/iOS MIDI and Audio Interface (Class compliant), all the better!

It will ( just like the i2M currently does)
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=7347.msg59988#msg59988


Big news is X2M will be stereo 24bit audio - but we await until summer 2016 for further X2M details

Elantric

Quotequote Elantric  "There is the other option with RJ-45 connections - but put MIDI Signals and power on Shielded  CAT-5 cables "

LIKE THIS RJ-45 (CAT-5 CABLE) VERSION HERE::
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=17582.msg125199#msg125199

whippinpost91850

Quote from: mbenigni on March 22, 2016, 09:08:05 AM
I assume this will be the monophonic algorithm from their previous products?  I'd love it if Sonuus (or some other hardware manufacturer) would team up with the likes of JamOrigin and make a bulletproof polyphonic audio-to-MIDI converter in a compact hardware format.  If it doubled as a USB/iOS MIDI and Audio Interface (Class compliant), all the better!

VPed VST pedal board has done that, but looks like it does a lot more then you're looking for and has a "lot more price" to go with it.