Advice for simple MIDI setup

[milsnips]

HI there,

I've got a Roland Rd700GX which has a usb midi, connecting to a SurfacePro3 tablet. I also have a pair of mackie monitors i want to connect into it also so i can playback the midi sound from the pc. The SurfacePro3 has only 1 USB slot also.

Whats the best way/configuration to connect up my monitors (assume i would need some sort of usb audio interface in between the tablet and monitors and also a usb hub to allow for additional usb ports?
Just trying to figure out how the connectivity of it would work, something like this?

Roland => SurfacePro3 (via USB midi)
Mackie Monitors => USB Audio Interface (via XLR's)
USB Audio Interface => Roland (via XLR's) ?
USB Audio Interface => SurfacePro3 (via usb)

does that make sense for what i'm trying to achieve?
Whichever way i go i just want to keep the midi output latency as low as possible.

thanks,
Paul

 

[cecerre]

According to the published specs on the SP3 I found ( Surface Pro 3 Full Specifications And Details - Microsoft News ) there is a headphones out which you could use to connect speakers. There is no 'best way' to accomplish what you have asked, there is only what works best for you. You either purchase the required cable to connect from the 1/8" headphone port to the speakers or purchase a USB audio i/f and required cables to connect it to your speakers.

In your post you show a USB audio i/f to the Roland, which you don't need unless you want sound from your Roland *in addition* to the software synth on your SP3. If you want to hear sound output from your SP3 software synth AND your Roland, you will need a 2 channel mixer unless your speakers support multiple inputs. The conversation gets a tad complicated from here as it depends on what works for you.

Best of luck!

-PC

 

[Dave Holmes]

Check out the Novation AudioHub2x4.

3 USB ports
Balanced main outputs (Jack)
2 more outs (2 X RCA pairs)
Headphone out
2 line ins (RCA)

Made in conjunction with Focusrite and pretty damn good for a mobile rig IMO.