USB vs. MIDI output?

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musixgood

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First post! :)

So I'm rather new to home recording and have been purchasing gear to get me started up. I wanted to get MIDI on my computer from my Casio CDP-200R and really am unsure about the best way to do it. These are the options:

• USB port for computer connection
• SD memory card slot
• General MIDI (GM Level 1) support allows connection with a computer or another GM-compatible device.

Currently I use the M-Audio Fast Track Pro. The ideal setup seems to be simply connecting my CDP-200R to my laptop via FTP w/MIDI cable. However, I'm not sure about keeping it especially if I don't need the extra settings to go with it if I can get sufficient MIDI playback with a direct USB connection between my HP dv6700 laptop and my piano. Might downgrade to the Fast Track mkII to keep things simpler.

In a nutshell, will I have any issues w/latency or quality if I use the usb port on my keyboard to directly connect to my laptop vs. through my FTP? Please let me know, thanks!
 
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Welcome aboard.

I recommend you try both approaches and see which works better (if there is any difference at all). It will boil down to how the midi over USB is implemented on each device. In an ideal world, it should not matter but in practice, there is some pretty crappy USB-> midi hardware out there.
 
musixgood said:
In a nutshell, will I have any issues w/latency or quality if I use the usb port on my keyboard to directly connect to my laptop vs. through my FTP? Please let me know, thanks!
Click to expand...

In a nutshell, no.

USB is just another way to get the midi data into the computer.
It's far far faster than the 9600baud serial interface that midi was designed for back in the days of 8mhz computers.
Midi is a relatively slow protocol.
It will make no difference how it gets in or out of the computer.
As long as your sequencer knows where to get the data from or send it to, you're fine.

(I run my windsynth off my Motu828mkII interface, plus keyboards connected to a MidisportUSB2x2 and have a M-Audio keystation49usb at the same time. zero problems.)
 
Thanks for the feedback guys, I really appreciate the quick responses :o
One last question - what would the advantage be of having a MIDI i/o on the interface itself then? It seems most MIDI keyboards have a USB port to connect directly to the computer...

From the looks of it, I may potentially return the FTP for a more lightweight interface i.e. Fast Track mkii.
 
Midi keyboards yes, but most synths only have midi i/o.
 
musixgood said:
...what would the advantage be of having a MIDI i/o on the interface itself then?
Click to expand...

None. Well one if you travel and only want to have on device attached to your computer.
Again, as long as the sequencer tracks are pointed towards the right device, your computer doesn't care.

Again: (I run my windsynth off my Motu828mkII interface, plus keyboards connected to a MidisportUSB2x2 and have a M-Audio keystation49usb at the same time. zero problems.)
 
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