Topic by MaclimRakesh

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  • MaclimRakesh
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Topic: Midi to USB midi interface vs USB midi built-in?

Hello,

I would like to listen to fellow Piano players using or having used both types of connections regarding Latency and Jitter.

It's been more than 10 years since I was playing a Korg Oasys 88 connected thru a midi cable to a midi interface to play Pianoteq. But for the last years I have been using keyboards with built-in USB midi interfaces and I always felt they provide a tighter, faster and less laggy connection to Pianoteq.

I am very tempted to purchase a Korg D1 (which has a standard Midi output, so it requires a further USB Midi interface to connect to a computer) but am very concerned about the potential latency and jitter it may add compared to a keyboard with a USB midi interface built-in.

To all fellow piano players having tried both systems, I would like to know if with the current standards there is a noticeable difference using either system, specially with regards to latency and jitter.

Thanks for your help! https://19216811.cam/

Last edited by MaclimRakesh (19-02-2021 23:53)

Reply by Qexl

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Re: Midi to USB midi interface vs USB midi built-in?

Hi and welcome MaclimRakesh.

I'd recommend that you try both ways on your system. Reason being, different systems (OS/PC/other hardware) will give different results.

On my current (aging) hardware, the USB to USB is laggy/jittery, but old style MIDI cable with converter to USB into PC is extremely fast and stable (this element of the MIDI setup seems to contribute well towards good latency, enough to use higher 'buffer' size in Pianoteq's audio settings for extra stability BTW). 

Others will report the opposite - but only your hardware will determine which is your own best choice - so definitely worth buying a standard old MIDI cable and converter to test (not too expensive, mine was used cable and a $5 adapter iirc).

It's always good to have alternative/spare connectors in storage too, even if you don't end up using it daily. For example, when my Win PC upgraded from 8 to 8.1 USB audio connections stopped working entirely (months before that was fixed) - so that's when I tried the old style and found it was better

(Certainly, when I update hardware I'll be testing both ways and staying with the one which is more stable on that new system when it is setup).

Hope that helps.

Pianoteq Studio Bundle (Pro plus all instruments)  - Kawai MP11 digital piano - Yamaha HS8 monitors

Reply by thiesdewaard

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Re: Midi to USB midi interface vs USB midi built-in?

I use Pianoteq with the Korg D1 and an old Macbook Air (2012), and this works perfectly without any latency (that I notice) or jitter. The midi face is a Tie Studio MIDI 1i1o, but I guess any midi-interface of reasonable quality should work. I make sure the computer isn't doing anything else in the background (such as searching for wifi connections or synching things). I play a lot of pretty fast Bach, and I encounter no latency problems. The virtual keyboard in PT (at the bottom) does lag the slightest bit behind, but's no problem, i'm not watching that ;-)

Last edited by thiesdewaard (19-02-2021 18:31)

Reply by groovy

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Re: Midi to USB midi interface vs USB midi built-in?

Your "Tie Studio MIDI 1i1o-e" seems to be a bluetooth interface (not USB).
Normally Bluetooth has more latency and jitter, than copper MIDI. Would be interesting, if you could record with a microphone the klick of your fingernail and the triggered PTQ sound. The time difference between both recorded acoustical signals is an (real world) overall latency.

PS: Ah, saw a Tie Studio MIDI 1I1O exists, I'm sure you ment that.
PPS: Crossing

Last edited by groovy (19-02-2021 18:33)

Reply by thiesdewaard

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Re: Midi to USB midi interface vs USB midi built-in?

groovy wrote:

Your "Tie Studio MIDI 1i1o-e" seems to be a bluetooth interface (not USB).

You're right! my mistake - it's the model without the e, so the Tie Studio MIDI 1i1o and that's a usb interface, not bluetooth. I think bluetooth would indeed cause some latency. I corrected my post.

Last edited by thiesdewaard (19-02-2021 18:40)

Reply by Gilles

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Re: Midi to USB midi interface vs USB midi built-in?

I use an old (~20 years) Yamaha P-80 that has only MIDI in/out connected to a Roland Duo-Capture EX whose USB output goes into a 2013 MacPro and I have no audible latency in Pianoteq with a 64 samples (1.3ms) buffer. Occasionally I plug directly into the MacPro a USB only M-Audio keyboard, no problem either. For a while, I played both at the same time in Organteq, no lag between them, so I guess there would be no problem with the Korg.