Usb midi to common din midi connectors

Silesius · Joined: Feb 12, 2010 Posts: 65 Location: Berlin

Hi,
This last years I'm seeing a lot of new midi controllers which have only a usb connector (usually the cheaper/smaller ones). I'm considering buying one of these, like for example a korg nanopad. The problem is I mostly use analog hardware, and this kind of controllers are useless for that. I also own a Novation Nocturne, which fits in the above description.
So my question is: is there a (easy/cheap) way to adapt the usb connector to work with traditional din connectors? Let's say one midi input, one midi output and one power jack? Of course, I'm interested on something quick and easy (no microcontrollers, etc, that's no worthy), like a simple circuit.
Any thoughts?

baudrate · Joined: Mar 19, 2012 Posts: 27 Location: Utah

I think this thing does what you want....

http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml

Silesius · Joined: Feb 12, 2010 Posts: 65 Location: Berlin

Well... thanks, but this thing costs twice the price I want to pay for a cheap midi controller. This is the diy section. The idea is to build something. For this price I can buy a better midi controller with din connections. For, example, I would like to mod my Novation nocturne and add the din connectors. This is even more expensive than the controller itself. Sorry, but I can't see your point here.
But thanks anyway Wink

marvkaye · Joined: Mar 14, 2011 Posts: 225 Location: Fla

How about a less expensive alternative.?.?. I have several Yamaha US256 USB/MIDI boxes and they work great. Got them all on ebay for pretty cheap. Here's one listed currently, unfortunately in the US, but maybe if you stay on the lookout one might pop up in Europe. You could always turn it into a DIY by stripping the PCB from the case and remounting the hardware onto your own modular panel. Just a thought....

<marv>

cbm · Joined: Oct 25, 2005 Posts: 381 Location: San Francisco

This is a non-trivial thing. The USB protocol is quite complex, and implementing the USB-Host protocol for a USB class-complient MIDI controller is a chunk of work. The only things that I know of are the Kenton mentioned above and the iConnectMIDI interface that convert USB MIDI to standard five pin DIN MIDI.

Silesius · Joined: Feb 12, 2010 Posts: 65 Location: Berlin

Ok, thanks a lot for your your replies. Now I see, the answer to my question is NO no no

I wasn't really thinking on buying anything (the yamaha seems a good option though). It was just something I wanted to know, since I don't know anything about this subject. I thought: maybe it's just a matter of soldering some wires or make a simple circuit or something. Thanks!

PickNick · Joined: Oct 16, 2009 Posts: 82 Location: BP

maybe this one:

http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp_usb_gm5.html

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/tk_gm5_bulkorder

jksuperstar · Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 11:06 am Post subject:

I've done this, and intended to make a kit, but have completely run out of time. So I'll post my experience for those to learn from!

It'll cost you just a few bucks to get a simple development board, add the associated MIDI logic, and a free download of code.

First, you need a development kit based on the Atmel AVR microcontroller, but it must have USBOTG, in order to act like a USB Host, not just slave.
http://www.atmel.com/tools/AT90USBKEY.aspx

They go for about $30 US, and I got mine at digikey. They might not be made anymore, but we'll get through that in a minute.

The firmware needed is called LUFA, it is a library, but includes examples for doing so many things, including being a usb host to midi converter for Midi Class Compliant devices. If no special driver is needed, it
s probably class compliant, and this will work.
http://www.fourwalledcubicle.com/LUFA.php

So, download LUFA, then get WinAVR or similar AVR Compiler. It's pretty easy to install, if you haven't before.

If you can't find the USBKey anymore, check through the LUFA docs, and see if you can find a compatible board. That just makes life easier for you, so you need to do MINIMAL development yourself, and get right to it. The USBKey is nice, because it needs no JTAG dongle, or other programmer. It attaches to the PC via it's own USB, you program it, then disconnect and use.

MIDI converters from standard UART to MIDI (with optoisolators and current limit resisters) is widely available. So modify the board you get, and that should take a few hours to do.

Best of luck, but PLEASE, POST YOUR RESULTS if you do this!!

jksuperstar · Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 11:09 am Post subject:

I have code somewhere that does a USBOTG switch, being either a MIDI to USB converter (for PC interface use), or can be USB to MIDI (for taking a USB device and converting it to MIDI directly with no computer).

The next step, was for me to turn up the polling rate, beyond USB standard 1ms, and see if it worked to get faster response times out of a USB device Smile

bikini-inspector · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 16 Location: bremen

anyone mentioned this already?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfCDjwHBBuM

i have tried it once to use a lpk 25 with my modded monotribe. I worked after my arduino-pro buddy checked the code.

i think there was something about baud rates.
also, if i remember correctly, there was something about having to set the USB device's hardware ID manually for every usb device. Means you can't plug in a different device unless you reprogram the aduino and enter the new device's ID...but maybe he worked out a fix for that...

i can ask him if anyone's interested

Silesius · Joined: Feb 12, 2010 Posts: 65 Location: Berlin

Well, I see this is getting interesting but, as far as I'm concerned, it's far beyond my knowledge Sad

I'm afaid I'm in the analog side of DIY. It seems I'll have to learn all this microcontroller, Arduino, etc kind of stuff.
I just hope this info will be useful for more educated people thumb up