Pros: Seemingly magical feature set, low latency, solid construction and utilitarian design.
Cons: Won’t charge connected iOS devices, no support for Android devices, not bus powered when connected to a computer.
Price: $179
The iConnect MIDI is an ambitious product from industry newcomer iConnectivity. The iConnect is a professional MIDI interface for iOS devices, but some of its features may even intrigue folks who don’t use iOS. Since it accepts MIDI signals via USB and DIN, it functions as a MIDI router without a computer or iThing connected. The iConnect can also connect to two computers or iOS devices at once, opening up countless possibilities for collaboration using shared gear.
It does not support OSC, but it does such a spectacular job with MIDI signals that it feels greedy to expect more. While iOS supports groundbreaking software for wireless control, Wi-Fi is often unreliable for performance conditions. Wirelessly controlling your DAW when you’re at home is fun, but showing up for sound check at a venue and trying desperately to connect to an encrypted network named “B4N4N4Z” is not. The latency on this unit is effortlessly low, with musical response that complements any controller you may connect it to. To add to its technical grace, the iConnect has a tiny but rugged enclosure; odds are it will outlast whatever iOS gadget you plug into it. The power plug is well designed, with switchable wall adapters and a slim profile that nestles between the wall warts that ship with most other gear. As with other quality tools, the iConnect MIDI will become a simultaneously invisible and inspiring component of any rig it meets.
Features:
- iPad/iPhone/iPod touch MIDI Interface
- Three USB ports and two banks of MIDI I/O (5-pin) connectors
- Works as a standard Mac/PC USB-MIDI interface
- Supports up to 8 USB devices
- Two MIDI DIN ports support the standard 16 channels each for chained MIDI devices