My Wireless Midi setup (experimental)

[the_big_e]

Sometime I play a keytar (lucina) at shows instead of the kb. It's a lot of fun and a lot lighter to lug around than the kb! I also have a rack system I can hook it up (which sort of negates the lightnees factor of the keytar LOL) to and use that with midi instead of the preset sounds. It's great and a lot of fun but I still have wires so I wanted to go wireless with the midi.

 

So I came up with this :

 

 

Basically midi out from the keytar via an iRig midi interface  to an iPod running the midi bridge app that sends it over wifi to my iPad running another copy of the midibridge app then via another irig interface to the rack system (XV 5080). The ipod will live in a crrier on the keytar strap giving me freedom to roam.

 

Now you might say that I cannot guarantee there will be wifi but I figure I can get a router and just configure it to create a local hotspot without internet acccess. It will let the ipad/ipod talk to each other and because it's wifi, I'll get pretty good range if my home network is anything to go by.

 

Anyway, I've tried this on my home network and it's pretty awesome. Pretty much no delay and with the iRig adapters I can charge the iPad and even maybe use an external battery pack with the ipod/keytar.

 

Downsides so far are that the vol control on the lucina does not send midi out so I've no volume control to the rack from the keytar although I can hook up my fcb 1010 pedal to the effects unit after the xv 5080 and do it that way, but I might be able to hook up a stomp style midi box to flip flop the volume if I can get the midibridge to accept two wireless signals. That parts all still experimental at this stage.

 

[SpaceNorman]

That's pretty slick!   When you're using the iPad in this capacity preclude you from using it for any other purpose? Does an an incoming phone call, email or text message cause any weirdness in terms of how the iPhone behaves as a MIDI transmitter - or do you gotta send 'em straight to voice mail with a "Don't bug me - I'm soloing" message?

You get definite props for figuring this out.   Obviously not the most cost effective approach - dedicating an iPhone, an iPad, 2 iRig MIDI units and potentially a wireless router for a wireless midi ain't cheap (especially compared when you figure you can get a MidiJet Pro system for $450) - but still cool in that it works!

... and yeah, here's wishing a pox on Roland for marketing keytars without the ability to transmit volume control data over the midi stream!!!

 

 

[the_big_e]

I already had an iPad for all my music and an iPod although it's only 2nd gen and the iRig will not work with it. The kid had a 4th gen iPod he was selling so I bought that off him (by way of letting him off a bunch of $ he owes me!)

I've tried running the midi bridge in the background on the iPad while using to show my music/lyrics (I use forscore) and it seems to work fine, at least with my limited testing so far.

Here's my proposed solution to the volume issue (another work in progress):

 

Synth unit output goes into effects unit and from there to PA. I can control volume (and effects) with midi via the effects unit from the fcb 1010. I already do this using a hard wired midi lead so I know that part works. I'm just replacing the midi lead with a very expensive alternative!.

The fcb 1010 is not battery powered so it's not totally wireless (yet), maybe convert it to battery or look at some sort of midi stomp box to flip volume up/down for solos and to switch effects unit patch.

It's all getting a bit silly really but hey, what else am I doing with my time!

 

Cost wise it's not that bad. you can get an (real) 3rd gen iPod touch for around $80 if you really try, mybe less and an iRig is $70 or so plus $9 for the midi bridge app.