Advice on a MIDI / USB set-up

[UlricvonCatalyst]

This seems like the right place to post this, but, Mods, please feel free to move it elsewhere if I'm wrong....

So, I'm trying to get a composing/recording workspace organised and have hit a snag in that my old Edirol MIDI controller keyboard appears to have died while in storage for a number of years. Ideally I'd like to replace it with something more substantial, with semi-weighted keys, perhaps, but I'm having trouble working out whether I really need one with actual MIDI ports at this point, given the proliferation of USB outs on keyboards I've bought recently. Which raises the question of how best to run mutiple MIDI keyboards in this day and age.

For the sake of clarity, my last MIDI set-up was based around an Atari running Akai S900/E-MU e6400/Roland & Kawai modules/Alesis HR16/etc. - i.e. the era of The KLF to Fatboy Slim's big hit album - after which the necessity for MIDI hardware and outboard FX dwindled as a PC-based DAW (arguably) made that set-up redundant.

It's also worth mentioning that the heart of my DAW is a humble Behringer UMC204HD. I also have an antiquated Philip Rees V8 MIDI Thru Unit (which I can't recall how I came by and have never actually used).

So, while I have a fair grasp of the audio I/O element, I'm not too sure how best to integrate my 2 Yamaha Reface + Arturia Microbrute keyboards + anything else I might add as I'm wondering whether this is best accomplished with MIDI or USB cables.

My computer is a bit short on USB ports, a few of which will be required for the essentials of keyboard, mouse and UMC204HD, so I guess I might need some additional piece of USB hardware. Herein lies the problem as I have no idea a) what sort of mix of various eras of USB ports I'm dealing with and b) how much data my computer's USB ports, possibly routed through splitters can handle without potential pitfalls, if applicable? There's also a c): given the single USB port on the UMC how best to integrate a controller keyboard with no MIDI ports?

My workflow will mostly be laying down instrumental backing tracks on my home set-up, which I can then augment with vocals/amplified guitars/real drums/whatever at my friend's studio, but it would be infinitely preferable to have a set-up that's ready to go when the muse descends, rather than having to plug in MIDI/USB cables repeatedly.

Sorry I can't condense this down to a pithy TLDR, and thanks for reading this far if you have. Any advice welcome, particularly for a lean budget.

[øøøøøøø]

Sounds like you need a USB hub with both USB-A and USB-C connectors, correct?

Something like This

(Obviously I can’t vouch for that specific product; just an example)

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Sounds like you need a USB hub with both USB-A and USB-C connectors, correct?

Something like This

(Obviously I can’t vouch for that specific product; just an example)

Thanks for that. Nothing I'm connecting actually has a USB-C port, though. I was a bit unsure as trying to find an answer via Google suggested a USB dock might be required for larger amounts of data compared to a USB hub. Would I be right in thinking a hub would suffice for MIDI data across a few channels?

Edit: I'm also unsure of which pieces of equipment I own are USB 2.0 and which, if any, 3.0.

[øøøøøøø]

USB hub is probably more than adequate for a few channels of midi. MIDI isn’t very data-intensive (it’s early-1980s technology after all!)

USB is fully backward-compatible, so you should have no real pressing need to figure out which of your devices are 2.0, 3.0, etc

[UlricvonCatalyst]

USB hub is probably more than adequate for a few channels of midi. MIDI isn’t very data-intensive (it’s early-1980s technology after all!)

USB is fully backward-compatible, so you should have no real pressing need to figure out which of your devices are 2.0, 3.0, etc

Thanks for your advice, Brad - much appreciated.

[marqueemoon]

My Oxygen 8 MIDI controller became a paperweight for a while when I upgraded my Mac OS because the manufacturer didn’t make a driver.

However, because it has MIDI connections I was able to use it again once I got a new interface that has them.

I’d say going old school is the safe bet.

[marqueemoon]

Double post. Whoops.

[budda12ax7]

You are using the sounds from the keyboards or are they just usb keyboards accessing soft synth sounds??

[UlricvonCatalyst]

You are using the sounds from the keyboards or are they just usb keyboards accessing soft synth sounds??

I haven't quite got anything going yet, but as I have a few old samplers and MIDI modules my preference was for a controller keyboard with MIDI ports. However, a USB-only controller keyboard came up locally for £20 last week and I went with that. The UMC-thingy has MIDI ports, so I can use that to route to older modules, and use USB (via the hub I also bought) to connect my Yamaha Refaces, Microbrute and anything else I might acquire along the way with a USB connection.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

My Oxygen 8 MIDI controller became a paperweight for a while when I upgraded my Mac OS because the manufacturer didn’t make a driver.

However, because it has MIDI connections I was able to use it again once I got a new interface that has them.

I’d say going old school is the safe bet.

Noted. I bought the USB keyboard as it has full-size keys, but I'm still keeping an eye out for something with MIDI and (semi) weighted keys at the right price.