WIDI Master

I've been waiting for this for a long time. After emailing CME and getting the full details, I got 2 of these to test out. It works amazingly well, although it does take a little fiddling to get it going. BTW I'm on Win 10, and here's what I've learned so far: There are 2 ways to go, directly to your PC's BT (or another BT device like a DAW controller) or to another WIDI Master. I went from an FCB 1010 midi footpedal into my Win 10 PC. But to get it working, you need to have the May Win 10 update (I think it's V. 1909). At first I wouldn't see the WIDI, but after the update it worked great. Since the footpedal is not sending note data (which inlcudes a lot of other data like aftertouch etc), and is only sending relatively small control data, I notcied no latency at all, even on very fast wah pedal moves. But there is some latency when playing notes directly into the PC BT, apparently that's due to how Win 10 handles BT (Mac users don't have that issue, apparently). To get around that latency, I put the 1st WIDI on a keyboard controller, in my case an Akai 4000S wind controller, and the 2nd right on my interface's midi ports. No detectable latency at all, it works really well. BTW their customer support is excellent, they got right back to me with a solution when I initially had problems. CME had told me that the WIDI Bud Pro will solve any Windows BT latency issues, it's a USB dongle that essentially bypasses Windows BT management entirely and therefore makes latency around jsut 3ms. So I could have my footpedal and my Akai each with a WIDI Master, both connecting to the Bud Pro. But unfortunately the Bud Pro's rollout is delayed due to the current global chip shortage. Therefore I just ordered a 3rd Widi Master, which I'll put on my interface's midi ports. The Akai will connect to that for note data at virtually no latency, and the footpedal will go direct to the PC BT, as it is now. BTW I plan to use this gigging and in the studio. I've tested it pretty thoroughly and the range is excellent, plenty for the stage, and I've no dropouts or issues. Although I'm an old-school guy and like the security of cables for many things, so far this has been rock solid. I'll still carry some backup midi cables, but this gives me a slightly faster setup and teardown, and freedom of movement. If they can transfer this low latency BT tech to wireless BT IEM's, they'll have a gold mine. But audio has a lot more data than midi, so that may a while. Kudos to CME... great product.

I preordered my first pair of WIDI Masters when they were still under development. They promised the ability to connect MIDI devices wirelessly without a third device, like a computer or tablet. It seemed too good to be true, but I was willing to try. I was not disappointed. I now own seven WIDI Masters and use them both live and in the studio. As a heavy MIDI user, they are amazingly useful tools. I keep finding more uses for them. This is one really important difference between WIDI Master and many of the other WIDI dongles you'll find here and elsewhere. Most of those others, such as the Yamaha MD-BT01, can NOT connect to other Bluetooth WIDI devices. They can only connect wirelessly to a computer, tablet or phone equipped with Bluetooth MIDI. In other words, you can't connect two such devices together. WIDI Master CAN wirelessly connect to almost any Bluetooth MIDI device, including other WIDI Masters. To put it simply, with two WIDI Masters you can connect any two MIDI devices (with 5-pin DIN connectors) wirelessly, without having to go through a third device. Essentially you use them just like MIDI cables--but without the cables! This is a really big deal. Nothing like this existed before WIDI Master. It's a game-changer. I've been using these little MIDI miracles in many ways. In my photo, you see three WIDI Masters plugged into my studio MIDI interface. I use these to connect (from left to right) a Korg nanoStudio controller, a Roland Aerophone Pro, and Roland SH-201 synthesizer. In my live rig, I use WIDI Master to connect two of my three keyboards directly to my iPad for changing patches via app (OnSong). I've even used WIDI Master to connect a set of Roland V-Drums to my studio from another part of the house. I could go on, but suffice to say these things have made a huge impact in my MIDI life. The things I'm using them for didn't even seem possible a few years ago. Now I don't know how I lived without them. Operating them can be remarkably simple, depending on your situation. In the most basic situation--for example, connecting two MIDI keyboards together--you simply plug them in. The devices will automatically connect to one another, and you're good to go. That simple. But things can get a bit complicated with more devices. With multiple Bluetooth MIDI devices in the area, managing which devices connect to one another can be confusing. Fortunately, CME has developed an app to control your WIDI Master setup. I highly recommend using the app to update the firmware on your WIDI Master before using it. You need to plug your WIDI Master in to power it (it gets power from the MIDI OUTPUT of any MIDI device). In the app, you'll see the device and be able to connect to it. Once you've updated the firmware, you'll have the ability to manage your settings. You can set a WIDI Master to "peripheral" mode. This prevents it from accepting connections while still allowing it to connect to other WIDI Masters. You can also create groups of devices that always connect in the way you need them to connect. These are incredibly useful features if you have many WIDI devices like me. To sum it all up, WIDI Master is an amazing little MIDI miracle that lets you connect almost any MIDI device to any other MIDI device wirelessly. It simply works, and works better than I'd thought possible. It's not an exaggeration to say these devices changed my life.

I like the fact that I dont have run MIDI cables, and the bluetooth respond fast, there is no difference. Veery reliable and practical. I like it like that!!

I got it to work with a Yamaha S80 keyboard connected to Mac OS 12, but only after a couple hours of fiddling. The S80 supplies bus power to MIDI OUT and, on first plugging in, the blue LED flashed slowly. Now the online CME documentation starts off by asking you to do a firmware update (via iOS). In hindsight I think this might be unnecessary for MacOS, but I followed the instruction and did the firmware update. After that, the Mac could not detect the presence of the WIDI Master even after I cleared the Mac's bluetooth cache, probably because WIDI Master was still paired with iOS. I finally had to turn off the iPhone and reset WIDI Master by pushing its reset button while unplugged, then plugging it back in while awkwardly holding the button. After some fiddling, I got it to pair with the Mac and show up as a MIDI bluetooth device in Audio MIDI Setup. I suspect I would have been better off never doing the firmware update and just pairing WIDI Master with MacOS out of the box. But that's not what the CME online documentation seems to say. Once I got it working, it seems to perform well, with low latency. Under Mac OS 12, I have to go to Audio MIDI Setup on every startup and reconnect to it. That's not a problem for me.

These Widi links are a marvel, allowing me to connect a stone-age but wonderful Yamaha keyboard to the latest and greatest computer equipment. I did however have an issue installing them - my iPad would not recognise them. There was excellent and immediate support from the manufacturer and from the Facebook user group so I was able to identify the problem quickly - good support is rare these days so I think the manufacturer should be praised for doing good support. The issue turned out to be a) firmware needed to be updated and b) all other bluetooth profiles must be deleted before installation ( in my case it was an Apple Pencil causing the problem). So you must delete all existing bluetooth connections, then install and run a firmware update on the WIDI, and then re-install the other bluetooth profiles on top. Everything now works and is of high quality. Recommended.

Hem hızlı bağlantı kurdum hem de gecikme yok denecek kadar az. Ipad pro 11 2021 sadece tek usb c portu var. Hub almaktansa kulaklık adaptörü aldım. Midi klavyemi de midi master ile bluetooth ile ipad e bağladım. Hiç zorlanmadım hemen çalıştı. Cubasis uygulaması hemen algıladı. Yani ihtiyacımı kablosuz giderdim.

Funktioniert sehr gut. Einzig die Einrichtung am Computer kann ein wenig aufwendiger sein. Das liegt aber nicht am Gerät. Wer von MIDI Pins auf Bluetooth gehen will ist mit dem WIDI Master bestens aufgehoben.

Great product from a Great company. The first order was delivered to the wrong address, and they promptly sent a new one. The WIDI adapter has a good, solid wireless MIDI connection and very low latency. I've used Yamaha, Quicco Sound, and WIDI beats them both.

Does the job well...but it slower that cable.