The Vestax V-Midi is a small audio/Midi interface for use with iOS devices.
Vestax V-Midi review: When Apple produced the Camera Connection Kit (CCK) to patch the hole left by lack of USB support with the iPad, digital DJs, musicians and software companies jumped on it as a means to transport CoreMIDI data to/from the iPad for hooking up external gear such as DJ controllers and keyboards.
Unfortunately, the same loophole wasn’t available for iPod Touch and iPhone users, and as such they were left out of the Midi connectivity scene. But now the Vestax V-Midi has come along to change all that…
Unveiled earlier this year), not only does the Vestax V-Midi solve the iPhone/iPod Touch Midi issue, but it goes a stage further, adding a high quality stereo audio output too.
First look and getting connected
First impressions of the unit are good. It’s small and makes a nice change to the usual boxy and boring looking Midi alternatives. Connection to your iOS device is via a 30-pin connector, which is perfect for older devices but for the next generation you’ll need to invest in a 30-pin-to-lightning connector (available from Apple).
The Midi socket on the unit is six-pin mini Midi. Fear not though as the V-Midi comes with a mini Midi to large USB ‘A’ cable. Most of my spare USB Midi gear has a mini USB socket, so I invested in an additional adaptor, which cost literally pennies.
The V-Midi takes the audio signal of the iOS device from the 30-pin connector and passes it through a mini amplifier (controlled by the rotary dial on the top surface) sending it out via the stereo 1/4″ jack socket on the side.
How you’d set up with DJ software, a controller and the stereo output split into dual mono for headphones and master.
The V-Midi offers a single Midi connection, which perhaps is limiting to the more adventurous music makers or controller addicts. A Midi signal can be passed from your hardware to the iOS app of your choice, for example triggering drum sounds in an app like FL Studio using a set of Midi drum pads (like the AKAI LPD8). In this scenario it makes sense to route the audio from the iOS device back through the V-Midi and into your mixing desk or amp.
Of course, you could use the V-Midi to send Midi messages from your iOS device to an external piece of Midi kit like a Midi synth. You could possibly do this at the same time as having a background app running which would be sending an audio signal via the V-Midi.
The over-sized rotary volume dial is smooth in movement and feels robust enough but it would have been good to see some calibrations around the dial…
For the DJ, the V-Midi brings a reliable way of connecting up a USB class compliant controller to your iOS device and not worry about the battery running low, as your device will receive a constant charge while connected.
Using the V-Midi, Vestax Spin owners will now be able to use their units with djay by Algoriddim running on smaller iOS devices. (The djay app has long supported the V-Midi, it just hasn’t been publicised.)
For DJ Player owners, it means you can also get creative with your Midi mapping on the smaller iOS devices, although the audio is simply whatever is coming out of the headphones socket – there’s no way to have something different coming out of each as with some devices.
The V-Midi is shipped with a robust looking splitter cable which probably suggests that Vestax is aware of this. While this is a shame, it does mean, of course, that the unit is backwards-compatible with older devices.
Conclusion
The V-Midi has no frills or complexities, its simple aesthetics are a pleasant diversion from the cables you’ll have strewn around it! The over-sized rotary volume dial is smooth in movement and feels robust enough but it would have been be good to see some calibrations around the dial… if only to assist with mixing in the iOS audio in a consistent manner to another source.
A splitter cable allows you to headphone monitor through the 1/8″ socket and attach your amp/speakers through the RCAs.
When I first saw details of the V-Midi, my hopes were that it would provide a sturdy way to connect Midi hardware to my iOS device of choice and provide me with a high quality dual stereo master output signal, with different outputs available via the headphones socket on the iOS device (for cueing) and the V-Midi (for a master).
But while the Midi works fine, unfortunately there’s no dual stereo audio, so you still have to use a mono splitter cable. However, you do get high quality audio with the output that it does have; plus, don’t forget that the audio from the V-Midi is not under the same output restrictions as the headphone socket on the iOS device, so it can also go louder.
Because the V-Midi is bringing something previously unavailable to the smaller iOS devices, it’s a shame that you’re be chained to a wall socket for your power requirements. A nice improvement would be for a battery compartment in the base to allow for a portable setup for your Midi controlling needs away from mains power.
This unit may well find appeal with users across the iOS device range, not just with iPhone and iPod Touch…
The price tag feels a little high, especially when you consider the price of a smaller iOS device that this is most aimed towards. However, in adding the ability to charge plus a decent stereo output to the Midi offered by the Camera Connection Kit, this unit may well find appeal with users across the whole iOS device range, not just with iPhone and iPod Touch users for whom it is currently the obvious choice.
• Vestax has created a list of USB class compliant devices that its engineers have tried the V-Midi with. The list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s certainly a good place to start if you’re thinking about compatibility. If you’re wondering which apps support CoreMIDI, there’s a good list (albeit music-making oriented) over at the iOS Musician site.
Video
Summary
We like:
- Sleek and simple design
- iOS compatibility across the range
- Audio and Midi in one device
We don’t like:
- Price
- Always needs a wall socket
- Only a single stereo output
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Product details:
Size and Weight: 3.7 x 3.7 x 1.5″ (95 x 95 x 38mm); 0.3lb (150g)
Price: from US$199; further details on the official Vestax site.
Do you DJ or create music with your iOS device and Midi hardware? Is this the answer to your problems getting connected? Which USB controller would you love to hook up via such a device? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Now go to:
Review: djay 1.6 for iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch
Review & Video: vjay For iPhone & iPod touch
Video: Use Your iPad With Any DJ Controller
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Tags: Audio Devices, Audio Interface Reviews, ios, iOS interface, ipad, iphone, Iphone Ipod Touch, ipod touch, midi, Midi Connection, Midi Hardware, Midi interface, Mini Midi, Usb Midi, v-Midi, vestax
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
No dual stereo out?? This product is dead in the water.
[ link ]…for iOS6 DJs. If you’re on a first gen iPad it makes no difference to you.
[ link ]For most of the music instrument, I think mono audio is good enough.
[ link ]Hi JMAN,
The output of the V-Midi is stereo – the issue for iOS6 DJs is that there’s no way to send the master stereo signal via V-Midi and use the headphone jack as the cue stereo signal.
However, for any DJ not on iOS6 (you will need the splitter cable) or musicians, then the V-Midi is a neat, simple package.
[ link ]I don’t know how well this will play if we suddenly see new iPads come out with lightning connectors.
Still, I’m glad Vestax is trying to get the ball rolling on replacing laptops with iPads in the booth.
[ link ]Hi D-Jam,
The new iPads (4th generation) already have lightning connectors, as do the iPhone 5 and 5th generation iPod Touch units. Anything using a 30pin connector (including most of the other iOS controller units we’ve covered recently) will need an adaptor to work with these newer devices.
[ link ]Agreed (I have an iPhone 5).
I’m sure Vestax will be releasing one soon with the lightning plug on it.
[ link ]Since this can send and receive MIDI could it be used with TouchOSC running on an iPad to send MIDI via USB to my MBPro to control Traktor? The current solution of MIDI over wifi has too much latency for me.
[ link ]Also the price seems pretty high given the limited features.
Are you saying that if I use this with an iPad running DJ Player I can’t send a stereo master out to the V-Midi and the headphone cueing signal to the iPad headphone jack? You can currently do this with the CCK and the Griffin iMic.
[ link ]Hi Slak Jaw,
That is correct. The V-Midi is taking the audio output from the iOS device in the same way a HiFi docking station would do and this gets passed through the V-Midi internal amp. The Griffin iMic is dealing with USB audio data – like any other soundcard would.
The end result is that the V-Midi shows up in DJ Player as a connected Midi device only.
[ link ]Bummer! That’s a total deal breaker for me. Especially at this price. Too bad, I’ve really been looking forward to the release of the V-Midi. This product had great potential, but it feels like Vestax dropped the ball on this one.
[ link ]If you want to use your ios device, and not deal with battery drain, then cool device. not much good for anything else I’m afraid.
[ link ]Sounds like Vestax didn’t get the memo about iOS multi-route audio until it was too late. Since V-MIDI was announced quite a long time ago but didn’t appear in stores, I thought the company might be doing a redesign to add that feature. No such luck. Guess I’ll have to wait for a mk2…
[ link ]…make that *iOS6* multi-route audio…
[ link ]They got it in time for the Spin 2 though (review to follow soon!)
[ link ]Can you use this on a USB-Hub with more than one Device? How about an LPK-25 with its mini-USB?
Francisco
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