Inexpensive USB MIDI adaptor dongles. Bidirectional with labelled MIDI IN and MIDI OUT connectors they convert the signals back and forth on the USB port to a computer.
Open Windows Device Manager and plug in the USB dongle. Hopefully, Windows automatically finds drivers for USB Digital Audio. Other devices will be discussed later.
Inexpensive USB to MIDI 5pin adaptor with this body. The RED light is next to the MIDI cables, GREEN out lamp next to USB cable. Almost identical to another adaptor that we will look at, later.
This wireless adaptor from Lekato also identified as USB Digital Audio. Likely the same integrated circuit chips. The DIN5 connectors are labelled differently, OUT connector goes to our MIDI OUT transmit signal.
The two working dongles show this information in Linux.
Install and open Midi-Ox application. Menu Options->MIDI Devices and look at MIDI Inputs. Recognized MIDI devices should now be listed. Select USB-Midi and confirm OK. This panel is a very powerful studio patching system that controls signals in and out.
With the right adaptor, driver and settings we should be able to play MIDI music through our USB adaptor. For more details consult project MIDI Analyzer Application MIDI-OX for Windows and Connect MIDIKeyboard with USB.
Two devices failed. Both were recognized by Windows as USB20MIDI devices. Steinberg documents a similar product and directs owners to try a third party driver for Windows.
Hacksters are welcome to comment on solutions. Zadig and CH340 vendor drivers have not worked for me. The Steinberg device driver did not change things. WebSearch shows known documented issues.
Casing and cables identical to USB Audio device. Lamp next to USB cable is RED, green lamp next to MIDI cables.
Windows finds drivers for USB20MIDI device but I cannot get it to work. This is an inexpensive converter built with the CH345 serial interface chip.
Mine stopped working shortly after I began using it. Youtube has videos showing the same kind of failure for the USB20MIDI.
Lekato USB DongleLekato Wireless does work, the wired version does not work for me on Windows. It has worked on Linux and with Chrome OS MIDI applications such as KBD2MIDI and MIDI Scope.
Device Manager shows this. Dongle may use the same integrated circuit chips.
Linux shows this information for the two defective dongles. USB20MIDI with CH345 serial interface chip.
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