MIDISPORT 8x8 with BomeBox

Hello,

I can't get the BomeBox to see the Midisport 8x8/s (the green/blue/white one) even through different USB hubs. No problem with the 2x2 (Anniversary Edition), however. Is the 8x8 too old to be supported by the Box ? Or is there a chance to find a way to get them to work together ?

Thanks !


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Looking at the manual, it appears that the MIDISport 8×8 USB port is not a class compliant MIDI USB interface and requires its own drivers on a Windows PC. The BomeBox is designed to only accept USB “Class Compliant” connections, so the USB interface will likely not work.

It appears, however that this device has a “Serial Port”. With that said, if you connect a cable to the serial output (with proper pin connections), it is possible you can connect a USB serial cable to the hub attached to your BomeBox and that might work for you. BomeBox has drivers for serial USB connection. Once you connect, however, I’m not sure what data protocol would need to occur here if you want to expose all 16 MIDI ports via that connection.

Finally, you could try a MIDI to USB converter on one of the MIDI DIN ports to see if that works. Again, I’m not sure how the routing or control of routing occurs on this device.

 

You should probably check with M-Audio however to determine what option might work the best for you.

I found the user guide for your 8×8 at the link below:

https://storage101.ord1.clouddrive.com/v1/MossoCloudFS_ad29221c-ac1c-4d51-bc49-56d483fb7e01/maudio_documentation/Midisport-8x8_Manual.pdf?temp_url_sig=aa9fcc017c3d2db32e40d6c769be84ad0962aa63&temp_url_expires=1546713413

 

 

 

You might want to check something like this out. Not endorsing but looks promising.

https://www.amazon.com/midiplus-MIDI-8×8-Channel-Interface/dp/B07488Q15T/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546628577&sr=8-1-fkmr3&keywords=8+port+midi+interface

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz

Hello Steve,

Thank you for your quick and helpful answer. I don’t think I’ll go any further with the serial port because it seems a little complicated to me. I read on the M-Audio SAV forum that the Midisport 8×8 actually was class-compliant, but I guess it was a mistake (https://getsatisfaction.com/m-audio/topics/usb_midisport_8x8_s_compatibility_with_logic_pro_10_0_6_on_apple_macs)
I will probably go for one of these new class-compliant interfaces. Why would you chose the Miditech over other solutions (iConnectivity, ESI, Alyseum…) ? The price ?

Best regards

I have an iConnectivity iConnect4+ that I think I paid $200 USD for. Yet it has many features I don’t need since I also have a BomeBox. I ended up buying the device below for about $25 (I got it use for a deal) and with the BomeBox it does everything I need. I do all my routing and conversion within BomeBox and use this device as a MIDI to USB interface only. So the decision was based on price/functionality Note, the one I got (from Amazon) is now out of stock.

QH-U-M7 MIDI USB Interface – 4 In/4 Out (4X4 USB MIDI) Splitter/Controller/Synthesizer Music BOX (MIDI Merge Box)

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz

You could probably find out if it is class compliant by hooking it up to a Windows PC with no added drivers to see if it recognizes the MIDI ports. I think M-Audio created 2 versions of this box and maybe the older version is non-class compliant and the new version is. Again best to check with them. My guess based on your feedback is it is not.

I don’t have any Windows computer at home but when running BMT on a Mac with no drivers installed it actually does not see the 8×8. However, my other Mac sees it, probably because I installed the latest Midisport drivers that shouldn’t work with the 8×8 but apparently do. So I guess it’s definitely not class-compliant.
If i understand correctly, M-Audio bought Midiman at some point and re-issued the 8×8 (gray version). I tended to believe that firmwares were the same for both units as nobody seems to mention which one they are using when reporting compatibility issues on the forums I went through, and also because I cannot find any M-Audio user manual for the 8×8, which made me think they didn’t change anything from the original, but these are just assumptions and I should ask them to be sure. Thanks for your time and suggestions !

As for a new interface, I think I will also chose a simple one for the same reasons as you do. I will just assure that I won’t miss those extra features for the iPad or for my MIDI sequencer in other scenarios, and take a look at the timing specs.
Have a good evening

Yes, I think the old blue and white models are actually a completely different device inside but with the same name.