Yes that’s how it goes. However, there is also a point in investing in a CME WIDI uhost if you want to use both your computer and iPad Pro at the same time with a few synths in a WIDI group.
WIDI devices allow one device to be the master and the others to be peripherals (WIDI group) - only one non-WIDI BT device can be part of a WIDI group. So by connecting one of your computer or iPad Pro to a uhost, you can have the other also be part of the WIDI group.
First thing to do: download the iPad WIDI app, pair CME with iPad, upgrade the firmware. Then you’re good to go.
Did you get octa to ipad midi sync working?
Im thinking about getting a WIDI Master so I can sync ipad apps such as koala and Ruismaker NOIR to get well synced loops for sampling on the octa.
Thanks in advance.
I haven’t tried it yet but I intend to in the next week or so. I’ll definitely share my experience when I do.
I couldn’t wait so I bought the CME Widi Master and it works fine with my Octatrack mk2
Successfully updated the Widi Master to latest firmware and have now successfully synced Koala Sampler and also Various Bram Bos iPad synths with my octa. Works like a charm for sampling loops from the iPad apps.
Haven’t tried any more taxing stuff like midi CCs etc yet.
Cheers.
I use my CME WIDI connectors to transmit and receive MPE&polyAT and this works without any issues. That should be telling enough for high volume MIDI messages 
Bottlenecks arise to my experience so far only in group settings with one WIDI master and several WIDI peripherals - in this constellation, you have to be careful which WIDI Ins are needed and which not. Also, a standard BT device (iPad) may not always be up to speed, so that in some cases, you might want to connect it with a WIDI uhost to improve the speed.
OK, I’ve picked up a WIDI Jack for a no midi out bus power scenario (since it can be USB-powered), but I’d like to use one or more of the WIDI Masters also without this. I do have a powered MIDI thru box but it’s pretty big and if there’s a smaller solution, DIY Cable etc that I can set up, that would be great.
Has anyone gotten this to work in a (slightly) more involved setup? I have this setup that I’d like to use Widi for. Most of the time, Synth 1 will likely be an Elektron box like the Digitone/takt 2, and Synth 2 might be another Elektron or a monotimbral synth - but they all have midi In/Thru/Out ports.
Synth 1 needs to keep the clock and sync with Synth 2. Also, the midi keyboard should be able to play on both.
Note: the arrows don’t indicate cables, but rather which devices I think needs to talk to which other devices.
If I look in the XL3 manual, it has so-called “MIDI merge”, meaning it can merge whatever is sent to its Midi In and send that out to either or both of its ports. I don’t think Elektron does this, right?
So in theory, this is 90% of the problems solved already:
The challenge is the midi sync. How is that supposed to flow from Synth 1 to Synth 2? Can the WIDI Master units be set to either receiving or transmitting to more than one other WIDI Master? If so, am I right in thinking that this might be the solution:
2 x WIDI Masters, one on the keyboard side and one on the XL3 side:
2 X WIDI Masters, one per Synth:
Total: 4 WIDI Masters
Are the WIDIs flexible like this in that you are able to set a 1-to-many receivers of midi data? Or will I need some sort of midi splitter/merger solutions on top of the WIDI setup here?
Big thanks in advance in case anyone here knows!
WIDI devices can do WIDI groups via the WIDI app but the routing is not flexible within such a group.
In a group, one device will be the central and up to 4 others can be a peripheral. You have to download the group to each WIDI device and then whether or not the group is complete (the central needs to be there!), the configuration will work with whatever peripheral is connected.
Each peripheral will have a direct input and output connection with the central and vice versa.
You don’t need to have the WIDI input physically connected to the central, unless your central is supposed to process an input. If you do keep that input physically connected, any incoming input from the peripherals will be merged into a single stream.
So, it is all about choosing your central device and it’s here where you need to choose wisely. To minimize the latency, the clock master should be the central. In your case, this would be Synth 1.
Controlling multiple synths with one MIDI controller which is not the central will be an issue: there will be a time lag if you even manage to set it up.
In my opinion, you should have a look at JMK Plexus 4 MIDI router/merger/filter. It allows up to 4 devices to control each other in any possible way. Alas, it is a cabled and more flexible solution, its footprint is small and you don’t need any computer to configure it - it does require 9V center negative DC power and it is not cheap.
You can also try with a hybrid set-up, partially cabled and partially bluetooth. Unless your device has multiple inputs (which is rare for synths) a device can be only fully bluetooth or fully cabled, the issue being that MIDI Out is monopolized by WIDI for power reasons. Perhaps a WIDI Thru box might work, better draw it out on paper before you purchase.
I would merge the through and the out of synth 1 and then connect that to synth 2 midi in. So midi keyboard to XL mk3 to synth 1 merged out to synth 2. You’d probably want a midi solutions merge or probably even better CME u6midi (they have a number of good devices actually, the h4midi which can also be expanded to support widi and act as a usb midi host)
I don’t think widi is a great solution for this imo.
This would also allow you to sequence synth 2 with synth 1 in the case that synth 1 has a sequencer.
What’s your reason for not allowing yourself to use even a single cable? That would make it much easier.
Btw. WIDI Master is kinda obsolete (in terms of physical design), are you sure you don’t want to use WIDI Jack or uHost?
Anyways, you would probably need additional 2 Jacks, that would be attached to U6MIDI Pro (or U4MIDI WC), that would work as the brain for the MIDI flows and would allow you to do the necessary routing / looping / filtering to make it all work.
Why would WIDI Master be obsolete in terms of physical design?
Where did I say that? I’m happy to be flexible wherever it makes sense and I’m trying to figure out the best solution.
Isn’t it the other way around? WIDI Master does not need to hang with cables but instead neatly attaches to the ports.
Because it’s a tube sticking out of the MIDI port. Impractical with higher risk of damage. With Jack you have more freedom of where to place the mass, it’s more compact and less prone to damage. Plus you can use it with all port types.
Well, using 4 WIDI dongles for 4 MIDI devices implied to me, that there are no ports left for cables 
What’s your motivation for using WIDI? What devices must be wireless and which can be wired?
WIDI Jack is supplied with stick on magnets, it doesn’t just hang on cables.
