Pretty much every piece of gear I have with usb midi is usb device, not host. To control it over usb I either need a computer (speak no evil!) or some awful palaver with a usb midi host box which requires configuration, a rats nest of cables, power, and so on.
Here’s what I dream of:
An Akai mpk mini, that works as usb HOST, with a built in battery.
A Faderfox EC4, that works as usb HOST, with a built in battery.
It’s the dream portable setup. I don’t get why nobody does this?
(For clarity, I know I can achieve this with lots of cables, batteries, midi cables sometimes, usb host devices, a raspberry pi and ten days work, etc, I’m dreaming of simplicity and ease!)
I believe a device can either be a ‘USB Host’ or a ‘USB Device’ on a single port. You can’t be both at the same time on a single port.
Adding a second ‘Host’ port to a device/controller probably adds more cost and complexity to things. It’s just easier to have purpose-built ‘Host’ devices than it is to make every device have two ports and the underlying programming.
Just my guess though.
Also, the Raspberry Pi solution is dead simple. It takes less than 5 minutes to flash and requires no configuration whatsoever. You could connect 4 USB MIDI devices to it with USB cables. That’s it. Device doesn’t have USB MIDI? Use a Roland UM-One MK2 USB-to-DIN adapter. That same device wouldn’t otherwise be able to use a USB Host anyway.
I would legit pay £100 extra, on top of whatever I was already paying for a midi controller, to have usb host and built in battery that could power most external devices.
Click heart if you agree, then the entire board of Akai/faderfox/korg/arturia will see and leap into action to make one.
You can. Deluge and OXI One are 2 devices that come into mind, that can do both on the same port. (Not at the same time tho)
Developing host support does suck tho, because way too many manufacturers ignore API standards, so you need to constantly add code to support more hardware.
That’s nice that someone’s done the “work” of making an image but installing it yourself is also easy enough and might be more secure with an up to date distribution (in case you put the thing on your network.)
I don’t want to interfere with a discussion about building a DIY midi host device that could then be plugged into controllers with midi keys and knobs - perhaps even DIY controllers - but those are all skills and time and 3d fabrication and everything else.
Just to restate my interests, I’m dreaming of simplicity and ease, a thing to buy: a midi controller that works as a USB host. I know I can theoretically achieve the same objectives with combinations of cables, batteries, usb host devices, a raspberry pi, 3d printer, dremel, knobs, lots of work.
I think your original posts show why this is unlikely…
usb host often provides power to these devices.
with many smaller controllers they get the power from the host, this keeps them small/simple/light.
adding a battery (or mains power) is a complication for a pretty small use-case, since there are so many non-computer based solutions available, and makes them less portable etc.
and often, w dont really need it, as others fulfill this role, literally sitting on my desk here I have …
iConnectivity Mio XM
Electra One
Squarp Hapax and Hermod+
Percussa SSP and XMX.
and that doesn’t count stuff Ive got lying around but not in current use (rPI/ Bela)
I think the point is, one you get multiple devices, you end up needing some kind of ‘hub’, something that is responsible for deciding on routing.
fortunately, in recent years, devices fulfilling that central hub role (e.g. sequencers) have tended to have usb device and host support, so thats where the solution (correctly imho) can be found.
what Id like to see more is wider support for things like wireless midi and rtp-midi.
By logic setup centerpiece (sequencer) should be a host, hosting and providing power to peripheral devices like synths, controllers etc. Not many of them have this functionality, but some do (MPC for example). There’s always option to use laptop or iPad for this or even simpler, dedicated host device like Kenton.
