Back during the January CES and NAMM shows, two of the cool looking new devices we highlighted were the MIDIConnect and StudioConnect from Griffin Technologies. I have long been a fan of Griffin products, so I was intrigued by the possibility of what they could bring to the iPad MIDI market. The StudioConnect has already been released, and now the MIDIConnect is available.
Here is their description:
“MIDIConnect offers musicians a compact and portable solution to create and edit music on the go, at a fraction of the cost of a recording studio,” said Ethan Opelt, Line Manager of Griffin’s Audio category. “We are excited to be showcasing MIDIConnect… at Summer NAMM in Nashville, our home town.”
MIDIConnect adds a MIDI input and output to iOS devices, and allows the user to plug MIDI keyboards and other MIDI-capable devices into an iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. The user can play MIDI instruments straight into MIDI-capable applications like GarageBand. MIDIConnect users can also download MIDI controller apps to make use of the MIDI out port and the iOS devices’ touchscreens as a MIDI controller.
Both MIDI in and out ports are industry-standard 5-pin DIN connectors, compatible with most commonly available MIDI cables and connectors.
MIDIConnect is now available for purchase ($79.99) at https://griffintechnology.com/. You can grab it for $69.95 through Sweetwater Sound – which is where the Amazon.com link sends you. If you are a musician and haven’t bought through Sweetwater, they are excellent and I have been a happy customer of theirs for more than 20 years now.
The great folks at Griffin are sending us a review sample, so look forward to a full review in the coming weeks! Personally I am excited to compare and contrast with the IK Multimedia iRid MIDI.