MeeBlip has introduced the cubit go, a MIDI interface and MIDI router that features hardware MIDI thru circuity, splitting whatever you send in to all four Output jacks simultaneously.
It’s got DIN and USB MIDI In, and four DIN MIDI Outs. It’s also driverless and USB powered, so it works with phones and tablets, as well as computers.
Features:
- 1×1 USB MIDI interface with integrated hardware MIDI thru
- Four hardware-mirrored output jacks – no software lag
- High performance 32-bit ARM Cortex processor
- Class-compliant USB MIDI – no drivers needed
- Bright green MIDI light flashes when sending or receiving data for easy troubleshooting
- Size: 108 x 76 x 25 mm (4.25″ x 3:” x 1″), weight: 110 g (3.9 oz)
- Includes 1 m (3 ft) USB cable
- USB powered
- Works with macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android*
Pricing and Availability
The cubit go is available now with an intro prices of US $59.95 (normally $79.95).
Boom, finally the right price. I think the Kenton version is over $100 bucks.
Actually, to my knowledge Kenton doesn’t make USB MIDI interfaces, so there isn’t a comparable device from them.
Just to be clear – this is a USB MIDI *interface* box. You connect MIDI devices (input and output) via DIN. The USB connection goes to your computer and lets your computer (or phone or tablet) access the input and output.
cubit go is not a USB host device; you can’t use that USB connector to connect USB MIDI keyboards or controller or anything like that.
I should actually write up a breakdown of what all these different devices do. 🙂 The terminology is not terribly intuitive.
From the original cubit:
Opto-isolated MIDI IN to reduce ground loops
Individual active signal processing for each MIDI OUT
Does this have same isolation etc.?
All MIDI compliant devices, without exception, have opto-isolated inputs and buffered outputs. Yes there are non-compliant devices, but technically they are not MIDI. Since they are advertising it as a MIDI interface, it has these features, as do all other interfaces. If they didn’t it would be false advertising.
Yes, cubit go has opto-isolated MIDI IN and the same MIDI THRU circuitry as the original cubit splitter.
I have been using Kenton products almost since they began making midi to cv convertors.They are a company I will stick with myself as they are reliable and affordable .
Anyone know what the difference is between the original and this version? They look the same except for the “go” on the new one.
The original is USB powered but does not have a USB MIDI interface. The USB is only there as a power supply. All it does is through the 5-pin in to all four of the 5-pin outs: a through-box. There’s no MCU or CPU aboard the original.
This one adds a USB MIDI 1×1 interface that can route info to and from the 5-pin.
Rabit Bat got it right. So I am working on a comparison chart to get this exactly, but here’s the basic difference:
cubit splitter is a thru box:
MIDI in -> four MIDI out
Plug in power via the USB jack, connect MIDI
cubit go is an interface:
Connect USB for both power and data to your device
MIDI in -> computer/phone/tablet
computer/phone/tablet -> MIDI out (all four jacks simultaneously)
Since MIDI has 16 channels, using a thru for those four jacks allows you to get precise timing on all four outs without sacrificing any real world flexibility. And that’s especially important now since a lot of us use MIDI for clock.
cubit go has more circuitry inside to support USB data, so that’s why it’s more expensive. I keep them both around, at least in my setup (I have one of each). I use the cubit splitter when I’m not using a computer, and cubit go with my laptop and iPad. cubit splitter as people correctly pointed out does have some competition in thru boxes. But we haven’t seen a MIDI interface quite like cubit go, not at this price point.
That’s helpful. Can the Cubit Go merge the midi Din in with the USB midi in and is the resultant midi stream is sent to the midi Din out ports?
Wait — no, there’s no ‘merge’ there. MIDI DIN in feeds the USB MIDI input to the computer. USB MIDI out from the computer (or phone/tablet) feeds the four outputs.
So would this work to get midi out from the USB port of a MicroBRUTE and send midi through one / any of the outuput/s ?
µbrute is really missing a midi out :/
I think this would require a midi host function, which it isn’t clear on if it does that. The OS of whatever is on the other side is probably the host. I want the host functionality too, then I can plug in my Numark Orbit and control my Volcas or go from a Launch Control XL directly to a Circuit without a computer. I hate lugging the computer around for shows.
The graphic on the website seems to imply that the USB is bi-directional. Hoping that is the case.
Exactly, if this box could have us not carrying a computer around just for midi “translation” that’d be great !
No, unfortunately we can’t help you with that. cubit go isn’t a USB MIDI host. It’s a USB MIDI interface. That port connects via cable to your computer/phone/tablet.
Can this work just as a midi splitter as well ?
No. It’s only a MIDI interface. For people wanting a splitter, we have cubit splitter.
Are the USB MIDI lines isolated (galvanic isolation)? If not you’ll run into noise problems like arturia and others that skip this crucial feature. The most common solution is the ADUM3160. Please confirm.
They’re not but – this isn’t an audio interface. You won’t have to worry about ground loops as you would if this were an audio interface.
My Nord G2 likes to hum when plugged into the computer for patching. Not through headphones but when the line outs are plugged into a PA. It‘s the USB connection, it immediately goes away after unplugging
Found this on the MeBlip site:
“Can I plug MIDI devices into the USB port and output MIDI?
No. cubit go is a MIDI interface, for connecting MIDI into and out of a computer (or phone/tablet). It is not a USB MIDI host. You can connect controllers and instruments via MIDI DIN only.”
then
“Should I get cubit go or cubit splitter?
cubit splitter is the device for you if you want to take data sent to one MIDI input jack, and transmit that to four output jacks. (This is also called a “MIDI thru” box – they’re the same thing.)
cubit go is what you want if you need to get MIDI into and out of a computer or supported phone/tablet.
USB on cubit splitter is for power only. USB on cubit go carries both power and data.”
Is it just me or is there contradiction in the statements?
No contradiction. It has already been stated above:
With ‘MIDI devices’ they mean midi controllers/keyboards. You cannot connect those to the USB interface since the cubit go is not a USB host. The only thing you can connect to the USB interface is a computer/tablet.
Yeah, exactly.
Sorry, there’s just no other way to say it –
That USB connection is there for connecting to computers and phones and tablets.
I understand why you’re annoyed with keyboards and controllers that don’t work standalone, but this device can’t solve that for you.
Yep, contacted them – the only midi that goes to the DIN midi out is from the USB. The DIN midi in is routed to the USB
“cubit go is what you want if you need to get MIDI into and out of a computer…”
So- what type of data would be going into,a computer and where would it come from ?
Is the DIN-MIDI in port hard-wired thru/split > to the 4*outs , ie. merged with USB-MIDI ?
Or- is it converted to USB-MIDI and routed out if the USB > computer ?
Or- both the above ?
Is there an tool app to run the computer device to control routing/merging of the DIN-MIDI input ?
As far as I can find out it won’t merge the USB data in with MIDI DIN in, The MIDI DIN in is only routed to USB – if this was a computer you could presumably use an app to route it out again, merged with other data from your computer, but all the same you would still need a computer. It’s a midi interface, like many others. I had hoped it would be standalone, possibly the wording at the head of the article here led me down this path: “MeeBlip has introduced the cubit go, a MIDI interface and MIDI router that features hardware MIDI thru circuity, splitting whatever you send in to all four Output jacks simultaneously.”, although I can never rule out the possibility that I’m stupid.
“The MIDI DIN in is only routed to USB – if this was a computer you could presumably use an app to route it out again”
– also adding latency.
So as it is – it cannot be used standalone, as a simple MIDI-splitter, like the original Cubit.
Maybe a firmware update could add a ‘merge’ function to route / add the DIN-MIDI input direct to the 4*MIDI outs.