Yamaha Wireless MIDI Adaptors Add Bluetooth To Your Existing Gear

At the 2016 NAMM Show, Yamaha has introduced two new adapters that are designed to let you connect your existing MIDI gear wirelessly via Bluetooth to devices up to 10 meters away. 

  • The UD-BT01 adapter lets you connect devices with a USB TO HOST terminal to iOS devices and Mac.
  • The MD-BT01 adapter lets you connect instruments with MIDI IN/OUT terminals to iOS devices and Macs

The adapters let you wirelessly connect your iOS devices (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) or Mac to your instrument with Bluetooth and avoid having to reconnect every time you play.  Use music apps without cables and enjoy the freedom that wireless technology brings to your performances.

The adapters each have a street price of about US $50.

35 thoughts on “Yamaha Wireless MIDI Adaptors Add Bluetooth To Your Existing Gear”

    1. Jan, you seem to have difficulty adapting. I for one have been waiting for years to have less wires! Of any kind within my stupid. This is a welcome development. It may not be suitable for a live environment yet however this is a promising start!

      2. Code6, you can’t trust something like this for a live setup. Wireless = too many unknowns.

        In the studio, perhaps – because then when something fails at least you can redo it. The problem is, studios are full of wires. And that synth you’re connecting by wireless MIDI already probably has wired audio connected to it. So – why bother?

        1. I think Code6 is right. Wiring in any studio becomes a bit of a nightmare. It would be a dream to have a truly wireless studio / rig that worked as fast as a wired one. This most likely isn’t that product but it seems a good starting point and we have to start somewhere to get to speeds that are useable for people in a live rig.
          I’ll certainly be interested in these and might get a couple for my home studio.

    2. I use the Panda-Audio wireless midi for my AZ-1 and it has performed perfectly. It is more expensive than these and use the 2.4 GHz frequency, but has a claimed latency of .39 ms and I can’t say I have experienced any noticeable latency. I’m very happy to FINALLY have a good wireless solution. I look forward to other people being the canary in the coal mine for these units.

  4. I agree with RGB – I use the panda on my KX5, and it works perfectly. Howard Jones uses the panda on his remote keyboards and tours the world without issue – I’ve been hoping for something like this, and ‘surprised it came from Yamaha (not really) 🙂

  5. So, i plug this into my master keyboard and it sends midi over bluetooth to my ipad? And hence makes my a300 pro class compliant? If it does i’m sold

  6. The simultaneous charge/play problem on iOS is real, since Apple’s USB adapter/CCK doesn’t have power pass-through, maddeningly enough! (Their HDMI adapter does though… why did they leave it out of the USB adapter?)

    Some previous options include the original iRig MIDI with power pass-through, the iConnectMIDI boxes (which use a special cable for simultaneous charge/data) and plugging the iOS device into your computer and using one of the MIDI over USB apps, but this is a welcome addition.

    1. you don’t have to use the camera connection kit. the ipad has already bluetooth and i guess it supports also midi over bluetooth.

  7. What an awful ad… I didn’t know what the hell was going on…. Why are there cartoons and a 2 inch midi cable plugged into the IN and OUT MIDI ports… They probably could have accurately showed the product in a 20 second clip..

    1. Maybe you should learn an little more about MIDI before asking that question. I agree the AD itself was terrible, but it got the point across.

  8. Very interesting to see this kind of alternative yet official MIDI connections are being developed. That is a good thing!
    Not yet for me though: as always I’m an exception and pain in the ass.

    Working without computers / mobile devices by principle, and using a setup with two independent (except for MIDI real time messages of course) instrument / controller blocks of 16 MIDI channels each it would be great to see some developments towards wireless connection there.

  9. I.m.o the ideal situation would be a solution carrying MIDI (allowing more than 16 channels) COMBINED with audio over Wifi, including a protocol providing access protection as well as sufficient redundancy for coping with signal drops / information loss.

  12. Interesting that the video shows the MIDI i/o loop Bluetooth model plugged into the MOXF8, which according to this site is one model that DOESN’T supply the small voltage thru MIDI needed to power such a device. I own an MOX6 and can confirm that the MIDI i/o do not power devices thru MIDI. Wonder how they will explain that one?!

  13. Hum… interesting… But, USB to host devices still need power, so you still need to plug it in power, so it’s still wired… i wonder if it works with an USB battery… would be great for portable usb device (i thinking about my EWI usb wind controller, would be so cool to have it full wireless !)

  14. Just got the quicco m1.i 5-pin MIDI to bluetooth adapter, and it works OK but does seem to add small but noticeable latency, which is a bit annoying when you play but still usable.

    It is nice that it gets power from MIDI without any extra wires or battery.

    1. this is somewhat worrying because it makes me think you cant use it with non-yamaha apps. or they are at least not concerned with it working outside of yamaha apps, which could be almost as bad.

      1. Can see these reviews are a few months old, but just in case it helps anyone : I wasn’t sure about this, but just got one of these. Have tried it in my Roland Ax Synth with the Korg Module app on my iPad mini and it works.

  17. I just tried it with Yamaha CP5 and latency using MainStage 3 is huge!
    I do not think anything wrong then this product is for me unusable.
    Now I turn to the vendor to reclaim.

  18. Hi All I just purchashed this, really nice looking but unfortunately iOS 9.2.1 is not detecting this on Bluetooth search, tried with both iPad pro and iPhone 6. Resetting network settings doesn’t solve the issue. My Windows devices, Windows 8.1 and 10 can find the device on Bluetooth search so I guess there’s an issue with iOS 9.2.1. Anyone experiencing this too and how can I get this solved?

    1. I don’t think you actually connect via Bluetooth in the way you think. Just make sure Bluetooth is on for the iPad, then go to the app and make the MIDI connection there.

  19. Hi guys.. this is AMAZING can’t believe i havn’t heard about it yet…

    Is there a way i can connect my AKAI MPC 2000XL to this ?

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