Zivix PUC+ Universal Bluetooth MIDI Interface

Bluetooth midi no cables great!Bluetooth midi is still in its infancy although the Zivix PUC+ is been around for a while offering wireless midi via Bluetooth. The PUC+ is an oval shape device with a rubberized base, a mini usb connector, midi DIN, that can be powered by battery or usb. It comes with a midi cable, usb splitter cable and a downloadable app. Let’s do the down sides: Build quality is rather suspect, it’s plasticy and my first one had to be sent back due to not switching on when powered by battery. Certainly it was designed with Apple’s wireless midi protocol in mind as there is a list of available iOS apps that work with the device. I think the designers started with the thought to have midi in from a controller keyboard via the DIN socket or USB to control an application. What it can’t do is pair wirelessly with something like Akai’s LPK 25 or CME’s Xkey Air as there is no function to do this.But all is not lost with controller keyboards that don’t have midi DIN. A short USB cable of the correct type would be sufficient inconnecting, and the app now allows midi at the DIN socket of the PUC+ to be midi in or out. So you can connect your controller keyboard to the PUC+ via the mini USB then midi out to... whatever midi gear you have. This is more use for non apple consumers.Even better you can connect the midi DIN socket to something like Panda’s Midi Beam transmitter and then wirelessly transmit midi to the receiver. This then does eliminate midi leads. I’ve tested this and it works with little latency and it perhaps the best use if you want to have truly wireless midi transmission.Yes, there could be improvements and I hope Zivix can add these via the application.

Bought this for my Roland FP401R digital piano. Background: Roland was "kind" enough to only provide an USB B out and a wifi USB separate dongle that works on their own proprietary protocol - that has no midi compatibility except their own discontinued poorly executed apps. So I am left with sticking an USB cable in any MacBook, ipad or iphone I own. Did I mentioned 3 different adaptors? :)I was hoping this PUC recommended by a friend to solve me the problem.Received it a few hours ago. Packaging is rather cheap (blue cover paint leaked into the instruction paper), but who cares about it, if they can lower the price, good for me. Setup was easy (you need their app first), just plug the batteries, turn it on and start searching for it in the app’s Bluetooth settings (it is not detected in the system bluetooth settings). It needed then a firmware update. 20 minutes later, turned it back on, and it works.Sort of works... I am hearing an echo for each key I am pressing, a delay/lag/latency issue. Sounds (or better said midi commands/bytes) are going out from the piano, through the USB, into the PUC, compressed, sent wireless to the phone, decompressed and then routed back to all the outputs, including itself, so back to the piano, on top of the already played note. Obviously it's a noticeable delay.Lucky, you can turn echo off in the PUC app.But, if you try Garage Band (iPhone 5S), it doesn't have the option of turning the loopback off. So you press a key and half a second later you hear an echo. Annoying. Probably Garage Band's fault like with bluetooth speakers delay. Apple made tons of mistakes like their bluetooth pods, that's why I haven't changed my phone yet.Tried Yousician for my kids. Great app. It has options of tweaking the midi output a bit, so somehow "I made it work”, so it’s not entirely noticeable. Will test out other apps soon.All in all, the device does it's job. But it's not entirely lag free (if you need just one way, yes, it's not noticeable); if the app is not configurable to avoid routing received midi messages back to the input port, you have a huge echo that forces you to stop using it with that app. Back to cables and adaptors in that case.

Good product does what it is meant forI returned it as I found I did not need it

You really need to buy two one for Midi in, one for Midi out

Brilliant able to connect my midi keyboard to my iPad Pro and laptop without using lots of cables brilliant

Excellent prompt delivery.The Zivix PUC+ is an excellent device for Bluetooth Wireless Transmission of midi data.