As you'll probably know, most MIDI instruments and effects are equipped with MIDI Thru sockets allowing the MIDI signal to be daisy-chained to the MIDI In of the next unit along the line. This is all very well in theory, but in practice, a little signal corruption occurs every time the MIDI signal passes through a unit. In a daisy chain more than three or four units long, it is possible for the signal to become unreliable, resulting in erratic MIDI messages or stuck notes. The common solution to the problem is to use a MIDI Thru box which connects to the MIDI out of the master device and splits it several ways, so that multiple MIDI units may be connected without having to resort to chaining. The Philip Rees unit under review has been around for a long time, but still remains one of the most popular and cost-effective units of its type. Mains powered, this rather unassuming plastic box has a single MIDI input from which it derives 10 outputs, each of which may feed a single unit or a short chain of units. The connection arrangements are displayed quite unambiguously on the black, white and red front panel and a small LED is the only indication that the unit is working. Essentially, it's a 'plug it in and forget it' type of unit which just does what it's supposed to do without fuss — I've been using one for a couple of years now and I've never had any problems with it. Prior to owning a V10, I used to hook up long MIDI chains, and found problems in chains as short as three units, depending on which units were linked and in which order. If you have a small MIDI studio that's likely to grow in the foreseeable future, you should put one of these right at the top of your shopping list.
Further Information Philip Rees V10 £39.95 including VAT.
Publisher: Recording Musician - SOS Publications Ltd. The contents of this magazine are re-published here with the kind permission of SOS Publications Ltd.
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