Suppose, you are ready to record a MIDI track or in between live performance and your MIDI controller suddenly disconnects. You don’t know the reason behind it.
This is scary but true. MIDI controllers are electronic devices and it’s obvious with them. BUT, when you know how to deal with this situation, the problem becomes “No-Problem, will see”.
So, you must be aware of the common reasons why MIDI controllers disconnect in between the operation and how to resolve this quickly.
If you can’t deal with this situation then it may delay your production timeline.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss why MIDI controller frequently disconnects and if you fall into this, how to resolve the problem.
Let’s jump into it.
MIDI Controller Disconnects: A Common Problem
Well, in the early 1980s (MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface) was developed to sync multiple musical instruments and devices.
Those days 5-Pin MIDI DIN cables were used. But, as the technology evolved USB and wireless MIDI controllers replaced 5-Pin MIDI DIN cables.
Although, these technologies enhanced speed and flexibility but created new issues and problems.
Such as the USB connection even if it’s faster compared to other MIDI formats, experiences power fluctuations, interference, etc which play a major part in disconnecting the MIDI Controller.
So, let’s take a closer look at the reasons behind the disconnection of MIDI controllers and how to resolve them.
Insufficient USB Power Supply
The first and foremost reason behind the disconnection is the insufficiency of power supply to the USB port.
This reason is mostly due to the low-end SMPS used in your PC. Also, if you use multiple SUB devices in the same USB hub you may get this error.
When you use multiple USB devices in the same USB hub, the power supply is divided into different USB devices, which causes an insufficient power supply, and your medical controller can be disconnected from your PC.
So I suggest you connect only the MIDI controller to the hub or use different ports for different USB devices.
Well, if your computer or laptop doesn’t have multiple USB ports then you can use a powered USB hub to maintain the power supply. A powered USB hub such as Anker 10-Port USB Hub is it good option to maintain an even power supply to all the USB devices, including your MIDI controller.
Faulty MIDI Cable
When it comes to audio recording, the most roughly used equipment is “cables”. Whether it’s an audio cable or a MIDI cable they can be damaged or become faulty any time.
Frequent use of MIDI cables can make the connectors lose to the ports which can lead to disconnection. So always use shielded and high-end MIDI cables that can last for a long time.
Also, if you use unshielded cables it can experience interference due to different electronic devices, so I always suggest using shield cables.
The USB medicable I use in my Studio is Audio-Technica Neo which comes in a higher price range but is very stable, especially in life performance.
Driver Conflict (Common Problem)
MIDI controllers need to install drivers to sync with your system. Sometimes your MIDI controller’s Driver can be outdated or conflict with other drivers which can lead to disconnection.
So at the very first, you should update your MIDI controller’s driver, and then see if the problem or not.
If not, then you can check with other drivers, if any, of them, conflict with your MIDI controller’s Driver.
You can use Driver Booster or Driver Updater software that automatically detects and updates all the outdated drivers in your system.
Is Your PC Overloaded
When you work with different audio software such as DAWs, VST plugins, and others your CPU can experience overload due to high workload.
Some VST plug-ins are RAM-consuming and eat your RAM like a devil. So I will suggest uninstalling those VST plug-ins or upgrading your RAM and CPU.
A high-end system is a must for maintaining a stable connection.
You can see the Task Manager on your Windows computer or Activity Monitor on your Mac to see if any software is consuming resources more than expected.
USB Port Bandwidth
As I have described in the first point in this article, if you use multiple USB devices in the same USB hub you will face power failure issues. That’s because the bandwidth will be divided into those multiple devices and all the devices become slow.
And even you can face the disconnection problem. So, I would always suggest using a powered USB hub that will provide higher transfer speed and bandwidth.
Interference Due to Other Electronic Devices
in the Studio environment, different wireless and wired devices are used simultaneously if we talk about wireless devices, such as Bluetooth headphones and Wi-Fi routers they produce a huge quantity of wireless interference.
This interference, if your MIDI controller cable is not shielded can lead to stability and disconnection with the system.
Using shielded cables is the solution to this problem. I have already mentioned the MIDI cable that I use in my studio with my MIDI controller.
Along with the shield MIDI cables you can also use noise suppressor devices like Tripp Lite USB EMI Noise Suppressor to reduce the electrical interference between devices and overcome the connection failure.
Timeout Due to Device Inactivity
Some MIDI controllers may automatically become inactive after a certain time. They have an automatic power saving mode which makes the MIDI controller inactive for a while.
You can adjust or disable the power saving setting in the device configuration, or you can use powered USB hubs to keep the MIDI controller active.
Why Should You Know About These Problems
Suppose you are in between a live performance or a recording session and your media controller disconnects with the system.
When this happens, you must be aware of the common reasons, why your MIDI controller disconnects.
If you don’t know how to resolve this problem, then you may face data loss, latency issues, and even interruption in the life performance.
That’s why you must know all the reasons behind the disconnection of your MIDI controller so that you can quickly resolve the problem and continue your session.
Conclusion
With the evolution of technology, medical controllers are one of the crucial parts of recording Studios and live performances. So you have to maintain the stability of the MIDI connection between the controller and the system.
If you are not using a good quality powered USB hub and using faulty cables with outdated drivers, then the chances are, you may face this problem.
so I would suggest you take all the steps mentioned above to keep your MIDI-based performance uninterrupted.
If you are facing this issue, then check with your system, MIDI cable and the controller itself and find the reason behind it.
Implement the ideas mentioned above, and I hope you will get rid of the connectivity problem.
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