MIDIPLUS MiniEngine USB Portable MIDI Sound Generator: Is this the best budget Sound Generator ever?
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- Опубліковано 20 лип 2024
- This is an overview of the MIDIPLUS MiniEngine USB Portable MIDI Sound Generator. It's a very affordable sound module with 128 useable tones and a full drum kit included. If you're looking for affordability, portability and useable sounds for your home studio, then look no further.
It can be powered through it's own internal battery and recharged by a USB cable. You can connect the module to your computer and use it with your DAW or you could by pass the computer and connect directly to your midi keyboard controller.
Please note that the demo sounds are coming out of only one channel because i forgot to plug in the other channel. Thanks
Bit of a long-winded video, maybe they should have put the module down and just played with both hands 😉 but thanks anyway! I have a few tips: if you connect the keyboard via the USB socket, it also receives Midi and is simultaneously powered by the battery of the Midiplus device, one less cable and no additional effort! You can also change the internal sound generation using the various Midi Controllers, e.g. Midi Controllers 71 and 74 for the filter and so on! You can find more information in the manual of each midi keyboard! continued success 😊
Thanks for the tip. Much appreciated
In the video you mention that there’s a drum kit in this sound module. However, I have the same one, and I’m wondering how to access it as it doesn’t say anything in the manual about a drum kit. How do you access it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I've had a few of these types of budget tone modules over the years, from Roland, Yamaha, Kawai and GeneralMusic.
I paid $40 for a GeneralMusic EM101 back in 2000 and was impressed with it. It had great sounds and a singularly interesting feature where you could apply sweepable EQ to each of its 16 multutimbral parts via sysex messages and MIDI program change messages. It was a simple thing with nothing but a volume slider, MIDI ports and stereo output jack, But it had good MIDI implementation and played very well under software control.
This one here, the subject of your quick review, looks like a good desktop or mobile MIDI sound generator. Now I'm wondering how something like it might measure up against that my EM101 from back in the day. Hearing it via this medium may not be doing it the justice it deserves, but if, from what I seem to be hearing, it's vanilla GM sounds it offers overall, I think I can say that what we expect in 2023 even in a budget tone module is something closer in quality to what we might find on budget arranger keyboards like Yamaha's PSR-E463. But that's just me. Yamaha, Korg, Kawai and especially Roland used to rule this space they seem to have abandoned to a multiplicity of upstarts. Moreover, the market for MIDI toneboxes in that form factor, even budget ones, yielded long ago to the explosion of soft synths.
I would still recommend this unit to people on a tight budget who just need some playable synth sounds for their home productions. It even comes with accessories that more expensive synths don't provide, like the mini TS to MIDI adapter and USB MIDI host.
I think the time for these type of devices to make a comeback is now - with the current interest in DAWless setups, a 'bread and butter' sound module that can be triggered by a groovebox or MIDI controller keyboard that doesn't take up too much desktop/rack real estate is all of a sudden a much more attractive prospect than it would have been a few years ago. It's a little bit sad that this doesn't have a wider set of sounds but considering the low price, I think I'll get one, as this is so far the best affordable stand-alone sound module I've seen on the market.
I was previously considering picking up a used Roland SoundCanvas module as those did have some pretty decent quality sounds for their time, but after spending a lot of time looking through eBay listings it turns out they're changing hands for more money than they cost to buy new.
I just read your comment again and wanted to point out that i actually didn't realise during the test that only one channel was playing so it actually does sound better in real life.
Also, i absolutely agree with you. Back then i also owned a Roland MT32 sound module but these days it's all about soft synths like you said.
I just use an old iPhone and some free soft synths as a small midi module. More portable and better variety of sounds.
What software do you use and do you connect the iPhone to the controller via USB?
That's an interesting workaround
does a sound module work with a midi keyboard that needs drivers if i use the 5 pin midi connceters
MIDI is a standard communication format so i don't see why it shouldn't work
Where can I get one of those? I have a casio m audio keystation 88
You can google it to find the nearest retailer to you or order it online
Can it be used as a power bank?
Sorry it's taken me this long to reply. I never tried using it as a power bank. That's not it's primary purpose. Might as well just buy a power bank if you need one,
😭 "Promo SM"
I actually bought this with my own money
Rock organ?? 🧟♂️ Sounds NOTHING like any organ I‘ve ever heard.
Are there any usable electric pianos on there?
It actually sounds better in real life. I didn't realise only one channel was playing during my test. I still think it's not too bad for the money.
It sounds worse than a budget keyboard from Lidl.
It actually sounds better in real life. I didn't realise that only one channel was playing during my test. I still think it's not too bad for the money.