New WIDI feature: group auto-learn

As of today, you can access the latest version of the WIDI app via the App Store and Google Play. With the improved WIDI app you can update all your WIDI devices to the latest firmware versions. Next - with group auto-learn - you can experience the joy of automatically adding new members to the WIDI group.

The new feature has two major advantages over the previous WIDI groups. On the one hand, you can now automate the process of adding new members to your wireless MIDI group. On the other hand, you can also start working with standard Bluetooth MIDI devices as group members.

This means that in addition to all your WIDI devices, you can also add other standard Bluetooth MIDI controllers as peripherals. Think of the Roland AX Edge, Korg MicroKey Air, Roli Seaboard, CME Xkey Air, Jamstik+ Guitar, etc.

Let's take you on a small tour.

Update WIDI App (iOS/Android) & WIDI firmware

You can update WIDI App to the latest version via Google Play or App Store.

• Android: CME WIDI app v1.4.18
• iOS: CME WIDI app v1.4.20

Next update the firmware of your WIDI device and activate “group auto-learn”

• BLE firmware v0166 (or higher)
• USB firmware v2.8 (or higher)

Please note these firmware versions are compatible for the current line of WIDI products. Including WIDI Master, WIDI Jack, WIDI Uhost, WIDI Core and WIDI Bud Pro (not the legacy WIDI Bud).

Activate group auto-learn via WIDI App

Enable "Group Auto-Learn" for the central WIDI device via the latest version of WIDI App. This will allow the central WIDI device to automatically scan all available BLE MIDI devices (including WIDI) in its environment.

1. Set all WIDI devices as "force peripheral" to avoid automatic pairing of WIDI devices with each other.
2. Enable "Group Auto-Learning" for the central WIDI device. Close the WIDI application. The WIDI LED will slowly flash blue.
3. Turn on up to 4 BLE MIDI peripherals (including WIDI) to automatically pair with the central WIDI device.
4. When all peripherals are connected, press the button on the central WIDI device to store the group in the memory of the central WIDI device. The WIDI LED is green when pressed and will turn turquoise upon release.

For more details watch the instruction video below and also check the previous blog.

Add macOS to WIDI groups. Limitations for Windows, Android & iOS

Unfortunately, iOS, Windows 10 and Android cannot be part of WIDI Groups as peripherals. For macOS, click "Advertise" in MIDI Studio's Bluetooth configuration to advertise it as a peripheral for WIDI Group. You can see that in the video above.

This is because many operating systems change the Bluetooth address every 15 minutes for security reasons. Therefore, it is not possible to add these devices to a group at this stage. Simply because there is no fixed address that can be stored in the memory of the central WIDI device.

We can do a lot, but not change the architecture of these operating systems. To get around this, it is recommended to add WIDI Bud Pro or WIDI Uhost to your operating system. This delivers convenience with auto-pairing, optimal jitter and latency performance, and the fun of group machine learning.

Always use WIDI as a central device for WIDI Groups

Please note that standard Bluetooth MIDI controllers can only be part of WIDI groups and group auto-learn as peripherals. This means that you always need a WIDI device that acts as the central device of the wireless MIDI group.

In short, when creating 1-to-4 or 4-to-1 wireless connections, the 1 central device must always be a WIDI device. For example, you cannot make your AX Edge the central device and play 4 different sound modules. This is because you cannot store or execute group learning commands from this Bluetooth MIDI controller. This is strictly a WIDI feature.

You will have to be able to save the group settings in this central WIDI device. Then you have the convenience of automatic pairing on reboot. This means that your group will always automatically pair from the memory of your central WIDI device on startup.

That is also why the legacy WIDI Bud (not WIDI Bud Pro) cannot be part of WIDI Groups. The legacy WIDI Bud can only act as a central device, but does not have the Bluetooth 5 technology to automatically learn the group. If you own a WIDI Bud and want to delve into WIDI Groups, you need to purchase WIDI Bud Pro.

To conclude, you now can create groups on the fly with all current WIDI devices and even add macOS and other standard Bluetooth MIDI controllers as peripherals to those groups.

Enjoy and share your experience in the comments!

The next step in WIDI Groups

Thank you for joining the WIDI wireless MIDI development journey as created by CME. After the crowd creation of WIDI Master, that began in December 2019, WIDI groups was one of the first major features to be added to the WIDI portfolio.

With the current feature you are able to create fixed pairs and 1-to-multiple WIDI setups. These group settings are very useful when you are working with multiple pairs of WIDI devices and want to bypass the automatic pairing procedure.

WIDI groups also come in handy when you want to create 1-to-4 MIDI Thru (Split) or 4-to-1 MIDI Merge wireless setups with Bluetooth MIDI. As explained in the previous blog about WIDI groups, today WIDI groups are limited to WIDI devices only.

Well, that's about to change...

The hunt for WIDI knowledge

The idea of crowd creation is that you are part of the development process from the start. If you are interested in WIDI groups, take into account that WIDI devices were developed with automatic pairing in mind.

This simply means that when you get two WIDI devices and start them up, they are automatically paired. No knowledge or manual is required. It's plug, pair & play.

On the other hand, there are the more challenging WIDI groups. It's the advanced mode. You must have some basic knowledge of WIDI and the WIDI app to get this done. It is recommended to be a member of our Facebook Group or at least read the manual of your WIDI devices and the WIDI app one time....

After that, when you go through the procedure once, you will discover the fun of WIDI. And once you understand the idea of central and peripherals as known from Bluetooth, an extra dimension opens up when you think of MIDI & WIDI.

Time for the first glimpse...

Enough talk. Let's go for a walk. In this private video (Published January 2022) you can see the first version of the upcoming firmware for all WIDI devices (Scheduled February 2022). It shows that it is possible to add other Bluetooth MIDI devices to your WIDI group with a simplified automatic group learning function.

Besides all your WIDI devices, you can add other standard Bluetooth MIDI peripherals such as Roland AX Edge, Korg MicroKey Air, Roli Seaboard, CME Xkey Air, Jamstik+ Guitar, etc.

This list is not endless. Devices eligible for WIDI groups must be standard Bluetooth MIDI devices that can be automatically paired with WIDI. For example, smart devices running iOS, Android, and Windows still cannot join WIDI groups.

We need more time for that, because they switch Bluetooth addresses every 15 minutes for security reasons. Fortunately, with this version, your macOS can be part of WIDI groups.

Take a look and tell us what you think in the comment section of this blog.

Crowd Creation: The magic of WIDI is you!

After the launch of the complete range of WIDI products, it is now time to think about the next step for wireless MIDI. After much discussion with the community through all our social channels, we came up with a public list.

Coming up with ideas is one thing, turning them into reality is the real challenge. In fact, the current list includes complex ideas and very niche concepts.

The question you are invited to answer today is: "What is the feasible next step for wireless MIDI over Bluetooth?"

Keep in mind that innovating is a risky business. Especially for a small company like CME. We simply cannot afford to make (too many) mistakes, so our roadmap must consist of small steps. Baby steps even.

As a matter of fact, we need you to make this next step another success. We need your strong opinion to burst our bubble from the start. That's the process we call crowd creation.

And that's why you're invited to join this conversation.

To refresh your memory, WIDI Master has been developed from day 1 in collaboration with the community. The process started at the end of 2019. You can find a timeline here.

At the end of 2021, the Pro Synth Network invited CME for a livestream. It was an open discussion about WIDI and wireless MIDI. If you have the time, check out this discussion with experts, artists and the industry about Bluetooth MIDI.

This is also the place where the first light was shed on the hybrid concept that will be introduced below....

Will the next step in WIDI Bluetooth MIDI be a hybrid solution?

Let's get to the real thing. Based on the above, we had a lot of internal discussions and came up with an early concept. The concept is quite easy to understand....

It's called the WIDI Thru6 BT...

It integrates our latest WIDI Core into a MIDI Thru Box. Manufacturers such as Kenton and MIDI Solutions have been marketing wired solutions for years. Think of the Kenton Thru-5 and the MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru v2.

The big question is "What do you think about the WIDI Thru6 BT?"

Tell us what you think in the comment section of this blog.

1. The MIDI Thru interface with advanced WIDI Bluetooth Wireless MIDI technology
2. Instantly copy 1 wired MIDI input to 5 wired MIDI outputs and 1 Bluetooth MIDI output at the same time.
3. Instantly copy 1 wireless Bluetooth MIDI  input to 5 wired MIDI outputs (not the Bluetooth MIDI output).
4. The opto-isolated MIDI input and independently powered MIDI output eliminate noise and ensure accurate transmission.
5. No choke, no data loss. 100% competent for heavy data flows.
6. Support long sysex, MIDI clock, MTC, MPE etc full MIDI messages.

What is the difference between a USB host and a USB device?

In the world of USB you have two roles that your equipment can have. On one side you have USB hosts and on the other side you have USB devices.

Think of it as your computer and your mouse. The computer is the host connecting the mouse (USB device) as a client or peripheral. The computer works without a mouse and the mouse is an instrument for your computer. At the same time, the mouse is pretty useless without its host.

That's the primary difference.

The same goes for MIDI controllers. MIDI controllers act as USB devices. They work when connected to an operating system. Just like a mouse.

In many cases, USB devices are also bus powered. This means they need the host to provide power via the USB connection cable to be able to operate. That is why USB MIDI controllers "seem" almost useless without a computer.....

Why do you need a MIDI USB host?

As mentioned, most MIDI devices only function as a USB device. This means they must always be connected to a host. 

In other words, you cannot connect your USB MIDI keyboard to play your synthesizer directly. To make that happen you need a computer to act as the USB host and MIDI router.

In many cases you can already see if your MIDI device is a USB device. For instance if your MIDI device has a square USB-B port (like your printer), it is a USB device. If your MIDI instrument has a flat USB-A port (like your computer), it can act as a USB host.

A MIDI USB host can be purchased separately. It is a piece of equipment that allows you to convert USB to standard MIDI without computer. In this way you can control various MIDI instruments from your USB MIDI device via the MIDI USB host box.

In other words, you can control synths, samplers and so on, with your USB MIDI controller or USB MIDI keyboard and without the need for a computer or complicated MIDI routing system.

In fact, with as a MIDI USB host solution, your USB MIDI controller becomes much more useful and not completely dependent on your computer.

What kind of MIDI solutions for USB hosting are available?

Nowadays you can find a number of MIDI USB hosts in the market.

Be aware that for professional MIDI routing, you'll want to look at brands that really understand how to handle MIDI. Besides this, you want to ensure the best possible performance by having products made with high-quality components.

It really makes a difference.

The biggest problem with low-priced replicas is that they copy innovators and use cheap components to bring down the price. With inferior components and a lack of knowledge about MIDI, this will eventually lead to all kinds of unwanted behaviour of the equipment. Save yourself that hassle and go for premium from day 1.

That is why this blog is limited to the solutions available from CME, Kenton, and MIDI Tech. Both Kenton and MIDI Tech have made their mark in the world of MIDI. They have been delivering solid solutions for decades.

This is also a bit of a drawback. It seems that their MIDI tools are a bit outdated and not seriously updated to meet the demands of today's MIDI enthusiasts. Although there are mark 2 and 3 versions, the internal technology has stayed almost the same.

CME, on the other hand, has been a true innovator when it comes to wireless MIDI and Bluetooth. The development team has decades of experience in MIDI. That is why we believe that we can deliver the most advanced solution that beats its competitors on many levels.

Why is WIDI Uhost the most advanced solution available?

As explained, the major difference between WIDI Uhost and all its competitors is that it offers premium Bluetooth MIDI instead of traditional DIN-5 MIDI ports for wired MIDI. In addition, WIDI Uhost offers many other solutions. It's not called the 3-in-1 wireless MIDI interface for nothing. In fact, WIDI Uhost can connect to either USB hosts (1) or USB devices (2) .

Furthermore, it adds wireless MIDI to all major operating systems as a Bluetooth MIDI dongle (3). In other words, you can connect computers, controllers and synths, and any MIDI device with class-compliant USB MIDI, to communicate wirelessly with any other WIDI device (WIDI Master, WIDI Jack) or standard Bluetooth MIDI controllers (Roli, Korg, Roland, Yamaha, Akai).

1. Compact

Compared to the solutions from Kenton and MIDI Tech, WIDI Uhost increases your mobility with a slim and compact design. You can easily stick it on your MIDI device with the smart magnetic solution.

• Wide Range

By using wireless MIDI you are not limited to the length of your MIDI cable. With WIDI you can enjoy the freedom of wireless MIDI over a range of 20 meters (65ft).

• Low Energy

In addition, Bluetooth MIDI or BLE MIDI implements extremely low power consumption. You can easily power WIDI Uhost from any standard USB power bank or adapter. Furthermore, when working with a USB MIDI device that is bus-powered, WIDI Uhost offers a smart power splitting functionality that allows you to power your USB MIDI device via WIDI Uhost via one single USB power source.

• Low Latency

With the current Bluetooth 5.0, you can take advantage of amazing 3ms latency performance and personal optimization for low latency or low jitter performance. It all depends on your usage scenario.

• Trusted Technology

Today, more than 50,000 WIDI units have been sold since its launch in 2020. It is a trusted technology used by thousands of musicians, producers and industry partners around the world, delivering secure wireless connections in the studio and on stage. With WIDI's Smart Connectivity Algorithms and Bluetooth 5's Adaptive Frequency Hopping, you have the most reliable matchbox-sized wireless solution available today.

• Wireless MIDI Groups

Last but not least, WIDI offers a special feature called WIDI Groups. This functionality allows you to add up to five (5) WIDI devices in a wireless connection. You can easily create 1-to-4 MIDI Thru (or Split) and 4-to-1 MIDI Merge setups that can be run wirelessly.

OMG its OTG!

Here comes a very important piece of advice that will change the way you look at WIDI Uhost and USB cables. The magic of WIDI Uhost comes to life with the so-called USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) via the USB-C port.

To be more precise, USB-C combines both the USB host and device functionality in one single connector. Within WIDI Uhost, the USB chipset can act as both the device and the host.

At the moment you use a standard USB charging cable, your WIDI Uhost will act as a device. When using the USB OTG cable, WIDI Uhost will switch to the USB host role automatically.

That is how WIDI Uhost becomes the 3-in-1 wireless solution for USB MIDI...

Bluetooth MIDI: Lowest Price versus Premium Solutions

Today, you can find a wide variety of wireless MIDI adapters on the market. These range from cheap remakes to serious fixes. Because the Bluetooth MIDI market is relatively new, it is not always so easy to put the differences in performance and of course price into perspective.

CME provides premium Bluetooth MIDI solutions. This means that our developers are specialized in Bluetooth and MIDI. This is unlike many cheap remakes available from Asia. In most cases, they lack high-quality components necessary for optimal wireless performance and their developers don't know much about MIDI.

Those solutions might work for simple MIDI notes, but you'll run into problems if you need more professional latency and jitter performance. Or if you're working with more challenging MIDI messages, such as MIDI Clock, SysEx, and MPE. Cheap eventually becomes expensive if it doesn't deliver.

Bluetooth MIDI originally developed by Apple and made a standard by the members of the MIDI association. Now if you look at availability worldwide, there are basically three companies that provide promising wireless MIDI adapters over Bluetooth. Namely CME, Roland and Yamaha.

Keep in mind that Bluetooth MIDI is just getting started. There is much more to come in the near future. Therefore, this blog aims to give you a simple overview of the latest USB MIDI to Bluetooth MIDI adapters currently available.

Comparison: CME WIDI Uhost vs Yamaha UD-BT01

Yamaha released their MD-BT01 (DIN-5 MIDI) and UD-BT01 (USB MIDI) solutions in 2015. In fact, it is mainly a modified variant of the products from the small Japanese developer Quicco. As you may understand, Quicco is not so widely available. Yamaha is the industrial giant that can deliver anywhere in the world. That is why we have chosen to compare with Yamaha.

The BT-01 series is based on Bluetooth 4. This is completely different from the current Bluetooth 5. The difference in performance and features between the two versions is just huge. If you look at the MD-BT01, it can best be compared with WIDI Master. This blog is entirely devoted to that.

Due to this difference in Bluetooth version, the current WIDI Uhost can do much more. Most importantly, it can work completely standalone. In contrast, the UD-BT01 always needs a host (such as your computer) in order to work. This is the main reason why the WIDI Uhost is much more versatile in its use cases and better rated in its performance.

View this comparison table to compare!

Comparison: CME WIDI Bud Pro vs Roland WM-1D

In 2020 Roland released their WM-1 series. As with Yamaha, there is a solution for DIN-5 MIDI similar to WIDI Master. The comparison between WIDI Master and WM-1 can be found in this blog.

In addition, the successor of the WIDI Bud was released at the same time as the WIDI Uhost. This one is called the WIDI Bud Pro and contains all the advanced WIDI technology.

While Roland's WM-1D and the WIDI Bud Pro look similar on the outside and both feature the latest BLE 5 technology, there are some distinguishing differences between the two.

First, WIDI technology was created to advance Bluetooth MIDI as the standard for wireless MIDI. Therefore, the intention is to make it available to as many MIDI devices as possible. Both old and new.

This is completely different from the Roland solutions. These are primarily marketed to work with Roland devices. And while that's great and Roland's legacy is well respected, there's more than just Roland.

WIDI Bud Pro works with all Roland Bluetooth MIDI products, but many more. With WIDI, a new standard has arrived and with the care and dedication of the CME development team, steps are being taken. This is different from Roland. Roland is another industry giant. They need smart solutions from others to innovate.....innovations such as WIDI.

Last but not least, WIDI was created together with the community. It is the result of ongoing conversations with people who actually use it. That's why the solutions evolve so quickly. This comparison chart below will show you the difference between two products that launched quite close to each other in the past year.

Bluetooth MIDI? What about latency?

Many people (including engineers) who did not try Bluetooth MIDI assume a lot of things about latency with MIDI over Bluetooth. MIDI is a serial based protocol that has been developed in the early 80s. It is not amazingly fast to begin with.

Bluetooth has been rapidly developing over the last decade. It handles a few megabits per seconds easily. That is why it is easy to say that MIDI over Bluetooth is capable of offering a professional low latency solution for musicians and producers. Both on stage and in the studio.

It is even more easy to say this as a manufacturer. Feel welcome to watch this 2 minute video by Roger Linn. Mr. Linn, the legendary designer behind the LM-1, MPC and LinnDrum, talks about WIDI Master and his MPE-based Linnstrument by Roger Linn Design. 

Please note, this is not a paid endorsement. Neither did any member of the CME team asked Roger to create this video. He just bought it. Liked it. And shared it.

Wireless MIDI: Basics

Before we go into details and more sophisticated matters, let's address some main ideas about BLE MIDI (Bluetooth MIDI).

• Bluetooth MIDI is not Bluetooth Audio and does not experience the same latency issues. They are two completely different technologies.
• Latency is normal. It occurs in the human hearing and in the communication between an audio interface, computers, midi controllers, monitor speakers, and so on. Everything has latency.
• Conversion time is negligible. The latency between two WIDI devices is as low as 3ms. This is absolutely inaudible to the human hearing. It is even lower compared to the internal latency of many MIDI devices, software and apps.
• When talking about latency, you have to take your entire setup in account. Consider that the entire (or round latency) of your setup consists of many devices and your Bluetooth MIDI connection is just one of them. The round latency of a MIDI setup can easily be 15ms in total.

A tiny word on MIDI terminology

As you might know, the history of MIDI technology incorporates widely used terms as master and slave. Although the term master is not causing any real issue, the word slave can trigger undesired feelings and emotions to a large group of people.

Following requests from the Community of MIDI Enthusiasts, it is intended to change the terminology to a more modern form of communication.

That is why, with Bluetooth MIDI, we rather speak about central and peripherals when discussing Bluetooth connections. And with USB MIDI, we rather talk about hosts and devices.

As the previously used MIDI terminology trivialise something quite horrendous associated with institutional racism and colonisation, the purpose is to no longer use the term slave. Although this might be a bit confusing to you in the beginning, it only takes a short while to adjust. Read this article for a better understanding.

Let’s return to the fun part. Let’s talk about BLE MIDI and of course…..latency!

Latency is just a number…

There are a lot of claims being made about latency and especially the ability of being able to really notice it as a human. Let alone link it to a specific part of your system. There are musicians who play their instruments based upon the limitations of that device. Latency can be just one of them. Therewith it becomes part of the deal.

Of course, latency is an important metric when it comes to music production and performance. Latency for Bluetooth MIDI does not stand upon itself. It depends on the environment and the connected devices.

As with Roger Linn, one of the other early adopters of WIDI was the amazing Jean-Michelle Jarre. Again, there has been no request from CME towards JMJ. Nor did we pay him to say a few nice words. He simply bought it. Liked it and reached out to us to congratulate the CME company and its engineers....

Smart Connectivity Algorithms

To proceed with the previous paragraph about latency, it is important for a complete understanding to look at the bigger picture. 

When you look at your entire system, it is complex for you as a musician or producer to pin-point latency to a specific part of the system. How are you able to say the latency you experience from your monitor speakers are caused by either MIDI communications or audio conversions? Or delays in translation by your operating system?

That is why it is best to keep this simple and not get stuck in one single metric. With Bluetooth MIDI, the latency metric is not a given in every situation. It is not one solid number. The performance depends on multiple factors. That is why, you should be careful with reading a metric from a page and assuming it says it all.

Try it yourself!

That is why it is recommended to try it yourself. Experience the performance with different setups in different environments. Following you can make your own decision based on real life experiences.

Another important factor is jitter. It is more or less the variation in latency. In the end, a proper musician can play with a stable latency. That is why jitter is also a very important metric. Especially when it comes to real time MIDI clock and sync purposes.

Our engineers are constantly working to improve WIDI's firmware and especially the jitter performance. WIDI uses a collection of smart algorithms to select the best performing frequency at a given distance between devices. This is what is called Adaptive Frequency Hopping. In short, WIDI is able to switch frequencies to keep delivering the best performance.

The entire collection of algorithms used is called SCA. Or Smart Connectivity Algorithms. With SCA, WIDI performance is optimised in any given situation. SCA stands for Dual Role Automation, Automatic Pairing Mode, Smart Hub Functionality, Latency Reduction Optimisation and Range Performance Optimisation!

The difference between a MIDI cable and BLE MIDI

First of all, with Bluetooth MIDI latency is always a bit higher compared to a regular MIDI cable.

That said, you can question yourself if you would be able to distinguish WIDI Master from a standard MIDI cable in a double blind test. We have noticed that this will always lead to the same discussion about latency.

This discussion is quite similar to the one we have had in the start of streaming and the download days involving MP3s and WAV files. Or that one of the supreme quality of vinyl over anything else….it is ongoing, never ending and also very much part of the process of developing innovating technologies.

Bluetooth MIDI and latency on iOS & Mac

When talking about latency of the WIDI technology you’d have to keep in mind we measure latency by using an oscilloscope. It is measured between two WIDI Masters. The lowest outcome is 3ms. The highest is 10ms. We measure an average on 5ms to 6ms.

The latency on iOS and macOS came from the limitation of the Bluetooth connection interval. This is a rule set by Apple. On iOS it is 11.25ms minimum. On macOS it is 7.5ms minimum.

Please note that these are “intervals” and not “latency” metrics. These intervals can cause latency and jitter due to the limitation of that buffer.

Bypass Limitations of macOS and iOS

The main reason for this limitation is because Apple has no intention to place Bluetooth MIDI at a high priority compared to other more common services. Thus if you connect any Bluetooth MIDI device with iOS or macOS, you cannot get the connection interval lower than above mentioned limitations.

If we break away from the iOS and macOS Bluetooth connection interval, two WIDI Master can set itself with shortest interval that Bluetooth 5 supported. In this way, we can reduce the latency significantly.

Also, in the design of macOS it is integrated to "kill" any unused BLE MIDI connection. It is designed this way, because macOS does not prioritise Bluetooth MIDI. It prioritises Bluetooth for audio and other data. Bluetooth MIDI is simply not that important for Apple...

To bypass limitations of iOS and macOS an interesting option is WIDI Uhost or WIDI Bud Pro. It will also allow you to pair automatically, instead of manually setting your BLE MIDI connection every time..

Make decision based on real life experience..

You are perfectly capable of making your own decision. If latency is the only metric you make your decision on, and cables work for you, you just stick to your cables. Or at least wait until you and your musician friends can test our Bluetooth MIDI solution in real life at your local dealer. That is fair enough, right?

In the other hand, if you are interested in getting rid of those cables, advanced midi connectivity, app based cable management and wider range plus freedom of movement with midi (like on stage), then Bluetooth MIDI solutions might be of interest for you.

Take a look at this great video by the amazing Shook and partner Juliet. This time, the videos made by Shook all are advertisements. This means, Shook got paid to create them. And it was worth every single penny!

Enjoy!

Facts about Bluetooth MIDI

With the current BLE MIDI solution as developed with CME’s WIDI it is possible to reduce latency between two WIDI devices using BLE 5 to 3ms. When looking at a stable jitter it is considered that a 4–6ms latency is more accurate.

If you want to find out more about WIDI Master and latency: go read this!

Bluetooth MIDI is the standard as developed by Apple and approved by the MIDI Association already 5 years ago. Many industry icons including engineers from Moog, David Smith, Yamaha, Roland, Korg, Apple, Google, Microsoft etc. worked together to verify this standard.

Learn more via the MIDI Association!

There are many professional keyboards and synthesizers already equipped with Bluetooth MIDI features. Tens of thousands professional musicians use it on the stage or in the studio for over several years. If you search on Google, you can find many examples.

CME implemented this Bluetooth specific central role MIDI technology in the renowned Xkey Air (2015) and WIDI BUD (2016).

Up until this day CME rarely receives complaints by professional musicians about instability of connections and latency. Mainly issues are caused by settings, obstacles and also limitations of MIDI devices and the architecture of operating systems.

That is why, as a fact, MIDI over Bluetooth has already been approved over the time and proven to work by over 4 years of usage.

Let's do another Shook celebration!