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Deftaudio

950 orders since Sep 17, 2019

Mather, CA, United States of America

Ships from United States of America.

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Overall Rating:

Review Breakdown

5
30 4
23 3
3 2
3 1
0

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Average Ratings

Product: (4.76)

Documentation: (4.15)

Shipping: (4.78)

Communication: (4.61)

All Reviews

John | Aug. 14, 2024

Great kit, all parts are there, but overzealous taping

For Teensy 4.1 MIDI Breakout board 8in / 8out USB host

Updating my review, since I finished the build, and it works perfectly! I use PlatformIO as my dev environment, not the Arduino IDE, which didn't work at first. To fix that, all I had to do to was add #include <EEPROM.h> at the top of the .ino file with the other includes and build_flags = -D USB_MIDI to platformio.ini. The PCB is excellent, and the instructions are clear. Labeling and orientation of components on the PCB itself is great. It's so straightforward that instructions aren't really needed if you know what you're doing and you pay attention: For example, the orientation of the 6N138 IC's isn't as obvious from the board, but I could make it out from the photos, and I could find it on the schematic like I should have anyway. Word of advice though: Go easier on the packing tape or use something different. The tape was strong enough to rip all the bubble wrap and the plastic bag containing the MIDI jacks.

Bernhard | Feb. 4, 2024

Most powerful MIDI hub I ever had; great communication

For Teensy 4.1 MIDI Breakout board 8in / 8out USB host

I'm very glad I bought this kit since it obsoletes at least three other pieces of MIDI gear in my setup. Seller Deftaudio was very helpful and quick to respond.

Firmware is available on GitHub and could be tailored to my needs easily. (8x8 MIDI merge - comes out of the box. USB MIDI interface: There's a firmware for that too. Filtering certain MIDI messages, transposing notes ... all possible with a little bit of coding.)

To compile the firmware, I had to select "USB Type: Serial + MIDI" in the "Tools" menu of the Arduino IDE.

If you don't mind a bit of soldering and have maybe a little bit of experience using the Teensy, I can't think of a better device than this.

Bill | Nov. 13, 2023

Another superb Deft Audio product

For MIDI Thru 1in -> 10out splitter PCB or a Kit

I love this company
Every kit 'just works' and is so clearly described and laid out that no further documentation is necessary.
REALLY inexpensive. good quality components (100 deg + capacitors etc)
Just great. Wish they had UK distribution - they should be selling a lot

Spencer | Oct. 26, 2023

Excellent kit, and great comms

For Teensy 4.1 MIDI Breakout board 8in / 8out USB host

Wonderful kit, which basically has unlimited potential / flexibility. Well designed to be extended with displays etc, and header pins for additional Teensy capabilities (e.g. Ethernet) make this compelling alternative to much more expensive commercial devices which all more or less require a computer hooked up and a "control app".

Great service and pleasant communications from the seller also. Recommended!
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Response from Deftaudio | Oct. 26, 2023
Thank you. It's very kind of you.
Kate.

Bill | Sept. 18, 2023

Outstanding Value. Buy it and you will not be disappointed.

For Teensy 4.1 MIDI Breakout board 8in / 8out USB host

The documentation is scant and so you will need to have your wits about you when it comes to flashing the firmware.
But

the kit is beautifully designed and you can just follow your nose when it comes to assembly / soldering.
I made some errors btw..

The developer/seller is helpful and responsive. The price is insanely low.
I also get the impression that someone more knowledgable than me could use this board to create something pretty spectacular midi-wise.. it seems to have the ability to be more than is presented maybe ?

Anyway. For the price is it an outstanding product. I really would recommend. I am surprised it's not more mentioned on forums etc. I will now be looking with interest at any further products from this seller.

Dominic | Dec. 26, 2022

Great circuit, easy build

For MIDI Thru 1in -> 4out splitter PCB or a Kit

Works as it should. Easy build, solid design. Would buy again. Fast shipper. 5-stars. Made wiring my MIDI controlled guitar rig much easier not having to daisy chain everything. I wish the PCB was a bit shorter, would be nice if it fit in a 125B sized enclosure.

Stuart | Aug. 8, 2022

An excellent product, easy to assemble, and VERY flexible!

For Teensy 3.2 MIDI Breakout board, 3in / 3out, USB

The big pluses: This is a AWESOME bang-for-the buck MIDI interface. MIDI 3 in x MIDI 3 out, plus USB MIDI. Very flexible routing (can be changed via programming OR by using a MIDI router app connected by USB to a computer). If you are an experienced board maker, this build is EASY. I got it done, including flashing the firmware and testing the board, in under an hour.

The down-side/challenges: The documentation is scant, and so you need to look at the board carefully, place the parts accordingly, and you're off to the races. As another reviewer mentioned, be prepared to flash the firmware for the Teensy 3.2 (not included in the kit).

Also, unless I missed something, be prepared to either design and 3D print an enclosure, or make your own box (laser-cut acrylic, perhaps?). I'm designing an enclosure to be printed in PLA.
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Response from Deftaudio | Aug. 8, 2022
Hi guys, I know sometimes it's not clear where to find the link to documentation on the product page. You have to click Specs and the follow to Source Code section. All files including firmware, hi res pictures, BOM and design layout for laser cut acrylic panels are placed on Github. Here is a link for your convenience: https://github.com/Deftaudio/Midi-boards/tree/master/MIDITeensy3.2
Kate.

Sean | June 15, 2022

Does exactly what it is supposed to do!

For Teensy 4.0 MIDI Breakout board, 5in / 5out, USB

It is a high-quality, well-designed board that does exactly what it is supposed to do and works well for my needs. The board shipped super fast and was complete.
As for documentation...I didn't need any, and the published schematic was all I needed to get going. I did not need to communicate so I gave a good rating for the benefit of the doubt. Thanks much!

George | June 12, 2022

Great super useful tool, if you can house it.

For MIDI MERGER / SPLITTER 2in->10out Thru PCB or Kit

The build documentation was great, I managed to build the splitter/merger without issue & it works great.

That said, the documentation related to getting a housing made for it left a bit to be desired. Why CorelDraw for the design file? I took the suggestion for getting a top & bottom plate made to sandwich the board with nylon standoffs. Luckily I found someone with a laser cutter able to work with the file. But since the file in the GitHub only provided the corner hole placement, and the only flat image of the board graphics is chopped off at one end getting proper cutouts for LEDs, Switches & having labels engraved proved more difficult. This resulted in just having the entire top be a framed open rectangle. Certainly sufficient for the task but a more widely used design file type with more of the board graphics would have made this less of a slog. Kit & function 10:10, getting an enclosure produced for the kit 4:10

Benjamin | April 30, 2022

Great clock converter

For MIDI Sync box Din Sync Any sync PCB or Kit

Was a little frustrating due to brief documentation. Had my doubts testing. But this thing is driving my KPR-77 at full speed with a MIDI clock. Highly recommended.

Alexander | March 8, 2022

Cost-effective option for MIDI splitting

For MIDI Thru 2input -> 10out splitter PCB or a Kit

Bought this to replace my ailing MOTU MTPIII. I mounted the board to a scrap piece of 1/2" acrylic to give it some weight and keep it from shifting around. I think the board could use some support in the middle. Looking at the traces, there's definitely room to add more mounting holes.
It's easy to build and it's cheap.
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Response from Deftaudio | March 9, 2022
Thank you for your review! It's a good suggestion to add a middle hole for the extra mounting. I'll certainly do this on the next batch. Great idea!

Cooper | Feb. 3, 2022

Amazing & Simple Product and Easy to Assemble Kit!

For MIDI Thru 1in -> 4out splitter PCB or a Kit

This is a very simple & affordable project that does exactly what it's supposed to do. I received it in the post relatively quickly and it was packaged up almost too nicely. :P The kit is very easy to put together and could take someone anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on their experience. I did encounter some issues with the BOM (which serves as the documentation), but I was able to figure it out easily. Andrei already got back with me about it and it was a misprint of an older spreadsheet. Only thing I'd recommend changing is something to better describe how the power jumper works right on the silkscreen so there's no guessing about it... and maybe a proper USB-B connector instead of a USB to barrel cable.

Jay | Dec. 8, 2021

Excellent, effective, and easy to construct

For MIDI Thru 2input -> 10out splitter PCB or a Kit

This is an excellent MIDI utility for a great price compared to commercial MIDI splitters. It is a very simple build with clear instructions. One thing to mention if you purchase the 9V power supply version is to make sure solder a jumper at JP1 on the PCB. That was a simple mistake I made, but Deftaudio easy to communicate with and helped me figure out my error.

Mykola | Nov. 22, 2021

Useful, good quality, easy 2 assembl, shipping price offends

For MIDI Thru 1in -> 10out splitter PCB or a Kit

You better start building this very useful item from the end. Read the bottom part of the XLS file and solder resistors first then add bigger components like capacitors, dips, din ports. For resistors soldering use a fabric glove to protect fingers from the burn. Din port needs one-shots soldering, insert it to the end then solder one extreme leg, this will fix din to PCB and free your hand. Move on. The middle leg wants more heat to solder, because of its bigger mass. Solder everything and shortcut jp1 jumper 1-2 pins to always use a voltage regulator if you will use external psu. This will save you IC hex inverters, cs they work till 6v max. Check the voltage on the led socket with the power on, no more than 5+ volts. Power off and then put ICs in DIPs.
Voltage max for the light-emitting diodes like 9v, this moment missing in the manual.

John | Sept. 20, 2021

Easy to build, extremely useful

For MIDI Thru 2input -> 10out splitter PCB or a Kit

Was a simple kit to build, and I'm far from an expert. One of the optocouplers ended up being bad, but that could have been my fault. I had spares on hand, so no problem. Love the design, very elegant!

Peter | Sept. 7, 2021

Nice little project

For MIDI Thru 1in -> 4out splitter PCB or a Kit

I put this together without too much drama. but i do have electronics experience - Other reviewers have stated trouble with component identification and orientation. I was familiar with these issues and just had to double check - anyway, I plugged it in and it worked 1st time - didnt have to troubleshoot. So I now have to think about what sort of enclosure I want to put it in.
Cheers to Deft audio.

Juan Antonio | June 6, 2021

Satisfied with the midi merger, a great buy

For MIDI MERGER / SPLITTER 2in->10out Thru PCB or Kit

The kit is easy to assemble and the instructions are clear. With a minimum experience in electronic assemblies it is completed successfully. It works perfectly and exceeds my performance expectations. Excellent

Robert | April 19, 2021

Simple, Cheap and Works

For MIDI Thru 1in -> 4out splitter PCB or a Kit

This MIDI Thru 1in4 does the job well. I'm not a musician so I can't comment on fidelity, or on longevity, but it works for me just great and don't notice any flaws. The build itself was easy. I appreciate that and it's very low cost, making it easily attainable on a budget.

I have a beatstep pro as a master to the MIDI 1in4, then 4 Thru to 4 other Arturia gear, with sequencers, and a TD-03. I set sync to midi on all devices except the BSP (Int), which allows me to start/stop all other devices, but still control each device's sounds independently. Or change sync and control most everything from the BSP. The 1in4 made this all very easy. I was nervous at first, because I had read of a few issues with getting things synced, but I had no issues and I'm pretty stupid when it comes to music, much less MIDI (I get the gist lol).

Marco | Feb. 12, 2021

Ok, could be better.

For Teensy 4.0 MIDI Breakout board, 5in / 5out, USB

Board ist ok. I modified the Board to comply to the Midi Standard and to be more robust. Used the Board to build my own Midi Interface with Midi merge and several routing options. I added some 5V Open drain Output Logic drivers because to Connect the Controller Pins directly to the connector ist not a good Idea. Added also some components for better EMI. The input optocouplers are not the fastest there are better newer replacements. Added a pull down to the Base of the 2nd Darlington Transistor for faster switching.

Keith | Feb. 3, 2021

Excellent all round

For MIDI MERGER / SPLITTER 2in->10out Thru PCB or Kit

Item selection and purchase was clear and easy. Just works! Andrei communicated excellently and the shipping/tracking was faultless. Well done and thank you :)

Warren | May 19, 2020

Excellent product; totally customizeable

For Teensy 3.2 MIDI Breakout board, 3in / 3out, USB

This MIDI breakout is awesome. Its basic functionality with the provided sketch is what most people would need. With some expansion and minor tweaks, you can make it do a whole lot more!
This is not a consumer product; you must know how to program an Arduino or Teensy to make it useful to you. But that makes it way more fun!
Shipped with a faulty optoisolator, but the seller was quick to make things right.

Pedro | May 10, 2020

Great Unit!!! But jack barrel input is center positive

For MIDI MERGER / SPLITTER 2in->10out Thru PCB or Kit

Great Unit!!! But jack barrel input is center positive, it should be mentioned as i almost burned the L7805 before i noticed.
Overall great unit.

Jim | April 11, 2020

Great product

For MIDI Thru 1in -> 4out splitter PCB or a Kit

Super impressed with the quality of the board and kit. Amazing value for all the parts and board and engineering that went into it.
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