Can anyone recommend a USB MIDI interface that:
- Is <$150
- Can be rack-mounted
- Has full merge capability
- Works as a stand-alone patchbay
- Works well on Windows 10
Thank you 
New or secondhand?
How many MIDI ports do you need?
Iām looking for something similar. I really donāt want to complicate the original posterās question - but I would just be looking for one that can additionally accommodate USB MIDI devices to act as a USB MIDI host for them.
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Oh definitely second hand. At least 6 inputs and outputs.
Thatās a rarity. The mio10 does that but many a 1 star on Amazon.
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I do not believe this device exists.
I wish it did, excepting the Win10 stuff (class compliant means it works without drivers so should work perfectly despite OS, but any configuration software would be OS specific - and I rebuke Win10 in the Name of All That Is Holy).
What parameters would you be willing to modify? Perhaps rackmount since an 8x8 might fit on a rack shelf, still be mountable, just not nativelyā¦?
Blokas midihub.
Best!
Oh man, feels like I work for them. I recommended it already a few times hereā¦
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MOTU MTP AV. Second hand now but usually cheap, full merge/filtering, rackmountable and standalone.
Iāve got the pre USB model. One going for Ā£60 on reverb
Maybe this?
I was going to suggest ESI too. If you are patient you can get an older basic version on ebay for around 100GBP. There are different flavours of this unit with the top end working as a standalone unit.
The M4U is pretty powerful and straightforward, each MIDI connector can be in or OUT and it recognizes that automatically, it can be run as USB interface or stand alone, it has a 1 in into 7 out mode, I use it for quite a while now and midi sync works perfectly. And it is a little more than ā¬130,-
I have not yet tried to connect a midi keyboard directly into it.
Edit: Merge functionality is a little bit limited, thoughā¦
"* can be used as MIDI thru solution in standalone mode to send one MIDI signal to 7 outputs
- ļ· can be used as MIDI merger in standalone mode to merge 7 MIDI signals to a single output"
I find my mio10 useful. Wonder why the hate
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Abandonwareā¦ if they made a new iOS app, Iād give it 10 stars.
Another vote for ESI here. Iāve got an M8Unand an MRI. Can confirm they both play well with the Bome box, too, if you have more complex routing needs.
Could be user error 
It looks a little more complex to config than MOTU. The connections you can make are just as flexible, which is what I need - merge all, split all. (āLive Keysā mode on MOTU). Iām not big-brained enough to manage a rig more complex than that yet. (Nor do I own enough gear.)
Iām mulling over putting in an offer on a Like-new MioXM. Iām interested in it for being futureproof with 4 USB ports. MIDI over DIN kinda needs to die. There is also MioXL full-width with even more connections but with all the USB ports on the XM, two of which Iāll be able to use (Model:Cycles and MPK249) I think the XM will be just fine for me for a long time.
Only thing Iām worried about is the power connector, more than one report of it being loose. Nothing some gaff tape couldnāt fix?
Decided to integrate my flight case into my bedroom production studio (I have two spaces) so that I donāt have to buy another MIDI interface. Just ordered the 1U MOTU mounting kit ā¦ $30 for a single rack ear is admittedly kind of silly but slightly better than putting down $200 for something that I donāt need right now and would probably take up a bunch of my time with setup. However if I were to buy one in the future itās between MioXM and the iConnectMIDI4+ as both look very interesting and unique and forward thinking in regards to MIDI.
Thanks all for your help and suggestions.
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What tools/instruments are you using
Flight case: Mixer (cheap Xeynx 1002B), MIDI interface/patchbay (Micro Express), and effects (SE-50 and an old spring reverb that a friend lent me). The case came with a shelf to place devices but I bought rack ears for the Machinedrum and replaced the shelf with that for ergonomics and simpler transport. I also have a Model:Cycles, Nord Lead 3, a Korg X5, and MPK249 (thatās not getting much use lately, just a utility workhorse). Portable Hercules Z-stand. On the laptop I use Ableton, with a footswitch that sends a single keystroke āoā that I map to trigger the last triggered scene plus two, that works using ClyphX Pro, and thatās pretty much it right now. I have a NanoKontrol that I loaded Arsenal_NK2 onto for mixing Ableton tracks but thatās sidelined until I get more of a mastery of the DAWless part. Less is moreā¦
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