MOTU Midi Express XT [2000-2010]

MOTU MIDI Express XT USB can be racked and it only takes up 1 rack space, and it has enough ins and outs to power your whole MIDI set up! There are 8 ins and 8 outs on this interface, it is very simple to use and set up. You can go to your MIDI settings in our software and it will show that you have this MIDI device connected and installed then just click on it. It is that simple, as long as you understand MIDI and how to use it, it will take no longer than 10 minutes to get Express XT setup.

UTILIZATION

Some of the key features of the MOTU MIDI Express XT are the audio click input, this will just take your click from your DAW and turn it into MIDI data on the Express XT, the MIDI Express XT USB has a merge matrix style to it, this will allow you to unplug MIDI cables and plug them back in with different gear and you wont have to restart anything or even reload it in your software. It is truly plug and play with the Express XT USB. It is compatible with Windows PC’s and Mac’s, it comes with driver software to load either one. It works with Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows VISTA, and you only need OS 10.3 or higher for Macs.


OVERALL OPINION

The MOTU MIDI Express was a great addition to our garage studio because we have a lot of MIDI gear and needed to get rid of the small USB MIDI inputs that we where using. Now we have all of your keyboards going right into the Express XT, with daisy chaining we can route MIDI through everything now. If we do get one more MIDI instrument then we will get rid of this and look for a bigger unit that has more ins and outs. But until then this is the best MIDI interface that we have used.

This is a rack able piece of gear that you would need in your set up, it really powers my whole set up once I think about it. I am able to have all of my keyboards and drum machines all running with each other and synced up thanks to the Motu Midi Express XT USB. Installing the driver that came with the Motu Midi Express XT USB was very quick and easy. I didn’t have to update it online, im not sure if they even have the updates online for it or not but there was no need because it came with a disk and once I inserted the disk it auto started and installed and then my daw recognized my Motu Midi Express XT then I started getting all of my connections right from my keyboards to drum machines and all my external gear.


UTILIZATION

After having to read the manual that came with the Motu Midi Express XT I finally figured out how to have all the midi running through it. The manual wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to understand, I would rather watch a video on how to do something like this and believe me I looked online and on you tube trying to find a video of someone walking through the steps to set it up but couldn’t find anything. Maybe I will make a video for everyone else on how to do it now since I have it figured out.


OVERALL OPINION

If you have a lot of midi gear than you need something to be the brain of it all, and the Motue Midi Express will handle all of that stuff. This rack able unit surprised me with its ability to help in that department. I didn’t think having one single unit to handle midi would work out this well nor didn’t I think that I really needed it. Boy am I glad I got the Motu Midi Express XT .

The MOTU MIDI Express XT USB is an eight by eight MIDI interface, consisting of 128 channels in total. It is designed for any type of use with MIDI that you so choose. In terms of connections, it has a MIDI input and output in the front, and eight MIDI inputs and outputs in the back. It also has a USB port and SMPTE 1/4" connections for input and output for SMPTE synchronization as well. It will indeed fit in a rack casing, and will only take up a single space. Lastly, it has a 1/4" output in the front for a pedal controlling option. There is another version of the XT, but it doesn't have the digital screen and has a different look and make up in general.

UTILIZATION

Setting up and using the MOTU MIDI Express XT USB isn't a hard task at all. It does however provide you with a good amount of options and features to use here. However, making your basic connections and using this as a simple MIDI interface should prove to be very easy for most users. You can store and save presets, as it has a button for it and also one for going through the different banks. They've made it really easy to do all sorts of routing with the MIDI Express XT, but having the manual around would be a good idea for those who are new to MIDI interfaces.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, the MOTU MIDI Express XT USB is a very solid MIDI interface that has above average characteristics and make up. This goes beyond just being your simple MIDI interface, as there are a lot of features that this has to offer that others do not. If you are someone who uses a MIDI interface a lot and needs a good amount of channels and connections, the MIDI Express XT is definitely something worth looking into. The price is somewhere in the middle, as it isn't too expensive but isn't the cheapest out there, so the price shouldn't be a huge factor in determining if it is right for you. If you're looking for a great looking MIDI interface that has the features to back it up, definitely check out the MOTU MIDI Express XT USB interface.