Roland UM-One MkII

This is an expensive bit of kit especially just being a cable but I wanted to make sure I had the best chance of success connecting my old Korg SP-250 to my iMac and Garageband/Logic Pro. Once the cable is 'installed' I had no issues connecting it to the computer and all the midi instruments worked fine. My only gripe is that the cable could have been longer or, Roland could have offered multipel cable lengths as options. Currently, I would need about a 4 metre cable so for now, I have to move the piano to the computer...!

I've tried a couple of these MIDI to USB interfaces in the past when the technology wasn't the most advanced, but I trust the Roland name and I needed this for my rig, so I gave it a shot.

I was pleasantly surprised at how low the latency truly is, and I didn't twist a single knob or click a single mouse to dial it in. It's frankly unnoticeable, and I've used it on a number of different MIDI instruments and found the performance to be quite consistent between all of them. I've also had no problems whatsoever utilizing it with my DAWs.

The only potential turnoff here is the pricetag, but let's be honest, you're paying for the Mercedes-Benz of simple USB to MIDI Interfaces. If you're considering a cheaper alternative to the UM-One, I would honestly say just suck it up and pay the extra 10-20 bucks for the Roland quality. A quick glance at the competitors and you'll see that the UM-One tends to come out on top, unless you want to pay $100 or more.

Great product. Nothing to complain about. A great solution for linking MIDI instruments with your computer, your DAW, and your rig.

The 'issue' with the Roland was that there is a COMputer/TABlet switch on the side of it to differentiate between whether it is connected to a computer or tablet respectively. The problem I had was that I couldn't effect the switch with a thumb pressure. I contacted Roland UK, and was advised that the switch is recessed below the surface and that a small tool would be necessary to effect a switching. I used a plastic coated paperclip, and that exercise was then successful. They also advised that the switch is recessed to prevent accidental resetting e.g. during a gig.