Description
Sonuus i2M Musicport
Continuing from the appeal of the G2M™ and B2M™, the i2M musicport™ combines the features of both these units (to support both guitar and bass) with an optimised USB interface for even faster MIDI performance. Featuring extended MIDI features and configurability to satisfy the most demanding users, and a high-impedance audio interface that won’t suck the tone from your instrument, the i2M musicport™ is the new way to connect your musical instruments to your computer.
Designed particularly for guitar and bass, it works with most musical instruments including wind instruments and the human voice. Now you can record great-sounding tracks and play synthesizers and samplers how you have always wanted to: by using your favorite instrument.
With Sonuus, any of your analog instruments and mics can now turn into MIDI controller and play any sounds.
Features
- 16-bit, 44·1 kHz/48 kHz digital audio with Hi-Z input preamp.
- Any musical instrument can be used as a solo MIDI instrument.
- Optimised settings for: Guitar, 4-String Bass, 5-String Bass and Voice/Wind.
- No instrument modifications or special pickups required.
- Robust note detection — minimises wrong notes.
- Very low latency & ultra-fast tracking.
- Ultra-fast, accurate MIDI pitch-bend or chromatic mode.
- Ultra-compact, lightweight and portable.
- USB bus-powered (no power supply required).
- Future-proof upgradeable firmware.
Plug and Play
Using class-compliant USB drivers built into your computer’s operating system, and with no special instrument set up required, the i2M musicport™ offers a true plug-and-play experience for all musicians.
Ultra-Fast Monophonic MIDI Conversion
Although latency is unavoidable when converting musical pitch into MIDI messages, the unique technology used in the i2M musicport™ reduces this to a minimum. Not only is the MIDI conversion extremely fast, but accurate and robust. In fact, the pitch-bend detection of the i2M musicport™ is more accurate than many popular guitar tuners!
Fine nuances of your playing are captured by the i2M musicport™: note velocity is determined from how hard you play; and subtle vibrato and bends are converted to ultra-accurate pitch-bend messages with virtually no latency. Everything from the emotional subtlety of a ‘cello solo to the most extreme use of a guitar’s whammy bar are tracked flawlessly.
The optimised USB MIDI interface further minimises latency by intelligently managing data packets and avoiding the inherent delays in the traditional MIDI hardware protocol.
Flexible MIDI Architecture
The MIDI converter architecture is very flexible and powerful comprising six zones (splits), each with configurable pitch bend, MIDI channel, transpose and other parameters.
Hi-Z USB Audio Interface
The i2M musicport™ features a very high-impedance (Hi-Z) audio input circuit. This means it won’t degrade the tone of your musical instruments, unlike typical “line” inputs — often a problem with electric guitars and dynamic microphones. The input pre-amp also has adjustable gain to accommodate a wide variety of musical instruments.
High quality 16-bit, 44·1 kHz (CD quality), and 48 kHz (DVD quality) digital audio can be recorded into your favourite audio application, or used live, for example through amp-simulators with great-sounding results.
An ASIO driver (only supported on Windows operating systems) is available to provide low latency audio and features the unique ability to use any other audio device (even other ASIO devices) as the output audio device so you can hear everything you do in real time.
Future-Proof (Upgradeable Firmware)
To support new features and to make it futureproof, the firmware (internal software) of the i2M musicport™ can be upgraded. This means you can invest with confidence in the i2M musicport™.
Pocket-Sized / Gigantic Possibilities
Fashioned as an in-line ¼” jack-to-USB adapter, and about the size of a car key-fob, the i2M musicport™ has an ultra-compact design that can easily fit into your pocket. But this tiny box will redefine your musical possibilities.
An invaluable composition tool, the i2M musicport™ will let you access new sounds with ease, enable you to create tab and scores, provide you with new inspiration and let you have more fun than you thought possible.
Go on: Unlock your music!
Desktop Editor Software
The i2M musicport™ features a very flexible and powerful MIDI converter architecture with 6 zones enabling MIDI to be sent on up to 6 MIDI channels simultaneously, with each zone being independently configurable. You can customise each of the operating modes for your particular requirements and exchange these settings with other i2M musicport™ users.
Four presets can be stored on the i2M musicport™ so you can switch between these without requiring the Desktop Editor Software. This software is available for Microsoft Windows, and OSX (10·5 and above).
Desktop Editor Software
The MIDI converter architecture of the i2M musicport is very flexible and powerful. To enable you to make full use of this, we have provided a Desktop Editor Software application that runs on both Microsoft Windows and Apple OSX. You can run this beside your other audio applications to give you quick and simple access to any configuration parameters you want to adjust on the i2Mmusicport.
Operating Modes
There are four “Operating Modes” (presets) that can be configured. The current mode is shown by the LED logo on the i2M musicport, and modes can be selected by using the button next to the LED logo. The active mode can also be shown, changed, and edited using the Desktop Editor Software, as shown below.
Each mode lets you configure the instrument, which optimises detection range and parameters for particular instrument types. You can also assign a “MIDI Configuration” (a combination of MIDI zone settings) to each mode.
By default, the modes are configured to give out-of-the-box functionality the same as the Sonuus G2M (guitar mode) and Sonuus B2M (5-string bass mode). But it is simple to change this.
MIDI Configurations (Zones)
A MIDI Configuration is a set of six MIDI zones. Each zone has identical parameters but are processed in parallel and can be configured independently.
The simplest use for (and default setting of) zones is to have one MIDI Configuration set for pitch bend, and one MIDI Configuration set for chromatic mode. With each assigned to a different mode, you can switch between pitch-bend and chromatic mode simply by toggling modes.
However, there are many more uses for zones:
- Layer several zones with different MIDI channels to control different MIDI instruments.
- Use the same MIDI channel, but different transpose setting to play thick chords while only playing one note on your instrument.
- Use one zone with transpose of -12 or -24 to play fast bass lines. You can play higher-pitched notes which can be tracked more quickly, while sending lower-pitched notes to your synthesizer.
- Use the “Gate” feature to split your instrument into several regions where different notes trigger different software instruments on different MIDI channels.
Setup and Utility
Various utility features let you configure the input preamp gain, settings used for the MIDI hold function, and other features of the i2M musicport.
The settings of the i2M musicport can be saved to, and loaded from, files. This lets you backup your configurations and allows you to exchange favourite setups with other i2M musicport users.
