Hello,
I would like to know if android.hardware.usb could be useful to make an android device communicate with a midi usb interface.
I ask also if every midi usb interface adopt the same protocol.
In linux systems when I plug my Edirol UA4fx interface, it is detected and recognized, and later alsa can exploit it. I wonder if a driver for every midi interface is inside the system or just there is a protocol.
If yes where could I find documentation about it so to implement it with
android.hardware.usb?
And moreover, can alsa be ported to android like a c++ legacy library?
Any further information is welcome.
Thank you very much

Over a month w/ no answers -- maybe any or all of the following would help:

• Links to the things you're asking about.
• Clearer questions.
• More information.

Good luck.

even better is addressing platforms where midi is supported (someone said iPad?)

Another month is over, & still no answers, have you given up on this question?

Hello,

I have written a lot of MIDI apps, mostly using the MidiShare framework (midishare.sourceforge.net). But like you, I wanted to get something going on Android, and after a lot of digging found some ideas and wrote a simple test program.

Not wanting to modify my stock Acer A-500 tablet (Android 3.2, Kernel 2.6.36.3), I decided to access the Midi USB adapter using the Usb Host classes provided in the SDK.

I tried two different USB Midi adapters, an Edirol UM-1 and an old Turtle Beach one (no model number on it, I think it's the only one they made under that name). Both worked with the same protocol, I just had to change the resources to match the different Vendor and Product ID's. All Midi data is transported in four-byte packets and no setup commands are required; just get USB permission, find the in and out block transfer endpoints, and use multiple threads to prevent stalling.

My test program so far just generates a few fixed NoteOn and NoteOff messages to test the output (played just fine on my Casio synthesizer) and printed the incoming MIDI messages in a TextView to check the input (received the Casio's keyboard messages fine).

The next step will be to implement code to send/receive MIDI to/from a standard midi file, and then to write a full application for a sequencer. But the important thing is proof of concept -- with the latest Android you CAN use a USB Midi interface (at least these two) without rooting the tablet and adding additional drivers.

Brian

Hi, can I get more info on how you got MIDI working via USB on Android? If possible, please respond to paul@broadway-performance-systems.com.

Thanks!

Paul

Hi, I'm also looking to achieve this. At present, my USB-MIDI controller (non-branded) is unrecognised when plugged into an Android 3.1 Samsung Galaxy 10.1". I think the first step would be to get the hardware recognised and would appreciate direction. Thanks! pacman

Hey Brian,

I'm actually working on a same proof-of-concept like you were doing. I have already the permissions and threads. But now I'm stuck as I don't have much midi and low level expirience. It would be so great if you could post your proof-of-concept or at least a cool hint for the incoming part

#and printed the incoming MIDI messages in a TextView to check the input (received the Casio's keyboard messages fine).

as I wanted to work on a Midi Clock app ...

greets ....

I really cannot understand why that Java midi library I used on Linux and Windows is not on Android too, at least for tablets, because it is impossible that tablets have performances issues. So annoying.