CME WIDI Thru6 BT MIDI Interface User Manual

CME WIDI Thru6 BT MIDI Interface

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Hello, thank you for purchasing CME’s professional product!

Please read this manual completely before using this product. The pictures in the manual are for illustration purposes only, the actual product may vary. For more technical support content and videos, please visit this page: www .cme-pro.com/support/

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

WARNING

Improper connection may cause damage to the device.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2022 CME Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. CME is a registered trademark of CME Pte. Ltd. in Singapore and/or other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

LIMITED WARRANTY

CME provides a one-year standard Limited Warranty for this product only to the person or entity that originally purchased this product from an authorized dealer or distributor of CME. The warranty period starts on the date of purchase of this product. CME warrants the included hardware against defects in workmanship and materials during the warranty period. CME does not warrant against normal wear and tear, nor damage caused by accident or abuses of the purchased product. CME is not responsible for any damage or data loss caused by improper operation of the equipment. You are required to provide a proof of purchase as a condition of receiving warranty service. Your delivery or sales receipt, showing the date of purchase of this product, is your proof of purchase. To obtain service, call or visit the authorized dealer or distributor of CME where you purchased this product. CME will fulfill the warranty obligations according to local consumer laws.

SAFETY INFORMATION
Always follow the basic precautions listed below to avoid the possibility of serious injury or even death from electrical shock, damages, fire, or other hazards. These precautions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Do not connect the instrument during a thunder.
• Do not set up the cord or outlet to a humid place unless the outlet is specially designed for humid places.
• If the instrument needs to be powered by AC, do not touch the bare part of the cord or the connector when the power cord is connected to the AC outlet.
• Always follow the instructions carefully when setting up the instrument.
• Do not expose the instrument to rain or moisture, to avoid fire and/or electrical shock.
• Keep the instrument away from electrical interface sources,such as fluorescent light and electrical motors.
• Keep the instrument away from dust, heat, and vibration.
• Do not expose the instrument to sunlight.
• Do not place heavy objects on the instrument; do not place containers with liquid on the instrument.
• Do not touch the connectors with wet hands

PACKAGE CONTENTS

1. WIDI Thru6 BT Interface
2. USB Cable
3. Quick Start Guide

INTRODUCTION

WIDI Thru6 BT is the world’s first MIDI Thru/Splitter box with wireless Bluetooth MIDI function, which can completely and accurately forward MIDI messages received by the local wired MIDI IN or Bluetooth MIDI IN to multiple MIDI Thru. It has five standard 5- pin MIDI THRU ports and one 5-pin MIDI IN port, as well as a bidirectional Bluetooth MIDI module with 1 input, 1 output and 16 channels. Combined the total number of MIDI connections can reach 2 inputs and 6 outputs. The device can be powered via standard USB. Multiple WIDI Thru6 BTs can be daisy-chained to form larger systems.

WIDI Thru6 BT can connect to all MIDI products with a standard MIDI interface, such as: synthesizers, MIDI controllers, MIDI interfaces, keytars, electronic wind instruments, v-accordions,electronic drums, digital pianos, electronic portable keyboards, audio interfaces, digital mixers, etc. Also WIDI Thru6 BT will connect to BLE MIDI capable devices and computers, such as: Bluetooth MIDI controllers, iPhones, iPads, Macs, PCs, Android tablets and mobile phones, etc.

USB Power
USB TYPE-C socket. Use a universal USB Type-C cable to connect a standard USB power supply with a voltage of 5V (e.g.: charger, power bank, computer USB socket, etc.) to supply power to the unit.

Button

• Manual factory reset : When the WIDI Thru6 BT is not powered on, press and hold the button and then power on the WIDI Thru6 BT until the LED light located in the center of the interface flashes slowly 3 times, then release. The interface will be manually reset to the factory default state.
• Manual“Force Peripheral”: When the WIDI Thru6 BT is powered on, press and hold the button for 3 seconds and then release it, the Bluetooth role of the interface will be manually set to the “Force Peripheral” mode (this mode is used to connect to a computer or mobile phone). If the interface has previously been connected to other Bluetooth MIDI devices, this action will disconnect all connections.

5-Pin DIN MIDI Socket

• IN: One 5-pin MIDI IN socket is used to connect the MIDI OUT or MIDI THRU port of standard MIDI device to receive MIDI messages in the WIDI Thru6 BT.
• THRU: Five 5-pin MIDI THRU sockets are used to connect to the MIDI IN port of standard MIDI devices, and completely forward the MIDI messages received by the WIDI Thru6 BT to all connected MIDI devices.

Bluetooth MIDI

WIDI Thru6 BT has a Bluetooth MIDI module with the same function as CME’s WIDI Core, which can provide 16-channel bidirectional wireless Bluetooth MIDI function. When this unit is connected to another Bluetooth MIDI device or computer, the MIDI messages received by its Bluetooth MIDI input are completely forwarded to all MIDI devices connected to the 5-pin MIDI THRU socket. Conversely, the MIDI messages received by its 5-pin MIDI input are fully forwarded to the connected Bluetooth MIDI device.

LED Indicator

The indicators are located inside the product housing and are used to indicate various states of the unit.

• The green LED light near the side of the USB power supply connector.
  • When the power supply is normal, the green LED light will be lit.
• The LED light located in the center of the interface
  • The blue LED light flashes slowly: Bluetooth MIDI starts normally and waits for connection.
  • Steady blue LED light: Bluetooth MIDI has been successfully connected.
  • Fast blinking blue LED light: Bluetooth MIDI is connected and MIDI messages are being received or sent.
  • The light blue (turquoise) LED light is always on: the device is connected as a Bluetooth MIDI central to other Bluetooth MIDI peripherals.
  • The green LED light indicates that the device is in firmware upgrader mode, please use the iOS or Android version of the WIDI App to upgrade the firmware (please visit the BluetoothMIDI.com page for the App download link).

Signal Flow Chart

WIRED MIDI CONNECTION

Connect external MIDI device to WIDI Thru6 BT

1. Power the unit through the USB port of the WIDI Thru6 BT.
2. Using a 5-pin MIDI cable, connect the MIDI OUT or MIDI THRU of the MIDI device to the MIDI IN socket of the WIDI Thru6 BT. Then connect at least one of the MIDI THRU 1-5 sockets of the WIDI Thru6 BT to the MIDI IN of the external MIDI device(s).
3. At this point, the MIDI messages received by the WIDI Thru6 BT from the MIDI IN port will be fully forwarded to the MIDI devices connected to the THRU 1-5 ports and BLE Out.

Note: WIDI Thru6 BT has no power switch, simply plug in your USB power supply to get started.

Daisy-chaining multiple WIDI Thru6 BTs
In practice, if you need more than five (5) MIDI Thru ports, you can simply daisy-chain multiple WIDI Thru6 BTs by connecting the MIDI Thru port of one WIDI Thru6 BT to the MIDI IN port of the next WIDI Thru6 BT with a standard 5-pin MIDI cable.

Note: Each WIDI Thru6 BT needs to be powered separately (consider a USB Hub as power supply).

BLUETOOTH MIDI CONNECTION

Note: All WIDI products use the same way for Bluetooth connection.
Therefore, the following video descriptions use WIDI Master as an example.

Establish a Bluetooth MIDI connection between two WIDI Thru6 BT interfaces

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/BhIx2vabt7c

1. Power on both WIDI Thru6 BTs.
2. The two WIDI Thru6 BTs pair automatically. The blue LED light will change from slow flashing to solid light (the LED light of one of the WIDI Thru6 BTs that automatically acts as a Bluetooth central will be turquoise). If there is MIDI data to send, the LEDs of both devices flash dynamically during data transfer.
   

Establish a Bluetooth MIDI connection between a MIDI device with built-in Bluetooth MIDI and WIDI Thru6 BT

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/7x5iMbzfd0o

1. Power on the MIDI device with built-in Bluetooth MIDI and the WIDI Thru6 BT.
2. The WIDI Thru6 BT will automatically pair with the built-in Bluetooth MIDI of another MIDI device, and its blue LED light will change from slow flashing to solid turquoise. If there is MIDI data sent, the LED light will flash dynamically during data transfer
   

Note: If the WIDI Thru6 BT cannot pair automatically with another MIDI device, there may be a compatibility issue, please go to BluetoothMIDI.com to contact CME for technical support.

Establish a Bluetooth MIDI connection between macOS X and WIDI Thru6 BT

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/bKcTfR-d46A

1. Power on the WIDI Thru6 BT and confirm that the blue LED is blinking slowly.

2. Click the [Apple icon] in the upper left corner of the Apple computer screen, click the [System Preferences] menu, click the [Bluetooth icon], and click [Turn on Bluetooth], then exit the Bluetooth settings window.

3. Click the [Go] menu at the top of the Apple computer screen, click [Utilities], and click [Audio MIDI Setup].
   Note: If you do not see the MIDI Studio window, click the [Window] menu at the top of the Apple computer screen, and click [Show MIDI Studio].

4. Click the [Bluetooth icon] on the upper right of the MIDI Studio window, find the WIDI Thru6 BT that appears under the device name list, click [Connect], the Bluetooth icon of the WIDI Thru6 BT will appear in the MIDI Studio window, indicating that the connection is successful. All setup windows can now be exited.
   

Establish Bluetooth MIDI connection between iOS device and WIDI Thru6 BT

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/5SWkeu2IyBg

1. Go to the App Store to search for and download the free app [midimittr].
   Note: If the app you are using already has a Bluetooth MIDI connection function, please connect the WIDI Thru6 BT directly on the MIDI setting page in the app.

2. Power on the WIDI Thru6 BT and confirm that the blue LED is blinking slowly.

3. Click the [Settings] icon to open the setting page, click [Bluetooth] to enter the Bluetooth setting page, and slide the Bluetooth switch to enable the Bluetooth function.

4. Open the midimittr App, click the [Device] menu at the bottom right of the screen, find the WIDI Thru6 BT that appears in the list, click [Not Connected], and click [Pair]on the Bluetooth pairing request pop-up window, the status of WIDI Thru6 BT in the list will be updated to [Connected], indicating that the connection is successful. At this point midimittr can be minimized and kept running in the background by pressing the iOS device’s home button.

5. Open the music app that can accept external MIDI input and select WIDI Thru6 BT as the MIDI input device on the settings page to start using it.

Note: iOS 16 (and higher) offers automatic pairing with WIDI devices.
After confirming the connection for the first time between your iOS device and WIDI device, it will automatically reconnect every time you start your WIDI device or Bluetooth on your iOS device. This is a great feature, as from now on, you will no longer have to manually pair each time. That said, it can bring confusion for those who use WIDI App to only update their WIDI device and not use an iOS device for Bluetooth MIDI. The new auto-pairing can lead to unwanted pairing with your iOS device. To avoid this, you can create fixed pairs between your WIDI devices via WIDI Groups. Another option is to terminate Bluetooth on your iOS device when working with WIDI devices.

Establish a Bluetooth MIDI connection between Windows 10/11 computer and WIDI Thru6 BT

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/JyJTulS-g4o

First, the music software must integrate Microsoft’s latest UWP API interface program to use the Bluetooth MIDI universal driver that comes with Windows 10/11. Most music software has not integrated this API for various reasons. As far as we know, only Cakewalk by Bandlab and Steinberg Cubase 12 integrates this API, so it can connect directly to WIDI Thru6 BT or other standard Bluetooth MIDI devices.

Of course, there are alternative solutions for MIDI data transfer between “Windows 10/11 Generic Bluetooth MIDI Drivers” and your music software via a software virtual MIDI interface driver, such as using the “Korg BLE MIDI driver”. WIDI products are fully compatible with the Korg BLE MIDI Windows 10 driver, which can support multiple WIDIs to connect to Windows 10/11 computers at the same time and perform bi-directional MIDI data transmission. The specific setup procedure is as follows:

1. Please visit the Korg official website to download the BLE MIDI Windows driver.
   www.korg.com/us/support/download/driver/0/530/2886/

2. After decompressing the driver file with the decompression software, click the exe file to install the driver (you can check whether the installation is successful in the list of sound, video and game controllers in the device manager after installation).

3. Please use the WIDI App to set the WIDI BLE role as “Force Peripheral” to avoid automatic connection with each other when multiple WIDI devices are used at the same time. If necessary, each WIDI device can be renamed (rename to take effect after restarting), which is convenient for distinguishing different WIDI devices when using them at the same time.

4. Please make sure your Windows 10/11 and the computer’s Bluetooth driver have been upgraded to the latest version  (the computer needs to be equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 or 5.0).

5. Power on the WIDI Thru6 BT to power up and start. Click Windows [Start] – [Settings] – [Devices], open the [Bluetooth and other devices] window, turn on the Bluetooth switch, and click [Add Bluetooth or other devices].

6. After entering the Add Device window, click [Bluetooth], click the WIDI Thru6 BT device name listed in the device list, and then click [Connect].

7. If it says “Your device is ready”, click [Finished] to close the window (you will be able to see the WIDI Thru6 BT in the Bluetooth list in Device Manager after connecting).

8. Follow steps 5 to 7 to connect other WIDI devices to Windows 10/11.

9. Open the music software, in the MIDI settings window, you should see the WIDI Thru6 BT device name appearing in the list (the Korg BLE MIDI driver will automatically discover the WIDI Bluetooth connection and associate it with the music software). Just select the WIDI Thru6 BT as the MIDI input and output device.

In addition, we have developed WIDI Bud Pro and WIDI Uhost professional hardware solutions for Windows users, which can best  meet the demanding requirements of professional users for ultra-low latency and long-distance wireless control. Please visit the relevant product webpage for details (www .cme-pro.com/widi-premiumbluetooth-midi/).

Establish Bluetooth MIDI connection between Android device and WIDI Thru6 BT

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/0P1obVXHXYc

Similar to the Windows situation, the music app must integrate the general Bluetooth MIDI driver of the Android operating system to connect with the Bluetooth MIDI device. Most music apps have not implemented this feature for various reasons. Therefore, you need to use some apps specially designed to connect Bluetooth MIDI devices as a bridge.

1. Download and install the free app [MIDI BLE Connect]:
   https://www.cme-pro.com/wpcontent/uploads/2021/02/MIDI-BLE-Connect_v1.1.apk

2. Power on the WIDI Thru6 BT and confirm that the blue LED is blinking slowly.

3. Turn on the Bluetooth function of the Android device.

4. Open the MIDI BLE Connect App, click [Bluetooth Scan], find the WIDI Thru6 BT that appears in the list, click [WIDI Thru6 BT], it will show that the connection is successful. At the same time, the Android system will issue a Bluetooth pairing request notification, please click on the notification and accept the pairing request. At this point, you can press the home button of the Android device to minimize the MIDI BLE Connect App and keep it running in the background.

5. Open the music app that can accept external MIDI input and select WIDI Thru6 BT as the MIDI input device on the settings page to start using it.

Group connection with multiple WIDI devices

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/ButmNRj8Xls

You can group multiple WIDI devices to achieve bi-directional data transmission up to [1-to-4 MIDI Thru] and [4-to-1 MIDI merge], and multiple groups are supported to use at the same time.

Note: If you want to connect other brands of Bluetooth MIDI devices in the group at the same time, please refer to the description of the “Group Auto-Learn” function below.

1. Open the WIDI App.
   

2. Power on a WIDI Thru6 BT.
   Note: Please remember to avoid having multiple WIDI devices powered on at the same time, otherwise they will be automatically paired one-to one, which will cause the WIDI App to fail to discover the WIDI Thru6 BT you want to connect to.

3. Set your WIDI Thru6 BT to the “Force Peripheral” role and rename it.
   Note 1: After selecting the BLE role as “Force Peripheral”, the setting will be automatically saved to the WIDI Thru6 BT.
   Note 2: Click the device name to rename the WIDI Thru6 BT. The new name requires a restart of the device to take effect.

4. Repeat the above steps to set up all WIDI Thru6 BTs to be added to the group.

5. After all WIDI Thru6 BTs have been set to “Force Peripheral” roles, they can be powered on at the same time.

6. Click the Group menu, and then click Create New Group.

7. Enter a name for the group.

8. Drag and drop the corresponding WIDI Thru6 BTs to the central and peripheral positions.

9. Click “Download Group” and the settings will be saved in the WIDI Thru6 BT that is the central. Next, these WIDI Thru6 BTs will restart and automatically connect to the same group.

Note 1: Even if you turn off the WIDI Thru6 BT, all group settings will still be stored in the memory of the central. When powered on again, they will automatically connect in the same group.

Note 2: If you want to delete the group connection settings, please use the WIDI App to connect the WIDI Thru6 BT that is the central and click [Remove group settings]

Group Auto-Learn

Video instruction: https://youtu.be/tvGNiZVvwbQ

The automatic group learning function allows you to establish up to [1-to-4 MIDI Thru] and [4-to-1 MIDI merge] group connections between WIDI series products and other brands of Bluetooth MIDI products. When you enable “Group Auto-Learn” for a WIDI device you want to operate as the central device of the group, the device will automatically scan and connect to all available BLE MIDI devices.

1. Set all WIDI devices as “Force Peripheral” to avoid automatic pairing of WIDI devices with each other.
2. Enable “Group Auto-Learning” for the central WIDI device of your choice. Close the WIDI application. The WIDI LED light will slowly flash blue.
3. Turn on up to 4 BLE MIDI peripherals (including WIDI) to automatically connect with the WIDI central device.
4. When all devices are connected (the blue LED lights are on constantly. If there is real-time data such as MIDI clock being sent, the LED light will flash quickly), press the button on the WIDI central device to store the group in its memory.
   The WIDI LED light is green when pressed and turquoise when released.

Note: iOS, Windows 10/11 and Android are not eligible for WIDI groups.
For macOS, click “Advertise” in MIDI Studio’s Bluetooth configuration.

SPECIFICATIONS

controllers, clocks, sysex, MIDI timecode, MPE
Wired Transmission| Close to Zero Latency and zero Jitter
Bluetooth Technology| Bluetooth 5 (Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI), bidirectional 16 channels
Bluetooth Compatible Devices| WIDI Master, WIDI Jack, WIDI Uhost, WIDI Bud Pro, WIDI Core, WIDI BUD, standard Bluetooth MIDI controller, Mac/iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Windows 10/11 computer, Android mobile device (all with Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 or higher)
Compatible OS (BLE MIDI)| macOS Yosemite or higher, iOS 8 or higher, Windows 10/11 or higher, Android 8 or higher
Wireless Transmission Delay| As low as 3 ms (Test results of two WIDI Thru6 BTs based on Bluetooth 5 connection)
Range| 20 meters/65.6 feet (without obstruction)
Power Supply| USB-C Socket. Powered by Standard 5V USB bus
Firmware Upgrade| Wireless upgrade via Bluetooth using the WIDI App for iOS or Android
Power Consumption| 37mW
Size| 82.5 mm (L) x 64 mm (W) x 33.5 mm (H)
3.25 in (L) x 2.52 in (W) x 1.32 in (H)
Weight| 98.4 g/3.47 oz

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

FAQ

Can the WIDI Thru6 BT be powered by 5-pin MIDI?

• No. To ensure that the MIDI messages can be transmitted completely and accurately, WIDI Thru6 BT uses a high speed optocoupler to isolate the interference that can be caused by the power supply ground loop between the MIDI input and the MIDI output.

Can the WIDI Thru6 BT be used as a USB MIDI interface?

• No. The USB-C socket of the WIDI Thru6 BT can only be used for USB power.

The LED light of the WIDI Thru6 BT interface does not light up.

• Please check whether the computer USB socket is powered.
• Please check if the USB power cable Is damaged and replace it when needed.
• Please check whether the USB power is turned on or whether the USB power bank has sufficient power (please choose a power bank with Low Power Charging mode for AirPods or fitness trackers etc.).

WIDI Thru6 BT cannot send and receive MIDI messages via Bluetooth.

• Please check if the WIDI Thru6 BT is selected as the MIDI input and output device in the DAW software. Make sure the Bluetooth MIDI been connected successfully.
• Please check if the MIDI cable between WIDI Thru6 BT and external MIDI device is connected correctly.

The wireless connection distance of the WIDI Thru6 BT is very short, or the signal latency is high, or the signal is intermittent.

• WIDI Thru6 BT adopts Bluetooth standard for wireless signal transmission. When the signal is strongly interfered or blocked, the transmission distance and response time will be affected, such as trees, reinforced concrete walls, or environments with many other electromagnetic waves. Please try to avoid these sources of interference.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

CONTACT

Email: info@cme-pro.com
Website: BluetoothMIDI.com

References

• CME Pro - The MIDI Experts - Bluetooth MIDI - Support
• CME Pro - The MIDI Experts - Bluetooth MIDI - Support
• Pro.com | Benchmark Quote | Construction Pricing Made Easy
• CME Pro - The MIDI Experts - Bluetooth MIDI - Support
• WIDI - Advanced Wireless MIDI solution by CME - Bluetooth MIDI
• WIDI - Advanced Wireless MIDI solution by CME - Bluetooth MIDI
• Downloads | microKEY Air - KORG BLE-MIDI Driver | KORG (USA)

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