I purchased a iConnectivity Mio10 along with my Bome Box setup to extend the MIDI universe to a bunch of DIN-equipped devices. Works great. But now they've retired my (four-month old, 2 year-into-product-cycle) Mio10 and introduced the MioXL. This thing claims to offer digital audio passthrough, RTP-MIDI compliance (allowing for all devices on a network to see all PORTS on the network... not just a single 16-channel port), direct WiFi link to iOS devices via an iC app... oof.
My first order of business was to write them an angry email asking them to buy back my Mio10 once they answer my questions (no user manual posted for the MioXL so far.)
My second order of business is to bump up my request here on the forum for RTP-MIDI support on the BOME box. Not only would this allow me to treat my entire network of BBoxes as one giant MIDI port router (with the MioXL at the hub, exposing each remote USB and DIN port separately to all USB or RTP attached PCs,) it would free up a remote pair of DIN ports currently connecting my iPhone to the network, free up my central Bome Box for use in a new remote location... basically it would solve all the outstanding issues in my current setup, for which I am currently wracking my brains and wringing out my wallet.
So consider this a polite bump for RTP-MIDI implementation.
Hi, I’ll pass your requests to Florian. I think the issues with rtp-MIDI was around performance and setup complexity. I didn’t think,however that an rtp-MIDI connection exposed individual ports on the other side of the connection. Just the attached server. Let me know if you MioXL can do that. I don’t think My iConnectivity4+ can. It can have 4 network streams, each to a separate computer. The computer has no knowledge of the individual ports attached to the iConnectivity via the network, only via the USB connection which to the computer basically makes the iConnectivity look like a USB MIDI hub. I’m pretty sure Florian is working on multi-stream for Bome Network. I know he has experimented with OSC as well. Of course he never provides timelines.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist bome@sniz.biz
So what I’m hearing is you want all MIDI devices and applications to be aware of all other MIDI devices (ports) whether attached locally or via a network. Just one giant cloud of MIDI devices you can connect to.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist bome@sniz.biz
Hi, thanks for the request. We’re indeed working on multi-stream Bome Network MIDI at the time (along with an iOS version of the Bome Network app). The next big feature will be either OSC or RTP-MIDI — both are actually related, given that at least 50% of the development work is the presentation to the user (web config / Bome Network GUI).
Just a question: I understand that RTP-MIDI is handy, but where in your setup can’t you resort to using Bome Network MIDI? Because the iConnectivity devices don’t support it?
Thanks!
Florian
PS: for completeness I mention that we do offer a paid “feature rush service”. Please send us a direct message via the contact form if that’s interesting for you: https://www.bome.com/contact
Thanks for the reply, Florian!
Multi-stream Bome network would address part of the perceived difference between Bome and RTP.
One other part has to do with the hardware and footprint cost of adding additional DIN inputs to a Bome network. If the Bome boxes communicated directly with the iConnectivity devices, I might not need a Bome box at my “hub” location (for example). I could rely on the 10×10 iC device in my rack, and relocate my hub Bome Box elsewhere on stage.
One question pertains to the extent of multi-stream. The iConnectivity device boasts 22 “location-free” networked ports. (That seems like plenty. I would probably use 15.) Would the Bome multi-stream strive for a similar quantity?
The last bit pertains to RTP’s iOS wireless MIDI feature. It sounds to me that you’re already planning to address this. If my iPhone could communicate directly with the Bome Network over WiFi (even without multi-stream access,) I could unplug the wireless DIN adapter on my drummer’s Bome box, freeing it up for his TD-11 e-drums. IConnectivity uses an iOS app as well, so I would have no preference between Bome Network and RTP on that front.
All that having been said, If I were able to choose what Bome was to focus on next I would first address iOS connectivity, then OSC, then Multi-Stream Bome, and finally RTP midi.
The reason? For my setup specifically, RTP and iOS address the same primary issue: freeing up DIN ports on stage. OSC adds granular control of my mixer and lights. (It also frees up DIN slots from OSC-capable devices) Multi-Stream (whether Bome Net or RTP) is secondary, as it does not actually increase the possibilities that much… it just makes routing logic and troubleshooting far more transparent.
After a bit more research, I’m rescinding my excitement over RTP-MIDI.
What I really need is a means by which to wirelessly connect my iOS device to my hard wired network WITHOUT involving a desktop operating system. RTP-MIDI can accomplish this, but not without a computing device (Mac or Windows) on the network acting as the session creator. iConnectivity products can ‘re-initiate’ pre-created RTP-MIDI sessions, but they do not appear to be able to create and maintain these sessions without a Mac/PC.
RTP-MIDI does seem to be able to sustain multiple (16-channel) ports and make them available across a network, which is helpful in keeping configurations readable and easy to troubleshoot, and removes the 16-channel restriction. But I don’t need it.
So in the end, a low-latency iOS Bome Network app for WiFi connection is what I need most. (And it’s in the works!) And a multi-stream Bome Networking protocol will make developing and maintaining a complex system much easier (and that’s in the works, too!) It looks like the good folks at Bome have correctly anticipated my needs better than I have myself.
Yes Steve, your last post voices the dream. One massive distributed smart MIDI hub operating on Layer 3 Ethernet (with the ability to include a wireless device here and there where latency is acceptable.) Make all the virtual connections point-to-point.
Just a comment. I now prefer the as-yet-imagined Bome Network iOS solution to my RTP-MIDI solution. Although wireless RTP-MIDI does work, it needs to be manually reconnected through an iPhone ‘sidearm’ app each time I reconnect to my band’s wifi. Not a big deal during setup… but if I use my phone to take a call and walk out of WiFi range, or if I need data and temporarly enable mobile data… well, then I’ve got to reconnect before the next set.
BomeBoxes do not require this… they connect to Wifi/Ethernet based upon their previous settings. If an iOS app would do the same, it would be superior to my current situation.
Also, my current solution involves connecting my iPhone over my WiFi/Ethernet LAN to my Mio10, which is ‘downstream’ of my Bome Boxes. (It is the interface between several networked Bome boxes and my rack o’ gear.) That means I can’t parse my iPhone’s MIDI output using Bome Midi Translator, nor do any simple channel/port mapping through the Bome Box. (At least not without creating and managing MIDI loops. Just no.)
In a perfect world, all stage-side peripherals, Ethernet and WiFi alike, connect on equal status to Bome Network. A BomeBox or PC running Bome Midi Network serves as ‘Master’ for BMN connections and provides a USB host for a class-compliant USB-MIDI interface. All rack hardware connects to this interface. Nice and simple.
Hopefully the world will be made perfect by BOME very soon!
Yep, auto connect/reconnect, multi MIDI port exposure, no extra appliances and native Bome Network support on iOS as well as iOS support on BomeBox. All good feature requests that I know Bome Software is working on (and a long list of others as well).
Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz
I just made an account here to comment on this specifically. I\'m a current user of iConnectivity interfaces who would like to add a Bome box at some point but the lack of network compatibility with my mio would seem like a large hindrance to several of my planned set-ups/use cases if I\'m understanding the current situation correctly.
I have used rtp-MIDI with my mio4 (which provides 4 sessions of 16 MIDI channels) and it does make available any of the connected devices to one of the connected computers/devices. It also can free up some traffic from heavily used USB buses, and perhaps improves on MIDI latency/jitter although this needs to be tested more.
By the way, one of the advantages of the older iConnectivity MIDI interfaces is that they provide multiple USB connections for multiple computers/devices, while the new mioXL and mioXM only have one usb connection of this type. That\'s something to weigh against the increased rtp-MIDI sessions available with the new devices (and other new features) for anyone deciding whether or not to sell their older iConnectivity devices in order to replace them with one of the new ones.
Hi, as I understand, rtpMIDI is definitely a consideration for future firmware versions of BomeBox. I think there are a few things ahead of it though so not sure where the priorities for rtpMIDI are. Some examples are:
Multi-stream Bome Network (BomeBox, Mac, PC and iOS)
MIDI 2.0 enhancements
OSC support
I'm not privy to the schedule but I imagine that Multi-Stream is top of the list and the others (including rtpMIDI) are in heavy competition for the development priorities. In the meantime, for rtpMIDI you can still use a PC or Mac as a gateway to Bome Network. I've seen some people that are dabbling in Arduino development of serial to rtpMIDI which if this happens any time soon, you could then also use existing BomeBox functionality to convert a serial stream to send to an Arduino and have it translate to rtpMIDI for you (no computer required). I've played around with this a little but no luck yet.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
Any recent news on Bome Network for iOS?
I’m about to add soundbrenner haptic metronomes to our rig, and could really use a reliable midi connection between my iPhone and DAW.
And are multi-stream, rtp-midi, and OSC still on the docket?
Hi, nice to hear from you! Bome Network for iOS is still in beta. We’re currently working on a number of fixes for another round of beta testing (in parallel with the public beta of Bome Network for macOS and Windows. It already has the multi-stream feature. If you’d like to participate in the beta test on iOS, please send me a PM or via the contact form.
RTP-MIDI and OSC will not make it in this version, but are already being worked on.
With the current Beta version of BomeBox, it exposes it’s ports to Bome Network PC and Mac, however I’m not sure it is yet ready for prime time. Also functionality to expose ports from BomeBox to BomeBox does not yet exist. In general, timelines for new functionality are not announced before they are available. I know that this stuff is actively being worked, however.
Steve Caldwell
Bome Customer Care
Also available for paid consulting services: bome@sniz.biz
