USB vs. Five-Pin MIDI: Working Through the Monosynth Problem

To make things easier to follow in this post, I should clarify one thing right away. When I mention USB, I’m referring to MIDI being passed over a USB cable. When I say MIDI, I’m using that as shorthand for traditional five-pin DIN MIDI.

Right now, one of the hardest parts of finishing my studio setup is figuring out the MIDI routing for my Behringer monosynths—and there’s a good reason for that.

Why USB Isn’t Always the Answer

Most of my studio is already connected via USB, and that works beautifully for instruments that truly benefit from it. Some synths integrate tightly with software, allowing settings to be saved, recalled, or mirrored inside a DAW. A few examples in my studio include:

• Arturia MiniFreak – with its companion plugin
  
• Yamaha MODX – with its editor integration
  
• Roland FA, Maschine+, and AKAI Force – all of which gain workflow advantages over USB
  

For these instruments, USB makes complete sense.

The challenge comes with the monosynths. Many of them don’t gain much—if anything—from USB connectivity, especially when there’s no plugin or software editor involved. In fact, with the number of monosynths I have, USB can actually complicate things rather than simplify them.

Why Five-Pin MIDI Makes More Sense Here

For synths that don’t rely on software integration, traditional MIDI feels like the more logical choice. In my case, that includes instruments such as:

• Arturia MiniBrute 2 and DrumBrute
  
• DeepMind 12
  
• Nifty Case
  
• Korg Minilogue
  
• Hydrasynth Explorer
  
• Behringer Kobol Expander, Cat, Wasp, K-2, Pro-1, Model D, and 2600
  

Most of these synths are patchable—both internally and with each other—which adds another layer of consideration when it comes to placement and cabling. This is part of the reason I’ve been thinking about adding two more shelves to better group patch-friendly instruments together.

If I go fully down the five-pin MIDI route for these synths, that means committing to:

• MIDI cables
  
• MIDI splitters or thru boxes
  
• A dedicated MIDI interface
  

It’s not complicated, but it’s something I want to get right the first time.

Trial, Error, and Physical Reality

This is one of those situations where planning only gets you so far. At some point, I just need to get in the studio, move things around, test signal flow, and see what works—both visually and practically.

Fortunately, decisions are becoming easier. There are only a few shelves left, and even fewer that are close enough to make sense for the patchable synths. The constraints of the space are starting to guide the solution.

Still Waiting on One More Option

Part of the reason I’ve paused on final MIDI setup is that I’m looking at a better MIDI solution planned for 2026. I already have two workable options on the table—I just haven’t committed to either yet. That decision point is getting closer, though, and once it’s made, everything else will fall into place pretty quickly.

Your Turn

Have you ever struggled with MIDI setup based purely on physical layout rather than technical limitations? Do you prefer USB MIDI, five-pin MIDI, or a mix of both—and why?

However you map your MIDI, I wish you smooth connections, stable clocks, and frustration-free routing in your future studio adventures.