Our 5X5 MIDI Switch and X5X MIDI Switch Expander are the component parts of our convevient and economical MIDI patchbay system. They will help you explore new routing configurations and liberate the potential of your MIDI gear.
5X5 MIDI SwitchAs the number of devices in your MIDI set-up grows, you'll find the interconnections (patching) between them become increasingly inconvenient.—particularly as the sockets are often located inaccessibly on the back of gear. In addition, the 5X5 offers you the equivalent of several MIDI thru units, so you can avoid the problems of absent or unacceptable MIDI-thru connections.
The 5X5 MIDI Switch lets you connect each of up-to-five MIDI slave devices to any of up-to-five MIDI controllers. The slaves can also be disconnected. You can only connect a particular slave to one controller at a time. You can connect connect a controller to to up-to-five (or up-to-fifteen via expansion units) slaves at the same time. The 5X5 is a staighforward patchbay; therefore it doesn't merge MIDI datastreams.
You can read the routing configuration at a glance from the front panel. You can alter the configuration in a speedy, obvious manner, using the rotary INPUT SELECT switches. There is one INPUT SELECT switch for each of the five outputs; each switch may independently select any input (marked '1', '2', '3', '4', '5') or the off position (marked '0'). It's an ergonomic arrangement that really makes sense; you'll soon be using it without pausing for thought. There are no impenetrable multi-function pushbuttons or little displays.
The robust, smart ccase is made of Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). This is a versatile, durable, and impact-resistant thermoplastic is used in many products. The sides, top and underside are black and the front and back panels are finished in metallic underprinted polycarbonate.
In line with many studio gadgets, the case is 1U high and half the width of a rack mount case (excluding the ears)—so it will fit in happily with the rest of your gear without wasting valuable space.
The power supply is built-in so you won't need an AC adaptor. The mains lead is permanently fitted (so you never lose it) and is supplied with a plug
X5X MIDI Switch Expander
Planning for growthYou will be able to expand your 5X5 to a five-in/ten-out, or even a five-in/fifteen-out system via the EXPANSION socket. This can be acheived with additional 5X5 MIDI Switches or with the specially-configured X5X MIDI Switch Expander. Your Philip Rees MIDI patchbay can grow with your system.
The use of a flexible star network based on a patchbay avoids the pitfalls of a chained MIDI configuration. The high-performance electronics of the X5X and 5X5 ensure the integrity of MIDI signals
Our MIDI switches achieved fast, clean MIDI throughput by avoiding the use of opto-couplers. Instead, isolation is accomplished by using multiple floating power supplies. This employs a custom-designed power transformer.
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