iOS and Mac musicians can ditch wires with Bluetooth MIDI device
Zivix has a new wireless MIDI device for Apple-centric musicians, but unlike the original WiFi Puc, this time it's using Bluetooth 4.0. The Puc+ is the "first Bluetooth MIDI interface that universally supports any MIDI controller," according to the company. It can handle multiple controllers at once, connect to old-school 5-pin or newer USB MIDI devices, and work with any audio workstation running on a Mac, iPad or iPhone -- including GarageBand, ProTools and others. The company claims it has sub-15ms latency that's on par with cabled solutions, and can control devices up to 40 feet away.
If you're thinking, "wait a minute, doesn't Zivix already have a wireless MIDI controller?" Yes, but the Bluetooth model apparently offers a few advantages over the original WiFi Puc. Since it's designed specifically for iOS 8.2 and OS X, it supports Apple's new Bluetooth MIDI connectivity, letting you hook up multiple controllers (you'll need a Puc+ for each one, mind you). It works with more setups, thanks to new bi-directional USB and MIDI in/out support. It also has "exceptionally low latency," and Zivix said testers felt "it leaves our original Puc standing still in terms of performance."
If you want one, you'll need to have at least an iPad Mini, iPad 3 or newer, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, or an iPhone 5, all running iOS 8.2 and up. Most Mac devices will work, provided they can run OS X 10.10 Yosemite. If that's all good, you can order one from Indiegogo starting at $89, or get up to eight for $729. (The devices will cost $130 retail once the crowdfunding campaign is over.) So far, the company is a quarter of the way to its $20,000 goal with $5,000 pledged. If you're justifiably worried about buying on Indiegogo, bear in mind that the company's original Puc campaign was a success, and the product generally received good reviews.
