Going Wireless with the CME WIDI Thru6 BT and WIDI Master

https://www.cme-pro.com

Pictured here is a mini setup I have sitting to my left pretty much at all times. As you can imagine I spend quite a bit of time running this site. When I'm too tired and/or can't get into the studio, I'll often fiddle with this setup. I swap out synths depending on what I'm in the mood for. Currently you'll see a Sequential OB-6 desktop, Audiothingies Micromonsta, Strymon Big Sky, and Elektron Digitakt all running through a Rolls line mixer which runs out to an iConnectAudio4 MIDI and audio interface which I currently only use for capturing audio on the laptop. Normally I have my laptop sitting where the Keystep, and further below, the MicroKorg are. The Keystep is my main controller, but I brought up the MicroKorg to test it out with the CME Widi Master for complete wireless control. I have the Keystep and/or MicroKorg leaning up on the side of my makeshift table and I just bring them up on my lap when I want to use them. One thing I hate dealing with is plugging in the MIDI and power cables. Yes I am that lazy, especially after a long bout of posting. You might ask why not leave them plugged in. Well, the cables kind of get in the way of a small storage box I have under the setup. That said, I've been eyeing CME's wireless adapters for some time. When they announced the WIDI Thru6 BT, I thought I'd reach out to them for a review unit as I am a little tight on expendable funds at the moment. Fortunately they agreed to send me the WIDI Thru6 BT and a WIDI Master. You can see the Widi Master plugged into the back of the Keystep and the MicroKorg below. You can see the WIDI Thru6 BT sitting to the side of the OB-6, but in use I just have it resting on the floor to my right and behind me. I was curious if the wireless connection would work with the WIDI Master both pointing directly away from the Thru6 and having my armchair in between. I'm happy to report there were no problems at all. Nada. It just works. I was also curious if I'd have to pair the two every time I powered things on, or after a period of no use. I'm happy to report I didn't have to. I fired them up days later and they just worked. I can now just flip a switch to turn everything on and I'm good to go.

There is one quirky thing I do want to mention. When you first set up the WIDI Thru6 BT and CME Widi Master you might have to update the firmware on each depending on when they left the factory and when the latest firmware update was released. In my case I did have to update both. The quirky thing is after you update either, you have to go into your Bluetooth settings (iPhone Settings for me), click on the WIDI device in the list and select "forget the device", then restart Bluetooth altogether and re-add the device. Basically after the firmware update it's as if the device is seen as a new separate device in Bluetooth settings but will not show up as long as the previous device is still on the list. So, firmware update = new device. If you try to connect the original device it will fail. You can find addtional setup and configuration details on their website here.

That said, once it's all setup and good to go, it's a great little system. The connection is stable and I do not notice any latency at all. I tried maxing out the built-in sequencer and ARP of the Keystep to see if I could overload the connection and it was rock solid.

Anything that can reduce cabling and improve ease of use, especially after a long day of work, is a plus in my book.

You can find additional details on the CME WIDI Thru6 BT, WIDI Master, and additional CME devices on their website at https://www.cme-pro.com.

PS. Apologies for the quality of the pics. The lighting isn't the greatest but that's how I like it. :)