About MIDI
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a protocol, digital interface and connectors and allows a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers and other related devices to connect and communicate with one another.
Read more about MIDI on Wikipedia.
How to connect MIDI equipment to your Android device
All G-Stomper apps, G-Stomper Studio, G-Stomper VA-Beast and G-Stomper Rhythm, come with support for MIDI over USB (host + peripheral) and MIDI over Bluetooth LE (host).
Depending on your device and Android version, some of these options might be not available (e.g. MIDI over Bluetooth is only available on Android 6 or higher).
Detailed instructions for the particular connection types are provided in the Online MIDI documentation or the Printable PDF.
System Requirements for MIDI over USB (G-Stomper as host)
Min Android Version: 5.0
Your Android device must support USB host mode.
Successfully tested devices:
- Google Nexus 7 2013 (Android 6.x)
- Google Nexus 9 (Android 7.1.1)
- Google Nexus 6 (Android 7.1.1)
- Google Nexus 5X (Android 8.0.0)
- Google Nexus 5X (Android 8.1)
- Google Pixel C (Android 8.0.0)
- Google Pixel C (Android 8.1)
- Google Pixel (Android 9.x)
- Google Pixel 2 (Android 10)
- Samsung Galaxy S5 (Android 6.0.1)
- Sony Xperia Z3 (Android 5.x)
System Requirements for MIDI over USB (G-Stomper as peripheral/MIDI extender)
Min Android Version: 6.0
Successfully tested devices:
- Google Nexus 7 2013 (Android 6.x)
- Google Nexus 9 (Android 7.1.1)
- Google Nexus 6 (Android 7.1.1)
- Google Nexus 5X (Android 8.0.0)
- Google Nexus 5X (Android 8.1)
- Google Pixel C (Android 8.0.0)
- Google Pixel C (Android 8.1)
- Samsung Galaxy S5 (Android 6.0.1)
System Requirements for MIDI over Bluetooth LE (G-Stomper as host)
Min Android Version: 6.0
Successfully tested devices:
- Google Nexus 7 2013 (Android 6.x)
- Google Nexus 9 (Android 7.1.1)
- Google Nexus 6 (Android 7.1.1)
- Google Nexus 5X (Android 8.0.0)
- Google Nexus 5X (Android 8.1)
- Google Pixel C (Android 8.0.0)
- Google Pixel C (Android 8.1)
- Google Pixel (Android 9.x)
- Google Pixel 2 (Android 10)
- Samsung Galaxy S5 (Android 6.0.1)
USB Cable Adapters (required for all USB based MIDI devices)
Depending on your device, one of the following adapter cables is required:
USB A Female to USB Type C Male OTG Cable Adapter for devices with USB Type C connector
USB A Female to Micro USB Male OTG Cable Adapter for devices with Micro USB connector
Most modern MIDI controllers/keyboards can be connected directly over USB using the USB adapter cables mentioned above.
Note: A good practice is to use self-powered MIDI controllers (which can be used with an external power supply) or controllers with a special low-power mode (like the Akai MPK225) to minimize the battery strain on your Android device.
USB to MIDI DIN Interfaces
To connect Non-USB MIDI hardware equipped with a classic 5 Pin DIN connector, an USB class-compliant MIDI Interface is required (e.g. ESI MIDIMate eX).
Good alternatives for the ESI MidiMate eX are the TIE MIDI 1i1o or the Roland UM-ONE mk2.
Charge Device while USB MIDI Hardware is connected
Charging your device while USB MIDI Hardware is connected requires a device with an USB Type C connector.
Depending on your requirements, we recommend one of the following USB Hubs with Power Delivery:
Delock 4 Port USB Type C Hub with and Power Delivery
(requires Android 6.0.1 or higher)
Delock 3 Port USB Type C Hub and HDMI output and Power Delivery
(requires Android 8.0 or higher)
Important Note:
On devices with a Micro USB connector, it is technically impossible (at least officially) to charge your device while USB MIDI hardware is connected. There are cable adapters on the market, but these won’t work with many devices, and even worse, these might brick/damage your device.
G-Stomper MIDI integration
All G-Stomper Apps provide full round-trip MIDI over USB and Bluetooth LE. For further details, please check out the Online MIDI documentation or the Printable PDF.
G-Stomper MIDI showcase
