Kenton USB midi battery powered cable hack

nice! they actually sell the usb to dc jack cables if you’re not soldering inclined. i bought one for a couple bucks off the bay.

Will the OP-1 take a midi-in, say an external larger keyboard playing notes

as well as giving a midi-out (clock) signal to another device?

I was thinking about getting an OP-Lab or iConnectMidi4, but this kenton midi host might do me.

If all you are after is midi in and out the Kenton works great. The op-1 can be sequenced and played with external gear.

I assume the op-1 does the opposite also - receives and responds to midi start/clock in its sequencers while still spitting the midi gate/note data out?

@synthologist. yea it communicates both ways. the sequencers will definitely sync to the midi clock, but i believe that the start/stop messages control the tape start/stop, not the sequencer start/stop.


its pretty easy to just hit your sequencer key in time, or record it to tape then use midi start/stop.

@dochermsticks sure both finger and endless are initiated by key presses but the pattern seq is initiated by switching hold on. Does an external midi clock impulse set this off I wonder?

This might be a little offtopic, but sense you have a Kenton, I have to ask. What happens if you put a USB hub in the USB port of the Kenton Device?

I want to be able to sync my Ipad Air, OP-1 and Tenori-On without a computer.

You can also do the same with Oplab too! (use a USB battery pack too I mean)

@karbonckel IIRC the Kenton and Oplab do not work with USB hubs, I tried it with powered and unpowered hubs on both and no joy.

Nice job. I made one years ago with parts from Radio Shack - no solder just tape since it was made on the fly.
Parts: -1 4 x AA batt box with switch - $2?
- DC M-type barrel connector (for soldering or cut one from an old AC adaptor) - $1
- spare wires, tape etc. - solder when you have time/access

So I can use AA alkalines in a pinch, or I can use rechargeable AA NiMHs. Using a similar technique I made packs for my BeatStep (with a mini USB connector), Novation Mininova (more batt in series), and others. For my MiniBrute I have one that works, but the box I bought from China on eBay is better since it has amp hours to burn (6800Ah), plus it has a 9V tap, and a USB port for phones, etc. it was about $30.

@karbonckel IIRC the Kenton and Oplab do not work with USB hubs, I tried it with powered and unpowered hubs on both and no joy.

Kenton definitely does work with a hub

Awesome, just ordered the Kenton to connect my op-1 and 0-coast; was lamenting the addition of yet another power brick to my gear bag. This might lighten the load!

the newer kentons i believe just have a micro usb jack for power now.
so no need for the usb to dc jack cable unless u scooped an old one

@docshermsticks said:
the newer kentons i believe just have a micro usb jack for power now.
so no need for the usb to dc jack cable unless u scooped an old one

Even better! Now I’m wondering if I’ll be able to power it from a usb hub… op-1->hub-> Kenton? Couldn’t be that easy could it? Of course the 0-coast still needs its own power brick, and the op-1 probably doesn’t send power out of the USB.

no dont think the op1 sends power from the usb