How do you call a super portable MIDI interface which also is a standalone USB host, can drive gate signals, has per-port MIDI Filtering /Clock Processing and is about the size of an Altoids tin?? We don’t know… we call it the RK-006!

The RK-006 is about 7x5x1cm in size (3x2x0.4″) and packs 10 MIDI outputs plus 2 MIDI Inputs. This alone offers formidable portable possibilities but of course we did not stop there:

In short?

• 10x Out, 2x In merging MIDI Hub.
• Super Tight MIDI Merge and THRU
• Per port MIDI filtering and multiclock processing
• USB host: HUB support, SMF playback
• USB device: Individually addressable OUT & IN ports
• Gate & Clock triggering: including SYNC24/DINSync style

So let’s elaborate on the RK-006 specifics and it’s special features which differentiate it from the rest:

MIDI MODE

Every output port on the RK-006 can be individually set to send out full MIDI or Gate pulses, making a lovely hybrid use of it’s 3.5mm TRS connectors: You can connect DIN5 MIDI Gear via the included TRS-A to DIN5 cables or just plug in a plain ‘stereo minijack audio cable’ (preferably shielded) to sync up modular gear or even ‘minijack-MIDI’ devices like the Korg Electribe or NTS-1 and such.

In MIDI mode you can apply MIDI Channel/Clock filtering and even clock modifiers (‘Multiclock’, allowing creative use of an abundance of sequencer gear which are available nowadays. Of course these ports can also power our RK-002 Smart MIDI processing cable as well.

GATE MODE

When you set a port to Gate mode the MIDI-Tempo-to-Gate multiclock is still available. This together with an assignable Run/Stop signal allows synchronisation of devices like older Sync24/DINSync units as the TR-808, TR-303 and TR-606 (just to name a few) but also newer ones like the Moog DFAM and Teenage Pocket Operators and anything inbetween; Directly from your MIDI device.

The gate signals can be triggered via a MIDI clock signal but also via MIDI Notes, adding the ability to bridge MIDI controller pads and modular gear.

MASTER CLOCK GENERATOR

The one-button on the RK-006 can be used to tap in a master clock or change presets on the RK-006 routing. You can also use it to switch from seemingly a MIDI merger/thru box to e.g. an independent dual-brain setup or one-big-master-gate-clocks-generator.

USB STANDALONE HOST

By using a simple (and included) OTG Adapter cable you can even connect plain 5V power and a USB hub to the RK-006 and host multiple USB-MIDI devices. The RK-006 will interconnect them and merge them together with the existing hardware ports. And because one USB-cable can route a whole lot more than just a MIDI-In or MIDI-Out we added extra filtering to specifically target these USB devices as well.

And while in the USB area: You can even plug in a USB Memory Stick with prepared MIDI files (also called ‘SMF’). You can export these files on a DAW like Bitwig, Fruityloops, Ableton or Reason and playback these prepared tracks on your DAWless system, ready to play or clock-slave on your standalone sequencer of choice and play along live with it.

This might already be too much info, but the story does not finish there quite yet:

USB MIDI INTERFACE

All the above can take place in the DAWless area BUT….You can also connect the RK-006 to e.g. a Desktop computer or iPad (note that iOS do need Apple’s USB2Lightning cable) and enjoy all the RK-006 ports independently addressable on your DAW! This means:

* 10 separate MIDI outputs, every one of them can accommodate 16 MIDI devices
* 2 separate MIDI Inputs

Also, for usability’s sake we added:
* Aggregate merged MIDI Out port to ALL 10 ports
* Aggregate auto MIDI Merged Input

The products includes :

• 1x 10cm USB Cable (for use as USB MIDI Interface)
• 1x USB OTG/Power Cable (for use as USB Standalone host)
• 1x TRS-A to Female DIN5 Dongle
• 1x 1m TRS-A to TRS-B cable
• 4x 1.5m Shielded TRS-A to male DIN5 cables