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USB MIDI devices have had mixed reviews since their inception a few years back. In particular, USB MIDI interfaces have often been accused of poor timing in comparison to their Parallel port forefathers. However, like many PC musicians I had no choice but to make the change.

The growing popularity of Windows XP throughout the PC musician world is well deserved. This OS is the most stable Microsoft OS yet and some newer software packages (such as Cubase SX) require XP to run.

However, every silver-lining has a cloud and one of the Cumulonimbi precipitating on XP users is the lack of support for parallel port MIDI interfaces.

So, after upgrading to XP from 98SE I found myself unable to use my trusty Midiman Portman for MIDI duties. This meant only one thing - I had to take the plunge into the murky waters of USB MIDI interfaces.

Edirol are not the most well known of digital audio companies (although they are actually owned by Roland), but since their inception in 1994 they have built up a reputation for well priced hardware with stable drivers.

When the UM-2 came tumbling through my letterbox (or more accurately gently handed over by the UPS driver) I was slightly taken aback by the size of the box. Upon opening the box I was even more taken aback at the diminuitive size of the unit as well as its weightlessness - 5oz fact fans. What also struck me that the unit felt rather flimsy and cheaply manufactured - the UM-2 is completely plastic which felt rather insubstantial next to my all-metal Portman. The rear panel of the UM-2 offers 4 MIDI connectors (2-in/2-out) and the USB connector. The top of the device has 5 LEDs - one to signify that the device is connected to a USB host and an LED for each MIDI I/O to denote activity - a very useful feature. There were a few other nice suprises inside the box - a real manual (which I personally prefer to the now ubiquitous PDF manuals supplied on the driver CDs) and a USB lead (again a rarity for many peripherals recently) Of course, the package also included a drivers CD. Another great plus for many USB MIDI interfaces is the fact that power is supplied by the host computer so no heavy, unsightly power supplies are needed. My local electricity supplier were probably happy too as rural parts of Cornwall are plunged into darkness everytime I fire-up my equipment!

As with any new hardware I buy, the first thing I did was to visit the company website and check for newer drivers for the unit which I then promptly downloaded. As with many USB devices, the UM-2 must be disconnected when the Setup application is run. The onscreen instructions make it all but impossible to make any errors, and in under a minute the drivers were installed and I had a nice little orange light on the front of the unit indicating it was connected and recognised by the USB port. This ease of installation is an obvious advantage over the older parallel port interfaces, as is the fact that you don't have to fret over different data modes such as ECP etc - USB is the nearest protocol to the "Plug and Play" ideal there is.

In use, the UM-2 showed up straight away in both Cubase SX and Logic, as well as in stand alone versions of VSTi's such as Lounge Lizard. I also connected my Roland JV1080 to the UM-2 and played some demanding MIDI tracks through the unit and it coped admirably. There were no audible timing discrepancies or instability and it reacted superbly to busy sequences.

After using the UM-2, I am now converted to the church of USB MIDI interfacing! The newer breed of these devices seems to have overcome the teething problems apparent in the early days of USB MIDI, and the fact that several can be connected without problems is also a plus.

In summary, an excellent piece of kit at a sensible price.

Price Paid: £39.99