Alternatives to WMI-1

Good day all.
I'm a proud new owner of an H&K GM40 Deluxe. Lovin every minute of getting to know it!!
I want to connect my iPad.
Do I "have to" use the H&K WMI-1 to connect my iPad?
Does anyone have a tried and tested alternative to the H&K WMl-1 wireless midi interface that works and that is less expensive?
I don't necessarily need wireless, just want to be able to connect my iPad and use the app to program all my presets then use my FSM-432 to scroll through them.
Thanks in advance for your input and suggestions

Hi Jamie, congratulations on the new GM40D, I'm sure you won't regret the choice.

When it comes to hooking up for control I'm a little out of step with most people. I'm not a fan of most things wireless in MIDI and in computer networks too. There are too many factors to go wrong and when they do it is often very difficult to diagnose the problem. I still stick to good old fashioned cables wherever I can. As long as you have spare cables standing by which can be swapped in there isn't much else to cause difficulty. I've looked at the possibility of using a different wireless unit before. I'll post something where there was a bit of discussion with a couple of names at the time. The field must have opened up since then.

Now, unlike some other issues, I'm not saying that wireless shouldn't be touched. When it works it is very convenient, if slow in some cases, (not ours as far as I know). This one really is a matter of personal choice and weighing up the pros and cons of each. Some would not be caught dead not using the most advanced up to date technology but, at least for gigging, the simplicity and reliability of cables is better for me. For home work where a problem is an inconvenience not a disaster wireless could well be the answer for you.

In the meantime try to have a look at this thread: WMI-1 Thread In particular there is good info in the last post. It looks like the WMI-1 doesn't work with a PC/Windows setup according to Bull Earwig.

Have you definitely made the decision that it must be wireless for you or is cabled an option? You seem to suggest at the end that it isn't a done deal and in that case the wiring setup is pretty cheap and easy and reliable. You need a USB MIDI interface in place of the WMI-1, a couple of 5 pin MIDI cables and your 7 pin FSM432 cable. Beware, the MIDI interface must be a decent one, the really cheap and cheerful Chinese imports will not work in our setup. There is a protocol called Sysex Data Transfer, ("System Exclusive" messages), and the interface must support that. Nowadays most do but it is worth checking. MIDI normally has fixed sizes for the packets of data. Sysex is a way of transferring larger than normal packets which we need to do. If the memory buffers inside the interface are simple normal MIDI sized then it cannot do this.

Is there anyone else out there who has practical experience of using an alternative wireless unit to the WMI-1?

Hello, and thanks for the great reply. Sounds like you and I are definitely on the same page. I'm absolutely open (and most often prefer) a wired set up. But I didnt think a wired version was an option in order to connect with the ipad and the H&K ipad app. Looks like I need to do more investigation. Thanks for the link to the thread. I will check it out.

Got something!  I knew we had been down this route before.  Have a look at this thread:  Another iPad Connection Thread  In Post#3 I included a link, "H&K Connection Video".  If you follow that you will see the original H&K connection video where a GM36, FSM432, iPad and iRig MIDI are set up for wired MIDI control.  This was the official H&K instruction.  It is the second video on that page and you can clearly see the connections there.  Have a look at that and get back to us.