I'm putting a band together and looking to get a couple of new midi controllers for live use.

I currently use a "m-audio keystation 49e (possibly the cheapest controller in existence)", but, It craps out often, meaning it just randomly looses it's connection to the computer and needs to be turned off and on again.

Is this just a "USB" thing? or is it a "crappy controller" thing? maybe it's even just the cord?

So I suppose in summing up, is a USB connection to unreliable to use in a live band?

Cheers

I've had one for 3+ years wit zero problems.

You either have a bad cord or a bad plug (be gentle with your ports) or a bad unit.

I'd go a step further: putting generic laptops on stage is asking for trouble. A hardware synth boots in a matter of seconds, while with a laptop... amy substantial fraction of a minute of silence on stage is a looooong time! Maybe with ssd drives it's flashy again.

Anyway, I'd blame USB. It's usually a driver thing which makes it malfunction. Midi through 5-pole DIN is more relyable. But to use that you need a proper midi interface, on a USB port, with the same driver problems. Could also be a mobo thing btw.

I've had USB troubles on stage but it's always been a case of the connection being physically knocked out resulting in the entire OS instacrashing. The fragility of the physical cord to port connection in which a slight knock is enough to kill it is the worst thing about USB for me. It's happened 3 times: Once due to me trying to reach something in a very cramped performance space, once due to an overzealous dancer, once due to an overzealous photographer leaning around my gear for a shot. You might not have to put up with people being near your gear depending on the type of gig you're playing, but people being idiots has been the only cause of failure for me.

I have some of this problem myself, though I suspect the pattern is that the connection goes out when the lappy goes to sleep mode. If it doesn't sleep, then it's reliable. I think.

For reference, I use a Novation Remote 61SL over a Lenovo w520. And I too am approaching your situation, where I'm looking to soon bring laptops and midi controllers onto stage.

That's what gaffers tape is for.

Never had such problems with USB on stage or anywhere else. When using a laptop always make sure sleep mode/powersaver/screensaver are switched OFF! Change profile to a custom "maximum power" setting.

Cheers for the answers guys, I suppose it's done all the time without hitch, there isn't really alternative I suppose.

yeah, I think using modern interfaces into laptops ; there is no alternative

I found a setting in my bios yesterday that determines whether or not a USB port continues getting power during sleep mode or not. Mine was default to no-power-on-sleep. So checking that setting could be useful.

Run crappy stuff and you get crappy results. Like anything, invest time and money and you will have a great rig. I use an X-Station 61 live and it is running both audio and midi It never craps out. I also don't just use a cheap USB cable either. I run a Mac now but it worked great even on a PC so I can't throw the PC under the bus (but to be honest, I would rather have a Mac on stage then a PC).