RolandUM-ONE-MK2 One in Two Out Midi Cable

I tried valiantly to make this cable work on my Mac Studio which I intentionally keep on Monterey 12.3 to support certain gear. I bought the cable to update a Sonicware Ambient synth, and certain keyboards. Downloading drivers from Roland for this version of Mac IOS, following all steps in the Readme file (both versions), restarting, etc. NOTHING.Then I plugged it into my ten year old Lenovo P50 laptop running Window. The Lenovo recognized the UM-1 Mk2 instantly, downloaded the drivers automatically, and was ready to update the Sonicware Ambien in less than a minute, all automated. I have a lot of computer gear both Apple and PC, and this is definitely not a platform critique, just a report in case my experience helps someone who has access to both platforms. Otherwise, the UM-1 works flawlessly!

After some research I bought this Midi Interface Cable because it was the cable of choice for my needs. I am using it to interface my Korg Volca FM2 with my Macbook Pro and Arturia Keystep 32 Keyboard. This allows me to connect the Volca FM2 to my MacBook Pro in order to us the DEXED and SYNTHMATA Applications (and some others) to edit the Volca FM2 sounds and also to Upload Sysex Files into the Volca FM2. At the same time I can use my Keystep 32 to play the Volca FM2.Part of this review is to help others as the included instructions were useless.It's important to first download the Drivers for the MacBook Pro (or what ever computer you are using, such as Windows), install them and then Restart youy computer. Once you do this the Roland UM-ONE-MK2 should be recognized by your computer. Also there is a little switch on the side that needs to be in the COMP position. It's TAB (Tablet) to the left and COMP (Computer) to the right as you face the unit. Make sure you set this before you connect it to your Computer (or Tablet). The switch is recessed and a bit tricky to see and move, I needed a thin paperclip to set it and was not sure at first if the switch even moved so I tried it a few times just to be sure and it did. Roland could have designed this a little better.One of the important points about the Roland UM-ONE-MK2 is it handles Sysex File Transfer perfectly. Many of the off brand Midi Interface cables do not, they either drop parts of the file, corrupt it or won't transmit them at all.Pros:It works for my needs and has been 100% reliableCables lengths are long enough for most applications.LED lights let you know it's functioningCons:A bit Pricey but hey if it works it's worth itMode Switch could be easier to see and useIncluded Instructions are uselessNot really a big deal but I would have preferred they used the newer USB C Connector instead of the older USB A, so I am using an adaptor.

I'm connecting a vintage Korg Poly-800 (circa 1986) to a modern Windows 10 system running Ableton Live 12. I tried to get by with a cheaper connector despite the warnings that the less expensive ones didn't implement the full MIDI spec. And those warnings turned out to be true.After sending back my $18 first try adapter, I laid out the ~$50 for the Roland adapter. The difference is night and day. After a few installation problems, which I was able to correct, my nearly 40 year old Korg is working flawlessly as a MIDI controller for Ableton Live version 12.I mention installation... careful attention should be paid here, The instructions warn you to install a driver first, and send you to the Roland web site. Where, first of all, you find out this device has been discontinued. There is still a legacy driver download page, which tells you that you don't really need to download a driver at all, since Windows 10 will do that automatically. Well, in my case, it wasn't happening that way. So I downloaded the Roland "Driver" anyway, only to find it's a compresses set of html "read me" files. There's no software there.Starting completely over again: reboot computer plug in adapter and wait until I see it as a device in the Device Manager panel on Windows. Then connect to my Korg. Power on the Korg. Finally, start Ableton Live.Bingo!So minus one star under "ease of use" for giving installation instructions that don't work, but other than that, I'm really happy. This adapter was far less expensive than upgrading my Korg to a modern keyboard. And, I love my Korg. Happy endings.