CME has built a reputation primarily through its WIDI range of wireless Bluetooth MIDI devices — compact, reliable, and notably low-latency solutions that filled a gap the MIDI world had been waiting on for years. The H12MIDI Pro, announced this week, suggests the company has broader ambitions.
The H12MIDI Pro is a compact standalone MIDI hub that marks a significant step up from CME’s existing wired range — and a deliberate break from traditional connector conventions. Where the company’s H2MIDI Pro and H4MIDI WC both use five-pin DIN for hardware MIDI, the H12MIDI Pro replaces DIN entirely with 3.5 mm TRS MIDI ports: six inputs and six outputs, with USB Type A or B auto-detected on input and software-selectable on output. CME says the move — driven by user feedback through its Crowd Creation program — is what made the device’s small footprint possible. The result is a hub roughly the size of a guitar pedal and weighing about as much as a smartphone, despite offering considerably more connectivity than either of its predecessors.
The port count tells the story of how quickly CME’s wired range has expanded. The H2MIDI Pro, the entry point at US$49.99, manages a single USB-A host connection (expandable to eight devices via a hub) and one DIN in/out pair — a minimal, focused device. The H4MIDI WC doubles that to two DIN pairs and retains a single USB-A host. The H12MIDI Pro jumps to six USB-C host ports supporting up to 16-in/16-out USB MIDI, alongside a dedicated USB-C client port offering 8-in/8-out for computer connectivity.
All three share the same HxMIDI Tools software for routing, filtering, mapping and preset management — and that software is arguably as important as the hardware. Rather than locking complex functionality behind device controls, CME has pushed the intelligence into the app, keeping the physical units compact and the user experience consistent across the range. Configurations are stored internally, so the devices run standalone once set up.
Bluetooth MIDI support differs slightly across the range: the H4MIDI WC accommodates an optional internal WIDI Core module, while the H12MIDI Pro takes a WIDI Uhost or WIDI Jack attached externally. CME says the external approach actually improves wireless performance by allowing better line-of-sight placement — and it neatly ties the new hub back into the WIDI ecosystem that started it all.
For users with existing five-pin DIN hardware, CME offers low-profile TRS-to-DIN adaptor cables designed to preserve the device’s compact form factor.
What’s emerging is a coherent system — wireless MIDI via WIDI, wired routing and hosting via the H-series hubs, and a single software layer that ties everything together. For a company that not long ago was best known for a single clever Bluetooth dongle, it’s a notable evolution.
The H12MIDI Pro began with a three-day presale on March 16 at US$139, after which the price rises to US$199. The first production run is capped at 400 units, with shipping from late April. Free shipping applies to Australia, the US, UK, EU, Canada and Japan.