CME MIDI Thru5 WC

The CME MIDI Thru5 WC is a MIDI Thru box and splitter: it takes one MIDI signal in and sends it out to five devices at once. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as a "1-in-5-out MIDI Thru/Split with optional Bluetooth MIDI", so beyond the wired connections it can also handle MIDI over a Bluetooth link¹. It sits in the wider family of MIDI pedals that keep a board's clock and control messages flowing to every device.

What it does

A MIDI Thru box solves a simple problem: a controller, a sequencer or a pedalboard switcher usually has only one MIDI output, but a rig may hold several devices that all need to receive the same messages. The Thru5 WC takes that single input and repeats it to five outputs, so sound modules and other MIDI gear can all be connected at the same time. Kenton, whose THRU-5 is a comparable unit, describes the purpose of this kind of box plainly: its outputs "can then be connected to the MIDI INs of sound modules or other devices which require MIDI signals sent to them"²¹.

The CME unit works "straight out of the box with high-speed wired MIDI", meaning no setup or configuration is needed before the wired connections pass MIDI through¹. The optional Bluetooth MIDI adds a wireless path into the same splitter, which can be useful when the sending device is a tablet or computer without a MIDI socket.

How it compares

The closest alternative in shape is the Kenton THRU-5, which serves the same one-in, several-out purpose for feeding sound modules and other MIDI receivers². The CME's distinguishing feature is the optional Bluetooth MIDI alongside its wired Thru and split function¹. CME also makes the U6MIDI Pro, a related MIDI interface in the same maker's range.

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