The Free The Tone MB-5 is a MIDI thru box: a small unit that takes a single MIDI signal in and sends it out to five devices at once. Free The Tone describes it as splitting one stream of MIDI data into five so that data can be sent in parallel, which avoids the delay and malfunction that can come from chaining MIDI devices one after another1. It sits in the wider family of MIDI pedals alongside the company's MB-3 thru box, MC-3 controller and CM-3510 cables.
Why a thru box
When MIDI devices are chained, each unit passes data along to the next, and that serial arrangement can introduce delay or cause data to be misread. The MB-5 addresses this by distributing the incoming MIDI signal to all five outputs in parallel, so every connected device receives the same data directly from the source1. For a player with several MIDI-equipped pedals or a rack of effects, that means one controller or one output from a multi-effects unit can drive the whole rig.
Connections and power
The MB-5 uses standard DIN 5-pin MIDI connectors: one MIDI IN and five MIDI OUTs, six connectors in all1. It runs on a DC 9V AC adapter, and Free The Tone names its own FA-0905D-JA or FA-0905H-JA adapters, which are sold separately1.
No AC adapter is included with the MB-5; the specified adapters are sold separately1.
With a current draw of around 8 mA1, the unit is light on power, but it is specified for an AC adapter rather than a battery.
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type | MIDI thru box1 |
| MIDI IN | 1 x DIN 5-pin1 |
| MIDI OUT | 5 x DIN 5-pin1 |
| Power | DC 9V AC adapter (FA-0905D-JA or FA-0905H-JA, sold separately)1 |
| Current draw | approx. 8 mA1 |
| Weight | approx. 200 g excluding accessories1 |
| List price | 20,900 yen (tax included)1 |
The MB-5's footprint is small enough to sit on or under a pedalboard, close to the devices it feeds1.
Sources (1)
- MB-5｜Products 商品紹介｜Free The Tone, Free The Tone
