The PIRATE MIDI Nexus is a customizable MIDI hub, a small box that sits on a pedalboard and routes MIDI messages between controllers and effects that receive MIDI over TRS cables. PIRATE MIDI sells it for $109.00 USD as of 26 October 20261. It belongs to the wider family of MIDI pedals that let a single controller drive a whole board.
Inputs, outputs and TRS standards
MIDI over TRS cables is a common way to connect modern pedals, but the wiring standard is not universal: some devices use Type A, some Type B, and a few use tip-active or ring-active wiring. The Nexus is built to sit in the middle of that mess. Its two 1/4-inch inputs are switchable between Type A and Type B, and its ten outputs, two on 1/4-inch jacks and eight on 1/8-inch jacks, can each be set independently to Type A, Type B, Tip Active or Ring Active1.
PIRATE MIDI describes the idea this way:
"By combining 6.35mm (1/4") and 3.5mm (1/8") connectors with customisable I/O, you can work seamlessly with multiple MIDI" standards at once.
The merge switch
A merge switch on the device selects how the inputs and outputs relate to each other1:
- Two isolated streams: each input feeds its own five outputs, so two separate MIDI chains stay independent.
- One merged hub: both inputs are combined and feed all ten outputs, so a controller and a computer or a second controller can share one distribution point.
The inputs are opto-isolated, which protects against ground loops between devices, and input path activity LEDs show at a glance which paths are carrying MIDI. A printed TRS legend on the device itself records how each jack is set1.
PIRATE MIDI lists an average shipping time of 1 day or less, with preorders taking 4 to 6 weeks before shipping1.
A note on the name
"Nexus" is also the name of an unrelated product: the Swindler Effects Nexus_4, a programmable looper that uses 1/8-inch jacks for MIDI and has internal dip switches to configure how those jacks are wired2. The Nexus_4 can be programmed to send any MIDI program change message from 1 to 8 when activating a preset, and external MIDI program change messages on its designated MIDI input channel can also remotely activate its presets23. Swindler Effects adds that multiple Nexus_4s can be linked together to create an expanding control system with additional control over more pedal loops and additional presets2. The two products do different jobs: the Swindler Nexus_4 is a loop switcher that also speaks MIDI, while the PIRATE MIDI Nexus is purely a MIDI routing hub.
Questions
What does the PIRATE MIDI Nexus do?
It is a customisable MIDI hub for a pedalboard. It takes MIDI in through two 1/4-inch TRS jacks and distributes it to ten outputs, two on 1/4-inch jacks and eight on 1/8-inch jacks. A merge switch lets it run as two isolated 1-in/5-out streams or as one merged 2-in/10-out hub, and each jack can be set to the MIDI TRS standard the connected device expects.
Does the PIRATE MIDI Nexus work with both TRS Type A and Type B?
Yes. The two 1/4-inch inputs are switchable between Type A and Type B, and the ten outputs can each be set to Type A, Type B, Tip Active or Ring Active. PIRATE MIDI says that combining 6.35mm (1/4-inch) and 3.5mm (1/8-inch) connectors with customisable I/O lets the Nexus work with multiple MIDI TRS standards at the same time.
Can the Nexus merge two MIDI inputs into one?
Yes. A merge switch on the device selects between two modes: two isolated streams of one input to five outputs each, or one merged hub where both inputs feed all ten outputs. The inputs are opto-isolated, and activity LEDs show when a path is carrying MIDI.
How many outputs does the Nexus have?
Ten: two on 6.35mm (1/4-inch) jacks and eight on 3.5mm (1/8-inch) jacks. Each output is switchable between Type A, Type B, Tip Active or Ring Active wiring.
What power supply does the Nexus need?
9V DC at 100mA, center negative, from a standard pedalboard power supply. At 100mA it is worth checking that a shared output on a daisy chain or low-current supply output can spare the current.
Sources (3)
- Nexus // Customisable MIDI Hub, PIRATE MIDI
- Nexus_4_V2 Looper, Swindler Effects (www.swindlereffects.com), 2026
- Nexus_4 by Swindler Effects, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026