Both convert your acoustic instrument to MIDI in real-time. Here is why MidiCore goes much further — especially for voice, kazoo, and musicians with disabilities.
MidiCore: complete MIDI platformSonuus i2M: dedicated USB converter dongle
Overview
Two very different philosophies for the same audio→MIDI conversion.
MidiCore Audio→MIDI Service
€250 – 400
Complete platform · handcrafted
Recommended · Full platform
4 pitch algorithms (YIN · pYIN · MPM · THRIVE)
Optimised for voice · kazoo · disability (voice mode)
Kalman tracker for perfect vibrato/portamento
60+ MIDI effects in chain
4-track MIDI looper built-in
8 hardware MIDI ports
Standalone — no computer needed
Open source · extensible
Sonuus i2M Musicport
~€99
Single USB dongle
Conversion only
1 proprietary algorithm (undisclosed)
Optimised for guitar · bass · violin
Basic tracking (relies on DAW)
No native MIDI effects
No looper
1 USB port only
Requires a computer
Closed firmware
Detailed Feature Comparison
Feature by feature.
Feature
MidiCore
Sonuus i2M
Pitch Detection
Algorithm(s)
YIN · pYIN · MPM · THRIVE (4 choices)
Proprietary, undisclosed
Compile-time selection
✓ -DATM_ALGORITHM=…
✗
Octave error rate (voice)
Very low (THRIVE HES + Kalman)
Moderate (guitar-optimised)
Detection latency
< 2 ms (embedded, no OS stack)
< 3 ms (USB audio latency)
Frequency range
~40 Hz – 1 333 Hz (E1 → D#6)
~80 Hz – 1 000 Hz (guitar/bass)
Voice, Kazoo & Disability
Optimised voice mode
✓ set_voice_mode(1)
✗
Vibrato tolerance
Configurable 0.1–3.0 semitones
Fixed, undocumented
Adaptive gate (irregular breath)
✓ independent on/off threshold
Fixed threshold
Pitch smoothing (tremor)
✓ 3-frame median (voice mode)
✗
Kalman filter (portamento)
✓ THRIVE only
✗
Longer sustain (configurable release)
✓ 4 frames normal / 6 voice
✗
MIDI Output
Note On / Note Off
✓
✓
Pitch Bend
✓ range 1–12 semitones
✓
Velocity from amplitude
✓
✓
Transpose
✓ ±24 semitones
✓ ±1 octave
Scale quantisation
✓ via quantizer module
✓
Configurable legato / retrigger
✓ threshold parameter
Fixed
Polyphony
Mono (physical limit)
Mono
MIDI Ecosystem
MIDI effects chain
60+ (arpeggio, harmoniser, delay…)
0 (all in DAW)
MIDI looper
4 tracks
✗
Hardware MIDI ports
8
1 (USB only)
Multi-destination routing
✓
✗
Standalone use
✓ no computer needed
✗ requires PC/Mac
Technical & Openness
Microcontroller
STM32F407 (FPU, 168 MHz)
Undisclosed
Open source
✓
✗
Extensible / customisable
✓ fully
✗
Handcrafted for each musician
✓ artisanal
✗ mass-produced
Accessibility (disability)
✓ tremor stabilizer, adaptive gate
✗
MidiCore's 4 Algorithms
All conditionally compiled — choose the one that fits your use case.
YIN
Standard · 2002
Industry reference. Fast, reliable for guitar and harmonic instruments. Occasional octave errors on breathy voices.
⚡ 0.8 ms/frame · 27/27 tests
pYIN-lite
Probabilistic · 2014
Multi-candidate scoring + inter-frame continuity. Significantly reduces octave errors on voice and kazoo.
⚡ 0.9 ms/frame · 27/27 tests
MPM / NSDF
McLeod · 2005
Normalised Square Difference Function. Excellent for harmonic instruments. MINP-1 primer prevents false peaks for very low-frequency signals.
Vibrato ±1 semitone, portamento between notes, soft attacks — the human voice is the hardest case for pitch detection.
MidiCore THRIVE + voice mode handles all of this natively. Sonuus is not designed for voice.
✓ MidiCore THRIVE + voice_mode(1)
🎶
Kazoo (Music Therapy)
Ideal instrument for disabled musicians: just hum. Breath may be irregular, pitch imprecise.
The adaptive gate and 3-frame median filter prevent spurious notes. Sonuus has none of these features.
✓ MidiCore pYIN/THRIVE + voice_mode(1)
🎸
Guitar / Bass
Clear signal, strong attack, little expressive vibrato. Both solutions work well here. MidiCore adds 60+ MIDI effects, a looper, and no computer dependency.
✓ Both. MidiCore for standalone live use.
🪗
Diatonic Accordion
MidiCore's flagship instrument. The audio→MIDI service can be combined with existing DIN/AINSER64 sensor configurations for a hybrid solution: buttons + melodic detection.
✓ MidiCore only (accordion specialist)
♿
Motor / Vocal Disability
Tremors, irregular breath, imprecise pitch control — MidiCore is designed with these cases in mind. Tremor stabilizer, adaptive gate, long sustain, wide vibrato tolerance.
✓ MidiCore exclusively
💡
Prototype / Research
4 compile-time algorithms, open source, embedded STM32. Ideal for comparing algorithms or developing new pitch detection features.
✓ MidiCore (open source + extensible)
Ready to go beyond the Sonuus?
MidiCore gives you the same audio→MIDI conversion plus a complete MIDI platform, optimised for voice, kazoo, and musicians with disabilities.