USB MIDI to PC or 5-pin MIDI into Audio Interface?

[Mister Dudicle]

I just got a MOTU M2 audio interface for my edrumin / laptop setup.
(laptop is gen12 i7 cpu, 16G RAM. Edrumin unit is Edrumin4, v2.1.1.5)

It all seems to be working together. Yay!

My question is this: am I better off connecting my EDrumin unit to my rig using the 5-pin MIDI (direct into the MOTU M2)
*OR*
should I connect the EDrumin into my laptop via USB MIDI, and ignore the MIDI input on my MOTU audio interface?

FWIW, I understand that using the EDrumin 5-pin option will necessitate an external power source.
But are there performance considerations in play vis a vis MIDI connection options?

Thanks in advance!

[Rob]

I think USB should probably be your best option and should give you the lowest latency. The DIN is only there if you need to use the eDRUMin without a computer. In that setup you can power the eDRUMin with a USB charger or a Boss style 9v adapter.

[Mister Dudicle]

Thanks, Rob! That certainly simplifies wiring.

This is all a little new to me, so I have to follow up with one more question: what utilities are available for measuring latency in my setup?
(win 11, sd3, edrumin) ?

Thanks again.
/doug

[Rob]

Your ears are the only tools that really matter. If you dig through this forum, you'll find some posts about latency measurement procedures me and others have performed.

[Rob]

You could also record the MIDI from the eDRUMin USB MIDI and from your MOTU onto separate MIDI tracks and compare the timing. I suspect the MOTU MIDI would have about an extra 1ms or latency.

[Mister Dudicle]

Thanks again.
I do agree about using your ears, especially since live playing is my primary use case. ("...if it looks straight, it is straight."). That said, it's good to have a tool or approach for measurement when/if things sound weird. Your recommendation is great (I have reaper), and I also located a utility last night that may assist.

Can't wait to upgrade my ed4 to a 10 (or maybe 8) when they're available!

/doug