One of the MIDI cable manufacturers that we were very impressed with is C.B.I. Professional Wiring Systems. CBI MIDI cables are manufactured in New York and distributed through a number of online retailers. These MIDI interface cables are finely designed, built from high-quality materials and reasonably priced. In addition to providing excellent products, CBI is highly attentive to the needs of its customers and is a brilliant company with which to do business.

CBI 5 pin MIDI cables are available with either male-to-male or male-to-female connectors, which is unique to this product among the MIDI interface cables on our product lineup. Additionally, CBI gives you the option of purchasing cables that have MIDI connectors with three wired pins – for MIDI data transmission only – or five wired pins so that you can use their MIDI cords as control cables as well. All but one manufacturer on our lineup offers MIDI cables with five wired pins, while one brand only sells MIDI cords with three wired pins, so we appreciate CBI providing the option.

The four center conductor MIDI wires are wrapped in paper tape and a 38AWG braided tinned copper serve shield that provides 95-percent coverage from electromagnetic interference. The MIDI connector pins are silver-plated brass. The terminals are not molded and are detachable should you need to repair the connections.

Although having removable terminals allows you to repair the wiring, it also means that you need to be more careful when plugging and unplugging them. You should always remove your audio cables by pulling on the connector itself, and it is even more important with cables like these since pulling on the cable directly will weaken the joint over time and cause connection problems down the road. Beyond that, however, CBI MIDI cables hold their own against competitors where durability is concerned.

CBI makes MIDI cables in standard 3-, 6-, 10-, 15- and 20-foot lengths. They also make custom cables in a wide variety of lengths and jacket colors, including blue, green, purple, red and yellow in addition to the standard black finish. They also sell their cable in bulk if you prefer to make your own cables by attaching the connectors yourself.

CBI Professional Wiring Systems help and support is above average. They are very personable and willing to go to great lengths to accommodate their customers' needs. You can contact them through their website, which lists a general phone number and email address along with specific contact information for a number of department heads within the company. Everyone we spoke to was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, and we'd recommend this company based on their customer service alone.