PDF of Device Information: Here
I have this nice multi-knob and button controller by Evolution called the U-Control UC-16. It has a USB and a MIDI-out connection as well as a 12V power connector.
My question is, what would be the "less troublesome" way to interface with this device? Not yet looking for code examples, as I do want to try my hand at that part first. Just opinions on what interface method is preferred between USB and MIDI-out
MIDI, for sure. This controller is a USB slave device, which means that it needs to be plugged into a USB host device for the USB port to work. Now, making a USB host device on an Arduino is a big project, whereas a MIDI receiver is quite straightforward. IIRC, it's just a 5-pin DIN socket, an optocoupler and a few resistors. The Arduino's serial port can be set to the MIDI baud rate with just:
Serial.begin (31250);
An optocoupler is sometimes called an optoisolator; it's just an LED and a phototransistor in an opaque package, usually 6-pin. There's a ready-made MIDI shield available, too.
There is a nice USB Host shield with library available. Having said that, MIDI is probably a lot easier to program.