Why would you need another converter? To convert midi to midi? Seriously, look at the picture of that auction. On the one side PC (Laptop in the picture), check you've got that. On the other side Midi Sound module, check, that's your MT32. In between the converter. That's what you need.
BUT easiest would be if you still had the cable for your gameport to hook midi up. http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PC-JOYSTICK-GAMEPORT- … 1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks, Dominus! That answers my question!

Yeah, I was confused- I thought that the MIDI-USB cable would somehow transmit the MIDI to the MT-32. That really wouldn't make any sense thinking about it. This joystick/game port to MIDI cable would work for my SB Live! Value card.

Ok, so I've set my PC up with the Roland MT-32 using MIDI/gameport cables, but I haven't been able to get it to work yet.

Here is the setup:

1. Windows PC with SB Live! Value (which has a MIDI/gameport)

2. MIDI/gameport cable connected to SB Live card's gameport and cable's MIDI IN going into Roland MT-32 (MIDI IN).

3. R Audio Out of Roland MT-32 connected to a pair of headphones via a 1/4" to 1/8" audio converter plug (I only have one converter plug, and I just want to test if I can hear any audio out of either R or L).

4. In Windows, Sound -> Audio settings I have the following MIDI devices:

A: SB Live! MIDI Synth
B: SB Live! MIDI Synth
SB Live! MIDI UART
Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth

I've played around with the connections (swapping the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT parts of the cable with the MIDI IN of the Roland MT-32), as well as the MIDI devices in Windows, but I can't seem to get any communication with the Roland MT-32. I even downloaded a program from Quest Studios that sends simple SysEx messages to the MT-32, but it's not receiving them. Clearly, I've set up something wrong (this is all new territory for me).

Specifically, I wanted to use the MT-32 with DosBox so I set the MIDI device to be SB Live! MIDI UART in Windows. Then I configured the following in dosbox.conf:

mpu401=uart
device=default
config=0

[note that config=0 corresponds to the SB Live! MIDI UART in DosBox when I do mixer /listmidi]

Does this sound correct? Is the SB Live! MIDI UART the correct MIDI device for the gameport connection?

I have the same hardware setup as you, but I use the DOSBox defaults: "mpu401=intelligent, device=default, config=" (leaving config empty uses the default device from Windows).

Connect the cable's "MIDI OUT" to the MT-32's "MIDI IN". (Makes sense if you think about it).

Also, see if Windows Media Player will play a MIDI file on the MT-32 that way. You should at the very least see the "MIDI message" light flash.

I have the same hardware setup as you, but I use the DOSBox defaults: "mpu401=intelligent, device=default, config=" (leaving config empty uses the default device from Windows).

Connect the cable's "MIDI OUT" to the MT-32's "MIDI IN". (Makes sense if you think about it).

Also, see if Windows Media Player will play a MIDI file on the MT-32 that way. You should at the very least see the "MIDI message" light flash.

I connected the cable's MIDI OUT to the MT-32's MIDI IN, but it still doesn't seem to be communicating. I also set the dosbox.conf back to the way it was before (the settings you have above). I don't see the MIDI Message Light coming on though which should probably be a sure sign it's not receiving any MIDI signal.

Do I need to install a Roland MT-32 driver? All I did was connect the cable to the SB Live! Value gameport. Is there supposed to be an additional option under the Windows Control Panel -> Sound -> Audio -> MIDI devices for a MIDI gameport device?

The "SB Live! MIDI UART" is that device. If Windows Media Player also can't play something through this setup, it sounds like hardware failure. Try switching with another MIDI port, MIDI cable or another sound module. all three of them could be malfunctioning.

Hey, what do you know! I got it to work! Not exactly sure what was the problem before- I think it was a combination of different things. For one I was playing General MIDI songs rather than Roland MIDI on Windows Media Player. Also when I switched the MIDI output to SB MIDI UART in the Windows Audio settings I had to close out of Windows Media Player first or else it kept the same MIDI settings as before. Finally, I left the dosbox.conf to the defaults (same settings that you had posted previously).

Lo and behold, I could see the MIDI message light flashing and could hear the music! I still have to figure out how this MT-32 works as the volume was pretty low even as I turned up the Master and several of the instruments volume. (Also, I am still only listening to one speaker output right now- will have to get another audio cable and converter plug to play them out of a standard 1/4" computer speaker). I was also able to successfully send SysEx messages to the MT-32.

Thanks, Kippesoep, for all your help! Hope this might help any other newbie set up their MT-32 as well.

I think your soundcard has a line in. So you can just hook the mt32 line out (right and left) to your soundcard line in and thus control the volume with your windows mixer. Can't tell you right now what cable you need though

Niiiice!!!

So I got some converter plugs and audio cables to connect my MT-32 to my computer speakers. The Radioshack I went to (an electronics store here in the US) only had certain types of converters available- in the end, I cobbled together an odd assortment that does the job.

(for anyone who wants to do the same)

1. MT-32 L and R 1/4" mono outputs - each with 1/4" to 1/8" converter plugs
2. 1/8" mono audio cable connecting each converter plug to a 2x 1/8" mono to 1/8" stereo splitter.
3. Splitter into the Line-In of my SB soundcard as you had mentioned, Dominus.

I'm sure there exists one cable that could have done the whole thing and would have been cheaper, but like I said the store only had these available. (like this cable that dvwjr had mentioned earlier in the thread:HOSA CMP-159 Mini to 1/4" Phone Stereo 10ft cable)

Anyways, it works fantastic. Just have to set my MIDI output to be SB MIDI UART in Windows. Now I can control the volume internally.

It's quite amazing how nice the music coming from the MT-32 is. It really improves the atmosphere of my old Sierra games (ie. Space Quest 3, Police Quest 2). Shame they don't make these anymore. Perhaps there will be even better MT-32 software emulators in the future for those that have never experienced it.

I use two mono 1/4"->RCA adapters which I bought in some local store.
Then I can use any standard RCA->RCA or RCA->1/8" cable, which I think is a nice solution.

I just picked up my own Roland MT-32. (probably a 1st gen model as there's no headphone jack) Strange thing is, this one came with a Voyetra/Turtle Beach OP-4001 with Midi In/Out ports, metronome, and L/R RCA plug speaker hookups. The other end of this thing looks like a parallel/printer port. I tried hooking all the cables up as common sense dictates, midi to midi, left and right speakers etc. but do I have to enable EPP+ECP mode on my printer parallel port? My Roland isn't getting any midi data and the light on the MT-32's display doesn't come on. Windows Dxdiag tests don't help either.

Should I just ditch the old Voyetra relic and buy a cheap Midi-to-joystick cable? I have a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, so it has the optional joystick port.
Thanks for any info! This is all new to me as I've never tried anything beyond soundfonts and AWE32.

Here are my systems' specs if that helps:
PC#1 custom built back in 2003
Windows XP, SP3
AMD Athlon 2800+XP
1.5 Ghz DDR Ram, single channel
Audigy 2 ZS
Virtual Sound Canvas software for other GM/GS tunes

PC#2 Dell Optiplex Gs
Windows 98/Dos 7.1
Pentium I, 90Mhz
32MB SDRAM
Sound Blaster AWE 32, CT-3990 full length 8 bit ISA version
16MB sound card Ram

You're missing the interface card that the OP-4001 breakout box needs to connect to. It's not a parallel-port device, despite the appearance.

Ahh, I see. So I may as well just pick up an old MIDI to joystick port adapter then. (Or...USB?)

Ok, I've got my joystick to MIDI cables and have them hooked up to my sound card. (Out to In, and vice versa.) Now I seem to be experiencing a similar problem here: no light, no midi sound. I've tried sending sysex data through a "WSysex" program I got from Quest Studios. Still no audio, though WSysex says "data was transmitted successfully."

I have these audio devices to choose from in the Windows XP sound settings under the MIDI menu:
-SB Audigy 2 ZS MIDI IO [D000]
-MPU-401
-Microsoft Wavetable Synth, Software
-SB Audigy 2 ZS Synth A [D000]
-SB Audigy 2 ZS Synth B [D000]
(these are probably the standard GM soundfont banks)

I can't seem to get any sound with either the Audigy 2's MIDI I/O or the MPU-401...am I missing something here or am I simply having a Bruce Campbell moment of idiocy? I feel like such a newb 🤣

Thank you for any help!

Hello,

i have a roland mt32 connected to macintosh performa 6116 with macman midi interface. Now i a bought a dos computer Cyrix 120+, 32mb ram, 20 gb hard drive and an avance logic als100 card for sound. I want to connect the roland mt32 to the dos computer because there are lot of games that support it. Unfortunately on macintosh there are only a few games from sierra on line that support roland although lots of games on mac format(see for instance monkey island 2 with 640x480 graphics) have better graphics and sound than soundblaster. What do i need? Only a joystick midi cable or also a roland mpu401 interface?

Thank you
Dimitris from Greece

Dimitris1980 wrote:

(..)What do i need? Only a joystick midi cable or also a roland mpu401 interface?

Either one or the other, you don't need both.

This is very good! Thank you very much.

You can even build a simple midi-out adapter yourself with a 74LS00 ic, here is a schematic:

it is enough to get sound out of DOS games as the only thing you need is the midi-out from the DB15 joystick port.

Is this cable suitable for the job? https://www.easytechnology.gr/index.php?main_ … roducts_id=3974

^ yes it is, nice find!