Yea it's like the SC-55 but without the LCD display and plain looking. For that price you can't go wrong 😀

PhilsComputerLab wrote:

Yea it's like the SC-55 but without the LCD display and plain looking. For that price you can't go wrong 😀

Wow, seems to be my lucky day! Thanks bro! 😈 😈

Well, it lacks not only the display, but also all functions to control sounds/instruments/effects, the remote control, the second MIDI in etc. And instead of RCA, it uses 6.35 mm phone jacks, which are rather uncommon for a PC. It will produce more or less the same output as the SC-55, but it's more like a SCC-1 in an ugly beige box.

Interestingly, 1/4" jacks are extremely common in pro audio.

derSammler wrote:

Well, it lacks not only the display, but also all functions to control sounds/instruments/effects, the remote control, the second MIDI in etc. And instead of RCA, it uses 6.35 mm phone jacks, which are rather uncommon for a PC. It will produce more or less the same output as the SC-55, but it's more like a SCC-1 in an ugly beige box.

Thanks for ur advices. The thing I concern most is its audio quality and mapper. Because some old posts in vogons said the original SC-55 mapper is a little bit different from the later SC-55MKII and SC-88‘s compatible mapper. I'm gonna use this CM-300 as a cheap replacement of the original SC-55 for games (maybe I'll buy another real SC-55 for collections). As long as CM-300 could make its duty fulfilled perfectly, nothing I'm gonna complain about anymore.

Jacks and cables are not big problem. This is japan bro, I can get all kinds of jacks and cables online or at Akihabara(秋葉原), and second hand goodies are pretty popular here. Controls and front panel are not big deal too. I'm a retro player for old games, not a pro musician, normally I do not make music myself so those functions are quite meaningless for me. And if I do wish to do so, I got another SC-88 with better GM compatibility to run and going to buy another SC-88 pro later.

Controls and front panel are not big deal too. I'm a retro player for old games, not a pro musician, normally I do not make music myself so those functions are quite meaningless for me.

I see what you mean. But remember that you can switch a SC-55 into MT-32 mapping mode, which requires the front panel keys. The only way to do this on a CM-300 is probably by playing a MIDI file that sends the required commands to the device. That is, if the MT-32 mapping mode is supported by the CM-300 at all.

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with the CM-300 if you can live with its limitations.

you can switch a SC-55 into MT-32 mapping mode, which requires the front panel keys. The only way to do this on a CM-300 is probably by playing a MIDI file that sends the required commands to the device. That is, if the MT-32 mapping mode is supported by the CM-300 at all.

I got ur ideas, more functions for more possibilities. That's true and I've thought a lot on the MT-32 compatibility before because so many people speak highly of MT-32 for the old dos games.

Referring to my personal conditions, I was born in 80s and got my first PC when I was 11, so I mostly wish to play those old games released in 90s for later 486 and Pentium MMX era. I have to say MT-32 is pretty much better for 386 and early 486 era, but back to my situation, general midi are widely supported by most of games in 90s and it has better performance. So MT-32 compatibility is not a-kinda-necessary-stuff I have to take as the SC-55 did IMO.

But anyway, thanks for ur advices again, and if I can get an SC-55 within 50 USD by chance, I'll take it for sure. And the same for MT-32 or MT-100. 😀 😀 😀

I have a pair of these plain, beige modules, a CM-64 and a CM-300, and set them up in a tower configuration. They match the beige era rather well, and don't look out of place like an SC-55 being black with a busy looking screen. Just play sounds, listen, and focus on games being displayed on your monitor...