There’s a portable Sound Canvas. The SCP-55. Requires drivers and a PCMCIA slot.

Tempus wrote on 2024-01-16, 15:35:

There’s a portable Sound Canvas. The SCP-55. Requires drivers and a PCMCIA slot.

Oh, that's really cool. Didn't know these existed. If not for this build I might dig up an old laptop for one. They are rare though, it seems.

- As far as I can tell SFF Optiplexes don't have PCMCIA slots or headers.
- I see that enclosures that convert PCMCIA cards to USB exist. Would that work?
- Any idea how OS support is for these, considering drivers are required? Any chance of getting it working past Windows 95-98? I think I might have an old XP laptop kicking around.

Probably won't quite suit you since it's just GM, but these are pretty neat:

https://www.midiplus.com.tw/en/product-detail/miniEngineUSB/

There's also a Roland PMA-5, a handheld Sound Canvas (sorta) which is hard to define exactly but at a minimum is a SC-50 with some SC-88 and other patches added in as well. I'm guessing it like any SC-88 and beyond isn't faithful to the SC-55 sound, but I haven't owned one or heard many examples.

Dreamblaster X2GS would be good enough for most people.

sndwv wrote on 2024-01-16, 17:40:

Oh, that's really cool. Didn't know these existed. If not for this build I might dig up an old laptop for one. They are rare tho […]
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Tempus wrote on 2024-01-16, 15:35:

There’s a portable Sound Canvas. The SCP-55. Requires drivers and a PCMCIA slot.

Oh, that's really cool. Didn't know these existed. If not for this build I might dig up an old laptop for one. They are rare though, it seems.

- As far as I can tell SFF Optiplexes don't have PCMCIA slots or headers.
- I see that enclosures that convert PCMCIA cards to USB exist. Would that work?
- Any idea how OS support is for these, considering drivers are required? Any chance of getting it working past Windows 95-98? I think I might have an old XP laptop kicking around.

Pcmcia to usb enclosures work only for storage.
Scp-55 has official drivers for dos/win3x/win9x and 3rd party support for a really old version of linux.

For XP you better use a PMA-5 and a usb to midi adapter (or a serial cable) as Spikey wrote.

SuperDeadite wrote on 2024-01-17, 10:21:

Dreamblaster X2GS would be good enough for most people.

Yeah, I've been looking at those, but I don't really understand what I'm looking at- are these daughter boards to a (specific) host card? Or can they connect as an external device? And as for the Roland sounds, are these similar to a soundfont, or to Microsoft GS wavetable software synthesizer, which is also Roland-licenced but sounds nothing like a Sound Canvas?

lolo799 wrote on 2024-01-17, 10:37:

Pcmcia to usb enclosures work only for storage. Scp-55 has official drivers for dos/win3x/win9x and 3rd party support for a real […]
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sndwv wrote on 2024-01-16, 17:40:

Oh, that's really cool. Didn't know these existed. If not for this build I might dig up an old laptop for one. They are rare tho […]
Show full quote

Tempus wrote on 2024-01-16, 15:35:

There’s a portable Sound Canvas. The SCP-55. Requires drivers and a PCMCIA slot.

Oh, that's really cool. Didn't know these existed. If not for this build I might dig up an old laptop for one. They are rare though, it seems.

- As far as I can tell SFF Optiplexes don't have PCMCIA slots or headers.
- I see that enclosures that convert PCMCIA cards to USB exist. Would that work?
- Any idea how OS support is for these, considering drivers are required? Any chance of getting it working past Windows 95-98? I think I might have an old XP laptop kicking around.

Pcmcia to usb enclosures work only for storage.
Scp-55 has official drivers for dos/win3x/win9x and 3rd party support for a really old version of linux.

For XP you better use a PMA-5 and a usb to midi adapter (or a serial cable) as Spikey wrote.

Thanks for the info! The SCP-55 might still be a cool thing to have for an old laptop to play around with, but indeed not really for his build. Also they seem to be near impossible to find, unfortunately.

I'm looking into the PMA-5 option now. I noticed that surviving ones likely need replacement (or for game-only use, desoldering) of the internal battery.

sndwv wrote on 2024-01-17, 13:07:

SuperDeadite wrote on 2024-01-17, 10:21:

Dreamblaster X2GS would be good enough for most people.

Yeah, I've been looking at those, but I don't really understand what I'm looking at- are these daughter boards to a (specific) host card? Or can they connect as an external device? And as for the Roland sounds, are these similar to a soundfont, or to Microsoft GS wavetable software synthesizer, which is also Roland-licenced but sounds nothing like a Sound Canvas?

The X2GS (Second Edition) is a wavetable board that can be put on a soundcard or put in an external casing (also sold by the same maker) with audio outputs and connected via USB, to act as an external synth module. It is considered to be an acceptable replacement for an old Sound Canvas module. The First Edition of the X2GS is pretty much the same, except it has a headphone/speaker jack and may be closer to what you want, though it's been discontinued.

Yeah there's a soundcanvas munt equivalent emulator out there but its still being worked on and it'll probably be a while before it works seamlessly.
Once its done chances are someone will probably make a pi-hat type device for it.

For your particular setup, a good choice would be one of the old portable Edirol (Roland subsidiary) Studio Canvas modules or one of the portable Yamaha XG modules, both of which are still readily available for purchase on eBay and other such sites.

AppleSauce wrote on 2024-01-17, 13:54:

Yeah there's a soundcanvas munt equivalent emulator out there but its still being worked on and it'll probably be a while before it works seamlessly.
Once its done chances are someone will probably make a pi-hat type device for it.

Yes, I've been watching that project. Would simplify things a lot!

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2024-01-17, 14:01:

For your particular setup, a good choice would be one of the old portable Edirol (Roland subsidiary) Studio Canvas modules or one of the portable Yamaha XG modules, both of which are still readily available for purchase on eBay and other such sites.

Is there a specific or example module you'd be thinking of? Keeping in mind that I'm looking for SC-55 compatibility. That said, I won't be bothered if an instrument or two sounds slightly different, or if there would be a compatibility issue with <5% of games.

sndwv wrote on 2024-01-17, 14:23:

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2024-01-17, 14:01:

For your particular setup, a good choice would be one of the old portable Edirol (Roland subsidiary) Studio Canvas modules or one of the portable Yamaha XG modules, both of which are still readily available for purchase on eBay and other such sites.

Is there a specific or example module you'd be thinking of? Keeping in mind that I'm looking for SC-55 compatibility. That said, I won't be bothered if an instrument or two sounds slightly different, or if there would be a compatibility issue with <5% of games.

Well, if you're pushing for compatibility, then the Sound Canvas SC-8820 is probably your best pick, if you can't get one of the SC-55 types. It was one of the last to include SC-55 mapping. By the time the Studio Canvas units came around, Roland abandoned the synth maps used in the Sound Canvas line and simply adopted "The GS Standard", for it's products, which is why MIDI made for the SC-55 sometimes has to be edited to play properly on newer hardware, as the sound maps are different and do not fully line up.

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2024-01-17, 15:53:

sndwv wrote on 2024-01-17, 14:23:

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2024-01-17, 14:01:

For your particular setup, a good choice would be one of the old portable Edirol (Roland subsidiary) Studio Canvas modules or one of the portable Yamaha XG modules, both of which are still readily available for purchase on eBay and other such sites.

Is there a specific or example module you'd be thinking of? Keeping in mind that I'm looking for SC-55 compatibility. That said, I won't be bothered if an instrument or two sounds slightly different, or if there would be a compatibility issue with <5% of games.

Well, if you're pushing for compatibility, then the Sound Canvas SC-8820 is probably your best pick, if you can't get one of the SC-55 types. It was one of the last to include SC-55 mapping. By the time the Studio Canvas units came around, Roland abandoned the synth maps used in the Sound Canvas line and simply adopted "The GS Standard", for it's products, which is why MIDI made for the SC-55 sometimes has to be edited to play properly on newer hardware, as the sound maps are different and do not fully line up.

I am currently using a SC-50 for my main PC. Also have a SC-55 Mk.2 in sorry state, but I always thought the SC-50 was essentially the same, sans MT-32 sounds. But for a portable build they are a bit cumbersome (and precious) to lug around, which is why I was looking for something you can throw in a bag, and is battery or usb-powered. So that's why the PMA-5 sounds interesting (though it is unclear how close it is to a SC-55), or perhaps a smaller or lighter 'desktop' module.

The SC-8820 is small and lightweight, so it fits your basic requirements, but the Dreamblaster x16GS in an external CHILL casing would give you the most quality and portability. For "checks all the boxes", the best choice would be a first-version X2GS in the matching shell-case.

RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2024-01-17, 16:18:

The SC-8820 is small and lightweight, so it fits your basic requirements, but the Dreamblaster x16GS in an external CHILL casing would give you the most quality and portability. For "checks all the boxes", the best choice would be a first-version X2GS in the matching shell-case.

Thanks, I'll check out the 8820!

What is 'better' on the first X2GS compared to the current(?) one? I'll check out some videos, it's still not completely clear to me how these attach and how they show up under Windows.

The cases for these are the 3d printed ones by Serdaco, right?

Yeah, this is still one of my wish-it-existed products. A USB Audio class-compliant device with a wavetable header on board; drop in a Dreamblaster X2GS and go. One USB cable back to the host, one power cable, one mixed audio out. Bonus points for a headphone amp - just enough to drive ordinary gaming headphones is fine.

sndwv wrote on 2024-01-17, 16:25:

Thanks, I'll check out the 8820! […]
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RetroGamer4Ever wrote on 2024-01-17, 16:18:

The SC-8820 is small and lightweight, so it fits your basic requirements, but the Dreamblaster x16GS in an external CHILL casing would give you the most quality and portability. For "checks all the boxes", the best choice would be a first-version X2GS in the matching shell-case.

Thanks, I'll check out the 8820!

What is 'better' on the first X2GS compared to the current(?) one? I'll check out some videos, it's still not completely clear to me how these attach and how they show up under Windows.

The cases for these are the 3d printed ones by Serdaco, right?

The first version of the X2GS has a speaker/headphone jack, so it's ideal for your use. The second has improved onboard audio components, but it is meant for soundcard use and has no audio outputs. It's unlikely you will obtain any of the first version units, unless someone wants to sell theirs, for whatever reason. It's more profitable for Serdaco to make the X16GS and sell it with an interface board and enclosure, so the first edition design will likely never be made again, unless he chooses to do so.