Crazy Idea - MT32 WaveBlaster Card

[Rackatack]

Can't wait to see that, any eta or pricing idea?

[RJDog]

Can't wait to see that, any eta or pricing idea?

Eta.. not really sure... given my current schedule it will probably be a few weeks before I get the prototype completed. Pricing? Assuming it does actually get to a stable and sale-able state, I would guess sub-$100.

[shiozaki]

this is pretty amazing, looking forward to getting one, keep up the hard work.

[TimMer1981]

Any updates? Very interested.

[the Goat]

Interesting project.

[RJDog]

Ah, sorry, i've been pretty busy so only seem to have a handful of minutes to myself at any given time, so I usually get distracted with something that I think will only take a couple minutes.

I hope to return to this soon and get a couple boards assembled.

I realized though that what I've made (from a hardware perspective, anyway) is more like a fancy MIDI adapter for the OrangePi, and therefore moreso a generic MIDI computer than specific to something like MUNT.

[TimMer1981]

N00b question: if that's the case, how is it going to be different from something like this?

Pisound

Pisound - Audio & MIDI Interface for Raspberry Pi

[the Goat]

Pisound doesn't connect to the Wave Blaster port on a sound card.

[TimMer1981]

Pisound doesn't connect to the Wave Blaster port on a sound card.

This also won't, it'll be a standalone card with a waveblaster port on it. See this post: viewtopic.php?p=572261#p572261

So effectively, it'll be an internal version of PiSound?

[RJDog]

N00b question: if that's the case, how is it going to be different from something like this?

Pisound

Well, I will admit that (a) I have not heard of this project, and (b) they are very simiar. Both have audio I/O and MIDI I/O to a SomethingPi. The software I develop will probably be as compatible with a Raspberry Pi 2/3 as much as it will be on the OrangrPi for which it is built.

The three main differences that I can think of between PiSound and this project is (1) the form factor -- externally, MB-32 is designed to be in a nice case and emulate the appearance of an MT-32. The I/O ports are all on the back to support this form factor. I have a 3D prototype printer onboard to develop a case. (2) internally, it can/will connect to standard WaveTable header and can operate directly attached to a compatible sound card, and (3) it has an LCD and front panel controller that can be attached when used externally (and therefore emumates the front panel I/O of the MT-32) and used internally (theoretically possible to make a 5-1/4" bay I/O unit for LCD and buttons... I should look into getting the 3D printer to develop this too).

But otherwise, I will concede that basic functionality is the same between the two projects.

[the Goat]

theoretically possible to make a 5-1/4" bay I/O unit for LCD and buttons... I should look into getting the 3D printer to develop this too.

My interest in the MB-32 just when from, "neat but I already have a real MT-32" to ludicrous. That sounds really cool. Hopefully the display can have different modes such as spectrum analyzer (FFT) and maybe a mode similar to a SC-55/SC-88.

[TimMer1981]

N00b question: if that's the case, how is it going to be different from something like this?

Pisound

Well, I will admit that (a) I have not heard of this project, and (b) they are very simiar. Both have audio I/O and MIDI I/O to a SomethingPi. The software I develop will probably be as compatible with a Raspberry Pi 2/3 as much as it will be on the OrangrPi for which it is built.

The three main differences that I can think of between PiSound and this project is (1) the form factor -- externally, MB-32 is designed to be in a nice case and emulate the appearance of an MT-32. The I/O ports are all on the back to support this form factor. I have a 3D prototype printer onboard to develop a case. (2) internally, it can/will connect to standard WaveTable header and can operate directly attached to a compatible sound card, and (3) it has an LCD and front panel controller that can be attached when used externally (and therefore emumates the front panel I/O of the MT-32) and used internally (theoretically possible to make a 5-1/4" bay I/O unit for LCD and buttons... I should look into getting the 3D printer to develop this too).

But otherwise, I will concede that basic functionality is the same between the two projects.

Thanks for your speedy and extensive response!

It wasn't yet clear to me that you're also planning on building an external version and a LCD/front panel (and perhaps even a bay) version. Very, very interested.

Would the external version connect to a MPU-401 (or UART in combination with SoftMPU) port?

And this will be a software emulation, using MUNT on RPi? If so: that would bring a lot of flexibility, given the ability to change the software, upgrade the software, etc.

[gdjacobs]

N00b question: if that's the case, how is it going to be different from something like this?

Pisound

Pisound - Audio & MIDI Interface for Raspberry Pi

I looked at this project a while ago. Ultimately, I wanted to connect peripherals via USB rather than I2C or SPI so I could avoid having to make and maintain a custom BSP overlay.

[jarreboum]

Damn, I had a similar idea in the back of my mind for a while. Googling "buildroot + munt" brought me here. I wanted to use the GPIO for MIDI IN and a 20x1 LCD display, along with a single volume button to replicate the look of an original MT-32 at a much smaller scale.

Obviously you have given much more thoughts about it than I have, so I'll take a step back and follow this thread now

[TimMer1981]

Any updates?

[Phreeze]

this looks cool, how do we understand this: you put a waveboard on a soundcard that has a cable going out to another board ? I don't really get it

[matze79]

Get Raspi as Compute Unit, and place it on a ISA Card with MPU Interface, interfacing to RX/TX Pins of Computeboard.
^^