Isn't Timidity rather poor in comparison to BASSMIDI's soundfont implementation? Even FluidSynth has really crappy flaws to it too.

Or has there been any recent Timidity development I'm not aware of?

Seems like:

1) Strict hardware conversion is unfeasible because donor hardware is needed and the labor involved
2) Software emulation on embedded CPU is possible, but CPU requirements would be very high for a daughtercard
2a) Other issues such as whether an OS would be needed, or could a simple bootloader load a statically linked version directly from ROM/FLASH.
3) FPGA is possible and could be quite lean on requirements, but converting code to an FPGA format would require expertise that is rare.

They all look like long shots.

alexanrs wrote:

This is an idea:

MUNT drive.png

That was my thinking, yes.

Get the enclosure from a busted CD/DVD drive, use some plastic/rubber/tape to isolate the inside, fixate the components (and zip-tie stuff like the UM-ONE), make a cable with a female DIN conector and use a perfboard (or etch a simple board) with a molex connector (for power - as I do not trust getting it from the sound card) and a waveblaster connector. Install MUNT, configure its ALSA server and aconnect to bridge the MIDI in to MUNT and have that start automatically. Then just run a flat cable from the drive to the sound card. Oh, and you might need to add a little buffer opamp for the line out, taking advantage of the waveblaster's 12V and -12V line and put a decoupling capacitor between the USB sound card's line out and the IC. Oh, and using an optocoupler between the header's MIDI pin and the UM-ONE's MIDI input is probably needed as well.

For an internal solution, the interface isolation components could go on a daughtercard or in the case. The real-estate required would be minor. The molex to Pi interface could be a simple dongle.

IMHO making it an extarnal module would be more useful, even replacing the UM-ONE with something like this, adding a Line Out jack and a separate power brick.

I think that the required components would be small enough that you could pick the form factor. Obviously a larger box allows for more features. I was wondering about one of those 5.25" storage drawers with a two line led display mounted on the front.

DracoNihil wrote:

Isn't Timidity rather poor in comparison to BASSMIDI's soundfont implementation? Even FluidSynth has really crappy flaws to it too.

Or has there been any recent Timidity development I'm not aware of?

Just curious as I'm no expert, any specific deficiencies you can point to? The biggest issue I'm aware of has always been the weakness of the default sound fonts.