VOGONS


First post, by Kotu Koylu

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

Today i got this midi module. Products purpose for silencing pianos. But it has midi input and Emu80k chip inside please check below photos and give me some idea

1. Is this module could work with Dos Games
2. Do i need a db15 to midi cable or just use sound blaster live drives(5.25 front panel) MIDI out is enough with standard midi cable
3.Which midi standards supported with this module?(GM GS MT32)
4.Could expansion board of module is a standard wavetable?

Reply 1 of 13, by SScorpio

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

It looks like It may be a MIDI daughter board, you'll need to mount it on a sound card, or use something like the CHiLL. Which breaks out the connections to a standard MIDI DIN, and normal audio plugs.
https://www.serdashop.com/CHiLL

It's going to speak MIDI, but the question will be if it has all of the GM instruments. Or just a few of the pianos. The only way to know is to hook it up and try it out.

But this is from a device that converts physical pianos to digital ones. It's possible this is something completely proprietary.

Reply 2 of 13, by SScorpio

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Looking at it some more. Are those different devices? In the last picture it looks like there might be a Yamaha ISA sound card and you're holding the MID daughter board above it.

The box could be a normal MIDI module, but you didn't post any pictures that actually have the ports or labels. But it looks like it could have normal MIDI connectors.

Reply 3 of 13, by moturimi1

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Regarding you questions:

1. Is this module could work with Dos Games

Yes. It is GM compatible as mentioned on the Front Display. Couleur you upload a pic of the back of the case. My guess is that there is Midi In Port that you can connect to a Soundcard that Supports MPU401. Then it should work.

2. Do i need a db15 to midi cable or just use sound blaster live drives(5.25 front panel) MIDI out is enough with standard midi cable

First option is prefered. I do not know how good the DOS diverse for SBLive is. For DOS I would choice a ISA soundcard

3.Which midi standards supported with this module?(GM GS MT32)

It mentioned GM. It has EMU8000 Chip like the AWE32 and 4 x SoundROMs. Could be close to a WaveBlaster CT1900 and CT1910

4.Could expansion board of module is a standard wavetable?

Could be the standard Wavetable connector from common soundcards from that era. Anyhow there is also the mirrored EMU connector. So it would be best to check the PINS first!

Last edited by moturimi1 on 2025-09-04, 18:00. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 4 of 13, by Tiido

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Photo of the other side of the board would help to verify if it is waveblaster compatible. Very interesting card, using EMU8000 in non-Creative product.

T-04YBSC, a new YMF71x based sound card & Official VOGONS thread about it
Newly made 4MB 60ns 30pin SIMMs ~
mida sa loed ? nagunii aru ei saa 😜

Reply 5 of 13, by Kotu Koylu

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
SScorpio wrote on 2025-09-04, 17:46:

Looking at it some more. Are those different devices? In the last picture it looks like there might be a Yamaha ISA sound card and you're holding the MID daughter board above it.

The box could be a normal MIDI module, but you didn't post any pictures that actually have the ports or labels. But it looks like it could have normal MIDI connectors.

Take this photo for comparison that emu board is inside that box. Box have 26 pin connectors like wavetable input

Tiido check out this thread i think this module if works sound like that
Reviving Samick City Sound MIDI Module. Help needed.

Added back panel and manufacturers 1999 websites web.archive screenshot

Reply 6 of 13, by SScorpio

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
Kotu Koylu wrote on 2025-09-04, 18:05:
Take this photo for comparison that emu board is inside that box. Box have 26 pin connectors like wavetable input […]
Show full quote

Take this photo for comparison that emu board is inside that box. Box have 26 pin connectors like wavetable input

Tiido check out this thread i think this module if works sound like that
Reviving Samick City Sound MIDI Module. Help needed.

Added back panel and manufacturers 1999 websites web.archive screenshot

The last picture with the 26pin connector is just a stock Wave Blaster being used to compare. The module itself doesn't appear to have that connector. It might be a later revision of what you have slimming everything down to a single board.

Reply 7 of 13, by Kotu Koylu

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
SScorpio wrote on 2025-09-04, 18:20:
Kotu Koylu wrote on 2025-09-04, 18:05:
Take this photo for comparison that emu board is inside that box. Box have 26 pin connectors like wavetable input […]
Show full quote

Take this photo for comparison that emu board is inside that box. Box have 26 pin connectors like wavetable input

Tiido check out this thread i think this module if works sound like that
Reviving Samick City Sound MIDI Module. Help needed.

Added back panel and manufacturers 1999 websites web.archive screenshot

The last picture with the 26pin connector is just a stock Wave Blaster being used to compare. The module itself doesn't appear to have that connector. It might be a later revision of what you have slimming everything down to a single board.

Look the photo below. Removed that daughterboard from module which marked with arrow

Reply 8 of 13, by SScorpio

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
Kotu Koylu wrote on 2025-09-04, 18:32:

Look the photo below. Removed that daughterboard from module which marked with arrow

Yes, that might have the same pin-out of MIDI daughter boards but it could also be something proprietary. The module in that linked post doesn't have a 26pin connector. While the other one Cyclone3D posted does, but it wasn't determined in that post if it used the standard pin-out.

Reply 9 of 13, by Tiido

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Kotu Koylu wrote on 2025-09-04, 18:32:

Look the photo below. Removed that daughterboard from module which marked with arrow

I meant the daughterboard itself rather than the host board or its bottom side. It will be possible to see some specific connection patterns in case of a WB compatible thing. If it is custom stuff then connecting it on WB header of something else can result in catastrophic failure.

T-04YBSC, a new YMF71x based sound card & Official VOGONS thread about it
Newly made 4MB 60ns 30pin SIMMs ~
mida sa loed ? nagunii aru ei saa 😜

Reply 10 of 13, by Kotu Koylu

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
Tiido wrote on 2025-09-04, 19:38:
Kotu Koylu wrote on 2025-09-04, 18:32:

Look the photo below. Removed that daughterboard from module which marked with arrow

I meant the daughterboard itself rather than the host board or its bottom side. It will be possible to see some specific connection patterns in case of a WB compatible thing. If it is custom stuff then connecting it on WB header of something else can result in catastrophic failure.

Photos from backside of dboard

Reply 11 of 13, by wierd_w

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Which OS are you using DosBox on?

For Windows, you *used* to be able to define instruments on the MPU401 port (emulated or not) as midi instruments. You could then define that instrument in dosbox.conf for mpu401 emulation.

on Linux, you can specify any arbitrary alsa midi device. If you have a USB midi cable, or an MPU401 capable card in the system, it will get an alsa midi device ID. You can then tell DosBox to use that device using that ID with dosbox.conf

I have no idea about mac.

Reply 12 of 13, by Kotu Koylu

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
wierd_w wrote on 2025-09-04, 20:39:
Which OS are you using DosBox on? […]
Show full quote

Which OS are you using DosBox on?

For Windows, you *used* to be able to define instruments on the MPU401 port (emulated or not) as midi instruments. You could then define that instrument in dosbox.conf for mpu401 emulation.

on Linux, you can specify any arbitrary alsa midi device. If you have a USB midi cable, or an MPU401 capable card in the system, it will get an alsa midi device ID. You can then tell DosBox to use that device using that ID with dosbox.conf

I have no idea about mac.

Main idea use for Ms Dos 7.1 & Windows 98 with real hardware. I mean dos box for dos computer socket 3 7 or 370

Reply 13 of 13, by Tiido

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Kotu Koylu wrote on 2025-09-04, 20:18:

Photos from backside of dboard

That is definitely WaveBlaster compatible although it makes use of few pins that are not connected in most designs.

The large size makes in impractical to connect to most sound cards however and the one on an earlier photo cannot take it at all, since the MIDI board wolud have to extend through the motheboard. Putting it on the card the other way will short out +12V and -12V and probably release the magic smoke from some parts of the host card, although the MIDI board should remain intact afterwards. You can see that on one row the pins connect together in two groups, these are the analog and digital grounds. This row must align with the host card's that aso has same kind of connected together pins.

T-04YBSC, a new YMF71x based sound card & Official VOGONS thread about it
Newly made 4MB 60ns 30pin SIMMs ~
mida sa loed ? nagunii aru ei saa 😜