VOGONS


First post, by Cyberdyne

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Can a computer with a sound card and a MIDI gameport can be reversed to recive midi messages?
Or maybe a MIDI2COM converter....

So i can connect two computers, one who sends midi messages, and one what emulates a music device.

And what MIDI2USB cables to use with a Computer and with a Raspberry Pi? And with one old and one modern computer.

And can i just make passive connections to Sound card Dx and Rx and ground. Just cut those Midi IN and Midi OUT and put a gameport plug there.

Or do i need a special converter.

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.

Reply 1 of 4, by cyclone3d

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Just get a midi gameport cable. They have both in/out connections.

USB to midi generally is very iffy unless you get a higher dollar / good brand cable.
Look for something with a real brand name on it, such as Roland, M-Audio, Creative, EMU.

I tried one of the cheapo Chinese made ones and it only sorta kinda works.

With USB Midi you are generally going to get a very slight delay, but probably not noticeable for games. USB 2.0 is a lot better than USB 1.0

Are you looking to plug the USB side into the Pi or into the computer?

For connecting the midi cables together, you should be able to just us a F/F connector. In to Out and Out to In.

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Reply 2 of 4, by Cyberdyne

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Ideally i would use a Retro computer with a ISA sound card and game port, and a modern computer with PCI sound card and game port. If it would recive midi messages.

Plan B is a USB2MIDI cable with Raspberry PI or a Modern computer.

But tohose usb midi cables have those DIN plugs that i just want to cut off and put a game port plug there.

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.

Reply 3 of 4, by gdjacobs

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i have tested with my SB Live card and it receives MIDI. I suspect Creative cards have a high likelihood of working. Beyond this I can't comment. However, MIDI gameport adapters are cheap, so I would suggest just getting two of them. You can then test with whatever sound cards you have on hand.

As for plugs, you need a MIDI to game port adapter in order to perform current loop to voltage level conversion. In addition, they also include optical isolation which is best practice for MiDI. You can connect two homogenous DIN connectors back to back with a gender changer. I recommend taking this approach.

For USB to MIDI, the Linux USB audio driver has implemented fixes for some of the issues with cheap and nasty adapters out there, so there's less risk of problems interfacing with a Raspberry Pi than with a Windows system. Your best best generally, but especially for Windows, will be an adapter from EMU, Roland, or M-Audio, etc. Keep that in mind when you're shopping.

All hail the Great Capacitor Brand Finder

Reply 4 of 4, by Stretch

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I have 2 computers connected through with MIDI couplers. That is how I was able to record MIDI from Duke3d, Doom, Doom2, etc.

Playback computer is Win98 SE with a Yamaha YMF-724 using its MIDI gameport and recording computer is Win10 with USB Roland UM-One with Midi-OX.

Win 11 - Intel i7-1360p - 32 GB - Intel Iris Xe - Sound BlasterX G5