keropi wrote:

great topic! modules are never enough, here is my current setup: […]
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great topic!
modules are never enough, here is my current setup:

I have 4-5 more modules and some of the "expensive" isa/daughterboard stuff, I won't make the same mistake I did in the past where I sold seemingly "unneeded" cards only to look for them a year later... let this be a warning to all 🤣

IMHO one needs a CM32-L/LAPC-I and a SC-55.
Then you can go nitpicking and get an old MT-32, a MU unit and a 88+ one.

The SC-7 in the pic is very close to how the SC-55 sounds, for normal midis I can't detect a difference (I have a SCB-7 connected on the 401AT inside the pc that controls all these modules) that will make someone ditch it, but it does sound a bit different (audio-out parts are different after all) and has an inferior engine. But it's still a damn good device to own for GM stuff.

I'd say go for the SC-55 retrofanatic , wait till you find a good priced one since you do have quite a nice collection already. It's a must and a standard on it's own.

Thanks. I actually tracked down an SC-55 locally for $60. The guy selling it is supposed to contact me tomorrow...hope the deal goes through! I was hoping to get a mkII model, but beggars can't be choosers 🤣

What is the MIDI module on the top of your stack? (model #) I can't make it out from your photo.

yes, I've heard that about the SC-55 and SC-7....and the SC-7 is like the SCB-7 AFAIK too.

I'll post a pic of the SC-55 if I get it tomorrow...can't wait to try it out!

Malik wrote:

My recommendation : […]
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My recommendation :

1. A Linear Arithmetic (LA) Synthesizer - MT-32 and/or CM-32L

2. SC-55 MKII for Roland GS Standard ("Sound Canvas" selection in games setup).

3. A Yamaha XG module for XG format and some GM games.

(Not a game but a MIDI demonstration in XG - Final Countdown song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddqD5LF3c7A)

Some General MIDI games sound better with Roland while others better with Yamaha. And also, it depends on personal preference.

1. check (I have an MT-32 and CM32L)
2. check (except I am only getting a SC-55 not mkII 😒)
3. check (I have an MU50)

But I will not stop there...that's for sure!...I'm hooked now on this MIDI thing.

love the final countdown video BTW...I watched the whole thing

Malik wrote:

CM-64 is also hard to come by bur slightly less expensive. CM-32L - well, this is more common, but still hard to get nowadays. It's the second most common to be found after MT-32. (in terms of LA synth).

I don't know if I agree with this comment about being the second most common to be found after the MT-32. It is almost impossible to find a CM32L. I got really lucky and found one locally from some musician who didn't really know what a gem he had....I got mine for next to nothing, but I have not even seen one turn up on eBay in the last year (except one that was going for about $300 though, but of course that's a ridiculous price to pay).

vetz wrote:

You have heard of/tried out SoftMPU? It works great 😀
http://bjt42.github.io/softmpu/

I have heard of it, and read all the posts regarding SoftMPU. I will try it...from the sounds of it, it's a near perfect solution especially when you have all the external MIDI units you want to use with it.

I'm hoping that it will work well for most/all Sierra games as I am a big Sierra fan.

the top one in my "tower" is the SC-8820

Don't feel bad about getting a SC-55 instead of mk2, they have different sound engines and personally I find it more important to own a mk1 than a mk2...

There were a couple of music stores in NL and DE that had CM-32Ls. I lost my notes unfortunately. There is also a CM-64 for sale in DK (http://www.dba.dk). I recommend you add your location to your profile. CM-32Ls, CM-32Ps, CM-300s, CM-64s and CM-500s are fairly common in Japan. You can easily find them on Yahoo! Japan and use a shipping service. 😀 MT-32s are obviously very common.

CM-32Ls, CM-32PPs and CM-64s pop up regularly on eBay and are not really that expensive. $50 to $150. The CM-500 is a whole different animal of course. BTW: this is a clean search you could use: Roland (MT32,CM32L,CM32P,CM64,CM300,CM500,MT-32,MT-32L,CM-32P,CM-64,CM-300,CM-500) -(akai,battery,machine,adapter,rom,floppy,roms,keyboard,copeland,paperback,camm).

The Roland MT-100 is another alternative to the MT-32. It is basically a MT-32 (new) with some external tools included.

PeterLI wrote:

The CM-500 combines LA with GM/GS.

For pure gaming that is all you really need.

Doesn't CM-500 have problem with fast vibrato?

bristlehog wrote:

Doesn't CM-500 have problem with fast vibrato?

Yes. Also it doesn't have a MIDI light, but one that flashes when music plays and it's a little bit noisier like all the dual PCB units. It's also the most expensive unit when you try to get one 😀

it also has that "extra sounds from the extra channels" since it's baced on the CM64 , but I wonder how many games play garbage on channels 11-16 and you need to close them via SysEx....

keropi wrote:

the top one in my "tower" is the SC-8820

Don't feel bad about getting a SC-55 instead of mk2, they have different sound engines and personally I find it more important to own a mk1 than a mk2...

I finally got my SC-55 today. I'm happy to hear that you and others on vogons sometimes prefer a regular SC-55 over a mkII. Makes me feel better about my purchase. As I mentioned, it was only $60 from a local seller (actually he said $55 is ok when I went to pay for it), so I think I got a pretty good deal.

oh yeah, it's a great deal , 1$ per SC-1 🤣 🤣 🤣
Remember to open it up and check the battery inside: Have you opened your SC-55 to check the battery inside?
you can just remove it since you won't store any custom settings on it like instrument maps (assuming you need it only for gaming) and each power-on the unit will be in it's defaults - a good thing for gaming 😀

keropi wrote:

oh yeah, it's a great deal , 1$ per SC-1 🤣 🤣 🤣

🤣...yes today the rate at the bank was $1/SC. I got lucky 🤣

keropi wrote:

Remember to open it up and check the battery inside: Have you opened your SC-55 to check the battery inside?
you can just remove it since you won't store any custom settings on it like instrument maps (assuming you need it only for gaming) and each power-on the unit will be in it's defaults - a good thing for gaming 😀

I didn't think of this...thanks for the advice! I will check it out and make sure it's ok. Yeah, I will only be using it for gaming unless the "Yanni" in me comes out and decides to start composing music 🤣

I'll have to check out my SC-88VL model for the battery as well.

Yes, the SC-55 is the one that's originally intended for the "Sound Canvas" option you see in the games. So it's just perfect.

MKII is just an update with additional instruments and you won't be missing anything practical.

Voice Polyphony
SC-55 = 24
MKII = 28

Instruments
SC-55 = 317
MKII = 354

There is one instance that I can point to that seem to be better on the MKII : Re: Roland SC55 vs Roland SC55 Mk2, though I don't have a SC-55 (MK 1) to test this.

I also noticed that the SC-55 does not have the General MIDI logo. So it's the original first version, I guess. That should have the "Capital Tone Fallback" feature.

I am pretty sure all mk1's (with or without GM logo) have the fallback feature. I am waiting for a malfunctioning mk1-GM so I'll be able to verify this.

retrofanatic wrote:

A major drawback for my quest for the widest range of DOS game sound compatibility has been my failure in finding a fully intelligent mode compliant MPU-401 interface though...I do have some yamaha cards and AWE64 Gold, and a CT2230 (only UART mode of course) that I have heard to have some of the most compatible MPU-401 ports for being UART mode only. But that's another story...I have been scouring eBay and just missed a bid on a MusicQuest ISA card (whoever ended up winning the bid got a great deal at only $25)....I hope to find something for a decent deal one day soon.

If you mean this one ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Music-Quest-Pc-MIDI-I … d-/191033701673 ), then it was I who won it. And yes, it was a great deal. Still not as good as that SC-55 and SB-55 combo with all the extra goodies I got over the summer for $5.50. I started to fight for the Midiman 401 a few days later, but shifted focus on an Atari Mega ST2 and 1040SFTM auction that got out of hand. Lost that one and that of course made me miss out on the Midiman 401, but the Music Quest will hold me over. 😄

EDIT

By the way, if that was you I beat out then sorry. Just to let you know I did pump in a decent amount into the my bid so you (or whoever was the first bidder) didn't "just miss" it. It would have been a bit of a costly battle since I've been wanting one for a year now and kept missing them myself.

Malik wrote:

Yes, the SC-55 is the one that's originally intended for the "Sound Canvas" option you see in the games. So it's just perfect. […]
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Yes, the SC-55 is the one that's originally intended for the "Sound Canvas" option you see in the games. So it's just perfect.

MKII is just an update with additional instruments and you won't be missing anything practical.

There is one instance that I can point to that seem to be better on the MKII : Re: Roland SC55 vs Roland SC55 Mk2, though I don't have a SC-55 (MK 1) to test this.

I also noticed that the SC-55 does not have the General MIDI logo. So it's the original first version, I guess. That should have the "Capital Tone Fallback" feature.

Thanks for the info...that's great to hear. According to the topic link you provided, Might and Magic: World of Xeen working better with the SC-55 instead of the mkII is a good thing for me because that's one of the first games I was going to try with my SC-55.

keropi wrote:

Remember to open it up and check the battery inside: Have you opened your SC-55 to check the battery inside?
you can just remove it since you won't store any custom settings on it like instrument maps (assuming you need it only for gaming) and each power-on the unit will be in it's defaults - a good thing for gaming 😀

Thanks for pointing this out. My SC-55 battery was actually not in great shape...nothing had leaked onto the board, but the battery was getting crusty...I followed your advice and just took it out. I did the same for my SC-88VL...the battery in that was ok though, but I don't need it in there...better safe than sorry.

Kodai wrote:

If you mean this one ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Music-Quest-Pc-MIDI-I … d-/191033701673 ), then it was I who won it. And yes, it was a great deal. Still not as good as that SC-55 and SB-55 combo with all the extra goodies I got over the summer for $5.50. I started to fight for the Midiman 401 a few days later, but shifted focus on an Atari Mega ST2 and 1040SFTM auction that got out of hand. Lost that one and that of course made me miss out on the Midiman 401, but the Music Quest will hold me over. 😄

EDIT

By the way, if that was you I beat out then sorry. Just to let you know I did pump in a decent amount into the my bid so you (or whoever was the first bidder) didn't "just miss" it. It would have been a bit of a costly battle since I've been wanting one for a year now and kept missing them myself.

🤣...no that MusicQuest one wasn't the one, the one I was talking about was this MidiMan http://www.ebay.ca/itm/151213174521?ssPageNam … 984.m1423.l2649 ...maybe the one you mentioned you missed out on?
but the one you got was a great deal!
thanks for the apology anyways...I would have been mad at you for only 3 seconds, but would get over it pretty quick 🤣
I didn't actually lose the bid, I just forgot to go back and bid as well...so dumb of me 😒 I've done that many times before because I get so busy at work and eBay has to take a backseat to my work 😢.

BTW, if we were in a bidding battle, you probably would have won since I was saving my retro gaming funds for the SC-55 that I just purchased. Congrats though...hope you got the Atari Mega ST2 and 1040STFM. I just got a huge lot of Atari ST stuff a few months ago...for $100, I got 2 atari ST's (including a 1040STFM) a Mega ST, 2 disk drives, 2 external Mega ST's, and two monitors and tons of games in the original box....it really brought me back...can't wait to set up all that stuff some day. No room for my atari's now as my pc's are taking up most of my deskspace.

@Kodai

have you tried the MQ mpu with those problematic Gateway games? Does it work OK or does it fail to detect/play music?

@retrofanatic
good call on the battery 😀

keropi wrote:

@Kodai […]
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@Kodai

have you tried the MQ mpu with those problematic Gateway games? Does it work OK or does it fail to detect/play music?

@retrofanatic
good call on the battery 😀

No, I'm in the midst of building a new retro rig. I lost mine a few years ago while moving, and have been focusing on other vintage hardware. Right now, I'm just getting parts together for one or two vintage PC's. I know from several posts in a couple of fourms that this specific card does NOT work with the Gateway games, and I knew that before I bid. I don't consider that much of a setback though. Just a few of games that don't seem to be that appealing to me anyway. Besides, I could always use DOSBox for them on a modern rig and run USB to MIDI if I wanted to play them that bad. I'm betting it'll work fine for everything else though. It's a pretty simple card and if there is an issue with it, then I'll just fix it, 🤣.

@retrofanatic

Yes, that link was to the card that I was bidding on and gave up to focus on the Atari bid. But I didn't get win the Atari auction. In fact, the guy bidding against me posted about the bid in another forum and mentioned that he had to have that Mega ST2 since he had a working Atari laser printer and 30MB HDD. I knew it was getting out of hand and would be at least $300 so I gave up and let it go, but it was after the midiman auction was over. Oh well. Both those cards have the same problem with the Gateway games that Keropi asked about, so it would only be a spare or backup card to the Music Quest I wont the week before. In other words, the would both be exactly the same function wise and I only needed one. It just never hurts to get a good deal if you can find one. 😄

Kodai are you sure about this? I have read and personally tested a MM-401 , this has the problems with Gateway games... from what I understand the Music Quest one should be good...? http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.gr/2010/03/tu … land-mt-32.html

Kodai wrote:

I knew it was getting out of hand and would be at least $300 so I gave up and let it go, but it was after the midiman auction was over.

$300 is too much, but to someone that wants it that bad, its a bargain i guess.

Kodai wrote:

Oh well. Both those cards have the same problem with the Gateway games that Keropi asked about, so it would only be a spare or backup card to the Music Quest I wont the week before. In other words, the would both be exactly the same function wise and I only needed one. It just never hurts to get a good deal if you can find one. 😄

I totally agree, but yes, as keropi pointed out, i too have heard that the music quest is ok with Gateway games.

Yeah, pretty sure. The one I bought is the very first version of the card. I was the 2nd revision (ie two more models after mine) that seemed to have corrected the issue. I'll let you know when I have a new rig together to test it, but I'm pretty positive it'll crap itself on the attempt at Laser Squad. IIRC, this is the revision that will work with Gateway games http://retrosoundcards.wordpress.com/tag/musi … -midi-interface

I saw your post on Amibay and your posted pic is the version I bought. If I could remember the sites I read a few weeks ago that talked about which ones worked and which didn't I would be happy to link them here for you, but my addled brain has failed us. Truly a sign of old age setting in, 🤣. It had something to do with a really oddball IRQ request that Gateway games make. Other than those few games all of the Music Quest and Midiman 401 boards are supposed to be just fine. But from what I read, only that one Music Quest board I just linked will work correctly with Gateway games, and the rest of them as well as all the Midiman 401's simply will not work. Keep in mind that I have not tested that out and I'm only going by what I read on other sites.

I don't think I'll have my retro DOS rig up and going for at least a few months. I'm just getting parts right now, along with other vintage computers and game consoles. I'm about to build a new storage building / workshop and until that gets done, I'm just sticking things in a back room and not really working with them. So don't wait on my to verify unless you don't mind a few months before buying. If you find and get one and don't find it works for you, then use it as trade stock over at Amibay.

On a side note, I can try and copy the driver disk for you if you find one with out it and need them. Just send me a pm.