If this is all within Windows, you might have to change the default MIDI device off of one of the two emulated options the 2 ZS has to the actual outs (if it has one). I'll see what the options are when I can get to my box in an hour or so, as I also have the 2 ZS running in it.

Clickie wrote on 2021-09-07, 19:31:

Hello, […]
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Hello,

I am looking for some advice on getting the signal on the midi output from my pc to my sc55.

My PC is a P4 running win98SE, I have a Audigy 2 zs sound card with the joystick/midi port connected. I only build the pc a few weeks ago and installed the drivers using Joseph_Joestar's guide Guide: Installing Windows 9x and DOS drivers on Audigy cards (version 3.1). and it sounded great with the soundfonts. But I wanted to use the actual hardware, so i bought a sc-55 mkii along with the 15 pin joystick to midi cable.

I connected the cables up using a joystick/midi cable to the input of the sc55, and I used a RCA to 3.5mm headphone cable from the output of the sc55 to the line in on the sound card. If I run the demo songs on the sc55 (pressing the two part buttons and the power button at the same time) I can hear them on my pc, but if I used the DUKE3D setup and select the "Sound Canvas" option there is nothing going to the sc55, the "EQ" display is flat, but the music is still playing using the soundfonts.

I cant quite work out how to force the pc to use the midi out on the sound card rather then to emulate the sound using the soundfonts.

Thanks.

First check if your selected default Midi out device is your SB Midi Out and not your SB Synth A/B (Control panel ->Multimedia->Midi).
Then use a Windows based Midi player/game to test your SC-55. Windows Media Player and a Midi file is perfect for testing.
This way you can make sure that your cabling and hardware are working.
I suspect your problem is that under Win9x (especially with vxd drivers) Midi port forwarding for DOS sessions are not supported.

Falcosoft wrote on 2021-09-07, 21:00:

First check if your selected default Midi out device is your SB Midi Out and not your SB Synth A/B (Control panel ->Multimedia-> […]
Show full quote

First check if your selected default Midi out device is your SB Midi Out and not your SB Synth A/B (Control panel ->Multimedia->Midi).
Then use a Windows based Midi player/game to test your SC-55. Windows Media Player and a Midi file is perfect for testing.
This way you can make sure that your cabling and hardware are working.
I suspect your problem is that under Win9x (especially with vxd drivers) Midi port forwarding for DOS sessions are not supported.

I see. I changed the setting like you said, downloaded a .mid and every thing seems to be working (found one that used the EQ display to run an animation. https://bitmidi.com/star-wars-theme-from-star-wars-mid ) , its a same not being able to use midi with DOS. is that why people run games from pure DOS?

Thanks again.

Clickie wrote on 2021-09-07, 22:33:

...its a same not being able to use midi with DOS. is that why people run games from pure DOS?
Thanks again.

Not with PCI sound cards like SB Live/Audigy series. Actually very few PCI cards supports MPU-401 with external synths even under pure DOS (AFAIK Aureal Vortex cards support it).
ISA sound cards work under pure DOS and also in Win9x DOS sessions even with vxd drivers.
Under Win XP (and if I remember correctly also under Win9x with WDM drivers) MPU-401 and basic soundblaster is fully emulated regardless of soundcard type.

BTW your downloaded Midi file has nothing to do with Star Wars. It's an SC-55 demo Midi file called 'Star Games' from John Campbell 😀

Falcosoft wrote on 2021-09-08, 06:54:

Not with PCI sound cards like SB Live/Audigy series. Actually very few PCI cards supports MPU-401 with external synths even under pure DOS (AFAIK Aureal Vortex cards support it).
ISA sound cards work under pure DOS and also in Win9x DOS sessions even with vxd drivers.
Under Win XP (and if I remember correctly also under Win9x with WDM drivers) MPU-401 and basic soundblaster is fully emulated regardless of soundcard type.

Ah ok, thanks for the info.

Falcosoft wrote on 2021-09-08, 06:54:

BTW your downloaded Midi file has nothing to do with Star Wars. It's an SC-55 demo Midi file called 'Star Games' from John Campbell 😀

Haha, I thought I had never heard it before. Although I wasn't really listening to the music just looking at the display on the SC-55 hoping something would move/flash/whatever after changing the settings, and to my surprise seeing a full animation 😁. It probable was the best midi file I could of downloaded for testing without knowing.

Thanks again.

Falcosoft wrote on 2021-09-08, 06:54:

Not with PCI sound cards like SB Live/Audigy series. Actually very few PCI cards supports MPU-401 with external synths even unde […]
Show full quote

Clickie wrote on 2021-09-07, 22:33:

...its a same not being able to use midi with DOS. is that why people run games from pure DOS?
Thanks again.

Not with PCI sound cards like SB Live/Audigy series. Actually very few PCI cards supports MPU-401 with external synths even under pure DOS (AFAIK Aureal Vortex cards support it).
ISA sound cards work under pure DOS and also in Win9x DOS sessions even with vxd drivers.
Under Win XP (and if I remember correctly also under Win9x with WDM drivers) MPU-401 and basic soundblaster is fully emulated regardless of soundcard type.

For the record, ESS Solo-1 based PCI cards do have working MIDI (and often a wavetable header too)

Ima be that guy 🤣 "If you're sending sound to MIDI you're doing it wrong, it wants MIDI commands".... sorry it's a sickness 🤣