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Using MT32-Pi with a ESS Audiodrive 1686F isa card.

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First post, by bytestorm

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I am trying to wrap my head around what I actually need to use the MT32-pi emulator on my raspberry pi 3b.. 😒

I got a nice ESS Audiodrive 1686F isa card, without wavetable.. How can I connect the MT32-pi?

Guessing I need an adapter cable from the ESS gameport -> midi connector on *insert rpi DAC hat here*.
But do I also need some wave table pcb on the ESS soundcard?

Someone wrote that they then took the audio out from the MT32-pi, and routed it back into the soundcards "line-in" and then out again to the speakers??
Why would I need to route it back again? Couldnt I just take the audio out from the raspberry pi "hat"? like this:

mt32pi_pimidi.png
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Sorry for the noobish question, its probably super simple but I cant just understand what I need to get this going 🙁

Thanks for your time!

Reply 1 of 2, by Oetker

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You could use EITHER a cable from your gameport to a standalone MT32-PI, OR buy a version that plugs directly into your sound card's wavetable header (Serdashop mt32 mccake). If you go the external route, you need something like this https://www.serdashop.com/DB15MIDI and a standard MIDI cable or another gameport->MIDI cable (some are bad quality).

If you're using a mccake, the audio is routed back into your sound card and mixed with the game's sound effects. When using an external board, you need another way to mix the game's sound effects and music; using the sound card's line in is an easy way to accomplish that, but you could also use a standalone mixer.

Reply 2 of 2, by bytestorm

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Oetker wrote on 2021-09-16, 14:21:

You could use EITHER a cable from your gameport to a standalone MT32-PI, OR buy a version that plugs directly into your sound card's wavetable header (Serdashop mt32 mccake). If you go the external route, you need something like this https://www.serdashop.com/DB15MIDI and a standard MIDI cable or another gameport->MIDI cable (some are bad quality).

If you're using a mccake, the audio is routed back into your sound card and mixed with the game's sound effects. When using an external board, you need another way to mix the game's sound effects and music; using the sound card's line in is an easy way to accomplish that, but you could also use a standalone mixer.

AAAah of course.. the audio is routed back to mix with the sound effects.. *facepalm*

the McCake sure is tempting but since I already have a spare rpi3b and midi cable, I might as well go for the MP32L in the same shop or something similar 😁.

Thank you so much for clearing that up for me!

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