I've tried using three different versions of DOSBox: Boxer's, DOSBox Staging, and DOSBox-X. I can send MIDI notes to my MT-32 through software in DOS and Windows 3.11 in DOSBox, but no apps seem to receive sysex from the MT-32.
So... Is there no MIDI IN in DOSBox? Is it only MIDI Out?
If that's not the problem, what else might be?
You can record MIDI in DOSBox and variants. What are you actually trying to do, send SysEx to the device? Something else?
According from a message in 2023 on DOSBOX-X discord server, midi input is theoretically possible but current implementation is midi-out only.
Spikey wrote on 2025-03-10, 06:08:You can record MIDI in DOSBox and variants. What are you actually trying to do, send SysEx to the device? Something else?
In order to program a number of synths, you need to be able to RECEIVE sysex from them.
keenerb wrote on 2025-03-10, 13:45:According from a message in 2023 on DOSBOX-X discord server, midi input is theoretically possible but current implementation is midi-out only.
Thank you for the "as official an answer" as I am going to get.
Sigh. So an actual piece of hardware running a Windows 16-bit capable OS with hardware MIDI... etc... all still necessary.
Sysex is seemingly all broken in WINE as well, even if you get MIDI working.
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-12, 02:12:Thank you for the "as official an answer" as I am going to get. […]
keenerb wrote on 2025-03-10, 13:45:According from a message in 2023 on DOSBOX-X discord server, midi input is theoretically possible but current implementation is midi-out only.
Thank you for the "as official an answer" as I am going to get.
Sigh. So an actual piece of hardware running a Windows 16-bit capable OS with hardware MIDI... etc... all still necessary.
Sysex is seemingly all broken in WINE as well, even if you get MIDI working.
Off the top of my head:
You could run MIDI over a serial interface under DosBox.
OR
You could run a VM with a passed through PCI sound card equipped with a MIDI port.
darry wrote on 2025-03-12, 05:49:Off the top of my head: […]
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-12, 02:12:Thank you for the "as official an answer" as I am going to get. […]
keenerb wrote on 2025-03-10, 13:45:According from a message in 2023 on DOSBOX-X discord server, midi input is theoretically possible but current implementation is midi-out only.
Thank you for the "as official an answer" as I am going to get.
Sigh. So an actual piece of hardware running a Windows 16-bit capable OS with hardware MIDI... etc... all still necessary.
Sysex is seemingly all broken in WINE as well, even if you get MIDI working.
Off the top of my head:
You could run MIDI over a serial interface under DosBox.
OR
You could run a VM with a passed through PCI sound card equipped with a MIDI port.
MIDI IN is not supported in DOSBox, as stated above. I assume it’s the case for serial as for regular MIDI din connections (the MT-32 doesn’t have serial MIDI anyway).
As for the PCI card thing… I have zero motivation to work at getting one of my PCI PCs to work with a modern enough OS that a VM could run an older machine with DOS and Windows in it. I’d be better off with a regular retro DOS machine running native, which I do have (two even have MIDI cards). But I wanted to keep everything in one machine, hence my hope that DOSBox supported MIDI input from external hardware synths. My retro computing setup is the opposite of ergonomic, on the other side of the room from my music gear, and not where I want to be doing detailed work.
Side note, if anyone here is part of the development teams for DOSBox varieties… not only would MIDI IN be really nice to have, there are bugs in the coremidi support for existing MIDI output:
DOSBox will reject certain MIDI ports depending on their naming in Audio MIDI Setup in Mac OS. A new MIDI studio config shows the full list of ports when doing “mixer /listmidi”. When I add an external device in the mapping in Audio MIDI Setup, this “new device” (?) name shows in “mixer /listmidi”, but then it vanishes from the list if I rename it to, for example “MT-32”. These ports vanish and fail to work.
It’s inconsistent: I have a whole setup of two MIDI interfaces and eight MIDI devices connected. Most ports show up correctly, with their correct names, when doing “mixer /listmidi” in DOSBox, but some ports are just missing from the list entirely (such as the one where my MT-32 is). A new setup using the same devices works, unless I rename the port.
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-12, 06:46:darry wrote on 2025-03-12, 05:49:Off the top of my head: […]
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-12, 02:12:Thank you for the "as official an answer" as I am going to get.
Sigh. So an actual piece of hardware running a Windows 16-bit capable OS with hardware MIDI... etc... all still necessary.
Sysex is seemingly all broken in WINE as well, even if you get MIDI working.
Off the top of my head:
You could run MIDI over a serial interface under DosBox.
OR
You could run a VM with a passed through PCI sound card equipped with a MIDI port.MIDI IN is not supported in DOSBox, as stated above. I assume it’s the case for serial as for regular MIDI din connections (the MT-32 doesn’t have serial MIDI anyway).
Serial (com port) communication works bidirectionally in DOSBox . Using a COM port in this way for MIDI in or MIDI out (or both) has nothing to do with DOSBox's lack of MIDI in support on the MIDI ports it emulates.
If the application you intend to use under DOSBox supports MIDI over a COM port and you have a MIDI device connected with something like this https://www.compuphase.com/electronics/midi_rs232.htm or similar , it should be possible to get it work for MIDI in and MIDI out.
darry wrote on 2025-03-13, 04:56:dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-12, 06:46:darry wrote on 2025-03-12, 05:49:Off the top of my head: […]
Off the top of my head:
You could run MIDI over a serial interface under DosBox.
OR
You could run a VM with a passed through PCI sound card equipped with a MIDI port.MIDI IN is not supported in DOSBox, as stated above. I assume it’s the case for serial as for regular MIDI din connections (the MT-32 doesn’t have serial MIDI anyway).
Serial (com port) communication works bidirectionally in DOSBox . Using a COM port in this way for MIDI in or MIDI out (or both) has nothing to do with DOSBox's lack of MIDI in support on the MIDI ports it emulates.
If the application you intend to use under DOSBox supports MIDI over a COM port and you have a MIDI device connected with something like this https://www.compuphase.com/electronics/midi_rs232.htm or similar , it should be possible to get it work for MIDI in and MIDI out.
Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. I do not have such a device. I'm on a Mac anyway, so, no serial port...
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-13, 04:58:darry wrote on 2025-03-13, 04:56:dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-12, 06:46:MIDI IN is not supported in DOSBox, as stated above. I assume it’s the case for serial as for regular MIDI din connections (the MT-32 doesn’t have serial MIDI anyway).
Serial (com port) communication works bidirectionally in DOSBox . Using a COM port in this way for MIDI in or MIDI out (or both) has nothing to do with DOSBox's lack of MIDI in support on the MIDI ports it emulates.
If the application you intend to use under DOSBox supports MIDI over a COM port and you have a MIDI device connected with something like this https://www.compuphase.com/electronics/midi_rs232.htm or similar , it should be possible to get it work for MIDI in and MIDI out.
Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. I do not have such a device. I'm on a Mac anyway, so, no serial port...
You're welcome.
There are ways around the lack of serial ports on a MAC.
For example,
https://pbxbook.com/other/mac-tty.html
There may be limitations to DOSBox serial port support on MAC that I am not aware of, though.
darry wrote on 2025-03-13, 05:04:You're welcome. […]
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-13, 04:58:darry wrote on 2025-03-13, 04:56:Serial (com port) communication works bidirectionally in DOSBox . Using a COM port in this way for MIDI in or MIDI out (or both) has nothing to do with DOSBox's lack of MIDI in support on the MIDI ports it emulates.
If the application you intend to use under DOSBox supports MIDI over a COM port and you have a MIDI device connected with something like this https://www.compuphase.com/electronics/midi_rs232.htm or similar , it should be possible to get it work for MIDI in and MIDI out.
Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. I do not have such a device. I'm on a Mac anyway, so, no serial port...
You're welcome.
There are ways around the lack of serial ports on a MAC.
For example,
https://pbxbook.com/other/mac-tty.htmlThere may be limitations to DOSBox serial port support on MAC that I am not aware of, though.
Yeah, I wont be going down that path. I had poor luck with USB-to-RS232 devices in the past, let alone using one with another conversion from RS232-to-MIDI... and all of this in an emulated environment!
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-13, 05:07:darry wrote on 2025-03-13, 05:04:You're welcome. […]
dysamoria wrote on 2025-03-13, 04:58:Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. I do not have such a device. I'm on a Mac anyway, so, no serial port...
You're welcome.
There are ways around the lack of serial ports on a MAC.
For example,
https://pbxbook.com/other/mac-tty.htmlThere may be limitations to DOSBox serial port support on MAC that I am not aware of, though.
Yeah, I wont be going down that path. I had poor luck with USB-to-RS232 devices in the past, let alone using one with another conversion from RS232-to-MIDI... and all of this in an emulated environment!
I understand. A lot of things can go wrong when one starts cascading adapters and trying to do things that are not commonly done.
If I think of something straightforward that might be worth trying, I will mention it here.
Best of luck.
You have to remember DOSBox is only intended for games, and there certainly aren't many (if any) that make use of midi in.
Patches to develop for it:
https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x/issues/756
jmarsh wrote on 2025-03-13, 06:44:You have to remember DOSBox is only intended for games, and there certainly aren't many (if any) that make use of midi in.
I know. That's why I was trying out DOSbox-x, since they've stated their goal is to support more than games. It also does not have MIDI In, though.
hail-to-the-ryzen wrote on 2025-03-13, 17:20:Patches to develop for it: https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x/issues/756 […]
Patches to develop for it:
https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x/issues/756
Interesting. I appreciate the link to that discussion, though I am not a programmer. It's good to see I'm not the only person with similar interest in this capability, for similar reasons.
