MPU-IPC-T and SC55 \ VOGONS

MPU-IPC-T and SC55

Topic actions

First post, by GabrielKnight123

Posted on 2019-03-01, 07:28

GabrielKnight123 Offline

Rank Oldbie

Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 640
Joined: 2017-03-03, 15:39

I just bought my first MPU card and break out box its an MPU-IPC-T I know these are great for MT32 but can I use an SC55 as well with it? I dont have an MT32 yet but I have two SC55's an original and a mark II is there any problems with running a MPU-IPC-T card on a faster Dos system Pentium 3 450MHz on a GA 6BXC motherboard?

Reply 1 of 4, by jesolo

Posted on 2019-03-01, 09:13

jesolo Offline

Rank l33t

Rank: l33t
Posts: 2110
Joined: 2014-06-24, 19:04
Location: South Africa

Yes, you can. After all, it is an MPU-401 MIDI interface 😀.
Shouldn't be a problem to run on faster systems. The original MPU-401 MIDI interface had issues with faster systems.

From a gaming perspective (for General MIDI based games and most MT-32 based games), it will only use the interface to pass MIDI data between your computer (the particular game) and the SC-55.

Most sound cards also have a dumb (UART) mode MPU-401 MIDI interface built in which performs the same function.

Reply 2 of 4, by suntac

Posted on 2019-03-01, 15:22

suntac Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 100
Joined: 2018-04-30, 11:16

jesolo wrote:
The original MPU-401 MIDI interface had issues with faster systems.

What do you mean by faster systems? I own an original MPU-401, so I am genuinely curious.

Reply 3 of 4, by jesolo

Posted on 2019-03-01, 16:36

jesolo Offline

Rank l33t

Rank: l33t
Posts: 2110
Joined: 2014-06-24, 19:04
Location: South Africa

suntac wrote:
jesolo wrote:
The original MPU-401 MIDI interface had issues with faster systems.

What do you mean by faster systems? I own an original MPU-401, so I am genuinely curious.

If you have the original MIF-IPC interface card, then there were known issues with faster systems. Later interface cards worked fine.

Reply 4 of 4, by suntac

Posted on 2019-03-01, 18:14

suntac Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 100
Joined: 2018-04-30, 11:16

jesolo wrote:
suntac wrote:
jesolo wrote:
The original MPU-401 MIDI interface had issues with faster systems.

What do you mean by faster systems? I own an original MPU-401, so I am genuinely curious.

If you have the original MIF-IPC interface card, then there were known issues with faster systems. Later interface cards worked fine.

Ok, but that's an issue of the MIF-IPC, not directly related to the MPU-401. I am aware of that.
The MIF-IPC-A, MPU-IPC-T and MPU-401 are perfectly fine.

The MPU-401 handshaking protocol is designed so that the system speed wouldn't affect the reliability.

Go to top of page Go to top of page

Back to Sound