Guest Bigstone Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 Hi!Wounderful site this is! You really se hours and tons of work from "midi scientist" here.I don't know if this is the right place to put my question to the test so please correct me if I'm in the wrong folder.I've been planing of build a simple version of the SID machine but my midi IN/OUT's from my PC are all occupied with other equipment. Does anyone have a lpt port midi interface schematic for public use? 3midi in/out or more. It's mostly the Out's I'm after.I know there is a USB version on this site but my old PC don't have that option. I have been all over the net to find a schematic but with no luck. :(Yes, it's simple to go to a music store and buy one... but I can't afford that and... it's more fun to use something that you've made of your own. ;)Thank's in advance and keep up the good work!/Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screaming_Rabbit Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 ... for your SIDhttp://www.ucapps.de/mbhp_ltc.htmlGreets, Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goyousalukis Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 Yes, Roger is right - you can use the LTC if you have a free serial port on your machine. Also, don't forget you can hook up your sid to a midi thru if you have one available. Justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 Thank's for the replies fellows!Well... the problem is that I'm still missing more Out's.I have the need of totaly 4 Out's, (4x16chn.) .One port I already have from the Gameport but stillI need another three separat midi ports with 16 channels each. :-/And the SID is not the only one that cries for more midi channels. I have some other gear that needs some extras. Any good ideas?/Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pay_c Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 Check this here (although it´s kinda tricky soldering - you easily destroy that SMD Microcontroller). Works great with my stuff!http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp_usb.htmlAnd for additional Thru ports at your setup (you should build thru´s in every(!) synthi...) just use the half of the LTC schematic (the one with the thru port... yeah ... you know... :P). Either on breadboard or additional PCB.Greetz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 Thank's again but.... as I mentioned... I don't have a USB port at my old PC ;)... It's an old Notebook ~133MHz. So.. I need a Paralell Multi Midi interface. :-/(Why I don't use a stationary? There is not enough room for a CRT monitor and I can't afford a TFT flatscreen and it is by its convenience of having it all in one place -keyboard, monitor and touchpad/mouse.)Please? someone..more hints or design ideas?I have no problems with tricky constructions or soldering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednas Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 Maybe you can find something here:http://www.midipage.nl/It has some midi to serial port interfaces.But midi on the parallel port? Midi is serieel, so I don't know if anyone bothered to build an interface for the parallel port yet. Maybe a good idea, since you have 10 or more inputs, so you can build 10 in or outputs on it. You could of cousrse design one  :o . More info on parallel ports can be found at www.howstuffworks.com.Maybe you can build or buy an interface between parallel and usb or serial, or between serial and usb and build the rest yourself.]Good luckRednas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 Look for an Opcode Studio 64x on eBay. It gives you 4 MIDI devices over a serial connection. It is no longer supported but mine has worked absolutely flawlessly for a year. They usually are pretty inexpensive, less than the cost of a nice case and 8 MIDI sockets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 Thank's for the links! It seems to be hard finding a allready well working projects out there. My old Atari had a simple paralell interface made by some MUX switches and a software making it add 48chnl's in total  :o but it does'nt seems to be possible on a PC?!A Opcode Studio x64 would cost me about 150£ where I live (that's in Sweden) or more. A Studio 4 about the same price.. To much for my wallet.  :-/I will still be looking around the net for a solution. If I or someone here comes up with anything I hope that Thorsten will give us his blessing of making it public at uCApps. I have noticed some interest of the subject.  :)I'm still thankfull for any kind of information about this!/Mvh. Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimhenry Posted September 2, 2004 Report Share Posted September 2, 2004 If you want an Opcode 64x, shop on eBay. They are light so shipping should not be prohibative. It shouldn't cost anywhere near 150£ where you live (that's in Sweden) unless you have a really bad customs situation or I am seriously off base on the exchange rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 3, 2004 Report Share Posted September 3, 2004 Well... it's probably better to buy something that works the moment you plugg it in but... still.. my budget does'nt make place for an investment at all at the moment. And most of the time I build my projects out of collected junk.A "Poor mans Multi Midi interface" should'nt be to hard to achive but my skills in software programming is somewhat limited, soldering is no problem. I have been browsing around all those older projects that I've found on the internet and finaly found that Multi Interface for Atari. It was made for the serial port not for the lpt port as I wrote in the beginning. It has a 74HC132 wich is switching the TX out on to 3 outputs. If anyone is interested in making it converted to PC I would mail it right away. ::) Yes, I know, I making it harder than what it's worth but...I'm still interested in any kind of Multi Midi Interface, either for the LPT port or the Serial one. (Making a Ethernet based midi interface is wayoff complicated...or? :P )/Greets Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uclaros Posted September 6, 2004 Report Share Posted September 6, 2004 Hi!I once looked for a parallel-to-MIDI circuit but found allmost nothing. One schematic (and pretty complicaqted) of a guy , no documentation, no support no pcb etc. And one commercial product that seemed to be obsolete. An ancient, huge black box that is no longer sold...Why don't you try something for PCMCIA?http://www.psism.com/pca-gp.htmOtherwise, I think you should try to find some space for a CRT, get an old PC, plug in a few old Souncards and have a hole bunch of midi outs!!! =]If CRT is a problem because of emmission too, why don't you look for a circuit to use the laptop's LCD with a PC?? The keyboard an pad will be easy too!Bye, uclaros Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 6, 2004 Report Share Posted September 6, 2004 Ah! Nice knowing I'm not the only one not finding anything about it! :DWell, interesting idea with what you mentioned about making a LCD converter. I've had thoughts about slave operating via the Laptop but it would probably make it to slow in updating the screen. Anyhow, a bounch of old soundcards or a couple of serial cards ain't hard to obtain, the problem of the CRT is the space they may occupy and the radiation effects. (Maybe I've gonna have a nice skinn color after a while hehe. ;D )The more I think about the LCD project the more interested I get. I probably overwork this project but thats the only thing solving my crying needs for midi ports by now. Thank's for the good idea! Though, if anyone reading this, I'm allways interested in a Multi Midi Interface either for the serial port or the lpt port./Greets Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBunsen Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 It's very difficult to make a laptop LCD work with a VGA output. They use totally different protocols, voltage levels, all sorts of things. You need to buy a converter board from somewhere like earthlcd, and they cost as much as a cheap desktop LCD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screaming_Rabbit Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 ... not so expensive :)I bought one: http://www.byho.ch/ishop24/product_info.php/cPath/1_58/products_id/701$ = 1.27CHFGreets, Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 Ok, beeing overloaded of the daily duties lately but on again.Had some thoughts about the LTC module by attentioned some thoughts from a good friend of mine (a really smart fellow). It shouldn't be that complicatded to add more OUT's to it, right? The problem is the driver I'd guess. Thorsten, if you read this, could you please give it your opinion? Is it possible and if...how? ???/Greets Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Screaming_Rabbit Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 ... I think the datatransfer of the serial connection wouldn't be high enough anyway.Greets, Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 23, 2004 Report Share Posted September 23, 2004 Well, how do the Opcode interfaces solve that problem then? The earlier versions where serial.As having a thought about it, the serial port will manage 115200Kb and even 128000 at newer PC's, MIDI is 31250Kb... right, 8 ouputs will drawn the port easily but with about 14000Kb of maximum streaming data at each port, that would probably never happen, unless you really playing around with monsterius masses of modulation wheels, pitchbend, aftertouch and other massproducing data processes.After all, I'm just out for 3 max 4 extra outputs and that would'nt get the serial port in some critical situation of dropping data?! /Greets Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uclaros Posted September 24, 2004 Report Share Posted September 24, 2004 Hi bigstone,the second midi out on the LTC is just a copy of the normal midi out. You cannot send midi data to one of them without sending the same to the other!...so you will actually have 16 channels!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bigstone Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Ah! True! Hmm... Is'nt there a way to use the Core as a MIDI interface via the serial port and at the same time make it paste out the serial data from the serial port to several out ports from the Core, like a distubuter (don't know if I spelled that right or not). It could'nt be that complicated. Well yeah, right, I'm not so good in software so.. probably someone is about to tell me the bad news... :-// Greets Bigstone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mattcarus Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 I have a suggestion but it will involve a bit of coding:Build a midibox system with 9 digital ins, attach these to the D0 thru D7 lines on the parallel port and the last one to a handshake port and use these to generate midi.Just a spur-of-the-moment thought but it might work...Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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