Serial MIDI Controller with USB

[j]

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone would have any advice on how to do this the cheapest. I
bought a second-hand MIDI controller (MIDISTART) and it has a 15 pin serial
connection, for a soundcard. My computer is a laptop, with no suitable port.
Luckily it has a MIDI-out, and I have a MIDI interface which works ok. To
connect via the serial cable, is my only option to buy an external sound
card such as the Extigy? I bought a simple 15 pin Serial USB Games port, but
I don't seem to be able to get it working. I was hoping thered be some
software or a driver to map the port? I tried the MIDIJoy and MIDIYoke, but
still no luck.

Any advice? Thanks in advance.


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[Clemens Ladisch]

"j" wrote:
> Wondering if anyone would have any advice on how to do this the cheapest. I
> bought a second-hand MIDI controller (MIDISTART) and it has a 15 pin serial
> connection, for a soundcard.

"Serial" usually means an RS-232 cable, which has different pin
assignments. Your connector is for a joystick cable.

> My computer is a laptop, with no suitable port. Luckily it has a
> MIDI-out, and I have a MIDI interface which works ok. [...]
> I bought a simple 15 pin Serial USB Games port, but I don't seem
> to be able to get it working.

The gameport on sound cards uses two otherwise unused pins for the
MIDI input and output signals. Unfortunately, USB gameports do not
have these MIDI signals, so your USB gameport is useless for you
(unless you want to connect a joystick to your laptop).

> To connect via the serial cable, is my only option to buy an
> external sound card such as the Extigy?

The Extigy doesn't have a gameport AFAIK. A Google search turns up
references to the "Audigy 2 Platinum Extigy", which seems to be a
remote control.

Anyway, a USB MIDI keyboard would be cheaper.


HTH
Clemens

[Kees V.]

Hi,
It is in fact very easy to connect a 15pin joystick port to a standard 5pin
midiconnector. All you have to do is to buy a 15 pin joystick connector and
a standard 5pin midicable. Cut off one 5pin connector from the standard
midicable and connect the 3 wires to the 15pin connector. Use pin 12 for
midi out, pin 15 for midi in, pin 4 or 5 for grounding. check also (German
site): http://www.henrik-reimers.de/elektronik/joy.htm

Cheers.

"j" <j@nospam.com> schreef in bericht
news:8q82b.28856$pK2.45347@news.indigo.ie...
> Hi all,
>
> Wondering if anyone would have any advice on how to do this the cheapest.
I
> bought a second-hand MIDI controller (MIDISTART) and it has a 15 pin
serial
> connection, for a soundcard. My computer is a laptop, with no suitable
port.
> Luckily it has a MIDI-out, and I have a MIDI interface which works ok. To
> connect via the serial cable, is my only option to buy an external sound
> card such as the Extigy? I bought a simple 15 pin Serial USB Games port,
but
> I don't seem to be able to get it working. I was hoping thered be some
> software or a driver to map the port? I tried the MIDIJoy and MIDIYoke,
but
> still no luck.
>
> Any advice? Thanks in advance.
>
>
> ---
> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 19/08/2003
>
>

[Tony Roe]

If this works at all (which I doubt), it would be by accident. A Game port Midi
cable includes an opto-isolator and a number of other parts necessary for
reliable data transfer, and to avoid ground loops (which sound bad when a PC is
included). Easiest is just buy one, as they're so cheap.

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 22:13:01 +0200, "Kees V." <info@verhagen-muziek.nl> wrote:

>Hi,
>It is in fact very easy to connect a 15pin joystick port to a standard 5pin
>midiconnector. All you have to do is to buy a 15 pin joystick connector and
>a standard 5pin midicable. Cut off one 5pin connector from the standard
>midicable and connect the 3 wires to the 15pin connector. Use pin 12 for
>midi out, pin 15 for midi in, pin 4 or 5 for grounding. check also (German
>site): http://www.henrik-reimers.de/elektronik/joy.htm
>
>Cheers.
>
>"j" <j@nospam.com> schreef in bericht
>news:8q82b.28856$pK2.45347@news.indigo.ie...
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Wondering if anyone would have any advice on how to do this the cheapest.
>I
>> bought a second-hand MIDI controller (MIDISTART) and it has a 15 pin
>serial
>> connection, for a soundcard. My computer is a laptop, with no suitable
>port.
>> Luckily it has a MIDI-out, and I have a MIDI interface which works ok. To
>> connect via the serial cable, is my only option to buy an external sound
>> card such as the Extigy? I bought a simple 15 pin Serial USB Games port,
>but
>> I don't seem to be able to get it working. I was hoping thered be some
>> software or a driver to map the port? I tried the MIDIJoy and MIDIYoke,
>but
>> still no luck.
>>
>> Any advice? Thanks in advance.
>>
>>
>> ---
>> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
>> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
>> Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 19/08/2003
>>
>>
>

Regards,
Tony (remove "_" from email address to reply)