[comp.sys.mac.misc] Homemade MIDI?

jeff@hpspdra.HP.COM (Jeff Gibson) (05/04/90)

Does anybody out there in netland have an angle on a homebuilt MIDI
interface?  I'm looking for an article or a schematic for building my
own (I'm cheap).

Is such a thing even possible?  I just want to hook up my MIDI Casio
keyboard to my Mac+ and use some of the public domain software that's
available for playing around.  I don't want to spend $300.

Thanks

Jeff Gibson
HP-SPO
jeff@hpspd@hplabs

jeff@hpspdra.HP.COM (Jeff Gibson) (05/04/90)

I put down the wrong email address, it should be;

jeff@hpspdra@hplabs

Sorry!

jwwalker@usceast.UUCP (Jim Walker) (05/04/90)

In article <21480001@hpspdra.HP.COM> jeff@hpspdra.HP.COM (Jeff Gibson) writes:
[stuff deleted]
| I just want to hook up my MIDI Casio
| keyboard to my Mac+ and use some of the public domain software that's
| available for playing around.  I don't want to spend $300.

Where did the figure of $300 come from?  I just bought an Apple MIDI
interface from MacConnection for $84 plus shipping.

-- 

   Jim Walker  jwwalker@usceast.cs.scarolina.edu  76367.2271@compuserve.com

barry@network.ucsd.edu (Barry Brown) (05/04/90)

In article <21480001@hpspdra.HP.COM> jeff@hpspdra.HP.COM (Jeff Gibson) writes:
>
>Does anybody out there in netland have an angle on a homebuilt MIDI
>interface?  I'm looking for an article or a schematic for building my
>own (I'm cheap).

The following was posted to UseNet some time ago.  Don't flame me if
it doesn't work.

From: henges@ingr.com. (John Hengesbach)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,rec.music.synth
Subject: Re: DIY MIDI interface?
Keywords: MIDI
Message-ID: <3318@ingr.com.>
Date: 30 Dec 88 16:05:21 GMT
References: <817@ttrdf.UUCP>
Reply-To: henges@ingr.UUCP (John Hengesbach)
Organization: Intergraph Corp. Huntsville, Al
Lines: 99
 
In article <817@ttrdf.UUCP> fjo@ttrdf.UUCP (Frank Owen ) writes:
>
>  Has anyone figured out how to kludge up a Do-It-Yourself MIDI interface
>for the Macintosh? It seems that the one Apple sells has practically no 
A reply...
 
 
			MINIMAL MAC--MIDI INTERFACE
			===========================
 
 
 
	Well, here it is all you MIDI fans.  THE ultimate in
	simplicity!!  This is a simple schematic for a serial
	to MIDI converter.
 
		There are two functions performed here.  One is the
	conversion from current loop to RS-422.  The second function
	is supplying the 1 MHz signal for the serial chip to sync
	up with the 31.5K baud rate of MIDI.
 
 
         >>>>>>> DATA FLOW >>> (MAC TO MIDI INSTRUMENT) >>>>>>>>>
               +-------+     +------+
To MAC   4   10|26LS32 |     |7407  |
Serial  >------+       |11  1|      |2    +------+    5
Port     5    9|       +-----+      +-----+R=220 +-----<  \
DB9 pin >-------       |     |      |     +------+         \  (5 pin DIN socket)
Numbers        |       |     |      |                       | MIDI OUT
               +-------+     +------+                      / (to instrument)
                +------+                  +------+    4   /
      +5 volts -+R=390 +--+     +5 volts -+R=220 +-----<
                +------+  |               +------+
               +-------+  |  +------+1    +------+    4
         8    6|26LS31 |  |  |MCT2  +-----+R=220 +-----< \
        >------+       |11| 5|      |     +------+        \  (5 pin DIN socket)
         9    5|       +--+--+      |                      | MIDI IN
        >-------       |    4|      |2                5   / (from instrument)
               |       |   +-+      +------------------< /
               +-------+   | +------+
                           |
                           v
                           Ground
         <<<<<<<<<<<<< DATA FLOW << (MIDI INSTRUMENT TO MAC ) <<<
 
               +-------+     +------+
         7   10|26LS31 |     |1 MHZ |
        >------+       |9   8| OSC  |
         3   11|       +-----+      |
        >-------       |     |      |
               |       |     +      |
               +-------+     +------+
 
	Power connections:
 
	  		GROUND	+5
			-----	--
	  7407		7	14
	  26LS31	8,12	4,16
	  26LS32	8,12	4,16
	  OSCILLATOR	7	14
 
Notes:
 
	The optical isolator MCT-2 above can probably be any relatively
fast optical coupler.  Note that the 390 ohm resistormay need to be
adjusted to make sure the output does not saturate.  Using a scope
while feeding a MIDI signal in should show you whether the signal
looks clean.
 
	The diagram has been drawn to show MAC signals on the left
and MIDI signals on the right.  There have also been allowances made
for the fact that 80 column ascii displays are not **exactly**
graphics terminals. Also note that the MAC pin numbers are for the
DB9 connector **NOT** the 8 pin mini-DIN connector!!
 
	The age old question of where to get power for this always
remains.  On the pre-MAC-PLUSs, there was power available from the
serial port connector.  I solved this problem by finding a 7 VDC
AC adapter at a parts store and using a 5 volt voltage regulator
IC to bring it down to 5 volts.  This is left as an exercise for
the student.....
 
	The 26LS31 and 26LS32 are the same type of chips which are
used in the MAC for RS-42? conversion.  I got them from a store in
Santa Clara California (Anchor Electronics  (408) 727-3693).  They
also have 1 Mhz Oscillators as well.
 
	I have built several variations of this over the last two
years and have had good success using a variety of music software
with them.
 
 
John Hengesbach
(205)772-1669
 
uunet!ingr!henges
Intergraph Corporation
Huntsville, AL 35807
 
-- 
              _____                                Barry Brown
_|__   |  |     | /  ----     /       \ \ /" __    barry@network.ucsd.edu
 |  |  |  | /   |           -+- -----    /     |   bebrown@ucsd.bitnet
/  _|  |  |/   /    ------  /         __/    __|_  ...!ucsd!network!barry

paulr@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Paul T Russell) (05/04/90)

From article <21480001@hpspdra.HP.COM>, by jeff@hpspdra.HP.COM (Jeff Gibson):
> 
> Does anybody out there in netland have an angle on a homebuilt MIDI
> interface?  I'm looking for an article or a schematic for building my
> own (I'm cheap).
> 

MacTutor published a design a few years ago (late 85 I think). I built
one of these and it works well with all the MIDI packages I've tried
it with. Check out the 'Best of' volumes of MacTutor in your bookshop
to find the one with the design in (probably volume II). The only
snag is that it's not self-powered like the Apple MIDI interface.

//Paul

-- 
           Paul Russell, Department of Experimental Psychology
         University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, England
     Janet: paulr@uk.ac.sussex.syma  Nsfnet: paulr@syma.sussex.ac.uk
    Bitnet: paulr%sussex.syma@ukacrl.bitnet  Usenet: ...ukc!syma!paulr

nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk (Nick Rothwell) (05/04/90)

In article <21480001@hpspdra.HP.COM>, jeff@hpspdra (Jeff Gibson) writes:
>Does anybody out there in netland have an angle on a homebuilt MIDI
>interface?  I'm looking for an article or a schematic for building my
>own (I'm cheap).

This seems to come up every couple of months or so... Yes, I built my
own MIDI interface (though I now use a MIDI Time Piece for most
things). I don't blame you for wanting to build one; the cost of the
actual components is around $10. Give me a shout if you want the
details.

>Jeff Gibson

		Nick.
--
Nick Rothwell,	Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science, Edinburgh.
		nick@lfcs.ed.ac.uk    <Atlantic Ocean>!mcsun!ukc!lfcs!nick
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
		   Ich weiss jetzt was kein Engel weiss

henges@ingr.com (John Hengesbach) (05/07/90)

Jeff (and others who are interested),

	The previous posting on the schematic is what I tried to send you
but seem to have had a bum mail address.  The only addition I would like to
add is the mapping for the 8pin mini-DIN connectors.

The 8 Pin to 9 Pin comparison:

	9 pin		8 Pin
	-----		-----
	4 -------------> 6
	5 -------------> 3
	8 -------------> 8
	9 -------------> 5
	7 -------------> 2
	3 --+----------> 4
            |
      Gnd --+-->Gnd
      Vcc ----->+5

	Don't forget the connection from ground to pin 3 (4 on the 8 pin)
If you do you may have trouble with receiving data from the synth to the
mac.


-- 
John Hengesbach
   ..!uunet!ingr!henges			Intergraph
   henges@ingr.com 			Huntsville, Alabama 35894-0001
   (205)730-2020