KOHLER@gecrdvm1.crd.ge.com (11/06/90)
In article <90306.170251KOHLER@GECRDVM1.BITNET> I wrote: >Has anyone had experience with the MIDI option on the Sound Blaster? > >Specifically, I want to know if the MIDI option is Roland MPU-401 >compatible. I have a midi interface card and Cakewalk sequencer software, >and I need to know if I can use the software with the Sound Blaster MIDI >option, or should I save my money? Responses follow: Save your money. It isn't compatible and costs about as much as a used 401 board. No, it's not MPU-401 compatible. It specifically states it in the manual that comes with the card. The reason being that MPU does some extra stuff that CMS says can easily be emulated in software. Therefore, you'd probably need a special driver to get cakewalk to work with SoundBlaster MIDI. The SOUND BLASTER MIDI interfaces isn't MPU compatible. There is very little software which supports it. It is also crippled in that it cannot send and receive MIDI data simultaneously.
ron@woan (Ronald S. Woan) (11/06/90)
In article <90309.175638KOHLER@GECRDVM1.BITNET>, KOHLER@gecrdvm1.crd.ge.com writes: kohler> Save your money. It isn't compatible and costs about as kohler> much as a used 401 board. True. Actually for about the same price as a new CMS or MusicQuest MPU-401 board. kohler> No, it's not MPU-401 compatible. It specifically states it kohler> in the manual that comes with the card. The reason being that kohler> MPU does some extra stuff that CMS says can easily be emulated kohler> in software. Therefore, you'd probably need a special driver kohler> to get cakewalk to work with SoundBlaster MIDI. I don't think Cakewalk supports it at all, but Voyetra's new Sequencer Plus family does fully, and they also use the Adlib FM stuff as a multitimbral tone generator and can play ROL, as well as MIDI, sound files. kohler> The SOUND BLASTER MIDI interfaces isn't MPU compatible. kohler> There is very little software which supports it. It is also kohler> crippled in that it cannot send and receive MIDI data kohler> simultaneously. I think that this will be changing, as more software developers start using the UART mode of even intelligent MIDI cards.... Anyway, the jist is that don't buy the Sound Blaster just for its MIDI function, but if you already have it for games, you might also want to use it for MIDI... +-----All Views Expressed Are My Own And Are Not Necessarily Shared By------+ +------------------------------My Employer----------------------------------+ + Ronald S. Woan woan@peyote.cactus.org or woan%austin@iinus1.ibm.com + + other email addresses Prodigy: XTCR74A Compuserve: 73530,2537 +