Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uunet!munnari.oz.au!uhccux!hale!whinery
From: whinery@hale.ifa.hawaii.edu (Alan Whinery)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: MIDI Interface
Summary: Not so fast...
Keywords: MIDI
Message-ID: <10268@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Date: 13 Nov 90 08:22:05 GMT
References: <3757.658193903@lemsys.UUCP>
Sender: news@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu
Organization: Institute For Astronomy, Hawaii
Lines: 29

In article <3757.658193903@lemsys.UUCP> clemon@lemsys.UUCP (Craig Lemon) writes:
>In a message posted on Tue, 6 Nov 90 12:05:35 GMT,
>drfoam@watcsc.waterloo.edu (Dennis Henry) wrote:
>DH>A friend of mine has embarked on a project to interface his computer
>DH>to some MIDI instruments.  He wishes to build the hardware and to
>DH>write the software.
>
>	For the portion of MIDI that comes FROM the computer, all you need
>to do is invert SD pin of your serial port (ie. 74LS04) for every port you
>would like to run.  
>
>	This interface works on my Amiga and a general knowledge of your
>computer (ie port configurations) will be necessary.
>
>--
> Craig Lemon - Kitchener, Ontario. Amiga B2000/10--2400 bps--AmigaUUCP 1.03D

Whoa! Although the serial port and serial device on the mighty Amiga can 
handle the 31,250 baud necessary for MIDI, most other machines (for 
instance, IBM & compatibles generally cannot. You will find that the 
serial handler in MS-DOS is not capable of higher than 19200 baud, not
necessarily because of speed, but because they don't build 'em for MIDI.
If you have an IBM type machine, you need to build the interface from
the ground up, and then you should stick close to the Roland MPU 401
de facto standard if you want to use store-bought software. Unless you
are supremely masochistic, or you just want to tinker, buy a compatible
MIDI interface, or and AMIGA! 8^). 
Alan Whinery 
(whinery@hale.ifa.hawaii.edu)