MiSTer FPGA Forum

I have started looking at MIDI options, and was wondering what would work.

I saw the PI-MIDI a few days ago. Would one also need something like Legaxy Pixels' MIDI board to be able to hookup to the PI-MIDI (hypothetically at least)?

Despite owning a number of aftermarket sound cards over the years, I never got into MIDI, so I am trying to wrap my head around all this.

I use the Roland UM-1 to connect to an SC-55. Doesn't require any special configuration other than switching UART to MIDI mode.

Works great. https://www.roland.com/us/products/um-one_mk2/

The midi input works just as well. I was using cakewalk DAW in windows 3.1 and a Arturia Keystep midi controller connected to the UM-1.

The userio midi (DIY instructions in the ST section here/legacypixels board) is a -lot- tighter, timing wise, especially if you're making music... Here's a set of videos by JimBobMcgee to illustrate:

https://youtu.be/El10w-yFp8k
vs
https://youtu.be/3Sw_BcFwoG8

djhardrich wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:05 am The userio midi (DIY instructions in the ST section here/legacypixels board) is a -lot- tighter, timing wise, especially if you're making music... Here's a set of videos by JimBobMcgee to illustrate:

What type of USB MIDI adapter is being used?

My Roland UM-ONE MK2 works much better than that...

Avoid certain cheap USB MIDI adapters as they are prone to fail. I had a "Proster USB MIDI" adapter that produced endless echoes, skipped notes and after 2 days the MIDI out failed to work at all. Currently I use the "OTraki USB MIDI" which is cheap also but seems to work as intended.

HMPoweredMan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:45 am I use the Roland UM-1 to connect to an SC-55. Doesn't require any special configuration other than switching UART to MIDI mode.

Works great. https://www.roland.com/us/products/um-one_mk2/

The midi input works just as well. I was using cakewalk DAW in windows 3.1 and a Arturia Keystep midi controller connected to the UM-1.

Another one for the Roland UM-1.
I have it connected to a Roland SC-88 Pro and it works great with ao486.

Curious about the Pi-MIDI though... may consider it for MT-32 emulation.

So the point of the Legacy Pixels midi board is to interface with the SNAC directly, for low latency midi with real hardware. This is an interesting project. If you have an external MIDI synth or MIDI keyboard you can interact with actual software with the actual cores in real time.

Some weeks ago I bought a Roland RA-50 for my wife and her GEM WS1 - and for testing with it my MiST and MiSTer setups. I'm using a noname USB2MIDI for that. This ist just working when selecting MT32 in MiSTery and AO486 software and games. Beautiful.

HMPoweredMan wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:45 am Doesn't require any special configuration other than switching UART to MIDI mode.

I am also using the Roland UM-ONE mk2 with an old MT-32. The UART mode is in the core settings (WIN+F12 for ao486). With it set to local everything works automatically - without the need for touching MidiLink.ini or any other settings.

I bought a SC88 cheap from ebay and it works great, it has a button for SC55 mapping so that games like Doom sound as intended and in Cubase it offers about 600 different sounds. Astonishing that these things are sold so cheap nowadays as they were pretty expensive in the past and they are still unrivaled in my opinion when it comes to MIDI music.

I have two little questions

1) Is there a way of having both a MT-32 (or Pi-Midi) and a Sound Canvas (or Fluidsynth) with a single ao486 configuration (with different MIDI ports so that you can set those once and for all in games) ?

2) would be pretty happy with Munt running on the MiSTer -- it seems it needs to be just a little be optimized. Has anyone been investigating this ?

mahen wrote: ↑Tue Nov 03, 2020 11:47 am I have two little questions

1) Is there a way of having both a MT-32 (or Pi-Midi) and a Sound Canvas (or Fluidsynth) with a single ao486 configuration (with different MIDI ports so that you can set those once and for all in games) ?

2) would be pretty happy with Munt running on the MiSTer -- it seems it needs to be just a little be optimized. Has anyone been investigating this ?

1) Since you have to switch between Munt and Fluidsynth at the level above the executed core, I don't think you can have them both running simultaneously, unfortunately.

2) Munt is pretty CPU intensive, so I think that the onboard ARM just can't handle it. A shame, too -- I would also love to have it running onboard.

Thanks for the reply. That's what I thought too.

BTW, did anyone try to plug a MIDI **keyboard** ? Is it handled properly ? (or I might have to open a different thread)

I tried a Midi Keyboard with the ST core and Cubase. Works fine.

I guess only the notes and velocity are passed ? Not aftertouch values ? Pitch bend maybe ?

Pitchbend is part of the MIDI protocoll, if your keyboard transmits the data it will be recorded in the data.

Ok, it's official now!

MiSTer support for the MT32-pi has just been launched.

The million dollar question now is, where to buy the MT32-pi?

Cheers.

NightShadowPT wrote: ↑Sun Jan 03, 2021 2:56 pm Ok, it's official now!

MiSTer support for the MT32-pi has just been launched.

The million dollar question now is, where to buy the MT32-pi?

Cheers.

It is a software for the Raspberry. You would need to think in how to hook it up to mister, but there is info as well https://github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wik ... connection

NightShadowPT wrote: ↑Sun Jan 03, 2021 2:56 pm Ok, it's official now!

MiSTer support for the MT32-pi has just been launched.

The million dollar question now is, where to buy the MT32-pi?

Cheers.

in the simplest variant you can solder connector to RPi header. You don't need any other components.

I made one with some bits I had laying around and a USB3 breakout board. Works great

ash2fpga wrote: ↑Fri Oct 16, 2020 1:08 am I have started looking at MIDI options, and was wondering what would work.

I saw the PI-MIDI a few days ago. Would one also need something like Legaxy Pixels' MIDI board to be able to hookup to the PI-MIDI (hypothetically at least)?

Despite owning a number of aftermarket sound cards over the years, I never got into MIDI, so I am trying to wrap my head around all this.

Would be nice if that site had a notification service for when this would come back in stock or become available to pre-order again.

Edit: Referring to the Pi Midi. I do not have Midi devices.

Foxandxss wrote: ↑Sun Jan 03, 2021 5:23 pm It is a software for the Raspberry. You would need to think in how to hook it up to mister, but there is info as well https://github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wik ... connection

Even reading through that I am unclear about how I would go about connecting a bare DE10 Nano with an Raspberry Pi 40 pin connector.

Before I blow anything up (already lost an RPi4 last week due to a careless short), as far as I understand I can connect 8 Dupont wires between the RPi pins mentioned and the corresponding pins on the DE10 Nano.

Is there a diagram of which pins those are? There are so many it's easy to make a mistake.

How can I obtain the gerbers from the github files, since Altium is propietary software.

belgarcat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:08 am How can I obtain the gerbers from the github files, since Altium is propietary software.

I assume you mean for the new MT32-pi interface board? If so visit the below link:

https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/Hardwar ... r/releases

So I’ve built the User Port to Pi cable and put the MT32-Pi files onto a Micro SD card in a Pi 3 I had lying around. It lights up but I can’t seem to find the settings in the MiSTer menus to enable/select it. Where should I find the setting in the ao486 core?

Did you configure mt32-pi properly? Please see this wiki page:
https://github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wik ... 2-pi-setup

The mt32-pi OSD settings are only visible if:

• You have enabled MiSTer support in mt32-pi
• I2C comms are working (the MiSTer core has received a message from mt32-pi)

V_Amo wrote: ↑Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:56 am So I’ve built the User Port to Pi cable and put the MT32-Pi files onto a Micro SD card in a Pi 3 I had lying around. It lights up but I can’t seem to find the settings in the MiSTer menus to enable/select it. Where should I find the setting in the ao486 core?

If you mean you can't see the MT32-PI option in the ao486 (or AMIGA/ATARI ST) then you need to update the Cores and MAIN.

I am testing with AMIGA Core. I have communication with the Pi as the OSD is showing the Instruments and sound levels, but the sound is not coming out of my HDMI connection.
The sound that goes back into the MiSTer is RX+ and RX- ? I have them wired as per Wiki.

I am currently moving my Pi-MT32 into a project box so concentrating on that, I just got the buttons wired up and now need to cut holes in the box for them. I was going to try using a larger screen I had laying about, but it is 16x2 and not 20x2 so will stick to the OLED that came with the Pi-MT32.

hi

i don't have mt32-pi sorry

but since update i can't have midi sound with fluidsynth or munt like before

i'm alone ?

I'm having problems getting Roland UM-One working after the January updates. The UART speed used to be selectable and it needed to be 38400 for it to work in ao486. How can can get the UART speed changed or is there something else I need to do to make the USB midi device to work?

Are any of the the Show Info - No, Yes, LCD-On (FB), LCD-Auto (non-FB) for MT32-Pi intended to provide an OSD over the HDMI output of Mister? I don't have the OLED display as indicated but at times would like to see the information on screen to validate it's working. None of the options I have tried work. LCD-On shows a dark gray box, but nothing inside of it.