MiSTer FPGA Forum

Hi everyone, I searched the forums, but I can't find anybody addressing this topic specifically, so I decided to start a new topic for the first time. Concerning MIDI on the C64 core, (and the C128 core, too) what is the potential, if any, to design a User IO interface circuit that can provide the sort of capability that the Datel MIDI cartridge gave the original Commodore 64?
I'm not sure who to ask. I'm guessing I need to talk to the MIDILink dev? Has this already been asked?

I'm trying to play Cynthcart on the C64 core using MiSTer and I'm having some success with a USB keyboard.. but I want to step it up and get MIDI-in capability and use my MIDI keyboard to play.
I'm willing to figure this out and design the circuit myself, but I'm wondering who's interested, and has anyone else thought about it, and if so, what do I need to do? Thanks!

I think it should already work with the MIDI interface that's available here. I have one, as well as the Datel interface for the real C64, but it's been a while since I've used that. If I have time tomorrow I'll find the Cynthcart ROM and see if it works on MiSTer with a MIDI keyboard

Oh that's awesome! Thanks! I'd love to know if it works with the C64 core because that page only mentions Atari ST and AO486.. So I'd be curious to know if the plumbing is done in the core and in MIDILink for the C64 core, and if so, that is awesome! I'll be ordering one ASAP!
I ran into a problem with the 2.0.1 version from GitHub (no worries, I bought & own a Cynthcart and also a Kerberos cart) where some of the instruments don't play, while others do, using a USB keyboard on MiSTer. The version that seems to work without problems for me is 2.0 RC4 which I think I got from CSDB.

I just tried a few different versions of the ROM (including the 2.0 RC4 from CSDB) and unfortunately I can't get it to work with a MIDI keyboard. I'm pretty sure it's because the Cynthcart program doesn't think there's a MIDI cartridge installed. In the screenshot on CSDB on the bottom you can see that the program detects a Passport cart, and is ready to receive data from it in Omni mode. I couldn't figure out a way to make it think there was a MIDI cart inserted when running it on the MiSTer, so in that case the program isn't even listening for any MIDI input

I'd love to know if it works with the C64 core because that page only mentions Atari ST and AO486.

For whatever reason, that page hasn't been updated in a long time. Besides the ones listed there, I've also gotten it to work with the Amiga and X68000 cores, and possibly some others I may be forgetting. I think in general if the core has the UART options in the menu and works with the MT32 Pi, it will also work with that adapter. This case with the C64 is the first time I've hit a roadblock with it

The MiSTer User port when using the C64 provides IEC and RS232 lines I believe

d3viant wrote: ↑Tue Mar 14, 2023 11:27 pm

I'm not sure who to ask. I'm guessing I need to talk to the MIDILink dev? Has this already been asked?

The C64 USR port is limited to 9600 baud so its simply not fast enough to talk directly to MIDI equipment which operates at 31250 baud. The C=64 core would need to emulate the Cynthcart hardware...

However, I was able to use the C64 core as a MIDI device hooked to a MIDI keyboard via Roland UM-ONE adapter, but I had to write my own software that operates at 2400 BAUD as that was the fastest serial speed the C=64 core supported way back when I tried this --> https://youtu.be/mp_KNaRAHHM

If I still have the source code, I could probably get 9600 working...

MIDI In and Out is working and tested in the MiST core, however the MiSTer port of the C64 doesn't have any MIDI support (and Sorgelig has expressed that he doesn't want to port the changes to the core). Here's the relevant MiST commit: https://github.com/mist-devel/c64/commi ... b40ba17ca7 . There's also some helpful info/tools linked in the issue thread in case anyone decides to add it and test functionality. Issue thread is here: https://github.com/mist-devel/c64/issues/1 .