MIDI Interface

[+mytek]

The new XEL MIDI II board set has passed testing, and is now available at OSH Park. I've added a MIDI page to my website with OSH Park BUY links for the various MIDI boards, as well as some other useful stuff. Check it out here: https://ataribits.weebly.com/midi.html

[+DrVenkman]

I think I've convinced myself to buy Roland Sound Canvas for my iPad in the next couple weeks, now that I've got my XLD functionally complete. The rest of my iOS apps can "hear" the MIDI notes and modulation data, but they're all too specialized these days to just play a multi-track General MIDI file using stock instrument sounds.

 

 

https://www.roland.com/global/products/sound_canvas_for_ios/

 

 

[Sleepy]

Thx, I ordered a set of pcbs. I think the new board fits mechanical better to my setup like the first version. :-)

 

Sleepy

[+mytek]

Thx, I ordered a set of pcbs. I think the new board fits mechanical better to my setup like the first version. :-)

 

Sleepy

 

It was thanks to your original idea that this new board set was developed. And because of that I added a notation to the MIDI page on my website this morning recognizing your contribution.

 

"This idea was improved upon by an AtariAge member Sleepy's suggestion of adding a DB9 connection to the MIDI DIN interface, which later morphed into the MIDI XEL II board set."

[+mytek]

I think I've convinced myself to buy Roland Sound Canvas for my iPad in the next couple weeks, now that I've got my XLD functionally complete. The rest of my iOS apps can "hear" the MIDI notes and modulation data, but they're all too specialized these days to just play a multi-track General MIDI file using stock instrument sounds.

 

IMG_1266.PNG

 

https://www.roland.com/global/products/sound_canvas_for_ios/

 

 

 

Looks like a great app!

 

But no love for us android owners .

[Sleepy]

I´m a little bit embarrassed - it was just the idea. Realisation and improvement was done by ivop & you. :-)

 

Sleepy

Edited April 2, 2019 by Sleepy

[+mytek]

I´m a little bit embarrassed - it was just the idea. Realisation and improvement was done by ivop & you. :-)

 

Sleepy

It was an excellent idea, and not something I probably would have thought of on my own. So I felt you deserved mention for coming up with that approach.

[k-Pack]

How about a nice Demo that does PoKey+MIDI? Do a really nice Flying Toasters or something.

I'm pretty sure that pokey is used as a clock for the sio. Can't be used for both at the same time.

[+mytek]

I'm pretty sure that pokey is used as a clock for the sio. Can't be used for both at the same time.

 

Well that's not entirely true. Because you can send a Note ON event in MIDI, then go do something else like play with Pokey, meanwhile that MIDI note you started plays on it's own until you send a Note OFF event. So theoretically both MIDI and Pokey could be making music and/or sound effects at the same time.

[Kyle22]

 

Well that's not entirely true. Because you can send a Note ON event in MIDI, then go do something else like play with Pokey, meanwhile that MIDI note you started plays on it's own until you send a Note OFF event. So theoretically both MIDI and Pokey could be making music and/or sound effects at the same time.

 

Thank you, my point exactly.

[+DrVenkman]

I'm not familiar enough with how dual-POKEY setups work and how the second POKEY's registers fit into the address space, but would it be possible to use the first (left) POKEY to handle all the serial I/O and timing stuff for MIDI while also using a second (Right) POKEY to produce music?

[Kyle22]

I'm not familiar enough with how dual-POKEY setups work and how the second POKEY's registers fit into the address space, but would it be possible to use the first (left) POKEY to handle all the serial I/O and timing stuff for MIDI while also using a second (Right) POKEY to produce music?

 

YES, absolutely, and you have limited use of the other PoKey as well.

 

It's ALL good. We can blow these Commies away!

[+mytek]

Speaking of blowing Commies away, I can now blow up yet another smiley face instead .

 

Loaded the MIDI-MAZE ROM into a UNO Cart and popped that into my modified 64K 600XLM ('M' for MIDI enhanced), and I was able to form a MIDI-Ring of 3 systems. Nice to see the network expand without issues.

 

 

From the 1088XLD's screen, I'm looking at two other players. One on the 1088XEL with the new MIDI XEL II board set, and the other on my 600XLM with the built-in MIDI interface. Problem was I needed 2 other guys to play with .

[Kyle22]

We could create many multi-player games this way. This will also work using a MODEM. Online play is supported.

[Sleepy]

Problem was I needed 2 other guys to play with .

 

A well known problem... only chance for me to play MidiMaze is on meetings; this means theoretical up to three times a year. Factual, once-a-year.

If you find some guys to play with, try it! It´s a lot of fun! The more player, the mutch hectic and fun! :-)

 

Parts for the new board arrived yesterday. Now I´m waiting for the pcbs.

 

Sleepy

Edited April 5, 2019 by Sleepy

[Forrest]

Boards ordered yesterday and parts ordered today for the 2 port interface. All parts except one were very inexpensive, ranging in price from $.05 to $.77 each. The 5 pin DIN MIDI jack was the most expensive item - $1.59 each at Jameco or $3.04 each at Mouser. Since only Mouser had the PIC chips, I placed my order at Mouser.

Edited April 5, 2019 by Forrest

[4mat]

Hi. First-time poster, long-time lurker here. I've been recently working on a midi driver for the c64 as there's a lack of music editors for midi carts in our scene too. It works at the register level rather than with particular tools so, in theory, any sid editor can compose songs within a set of rules.

Here's a youtube video of it in action and the demo with full (DASM) source/docs can be downloaded from CSDB

It supports up to 9 simultaneous midi channels along with the sid, though the first 3 channels are shared between midi + sid.

For Atari I guess something similar could be adapted for stereo POKEY songs? I patch the song players at run-time so all register writes go to a buffer first, which turned out to be good for handling latency between different midi devices. It'd mostly be finding a set of rules within the POKEY that would allow note on/off, patch changes etc. (I use gate and waveform type on the sid)

Anyway, not sure what or if any of this is useful but the more midi source the merrier I guess, certainly I didn't have a lot to work with when I started this.

[Mr Robot]

Are you 4mat from the Amiga demoscene? If so you wrote one of my fave Amiga tunes, so thanks for that!

[Sleepy]

Hm, there is a MIDI-interface for the cevie, too... for people who can code, it should be possible to connect ATARI & C=64 via MIDI and create a game on both machines and play together.

A lot of meetings are joined by commie and A8. It would be nice to see ATARI and Commodore playing not only side by side, but together...

 

Sleepy

[4mat]

Are you 4mat from the Amiga demoscene? If so you wrote one of my fave Amiga tunes, so thanks for that!

Yes, same guy. Thanks.

 

Yeah on the c64 we have about 7-8 different midi protocols. I picked what appeared to be the popular one (Datel) and the default in emulators. (Sequential) Some of them I think require a dedicated timer so I stuck to the ones I can run directly from a vblank call.

[+DrVenkman]

So MIDI Out is working on my 1088XEL - I can drive soft-synths on my iPad Pro with MIDI data coming out of the XLD, which is pretty great. But so far I haven’t yet been able to determine in MIDI IN is working. Partly it’s the fact that most A8 MIDI software is obtuse, to say the least.

 

Does anyone have any kind of A8 MIDI utility that will simply show activity on the MIDI ports? I’d like to simply verify that the input is working - it doesn’t have to actually record anything, just verify if MIDI Note messages and such are making it into the system.

 

Thanks!

[+mytek]

So MIDI Out is working on my 1088XEL - I can drive soft-synths on my iPad Pro with MIDI data coming out of the XLD, which is pretty great. But so far I haven’t yet been able to determine in MIDI IN is working. Partly it’s the fact that most A8 MIDI software is obtuse, to say the least.

 

Does anyone have any kind of A8 MIDI utility that will simply show activity on the MIDI ports? I’d like to simply verify that the input is working - it doesn’t have to actually record anything, just verify if MIDI Note messages and such are making it into the system.

 

Thanks!

 

Here you go: Download ivop's MIDIMON.xex from HERE.

 

This program will verify that a proper MIDI clock signal is present, as well as show MIDI related commands coming in through the MIDI-IN port.

 

Also I believe if you connect MIDI-IN to MIDI-OUT (loop-back with single 5-pin DIN cable) and run MIDI-MAZE in MIDIMATE mode it too will verify full functionality (those files are available from HERE).

 

Edit: confirmed with loop-back cable, running MIDI-MAZE will result in it being the Master Machine, and allow you to start the game. Without the loop-back cable the machine is identified as a Slave.

Edited April 8, 2019 by mytek

[Forrest]

Considering the cost for the 2 MIDI port version is so low, it would be interesting if the MIDI interface was used for LAN gaming for new games.

 

Has anyone found a small plastic case that fits the 2 MIDI port version?

[Sleepy]

For the three-port-version, I choose this housing: Hersteller : HAMMOND MANUFACTURING Artikelnummer des Herstellers : 1591ABK

 

It´s a german distributor but I think the housing is also available from other shops.

 

 

Maybe there is a smaller version.

 

Sleepy

Edited April 8, 2019 by Sleepy

[+mytek]

A nice option would be to design and print a 3D case. The newest DIN interface board is a bit more compact so there would be a bit less filament needed. Just need someone to design one .