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*SOLD* -Roland MT-200 - Ready for your retro DOS gaming needs! $150 Shipped


-^CrossBow^-

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*SOLD*

 

* Pending Sale* is a MT-200 Sound Module, Sequencer, and Midi Jukebox that also happens to be great for use with old DOS games or for Midi listening in general. The MT-200 is an Sound Canvas and General Midi sound module and sequencer that contains the same sound samples as the SC-55 and includes all of the normal drum samples including those for the CM-32 module. This MT-200 is actually a spare as I use another one of these in my primary modern gaming PC and had been meaning to find this one a new home for some time now. Everything is working 100% on this module and it has had the following minor upgrades made to it:

 

- Original 3.5" floppy drive has been replaced with a GoTek floppy emulator. This allows the use of a USB flash drive up to 32gb to be used (Although 4gb is all that you would ever actually use). The GoTek emulates an old floppy drive by using software to format the USB flash drive into 100 separate partitions of 1.44MB each. The GoTek has buttons on it to swap between the floppy partitions. Essentially a single 4gb or larger flash drive would likely contain all the storage a person would ever need for listening to their Midi file library or saving songs they compose using the MT-200 as a sequencer. The original floppy drive works and I will include it as well if the new owner should wish to take it back to stock.

 

- Original battery has been removed and replaced with a battery holder and new battery to make battery replacement easier in the future.

 

- Firmware has been updated to the latest known revision so far found. I actually had Albert make up some of these for me so I could put one into this one and have another on hand as a spare for my primary module. This updated firmware only works with 2MB fully populated MT-200s like this one, and corrects several issues with hanging notes and speed/timing anomalies on Midi input that plague earlier revisions. It is great for use with old DOS games as a result.

 

This MT-200 includes a brand new PSB-120 genuine Roland switching power supply compatible with the MT-200 and many other sound modules devices.

 

Also included is a 16gb USB flash drive that has been formatted for all 100 partitions to be ready for use. The first 4 partitions contain midi music as examples for listening to the abilities of what the module is able to really do, especially in GS mode.

 

I will also include a DVD that contains the following within it:

- MT-200 Video tutorials on the basic operation and diagnostics I made earlier this year. Pretty much all you would need to know to use it is in these videos

- Additional Midi files for listening, editing, etc...

- Midiplay v5 both the 32 and 64bit versions for windows OSes.

- Two different types of Floppy emulator software for use with the GoTek floppy emulator. The software contains the formatting and partition browsers to view and copy files to the multiple floppy partitions on the USB flash drive. Also included is a blank 1.44mb disk image file to quickly setup blank partitions

- PDFs of the original two part owners manual

- Copy of the 2.01 firmware file in case a new rom should ever be need made.

- Midi utilities of various things a person might want or need. Such as MT32 emulation, Midi type 1 to 0 converter, and even the RSC to MID converter. The MT-200 saves songs in RSC/RSD format so this last tool is a must for converting them into an easier to use format.

 

I've attached quite a few pictures in this post showing the MT-200 from all angles as well as the interior shot of the battery holder and updated firmware chip installed. Physically the unit is in good shape with minor scuffs and scratches considering its likely had a long life. There is a section on the LCD bezel that looks to have lifted along the top, but aside from cosmetic it isn't an issue at all and was this way when I received it.

 

To get an idea on what this module sounds like, I've made a 5min or so video demonstrating some snippets from a few songs. The last 4 songs were recorded by the module and saved to the USB flash drive in RSC format so you can hear exactly how DOS games like Doom and other General Midi and Sound Canvas games sound. The Monkey Island theme was played from the actual game with the MT-200 loaded up with the MT32 instrument patch I included in the Midi Utils. Not all MT-32 games will sound as good as this but most of them still sound better than Adlib/Soundblaster modes do.

 

**NOTE that this does not include any midi or audio cables nor a Midi interface to connect it to your computer. I personally recommend the Roland UM oneMK 2 USB-Midi adapter but there are other options. Again, I'm happy to help with additional information should you need assistance.

 

 

Feel free to contact me with PMs on any questions you have. The price might seem a bit high, but the MT-200 is a very well featured device from the early 90s and I've put a lot of time into this module and the package you see here. So the first $150 gets it shipped to the lower 48 states. Elsewhere will require additional for shipping.

Thank you for taking the time to read and look at this post and your consideration.

 

And before the pics, here is another song sample recorded from this MT-200 with zero editing and played back directly from the MT-200 outside of any computer interface.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18l5yu8UCgW44O2PXnbvKnT55Pij1ZVxy/view?fbclid=IwAR0iEsRzK2qeRc9o_MPaJOurexThLTNoynQk4kjHGcDHlIGYLR9xsPThY-Y

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Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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Question:

 

So I have my 486 setup with the 15 pin midi connector converting to standard midi connections via my soundcard. This then connects to a Roland usb midi adapter to my modern laptop to act as an MD32 or a SC55. From the 486 prospective it thinks it’s the real hardware.

Would the MT 200 act as real hardware for my 486 to act as an MD32 or an SC55?

I would love to have real hardware to do this.

Also it sounds like this devices can capture this music playback as well ?

That would be very cool if true.

 

Sorry for all of the questions and some lack of knowledge here.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Question:

 

So I have my 486 setup with the 15 pin midi connector converting to standard midi connections via my soundcard. This then connects to a Roland usb midi adapter to my modern laptop to act as an MD32 or a SC55. From the 486 prospective it thinks it’s the real hardware.

Would the MT 200 act as real hardware for my 486 to act as an MD32 or an SC55?

I would love to have real hardware to do this.

Also it sounds like this devices can capture this music playback as well ?

That would be very cool if true.

 

Sorry for all of the questions and some lack of knowledge here.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Will do my best to answer:

 

Just so I understand, you are using your modern computer to emulate an SC-55 or sound canvas into your 486? Do I understand that correctly?

 

Explain to me a bit more how you have everything connected so I have a better understanding. If you were to want to use this module with your 486, then you would just need to use the 15pin gameport to midi cables you have with it. However, that would only give you UART mode and some games require an intelligent 401 interface. But for that, there is softmpu available though it does take some cpu cycles to run it.

 

Capturing audio...yes in a way this is able to do that. Here is how it basically works:

 

Since it is a sequencer in addition to being a module, it can store midi data that is input into it and play it back. But that data can also be saved to floppy or in this case to a USB flash drive on the GoTek. But the songs are in a proprietary roland format known as RSC or Roland Sound Canvas file. That is why the RSC/RSD to Mid converter I found has been so critical to have. I'm able to capture midi as it is playing through the module in real time. Listen to it while it is in active memory, and then save it if I want. Once in MID format I can use any number of free midi editors I've found to load the MID files into to trim up, change instruments, change tempo..etc. In fact I've even captured the Midi from the X68000 emulator to record and save the midi tracks from Dracula X. Pretty cool when I found out it could do that.

 

So I guess you could think of this module as an SC-55 with Midi recording and playback Jukebox style. The only issue with playback in jukebox mode, is that there isn't any shuffle option and you are limited in that even with the massive storage of a USB flash drive, the module can only 'see' one partition at a time. So you are limited to Jukebox mode only playing back the current tracks that are stored on that partition.

 

Does that answer your questions? Feel free to ask anything else or if you want to hear additional samples of anything in particular let me know and I can see what I can do.

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*Bump*

 

As a reminder I do have the original 3.5" floppy drive for this unit that will provide as well. It was working fine when I pulled it to replace it with the GoTEK.

 

Again any questions as to how it works, what it can do, and how it might be of use to you...let me know.

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So you can emulate the MT32 using one of the floppy disk images? How does it compare to the sound canvas MT32 emualtion? From what I have heard emulation in the SC55/88 isn't that great. My soundcanvas SC88VL pro doesn't have MT32, but IMO it sound better than my MT100 and MT90S. I use the MT100 for it's MT32 function put it uses those 2.5" QD disks and the drive isn't working right now. My MT90S has a built in speaker and is nice in that regards and it's neat that I can just thought MIDs on a floppy and play them back.

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The MT-200 uses the SC-55 sound bank with a few differences in the instrumentation. It does have an MT-32 emulation mode. What I do is load up an MT-32 emulation file into the MT-200 through a roland provided utility using a .mid file played through a dos midi player in Dosbox. Then when you play back games in MT-32 mode, the instruments are matched properly. So in the game Monkey Island for instance it is very usable for that. However, most of the Sierra games still won't sound quite right in MT-32 mode because they used custom sound patches that a rom based sampler like the MT-200 can't reproduce properly (Isn't able to accept or understand MT-32 Sysex messages). That is why I also own an actual MT-32 connected up to my other MT-200. But if a game uses GM or especially GS, then naturally you want to use the normal instrument banks and for that, this MT-200 has been excellent for those games. I haven't heard the MT90 but I know it uses GM2 so I would think the MT90 has more polyphony and voices than this MT-200 has as it is 28 note polyphony. But since many of the instrument samples in the MT-200 are in stereo, some of the instruments actually take up two of those voices per note. I own an SCB-55 attached off my old SB-16 and I think this MT-200 sounds better than that. The MT-200 seems to have more effects and reverb options than the SCB-55 actually did. I especially like the woodwind and brass instrumentation this module has in it compared to the stock SC-55 and my SCB-55 boards.

 

Out of curiosity, are you able to actually connect the MT90 via the Midi IN and use it as a sound module? On this MT-200 that is only possible through the AUX Midi-IN. If you use the actual Midi-IN it will only produce grand piano sounds internally unless a midi controller like a midi keyboard tells it otherwise. Thankfully the Aux Midi-IN turns the MT-200 into a true GS sound module as well.

Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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I don't want to Hijack you thread but yes my MT90S plays though the MIDI in without any issues. What you asking is a a good price for a well taken care of MT200, just got to find the right audience eh

 

I didn't take it as hijacking the thread at all. The price on this is higher than you can get a stock MT-200 from off the 'bay etc. But those modules aren't going to be fully tested if at all. Most don't come with an AC adapter and you aren't going to get a DVD with the thing that provides videos and software to use this with modern day computers. So I guess most of the asking price is for my time and work put into it and gathering the resources over the past year to learn it and use it and save the new owner all that trouble. Some of the resources I've put together aren't found online readily any longer either.

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If I had the cash I'd be all over it. Been doing a lot of DOS stuff on original hardware lately and I'd love to have a real midi device like this. Just can't afford it right now though unfortunately.

Totally understand. As I said this is a niche item and really only of interest to those who play older DOS era games from the late 80s through the 90s. I wish I could provide the USB to MIDI interface for it, but that would literally bump it up to nearly $200 asking price and I don't know the specifics for how the new owner might want to connect it up to their setup and so I didn't see a reason to provide an extra peripheral in the package that might not be needed.

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This would also be of interest for many other users, a cheap USB to MIDI adapter will work with these units and you can play out MIDI from DOSbox and most x68000 emulators. I did this for awhile when emulating x68000 before breaking down and buying one. Also MSX audio MIDI out if you have the card is excellent when paired with a good MIDI box like this. There are MIDI adapters for the Genesis and Atari 8-bit, but I haven't messed with them much. Heck I have a MIDI adapter for my Saturn, but it's still largely unexplored territory. If I didn't have 4 midi boxes already or this could take the place of a couple of the units I have already I would buy it. An x68000 owner might be the most interested in your MIDI box. This is probably the wrong forum to touch DOS gamers, I might try Vogon's on Vintage computer federation

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This is probably the wrong forum to touch DOS gamers, I might try Vogon's on Vintage computer federation

 

Vogons doesn't have a sales forum that I've found and they don't take kindly to links to ebay and other stuff like that either. I have used it with the x68k emulator. I captured the music from Dracula X from it in fact. I didn't know about a midi interface for a Genesis though..hmm...

 

As for the other USB to midi apaters. Do they work...yes...sometimes. Vogons is full of threads with people having odd issues with their modules in DosBOX etc..and in nearly all cases, it was solved by getting the actual Roland Usb - midi devices. But again, I don't want to provide something that might not work for the new owner and will the specifics of how it will be used up to them.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Question:

 

So I have my 486 setup with the 15 pin midi connector converting to standard midi connections via my soundcard. This then connects to a Roland usb midi adapter to my modern laptop to act as an MD32 or a SC55. From the 486 prospective it thinks it’s the real hardware.

Would the MT 200 act as real hardware for my 486 to act as an MD32 or an SC55?

I would love to have real hardware to do this.

Also it sounds like this devices can capture this music playback as well ?

That would be very cool if true.

 

Sorry for all of the questions and some lack of knowledge here.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I finally understand what you are asking here and what you are doing.

 

To answer you questions easily. Yes. This MT-200 could be used as an actual hardware module that would essentially be an SC-55 or Gen Midi device. I actually have it connected this way for my use in both Windows 10 and for playing old DOS games that supported gen midi and Sound canvas modules.

 

And it does capture or rather record that midi it receives from the Midi in and allow you to save it to disk or in this case to USB flash drive via the GoTEK.

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Well with the X68000, you would need to add in a midi controller card to the computer and then I think they used a Mini-din type connection. So it would need an adapter since this module like most, uses full size din Midi connectors on it. I've used it on my current PC with the X68k emulator and for games that support general midi or the SC-55 it works fine for those through emulation.

 

On the Amiga I'm not completely sure but I believe it would be something similar in that you would need an adapter cable to convert from the Amiga to standard Midi din connectors for use with the module. I never have owned an Amiga so I don't know the specifics there but I've read up on it a little.

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I'm surprised you haven't sold this already?!

 

It seems like the "DOS" crowd has moved on to emulation, unfortunately. Most of the people who are playing those old DOS games now, never played them when they were younger, and don't really appreciate or understand the difference between Sound Blaster (Yamaha OPL3) and Roland patch sets.

 

I have a Roland SCC-1 that I use, and it's just "incredible" the quality of sound.

 

Anyone who wants to play DOS games the way they were intended, with quality Roland sound... should be getting this.

 

 

This is a good video to show the difference: Roland starts at 4:15... Sound Blaster is the first one:

 

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Well I'm sure that if I were to post it in a forum that is more of a classic computer or DOScentric crowd it would have sold. But I there are only like 3 or 4 forums that I visit and only 3 regular as it is.

 

Important to note that this module does have an MT-32 emulation mode, but only works well for games that didn't use custom sound patches for the instruments. In other words, an MT-32 literally had the ability to have custom instrument sounds loaded into it to take the place of other instruments. That is what makes the LA series synth modules so awesome from back in the day. The example used above with Space Quest III uses custom patches so it wouldn't sound nearly as good on this module as what you've shown above.

 

Just being honest in that for general midi or sound canvas use and games that support that (Most 90s DOS era games), it is a great module for that. But if you want sierra adventure games to sound their best, you need an MT-32 and I don't want anyone to think they are going to get MT-32 quality from this module in its MT-32 emulation mode.

 

As for the DOS crowd moving over to emulation...how do you think I play most of my DOS games today? LOL. I use DOSbox exclusively for that and this module paired with a good USB - MIDI interface device works great for that.

 

*Update* - Okay, this will not do the for sale ad any favors on trying to sell this module, but it is important for potential buyers to know what an MT-32 specific game sounds like through MT-32 emulation mode on this module. Since 82 - T/A chose to show off SQ3 in the above video. Here is how that games intro actually sounds in MT-32 emulated mode on this MT-200 sound module. Keep in mind that most sound canvas modules with MT-32 emulation, will sound just like this on MT-32 specific games as well.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=15ubbTHrkRz4FZ5qDpa7HiV_oGwhPstzw

 

So again just being up front and honest that if you are getting this to play sierra adventure games in their best music possible, then this isn't the module to use until you get to later Sierra games starting with about SQ5 or so when Sierra started to include support for General Midi in their games.

Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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