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archaeology! MIDI keyboard with joystick interface?
(I'm using Windows 7, but have included the other two 'groups for
reasons that will become evident!) I was explaining about MIDI (musical) keyboards to a friend, when I remembered I had one, that I'd hardly used. I dug it out - it's still in its box, even with its original plastic bag - 3 octaves, mini size keys. "evolution MUSIC WIZARD". However: it has a 15-pin male connector on the end of a lead coming out of it! Looking into things, it would appear that that originally connected to the joystick port on a soundcard. I've had a look around, and I can't find anything to connect this to USB. I've found gameport to MIDI - those seem to consist of four connectors: a male 15 way and a female 15 way, and two five-pin male DIN plugs (the sort that was originally used for [mostly Philips] audio equipment in the 1970s, and early PC keyboards). I _think_ these are just passive cables - no electronics. I've also found USB to MIDI - these I think _do_ have electronics in them; they mostly also end in two male DIN plugs (the electronics in a little lump in the cable), but one or two are a little box with a couple of female DIN sockets. If I have to go that way, can I talk to it by using one of each of these - or, does anyone know of a single adapter (that has 15-way female to USB)? Looking at the excellent http://www.hardwarebook.info/, it looks as if MIDI (http://www.hardwarebook.info/MIDI) is just two wires - a current source and a current sink - plus a shield. http://www.hardwarebook.info/PC_Gameport_with_MIDI seems to support that. And before anyone says - yes, I know I could probably get a second-hand USB MIDI keyboard for less than the price of the two adapters! But I like a challenge. And, whether I get the old keyboard working or buy a new [or second-hand] one, (a) will I need drivers for a MIDI keyboard, or does Windows 7 know about such things intrinsically, and (b) any suggestions for good free MIDI editing/recording software? I rather suspect the software that's with the keyboard won't work with Windows 7, as it says I need at least Windows 3.1 (-: -- J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf .... and how lovely, warm, funny, and just all-round Victoria Woodish she was. - Richard Osman on Victoria Wood, RT 2017/4/8-14 |
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