Amiga + Roland SC88 Pro

[salax54]

As for hooking two separate MIDI cables between the Amiga and the instrument, as some have suggested - I don't think that will work either.  What would the point be?  The interface would still transmit the same signal containing all 16 MIDI channels on both cables. Your instrument is merely set to "filter" each incoming channel to a separate patch/control within itself. My interface has three outputs, but they all just output the same MIDI signal.  Even on an interface with only one output such as yours, you can still have different parts of a song assigned to different MIDI channels, and have, for instance, a flute playing all the channel 1 notes, and a drum playing all the channel 10 notes, etc, etc. etc.

I actually suggested he tried it out, dunno the capabilities of the SC88 to insist on this. Even on single port MIDI interfaces you could assign tracks to different MIDI channels like you said, but if the cable only ends on the specific module, i guess the module would have to support that function.
Ok, just had a peek through the user's manual. Port A and Port B are assigned 16 different instruments. A1-A16 and B1-B16. These can also be 'flipped' to have sounds from bank A play through Port B and vice-versa.
Interesting machine nevertheless!

[mbrantley]

bbond, I already have the Yamaha MU90 module but still waiting on the Roland. I only ordered it Friday. Must confess, I did not consider the power issue.... so hopefully it will work. I'll post back here after I receive it and let you know how I make out.

[commodorejohn]

I saw the PC/Mac serial connections and switches on the Yammy and assumed they would be no use to me on any Amiga gear ... but I will watch this trhead and maybe learn otherwise.

Looking at that NOTEMIDI page, it looks like it simply dumps MIDI data directly to the serial port at 38.4 Kbps, so I don't see why any computer couldn't use it with the appropriate RS-232 rejiggering adapters. The one item of concern would be if existing Amiga serial-MIDI software changes the port speed to 31 Kbps; you'd have to fix it to use 38.4 instead, unless the module end is flexible enough to accept both speeds.

I should see if this will work with the similar port on my Korg 05/RW...

If people think this stuff its obsolete or old,  then I think vintage Roland stuff must have a bit of a following like  the Amiga. This thing was hard to get

The Sound Canvas line has a huge following in vintage gaming, especially in Japan - a lot of X68000 titles (particularly from Konami) offer a Sound Canvas mode for their music in addition to the built-in Yamaha OPM FM chip.

I've never liked it myself, though (the discrete modules aren't as wretched as the Sound Canvas-derived soundfont that ships with modern Windows, but Lord, they aren't good,) but Roland has made some pretty good gear in the past. The MT-32 is pretty cut-down compared to the D-50, but by the standards of '80s video game music, it's incredible.

[Ral-Clan]

I've never liked it myself, though (the discrete modules aren't as wretched as the Sound Canvas-derived soundfont that ships with modern Windows, but Lord, they aren't good,)

Just curious - what's not good about them?  I find the piano patches to be quite good, for instance. The percussion sounds and string are pretty useable, too.  Of course, it's only fair to compare the SC line to other GM sound modules, where there is always going to be that certain GM range of sounds that has become somewhat cliche...but it's no fair comparing the SoundCanvas line to a totally customizable synth that doesn't have to adhere to GM compatibility.

But of course, I'm of the philosophy that there are no bad sounds, only sounds that are not used imaginatively enough --- i.e. even if you use an old 1980s Casio in an imaginative way, it can be made to sound awesome!

[commodorejohn]

I'll admit that it's probably very much a matter of opinion, but the  Sound Canvas soundset strikes me as a good example of Generic General  MIDI Sound Syndrome, wherein voices are designed not so much to be  interesting or good as to fill a slot and sit equally well  alongside any other instrument. Jack-of-all-trades and master of none,  if you will. And since the Sound Canvas modules were some of the first  GM modules, they kind of set the precedent for that line of thinking in  GM sound design (and it got much worse when Microsoft incorporated that  lo-fi Sound Canvas set into Windows.) And some of the sounds are just  bad - the distortion/overdrive guitar sounds are just  embarassing. (Even the cheesy-ass E-mu Proteus manages better  distortion presets than that.)

Admittedly, a lot of wavetable GM modules suffer from that  problem (though not all - that Korg 05/RW I mentioned has some real  character to its presets, even in the GM set.) But the Sound Canvas line  was one of the first, and I really find it to be overall pretty bland.

(Besides, I could never forgive what it did to the GM sound designer's  conception of a recorder. THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE, GAH.)

[bbond007]

commodorejohn

I checked on the x68000 stuff with Roland equipment on youtube. Pretty fantastic. I tried to get one working on my mac because that is the computer I have the MT32 on. I really need to try it on my PC bMecause the only emulator I could find for the mac (XM6i) was not a language I could understand. I was able to get Tetris running but could not even figure out how to get multi-disk games working there is no way I'm going to be able to figure out the MIDI. cool stuff though. I do also have windows 8 on the mac. Should try that. Just need to see if an m-audio firewire driver exists for windows8...

[bbond007]

Just a quick update.

I did get the Roland SC88PRO and hooked it to my mac it worked OK on that so I tried it on the Amiga with the MIDI box with Bars & Pipes and it worked with that as well.

I tried it with the serial interface with the various switch settings and did not get it to work.

I need to double check my cables with my meter and verify that that NULL 9->25 pin thing really is a NULL and not the same thing as I already had:) It does not have anything identifying it as a NULL...

I found another mac serial cable and a 9pin NULL adapter in my stash. This one actually is identified as as NULL. With this adapter I can try my Minimig 1.1 as it has a 9pin serial. I do know the Minimig 1.1 serial is compatible with MIDI. This latest cable I found was new, unopened from the 90s. I have no idea where I got all these mac serial cables from I also found a 25pin one but it looks pretty ratty. That one must be for printer, but I still think its serial.

My SC88Pro looked new and to me really sounds fantastic.

[commodorejohn]

Great to hear it's working I still need to give this a try with my Korg...