EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 49, Issue 05 This issue's topics: Music Quest MIDI card Music Quest Music Quest MIDI card (6 messages) Midi Card Info ... Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1993 15:13:24 EET From: flashner@MATH.TAU.AC.IL Subject: Music Quest MIDI card I'm planning to buy a MIDI card for my PC. I saw the Music Quest card is really cheap. My question is : is it really FULLY compatible with the Roland MPU midi card standard? Does it work with all the conventional software written for MIDI cards for PCs ? Did anyone who owns it encountered any problems with it? Any advice will be appreciated. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1993 11:42:02 -0600 From: Joel Boelke Subject: Music Quest I use an MQX-32M card in a Gateway 2000, and have had no problems with any incomatabilties. It has performed well transferring anything from general sequencing to mass sysx dumps to my computer hard drive. It is MPU compatible, however, if you are using windows 3.1, the MQX midi driver allows two output ports and a number of other options (i.e.: SMPTE/MTC, midi sync). It is particularily compatible with Cakewalk software. It is a little pricey, but well worth the money. I have been pleased with it. Joel Boelke Valparaiso University jrb3803@exodus.valpo.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 11:56:15 -0500 From: Tom Gutnick Subject: Re: Music Quest MIDI card For what it's worth, I put the Music Quest PC-MIDI card in my system two weeks ago. I haven't done much with it, but using the Roland MPU-401 driver under Windows 3.1, the Windows Media Player plays back CANYON.MID just fine, and a demo version of Music Printer Plus (under DOS, not Windows) plays with the MQ driver. No problems so far. (Admittedly the real test is still a few weeks away, once I've got my real software in place.) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 13:23:41 EST From: Simon Weatherill Subject: Re: Music Quest MIDI card I use an MQX-32m. It seems to be a very reliable card. This one has 2 independent MIDI INs and OUTs. It also has a SMPTE reader and writer which is very handy since I don't have to load up the MIDI bandwidth with MTC. It wasn't cheap, but then again, for what it does, it was! Simon A.T. Weatherill Senior Network Engineer +---------------------------------------------------------------+ + Burlington Coat Factory Voice: (603) 643-2800 + + Schoolhouse Lane Fax: (603) 643-3945 + + Etna, NH 03750 Internet: simon.weatherill@coat.com + +---------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 16:18:23 -0600 From: Joel Boelke Subject: Re: Music Quest MIDI card I use a Music Quest MQX-32M card along with two different Roland keyboards (D-70 and D-10) and really like it. I have had no problems with any errors from the card or any midi transfers from general sequencing to sysx transfer to a computer hard drive. I've used it with the general windows 3.1 midi program, cakewalk pro and cakewalk pro for windows without any problems. I'm not sure what problems other people have had, but I've been quite pleased with the Music Quest performance. Joel Boelke Valaraiso University, IN jrb3803@exodus.valpo.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 17:27:25 WET From: Peter Cassidy Subject: Re: Music Quest MIDI card My CMS401 card STILL doesn't work. I'v been trying it with shareware for the K1 - I haven't tried Windows. Midi sysex dumping / librarian is its primary function in life, but it doesn't seem to even do this !??!?? I've determined that the card receives OK but will not transmit. Has anyone seen this before, or am I doing something really stupid ! -- Regards, Peter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | M O T O R O L A B . V . I R E L A N D | | ----------------------------------------- | | Peter Cassidy - T.S.E Dublin | Phone : 353-1-840-8866 Ext. 417 | | MACCVM : C10404 | X400 : peterc@comm.mot.com | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1993 12:08:52 LCL From: Anthony Arviola Subject: Re: Music Quest MIDI card I'm not too surprised. I bought a CMS 444ii and have yet to get its two ports and SMPTE to work. I can't say enough bad things about these guy (CMS) They offer no diagnostic s/w (my PC MIDI card did at half the price) and Their "tech support" people kept hanging up the phone in my ear not to mention the BBS no. given in the manual is bogus. They also charge you for their Windows drivers. A tip from one consumer to another, avoid CMS. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1993 17:33:21 WET From: Peter Cassidy Subject: Re: Music Quest MIDI card OOps ! Too late ! I called the retail outlet in the UK, they said that they would call back - they didn't. Personally, I won't buy any CMS stuff again - it's overpriced & there is nothing in the way of diagnostics s/w. Give me a Sound Blaster anyday! Manual ? You got a manual ????? Wow ! -- Regards, Peter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | M O T O R O L A B . V . I R E L A N D | | ----------------------------------------- | | Peter Cassidy - T.S.E Dublin | Phone : 353-1-840-8866 Ext. 417 | | MACCVM : C10404 | X400 : peterc@comm.mot.com | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 14:00:44 CST From: "My opinions are logical, but not supported by facts" Subject: Midi Card Info ... I'm a MIDI programmer (patch edlib for Peavey synths), and have had a pile of experience with the various MIDI cards. First, to answer some of the miscellaneous questions that were recently posed : o The Midi Quest 401-type card is quite stable, and has worked in every MPU-compatible situation that I've had to work on. As with all hardware setups, care needs to be taken when installing - most software is very sensitive about the IRQ and port selections chosen. o MIDI card transmits, but does not seem to receive correctly. This is generally the result of either an incorrect IRQ setting selection, or use of an IRQ setting that is not supported by the software. In most cases, the 'stock' setting of the MIDI card is to use IRQ 2. Although this was a fairly wise choice on IBM PCs and XTs, it is less so on AT or greater class machines. The reason is that IRQ 2 is a shared (cascaded) interrupt, and is used by some machines for their internal interrupts. * I hate it when this happens! * Best best on a higher level machine is to use a higher interrupt, but less than 8. Interrupts 8-15 are cascaded on interrupt 2, and can cause problems for most software. Also, much older PD/shareware software assumes that you are using the MPU-type card on interrupt 2. * Bad Thing! * If you have no other software choice, you may have to use IRQ 2, but several clones (most often the cheapies) will be using this interrupt. If you have problems, they will most likely be program 'lockup', or ignoring some/all of the incoming MIDI stream. I hope this answers some of the tech-weenie questions about the MPU based systems. NOTE : Again, much old software assumes that the MPU IRQ is set to 2. If this is the case with your software, you should : 1. Check for a newer version. 2. Check with the author on an update. 3. Attempt to match your configuration to the program's needs. 4. Get a different peice-o-software. 5. Give Up / Cry. [ddg] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Darwin Grosse | "I built a little empire out of some crazy garbage, EMS, Inc. | called the blood of the exploited working class. 414-359-9800 (w) | But they've overcome their shyness, 414-377-8906 (h) | Now their calling me 'Your Highness', | And a world screams 'Kiss Me, Son of God'" | - They Might Be Giants ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "I never did claim 'er, dammit" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Feb 1993 12:35:11 -0500 From: STK1568@VAX003.STOCKTON.EDU Subject: soundblast pro I am new to this, I just began playing the guitar and I have a Yamaha FX-500 which is MIDI. I also have an IBM compatable 386-sx and want to hook it up to the yamaha via MIDI. I was wondering if the SOUNDBLASTER PRO package is a semi decent card to run with the Yamaha, or is their something else out their that would work better. Justin Rapp STK1568@vax003.STOCKTON.EDU Please leave me any info to private email. Thanks. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 08:06:57 WET From: Peter Cassidy Subject: Re: soundblast pro Hi, I've been using the blaster pro with my Yamaha DX27, Roland Juno106, Kawai K1, Casio HT700 for over a year (version 1 and 2 cards). There have been no problems so far. I have been using the Voyetra Sp Pro sequencer which is bundled with the card. This is great, except the SP PRO won't handle sysex dumps However, I got a copy of WinJammer yesterday. This is shareware & will talk to the Blaster using Windows 3.1. I can ZIP you a copy if you want it. BTW, my PC is also a 386, msdos 5.0, windows 3.1. -- Regards, Peter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | M O T O R O L A B . V . I R E L A N D | | ----------------------------------------- | | Peter Cassidy - T.S.E Dublin | Phone : 353-1-840-8866 Ext. 417 | | MACCVM : C10404 | X400 : peterc@comm.mot.com | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1993 06:09:31 -0500 From: David HAUBENSACK Subject: Re: soundblast pro I want to add that a major problem with the Voyetra sequencer is that he cannot deal with real-time tempo change (there's no tempo track...). But it's cheap and easy to use for a beginner. David. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1993 13:07:50 CST From: PAPEL@SDNET.BITNET Subject: Re: soundblast pro David, Haubensack, will WinJammer work with a Roland MPU-IPC-T card, or only wi th the Soundblaster? If it is compatible with the Roland, please tell me how t o get a copy of WinJammer. Thanks very much. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1993 03:12:23 -0500 From: David HAUBENSACK Subject: Re: soundblast pro Hey. I think that winjammer is MPU compatible. Anyway you can try it by downloading a copy of WinJammer via a FTP to garbo.uwasa.fi, /win31/sound/winjam22.zip . Hope it'll help David. ------------------------------ End of the EMUSIC-L Digest ******************************