soundcard needs synth. to support midi

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rusty K
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Rusty K

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Hello,

I can't play midi files with my soundcard. I need a synth connected to do it. Is there a more economical way to do it than buying a keyboard? I guess I'm asking is there a cheaper synth "box/interface" that doesn't envolve the whole keyboard setup?

Thanks,

Rusty K
 
Yeah, spend $50 and get a cheap SoundBlaster Live card.

I have an Echo Mia as my main audio card and an SBLive for MIDI/Soundfonts/cd-audio in my PC. Line-out on the SBLive goes back to my mini-mixer whose outs, of course, go to the Echo Mia. Once you tell your software to send MIDI to the SBLive, you're good to go.

Great combination and they work well together.
 
A Sound Blaster Live! shouldn't cost you much more than $20, unless you buy one of the 5.1 flavors.

Or, for even more MIDI capability, you could move up to an Audigy Value for $62 from a reputable dealer like newegg.com. It's no Sound Canvas, but it does things a SC can't.
 
Sorry guys,

I guess I should have explained a bit better. I have a LynxOne 24bit sound card. I upgraded from a SBLive and I love the LynxOne but it will not play midi files without an external synth.

I don't use midi (so far) but I would like to be able to play midi files.

Thanks,
Rusty K
 
If your computer is up to the task, you can route the MIDI signals to a soft-synth. Output of the synth is then directed through your Lynx One.
 
If you have the IRQ openings, you actually should be able to use both cards together in your computer.

If you don't want to do that, then yes - you can do this without actually using a whole keyboard. You can get an external synth, usually known as a "tone module" or a "sound module". You'll still need a MIDI interface (MPU-401) card, though, if your current soundcard doesn't have one. It sounds like right now you're more interested in listening to MIDIs than playing them - and if that's the case, you'll want to make sure that the sound module is General MIDI compatible. I have a Roland MT-32 for instance, which is from before Roland adopted the GM standard. So, I can't play standard MIDI files on it (unless I want to remap the instruments).

A good sound module (I'm a fan of Roland, for instance) will still be of use to you, even if you decide you want to start using it for your own music. But it's also not a really cheap solution. Just for fun, I checked Yahoo Shopping. I found three flavors of the Roland Sound Canvas (a very popular module), ranging in price from $349-$589. And I can't even get the link to the $349 model to load.

Next, I checked eBay for some older Sound Canvas models (there are a million of them, and I'm not clear on the differences, other than the SC-55 is the earlist model - I think).

Here's an MGS-64. It's a new store demo. MSRP of $695. The opening value is $199, and so far there are no bids.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1492372223

An SD-35. Pretty old. Might be a lot of fun to play with. Current bid is $52.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1493134176

An SC-88. Looking for an opening bid of $200, or "Buy it now" for $300.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1492859273

And an SC-55. Current bid is only $76, but there's a reserve and the seller has no feedback rating (and, he's got the sunglasses icon from a recent name change).
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1492412640

Lastly, you could get a software synthesizer, which would use your soundcard's wave output to simulate a popular sound module such as the Sound Canvas. You can find out about those, plus hear demos of a lot of different synths and softsynths, here:
http://www.queststudios.com/quest/compare2001.html
 
It sure would. This one looks like it's in pristine shape, too. I wish I could afford it!
 
Hey,

Thanks for the info...I'll check out the links. Damn it would have to be Christmas time...I'm strapped as well.

Rusty K
 
Rusty,

if you still have the SB Live, slap that puppy back in to play midi files....lots of us here have 2 cards installed in the same computer and no reason it shouldnt work for you.......

....Gidge
 
Gidge,

Hey man how are ya?

Man I do have it but after two months of hell after an upgrade I'm scared to death to mess with my system...should I be? How freaking involved would it be to put it back in?

Rusty K
 
I wouldnt be too scared..youve already been through the hellish part....just slap it back in a PCI slot, install the driver, and pray it works....if not pull it back out.....i really dont think this time will be as difficult.....
 
DOH!

Ohh.. i just got bit by this. My new A/D card does not have an on-board synth (Aardvark 24/96) essentially meaning half my packaged Cakewalk features are useless until I solve this predicamedelemmna!!

ARRRRGGHH!H!H!H!H kill KILL KILLLLL!!!

Ok, so i guess i can goews ones of twoos waeyz..

Erm.. a nice Soundblaster card installed in same machine?

(I actually have another soundcard already installed but i doubt it knows what the hell to do with midi as it is manufactured by Rossettastone.com)

ORRRRR

Evolution Midicontrol 49 Full Size Keys with Touch Response

Look at that weird cable, I don't see any room for that to go. The back of the Aardvark has two spooky looking round "Midi" connections nothing like that 24 pin jobby

I'm assuming i won't have any speakers with that keyboard either. I don't want anything fancy, but I want to be able to playback and create/record midi.

Hrmm.. how to go, how to go.
 
btw, any ideas on the differences between the Soundblaster cards? Does it make a difference which one I pick if I go this route? There seems ta be an offal lotta choizess
 
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