Note to all: Edu Arana (maker of this PI-MIDI) has opened up pre-orders for the new version here: www.arananet.net/pedidos/product/pi-midi-1-3-a-baremetal-mt32-emulator-using-raspberry-pi Enjoy!
It sounds the exact same, because inside this PI-MIDI setup is a Raspberry Pi running MT32-PI 😎 The PI-MIDI provides a real MIDI interface and buttons to switch sound bank, change volume etc 👍🏻
The CPU on MiSTer isn’t powerful enough to reliably synthesise Roland MT-32 audio - you get all sorts of missed/delayed notes. By hooking up to a device like this you can get enhanced MIDI audio 😎
Not the exact same version, but Edu has just opened up pre orders for the new version - 5 left! x.com/edu_arana/status/1747869629865771192?s=46&t=4Lt9AyXGYLWm1JDZd42-fQ
Edu Arana has the PI MIDI kits for pre order here: www.arananet.net/pedidos/product/pi-midi-1-3-a-baremetal-mt32-emulator-using-raspberry-pi-preorder Right now they’re out of stock, but may open up soon. You’ll also need a Raspberry Pi (3 is preferred) and MIDI cables There are some other commercial and DIY options available. You can take a look here: github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Custom-hardware Good luck!
But if you have a PI HAT then you can not use the serial port TTL from your computer to the PI. Is this correct? You need a sound card with MIDI output in this case?
Could you show the speakers and the device that is connected to the midi port? Would like to see how this entire setup looks like. Right now what I understand is that you need a midi device such as the Roland mt32 and connect it to this pi hat.
I’m away from home right now, but will attempt to describe this setup: 1. Get a Raspberry Pi 3 and install mt32-pi software. This is a baremetal MIDI synthesiser that allows the Pi to emulate a real Roland MT-32 or SC-55 2. Get the PI-MIDI hardware and connect it to the top of your Pi via GPIO pins. It’s difficult to see in my video, but there is a Pi 3 hidden inside the acrylic case 3. Connect a game port MIDI cable to your retro PC’s game port (normally on the sound card) 4. Connect the MIDI output from the cable to the MIDI *input* on the PI-HAT (you can see this in the video, it’s the rightmost connection) 5. Connect the PI-MIDI audio output (two RCA cables) to your speakers 6. Configure your DOS games to use Roland MT-32, General MIDI, Sound Canvas or MPU-401 audio. Any of these settings will pump MIDI data from your retro DOS PC, out the game port, through your MIDI cable into into the PI-HAT via the MIDI input 7. Play games! The mt32-pi software will receive the MIDI data and synthesise beautiful MT32 or Sound Canvas sound 😎 So you don’t need a real Roland synth in this setup. It’s great MIDI done cheap Hope this helps!
PS if you want to learn a bit more about the mt32-pi synthesiser, I wrote more details on my blog: www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2021/05/03/get-the-best-msdos-ms-dos-audio-with-mt32-pi/
@@jamesfmackenzie thank you for the explanation. This makes sense now. I thought that with this bare metal solution you could get midi sound directly onto the pi. So that when you started up the game on the pi you can just select midi sound and get midi sound directly onto the pi. What I understand now is that this hat in connection with the pi emulates the expensive Roland mt32. So instead of trying to buy the mt32, you can buy the mt32 pi / pi midi. Also another thing, how come your pi midi has the extra volume knob, is that the new revision?
I purchased from Edu Arana’s retro hardware store: www.arananet.net/pedidos/ It looks like he doesn’t have any in stock right now, but there are some alternatives here: github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Custom-hardware
Unfortunately no - the PI-MIDI occupies the GPIO pins. However you can use gameport MIDI - which is the “proper” way to connect a DOS PC and is compatible with more games than Serial MIDI + Soft MPU Perhaps I can help. What is your target setup?
I purchased from Edu Arana’s retro hardware store: www.arananet.net/pedidos/ It looks like he doesn’t have any in stock right now, but there are some alternatives here: github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Custom-hardware
@@johndee759 I bought it from Arananet: www.arananet.net/pedidos/ If you are running with the MiSTer, you just need a single USB A-to-A cable from the MiSTer IO board the the PI-MIDI. I am connected to a real DOS PC so I use the regular DIN MIDI input and RCA audio out
@@jamesfmackenzie built my own hat using the mt32-pi-hat project files. Week to get PCB’s, another week to get parts and solder. Works to boot! PCM5102 audio and 5 pin midi. Small OLED display.
There are so many different solutions, midi modules and wavetable cards. But the worst I have ever come across, are those AWE cards from Creative. When we are talking this kind of quality. They just sound so bad.
Yeah, MIDI synth on the AWE cards is … complicated. In Windows it’s possible to load custom, sample-based soundbanks into memory. But in DOS there are few options. At least the AWE32 has an OPL-3 chip for AdLib fallback :-)
@@jamesfmackenzie Only 3 AWE32 cards had a real Yamaha chip. All others used Creatives answer/chip. I was mostly thinking of the 512k soundbank that came with the AWE32 and AWE64 cards. The worst sound is the guitar. That sounds awefull in Duke3D. Mostly I am into C64 and Amiga these days, but three to seven years ago, I was heavy into Dos machines. I ultimately setteled on YMF-718/719 cards with Dreamblaster-S1. For my needs, that solution is the most versatile in terms of sound quality, compatibility and price.
@@brostenen great combo! My ISA motherboards are in storage, so I have to suffer PCI sound cards for my DOS gaming 😂 I settled on an ESS Solo 1 (Terratec variety) and Creative Sound Blaster Live (SB0100) When I think of terrible AWE MIDI this comes to mind: ua-cam.com/video/GeYrx9hO41M/v-deo.html Is that the built in soundbank you’re referring to?
@@brostenen I'm very tempted now! Are all YMF7xx cards good? Or is there a reason to pick, for example, the YMF724 vs a YMF744 card? Thanks for the buying advice 🙂
Note to all: Edu Arana (maker of this PI-MIDI) has opened up pre-orders for the new version here:
www.arananet.net/pedidos/product/pi-midi-1-3-a-baremetal-mt32-emulator-using-raspberry-pi
Enjoy!
Thanks for your awesome feedback James!
Thank you for making this. When will you take orders again?
Next preorder? And what Pi is compatible?
ok now that I've seen it in action I might have to add it to the collection.
A worthy purchase! 😎
Does the PI-MIDI sound better than the MT32-PI?
It sounds the exact same, because inside this PI-MIDI setup is a Raspberry Pi running MT32-PI 😎
The PI-MIDI provides a real MIDI interface and buttons to switch sound bank, change volume etc 👍🏻
I dont understand why when the mister fpga has sound why use the ip for ?¿??
The CPU on MiSTer isn’t powerful enough to reliably synthesise Roland MT-32 audio - you get all sorts of missed/delayed notes. By hooking up to a device like this you can get enhanced MIDI audio 😎
Anyone know where I can get this version please? Would also like to see them with the larger screen
Not the exact same version, but Edu has just opened up pre orders for the new version - 5 left!
x.com/edu_arana/status/1747869629865771192?s=46&t=4Lt9AyXGYLWm1JDZd42-fQ
What parts (display, case, DAC etc) , besides the Raspberry 4, do I need to buy? Are there sets to buy?
Edu Arana has the PI MIDI kits for pre order here:
www.arananet.net/pedidos/product/pi-midi-1-3-a-baremetal-mt32-emulator-using-raspberry-pi-preorder
Right now they’re out of stock, but may open up soon. You’ll also need a Raspberry Pi (3 is preferred) and MIDI cables
There are some other commercial and DIY options available. You can take a look here:
github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Custom-hardware
Good luck!
But if you have a PI HAT then you can not use the serial port TTL from your computer to the PI. Is this correct? You need a sound card with MIDI output in this case?
Yes, it’s true that the Pi Hat will occupy the GPIO pins. In this case you could use Serial USB to connect:
ua-cam.com/video/SxMjDsT9rEo/v-deo.html
What happened to Raspberry Pi 4 pricing? It used to be around 50 EUR incl. VAT for the 4 GB model, and today it's closer to 200 EUR.
Yeah, it’s crazy. This chip shortage drove prices up and they didn’t come back down (yet). Hoping this changes in future :-(
Could you show the speakers and the device that is connected to the midi port? Would like to see how this entire setup looks like. Right now what I understand is that you need a midi device such as the Roland mt32 and connect it to this pi hat.
I’m away from home right now, but will attempt to describe this setup:
1. Get a Raspberry Pi 3 and install mt32-pi software. This is a baremetal MIDI synthesiser that allows the Pi to emulate a real Roland MT-32 or SC-55
2. Get the PI-MIDI hardware and connect it to the top of your Pi via GPIO pins. It’s difficult to see in my video, but there is a Pi 3 hidden inside the acrylic case
3. Connect a game port MIDI cable to your retro PC’s game port (normally on the sound card)
4. Connect the MIDI output from the cable to the MIDI *input* on the PI-HAT (you can see this in the video, it’s the rightmost connection)
5. Connect the PI-MIDI audio output (two RCA cables) to your speakers
6. Configure your DOS games to use Roland MT-32, General MIDI, Sound Canvas or MPU-401 audio. Any of these settings will pump MIDI data from your retro DOS PC, out the game port, through your MIDI cable into into the PI-HAT via the MIDI input
7. Play games! The mt32-pi software will receive the MIDI data and synthesise beautiful MT32 or Sound Canvas sound 😎
So you don’t need a real Roland synth in this setup. It’s great MIDI done cheap
Hope this helps!
PS if you want to learn a bit more about the mt32-pi synthesiser, I wrote more details on my blog:
www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2021/05/03/get-the-best-msdos-ms-dos-audio-with-mt32-pi/
@@jamesfmackenzie thank you for the explanation. This makes sense now. I thought that with this bare metal solution you could get midi sound directly onto the pi. So that when you started up the game on the pi you can just select midi sound and get midi sound directly onto the pi. What I understand now is that this hat in connection with the pi emulates the expensive Roland mt32. So instead of trying to buy the mt32, you can buy the mt32 pi / pi midi. Also another thing, how come your pi midi has the extra volume knob, is that the new revision?
Fantastic invention!
Damn,COOL AS HELL!
😎
I'd like to buy one, but I can't find one anywhere to purchase.
I purchased from Edu Arana’s retro hardware store:
www.arananet.net/pedidos/
It looks like he doesn’t have any in stock right now, but there are some alternatives here:
github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Custom-hardware
Wow even better
Can you still connect this setup using rs-232 to gpio pins connection?
Unfortunately no - the PI-MIDI occupies the GPIO pins. However you can use gameport MIDI - which is the “proper” way to connect a DOS PC and is compatible with more games than Serial MIDI + Soft MPU
Perhaps I can help. What is your target setup?
Where can i pickup one of those?
Where do we get this thing ?
I purchased from Edu Arana’s retro hardware store:
www.arananet.net/pedidos/
It looks like he doesn’t have any in stock right now, but there are some alternatives here:
github.com/dwhinham/mt32-pi/wiki/Custom-hardware
does this work with pi3b+?
Yes, 3B+ should work great! 😎
Where did you get this hat?
Would also like to know where you got this head. So if you run this with the mister why would you run out the audio from the mt32?
I bought it from Arananet: www.arananet.net/pedidos/
However I don’t think they have the PI-MIDI hat in stock right now
@@johndee759
I bought it from Arananet: www.arananet.net/pedidos/
If you are running with the MiSTer, you just need a single USB A-to-A cable from the MiSTer IO board the the PI-MIDI. I am connected to a real DOS PC so I use the regular DIN MIDI input and RCA audio out
@@jamesfmackenzie thank you. So how do you use this setup mainly? As a pc replacement or mister pi to play scumm vm?
@@jamesfmackenzie thank you.
Which pi midi hat is that?
It’s the PI-MIDI from Edu Arana 😎
Thought so, out of stock. I’ve built one but the 1/8” audio jack is really less than ideal.
@@c1ph3rpunk you built your own hat? Or just using the Pi’s built in (and low quality) DAC?
@@jamesfmackenzie built my own hat using the mt32-pi-hat project files. Week to get PCB’s, another week to get parts and solder. Works to boot! PCM5102 audio and 5 pin midi. Small OLED display.
@@c1ph3rpunk nice!!
There are so many different solutions, midi modules and wavetable cards. But the worst I have ever come across, are those AWE cards from Creative. When we are talking this kind of quality. They just sound so bad.
Yeah, MIDI synth on the AWE cards is … complicated. In Windows it’s possible to load custom, sample-based soundbanks into memory. But in DOS there are few options. At least the AWE32 has an OPL-3 chip for AdLib fallback :-)
@@jamesfmackenzie Only 3 AWE32 cards had a real Yamaha chip. All others used Creatives answer/chip. I was mostly thinking of the 512k soundbank that came with the AWE32 and AWE64 cards. The worst sound is the guitar. That sounds awefull in Duke3D. Mostly I am into C64 and Amiga these days, but three to seven years ago, I was heavy into Dos machines. I ultimately setteled on YMF-718/719 cards with Dreamblaster-S1. For my needs, that solution is the most versatile in terms of sound quality, compatibility and price.
@@brostenen great combo! My ISA motherboards are in storage, so I have to suffer PCI sound cards for my DOS gaming 😂 I settled on an ESS Solo 1 (Terratec variety) and Creative Sound Blaster Live (SB0100)
When I think of terrible AWE MIDI this comes to mind: ua-cam.com/video/GeYrx9hO41M/v-deo.html
Is that the built in soundbank you’re referring to?
@@jamesfmackenzie When choosing PCI sound card, then I always go for YMF-724. 😉
@@brostenen I'm very tempted now! Are all YMF7xx cards good? Or is there a reason to pick, for example, the YMF724 vs a YMF744 card? Thanks for the buying advice 🙂