Looking for a MIDIMAN MINIMACMAN

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sonolive
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Looking for a MIDIMAN MINIMACMAN

Post by sonolive »

i am looking for this "old" serial To Midi converter

Any one got an unused one for sale ?

i also need a confirmation that it is a RS422 to MIDI and not a RS232 TO MIDI ...

thx in advance
cheers
olive
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Tau
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Post by Tau »

Hi!

Don't know if this'll work for you, but I have an old MOTU interface, I think it's the PC EXPRESS, which is a 6-in 6-out interface, with an ISA card. I used it on a 486 a long time ago.

I remember Mac users claiming this unit could be connected directly to their computer without the need for the internal card, using a serial port on the breakout box, and I believe it's the type you need.

Anyway, it's not esay to find info on these on the internet. I found a similar one on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/MOTU-Midi-Express-P ... 8168a19611

but he forgot to take a picture of the serial port. What I have is pretty much the same thing, I may have to dig for the manuals, and I don't have the software anymore (drivers could still be found on MOTUs website, but I think none are needed for mac). I also found this document that might be useful:

http://www.gweep.net/~prefect/eng/mtp2/

it's about the midi timepiece2, but for what I read, it's the same as what I have, and it states that it is a 442 port that gives access to a direct conection to a Mac.

If you're interested, I can go get the unit and check out the details for you (nowhere to try it on, though).

Let me know!

All the best

T
sonolive
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Post by sonolive »

thx tau ...

i will try one motu (micro express , i think but don't remember) one of my friend here has got an unused one ...

i will have no use of a ISA card !!! but thx again ...

in fact i need a converter from RS422 (not RS232) to midi and the midima seems to be the good one !!! unfortunately can't find it on ebay here in fr
very interesting link !!! good infos about RS422 to RS232 conversion !! THX
you can use a widely known technique to convert RS232<->RS422 without the need of active transceivers. This is accomplished by connecting the inverted RS422 signals to their opposite RS232 counterparts. In other words, connect RS422 TX- to RS232 RX and RS422 RX- to RS232 TX. The only additional items are connecting the MTP's GND to the PC's RS232 GND, and the MTP's RS422 RX+ to GND (this grounds one side of the diff input, otherwise it floats and it won't work properly!!!). The following table shows how to wire a simple cable from the MTP to a PC (both 9 pin and 25 pin versions are shown):
DB-9 FEMALE MINI DIN-8 MALE
-------------------------------------------------------
pin 2 (RXD) pin 3 (TXD-)
pin 3 (TXD) pin 5 (RXD-)
pin 5 (GND) pin 4 (GND) and pin 8 (RXD+)

DB-25 FEMALE MINI DIN-8 MALE
-------------------------------------------------------
pin 2 (TXD) pin 5 (RXD-)
pin 3 (RXD) pin 3 (TXD-)
pin 7 (GND) pin 4 (GND) and pin 8 (RXD+)
KOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

cheers
olive
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Tau
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Post by Tau »

Great!

BTW, I never thought the ISA card would interest you :) , but the Breakout box seems to be all it takes to convert MIDI to RS 422, if I read correctly, and it's 6 ports I/O. MOTU has a reputation for quality hardware (and terrible drivers). But maybe you can find an easier way to get what you need :wink:

Anyway, I have absolutely no use for this, so you can have it if you want it.

All the best

T
sonolive
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Post by sonolive »

do you mean the box should work as a standalone box ? without connecting the isa ???

if so, why not trying it ,

pm me the costs for the item and shipping,

cheers
olive
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Tau
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Post by Tau »

yes, that's what I mean! Mac users do not need the ISA, just plug the 422 on the breakout box into the mac port and voila - 6 in- 6 out.

Mind you, at the time I was using a 486, not a Mac, so I don't really know what to expect - that's why I'm pointing you to some documentation, as I have very little knowlege of this kind of machines.

I'll dig it out and find out shipping costs to France. That's all you'll have to pay, I'm only happy to see it go and be put to use, and besides, DAS has always been very generous to me, not to mention Planet Z!

If not tomorrow (Cristmas eve) then Wednesday (26th) I'll let you know!

All the best,

T
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Tau
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Post by Tau »

Hi again.

I located the unit, and it seems that I was wrong - it has no RS422 port onthe breakout box, only a DB-25 connector that plugs into the ISA... So the pictures on Ebay were accurate after all.

I also found this on "SOS" site: "The heart of the MIDI Express is a half-length, 8-bit AT card which houses the brains for the interface. On the rear of the card is a connector for the rackmount unit and a serial port for direct connection to a Mac, should you have one. "

So, what this means is that the PC-mounted ISA card can be directly connected to a Mac, not the breakout box. :(

I'm sorry to cause such confusion... I also have a MOTU MTPII Parallel interface, and that one comes with an integrated RS422 port, so I guess I was confusing them both.

Sorry again... Hope you can find a solution!

T
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