Casio CZ/ VZ/ FZ - Pro Series

Thanks for chiming in, Summa.  I was initially pleased to see the white list/black list of midi interfaces, but I was shocked to see it lists problems my E-Mu Xmidi 2x2 allegedly has with sysex. 

I would gladly run tests on mine, but I didn't see any tests listed. It seems to be a list that anyone can add to with no consistent standards. (There is a link of the list for "more details" on my interface, but that doesn't contain any details.)

As for older synths not being able to keep up with full midi bandwidth, considering I tested the CZ-500 using Win7 64-bit and an interface on the blacklist (as far as sysex goes), I don't know what to say. Hmmmmmmmmm. (Steve scratches his head and wonders aloud what could explain the discrepancies.)

Maybe its the luck of the draw, that my particular CZ-5000 that can handle sysex transfers without delays and my particular blacklisted midi interface that works with sysex. It could just be random variation. Hmmmmmmm. Could be fluctuation in household power, I suppose.

There are other possibilities: when I first got my 64-bit Win7 laptop, I learned quickly with midi gear not to let Windows find device drivers, but to cancel the search for drivers and to use manufacturer's drivers. Some automatically discovered drivers just did not work!! Unfortunately, with the blacklist/whitelist we have no idea what drivers were used. My Xmidi 2x2 uses the manufacturer's latest driver. That might explain why mine works with sysex.

As for the CZ-5000, there is also another possibility. Back in the late '80s I zapped my CZ with static (dry winter condition, and static prone carpet). I sent my Casio to be repaired at the place Casio USA used and they tuned it up to factory specs.  That was over 20 years ago, but perhaps they did such a good job that my circuits still work like new. That might explain why mine works with midi-ox without delays. 

So perhaps its not that older gear can't handle modern computer speeds, but that over time, components and circuit boards deteriorate, timings get off, memory wears out, etc. That might explain what's going on here. 

If I had more time, I'd write an arduino program to send out midi data at different rates to try to measure the max and min serial speeds gear can handle. Maybe over time, with deteriorating circuits, some gear cannot keep pace with 31250 bps.  Maybe the leds in optoisolators dim over time. I guess there are a lot of variables that could explain differences. So maybe it would be nice to have a way to measure something like this.

Nevertheless, I still think that saying older midi gear cannot handle the speeds of today's modern computers is way too broad of a statement to be accurate and even useful. Maybe some specific gear can and some can't. 

Anyhow, this has been an interesting thread. Lots of interesting factors to consider together with workarounds, paths to pursue, etc.

By the way, does anyone know of any published standards for assessing sysex capability of midi interfaces? 

Steve

Steve





--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "Summa" <flotorian@...> wrote:

[snip]

> Still older synths 
> can't keep up in case computers using the full midi bandwith 
> especially without pausing between the blocks.
> 
> Other than that, some interfaces tend to have problems with sysex, 
> especially the noname USB class compliant ones. Here's a link to a 
> MIDI Interface Sysex black-/whitelist (link at the top)...

[snip]