Casio CZ/ VZ/ FZ - Pro Series

On Oct 14, 2016, at 10:18 AM, smw-mail@... [CZsynth] wrote:

> Let's make a distinction between the MIDI hardware transport and the  
> MIDI protocol.  The 5-pin MIDI hardware transport as defined in MIDI  
> Spec 1.0 used 31.25 kbps.  If you have something that only has a 5- 
> pin MIDI hardware transport, I agree you are limited to 31.25 kbps  
> unless you can make some mods to your gear.

Some SCI instruments could change MIDI speed for the purpose of Sample  
Dump using standard MIDI hardware. Values could be:
62.5 kbps
83.3 kbps
125 kbps

For example Prophet 2000 could go to 83.3 kbps.

Concerning higher transfer speed, it's worth to mention here that  
Yamaha (and probably also Roland and Korg, I'm not sure now) use for  
their serial MIDI communication called TO HOST higher speed in PC-2  
setting (RS232C) - 38400 kbps.

Opcode serial MIDI interfaces Studio Series allow to select higher  
speed communication - 8x MIDI speed, that is 250 kbps (used with Mac,  
OMS, RS422).


> However, it's probably not worth anyone's time to do such mods on  
> gear when you can get a microprocessor and build something that can  
> use the midi protocol at higher speeds.
>
> Let's say I have an arduino. Let's say I want to code it so I have  
> sliders, knobs, and buttons and can trigger sequences, process midi  
> data, etc. If I want to have that control softsynths, I am not  
> limited to 31.25 kbps.
>
> The last time I wrote such a test program I used 115200 baud, 8 data  
> bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit. Since the program stays in the  
> arduino until I upload a hew "sketch," its still there. So when I  
> just plugged it into my usb port and booted the Hairless MIDI Serial  
> <-> Serial Bridge, it started cranking out midi data (based on the  
> test program I wrote) to my PC at 115200 baud. I could go up to  
> 256000 baud.
>
> I know I can pump that into a softsynth. Let's see what happens if I  
> route it to a usb interface (2-in 4-out emagic mt4). Well, it seems  
> to be pumping data out the 5-pin din connectors to some sound  
> modules at exactly same performance tempo that the softsynth would  
> be playing at.
>
> In short, at this very moment the arduino is pumping midi data out  
> at 115200 baud and it is playing on an old Roland M-GS64 via a  
> "modern computer." I am pretty sure this is the same program I  
> tested on the CZ-5000 several years ago.
>
> INTERNAL DIALOG (31.25 baud):
> So now that I proved it to myself, do I really need to share this  
> with all the naysayers in the CZ forum?
>
> Why should I set myself up for abuse?  I really don't need to prove  
> it to anyone else.  So I suppose the only reason to post it is in  
> case others might want to try it.  But is that worth risking abuse?   
> You know no one in the CZ group will appreciate this.  Well, maybe  
> it will inspire one person. If so, it's worth it for that one person  
> because maybe that one person will be a leader or will be inspired  
> to ignore all the naysayers.


Yes, that all is true for sure, but why to mention it here? When we  
want to connect standard MIDI instruments, we need some kind of  
interface between such high speed system and MIDI, and it's necessary  
to slow down transfer to standard MIDI speed. From this point of view  
higher transfer speed has no advantage.

But it can help when we use different hardware for MIDI data transfer,  
or it had sense for data transfer between Mac and Opcode multiport  
MIDI interface like Studio 5LX (with its 15 MIDI ports = 240 MIDI  
channels). All those channels were sent through one serial cable.

Daniel Forro