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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2712.0. "Help with MIDI hook-up" by IMPROV::IMPROV::BECKNELL () Mon Apr 26 1993 19:58

This question is not specifically related to guitars, but
I wasn't sure who else to ask.

Here's my problem for you electronic people:

I want to make some sort of converter box that will accept
6 or 7 1/4" instrument jacks and tie them together into one
MIDI output. I've never seen a MIDI cable or jack so I don't know
how many wires it has.

Does anyone know how I might go about wiring something like this (or
is it even possible)? Because you have more than one cable being channeled
to one MIDI cable, I didn't know rather some special components would be
needed in or to compensate for a loss of signal. The instrument inputs are
coming from drum triggers (if that is significant), and the MIDI output
is going to a drum machine.

I would appreciate any insight anyone has on how to wire something
like this.

Thanks,

/jb
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2712.1What is it that you really want to do?BSS::STPALY::MOLLERFix it before it breaksMon Apr 26 1993 21:3625
>I want to make some sort of converter box that will accept
>6 or 7 1/4" instrument jacks and tie them together into one
>MIDI output. I've never seen a MIDI cable or jack so I don't know
>how many wires it has.

Electronic Musician had a series of microprocessor based kits to do
this (based on the motorola 68705p micro processor - from 1990 or 1991).

>Does anyone know how I might go about wiring something like this (or
>is it even possible)? Because you have more than one cable being channeled
>to one MIDI cable, I didn't know rather some special components would be
>needed in or to compensate for a loss of signal. The instrument inputs are
>coming from drum triggers (if that is significant), and the MIDI output
>is going to a drum machine.

I have no idea what you are asking here. MIDI is a digital signal, not
analog voltage levels. You have to translate the data into the right bit
patterns.

>I would appreciate any insight anyone has on how to wire something
>like this.

There is a lot more to it than this.

							Jens
2712.2MANTHN::EDDI'm just a jigger low...Tue Apr 27 1993 09:4421
    The key question you've asked is "is it even possible?"
    
    In a nutshell "no", at least as you've explained it.
    
    It sounds like you have a bunch of drum triggers and you want to 
    capture them on a sequencer or get them to fire the appropriate
    sounds on a drum machine. You absolutely do NOT want to merge these
    signals. What I think you want to do is feed them to a box like the
    Roland PAD-8 or the Alesis D4 which will, upon detection of the trigger
    signal generated by hitting the pads, generate the appropriate MIDI
    message. This will in turn cause the drum machine to make a noise.
    
    You may want to stop by your local music store and pick up one of the
    numerous "Intro to MIDI" books available. No offense intended, but it
    sounds like you could use a better understanding of what MIDI is all
    about.
    
    There's also the IMDOWN::COMMUSIC conference where all the music nerds
    hang out. It's pretty much dedicated to MIDI...
    
    Edd