MIDI Cards for X68000

[e1000]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie on this forum and also on X68000, and I'm trying to find more information regarding MIDI expansion cards for X68k.

Doing some research I found three different MIDI card models:

   
• SHARP CZ-6BM1A
• SACOM SX-6 8 M
• SACOM SX-6 8 M-2

However I find only few information about each card. Even by researching previous posts on this forum.

Apart from being MIDI cards that might be connected to modules such as MT-32 or SC-50 / 88, I don't know any other features about each card.

Please, can you help me by providing some information about each card model? Look to table below.

MIDI Card	Main features	good / bad points
SHARP CZ-6BM1A	?	?
SACOM SX-6 8 M	?	?
SACOM SX-6 8 M-2	?	?

Thanks in advance!

[Neshek]

Hello and welcome my fellow noob

I don't know much about pros and cons of different midi cards, but i think you need a different proprietary cable for System Sacom SX-68 Midi2.
Found a link just in case: http://www.sssp.mihara.hiroshima.jp/~shimsoft/x68/midicable/mkmidicablee.html

Experts will confirm or bash me

[SuperDeadite]

Actually there are 2 Sharp boards:
SHARP CZ-6BM1
SHARP CZ-6BM1A   

They 1A meets the VCCI standards, while the original did not.  Though I know little of what this actually means...
The Sharp boards and the 2nd SACOM board have the same pinout.

The first SACOM board uses full size din5 (standard MIDI) ports, so no need for adapter cables, but some games don't support it.

There are a few other more exotic boards, such as the Polyphonic (MIDI, FPU, and RAM), and at least one more I've seen that had MIDI and RCA audio outputs (never figured out the name.  I have one friend with the Polyphonic, but he was having issues getting the MIDI to work with games, but we haven't spoken in a few months now...

There was also the SACOM RS MIDI interface that connects to the RS-232C port, some of the later games support this, but the majority do not.

For me, I say go with a Sharp board, you won't have any issues.  I have the 1A myself, which should in theory be better then the original...

[cr4zymanz0r]

The first SACOM board uses full size din5 (standard MIDI) ports, so no need for adapter cables, but some games don't support it.

Do you know what specific games don't support it?

[neko68k]

iirc polyphon is a multi-pcm card similar to mercuryunit; not a midi card. or at least its not exclusively a midi card at the least. it more than likely requires drivers for everything to work.

[SuperDeadite]

The first SACOM board uses full size din5 (standard MIDI) ports, so no need for adapter cables, but some games don't support it.

Do you know what specific games don't support it?

There is no list anywhere, but I know a lot of my games manuals flat out state, it's not supported.  I'd have to go throw all them again to check which though.

Polyphonic needs drivers for sure, but it does function as a MIDI interface as a feature.  My friend has a fully boxed one with the driver, not sure if he's messed with it recently, he speaks zero Japanese afterall.

[neko68k]

he speaks zero Japanese afterall.

That never stopped me

[H68k]

On the subject of MIDI boards...

Is the Sacom MIDI board a 100% compatible clone of the 'official' sharp one? or does the game or software need additional coding in it's MIDI driver to support it?

[SuperDeadite]

The SACOM boards are not exact clones, even the SACOM-I and SACOM-IIs use different drivers, hence why some games support the II but not the I,  and a few games only support Sharp boards.

The SACOM boards are just MIDI IN/OUT/THRU,   however the Sharp boards also have Tape Sync in/out ports as well, though these are just for music creation use, no point for games.

[H68k]

Interesting, They both feature a Yamaha ym3802 MIDI communication chip... yet not compatible with each other... a difference in TTL circuit routing not making them compatible maybe? 

So if you want 100% compatibility with software and games... your better off getting an official Sharp MIDI board, ok.

[gabby32]

Tell me please. I have X68000 XVI compact and Roland CM-64. What me buy midi cards for best sounds.

[BlueBMW]

Ive used both Sacom and Sharp boards and not had a problem with either on any games I have tried.