Sound card: Does the SB Audigy2 ZS (SB0350) have a MIDI input port?
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Posted by Jim Cochrane on May 11, 2008, 7:27 pm
Please log in for more thread options a very good group for this question. I'm having a hard time finding an appropriate hardware group that has a reasonable level of traffic - a.c.h looks like a candidate; suggestions for a more appropriate group are welcome.) Summary of the question: Does the Audigy 2 ZS SB0350 sound card have a "... MIDI / Joystick port ..." and can it be used, with the right cable/adapter, for standard MIDI I/O? If so, what cable/adapter is needed? I recently bought a computer on ebay that has what appears to be a SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS (SB0350) card. The card looks exactly the same, as far as I can tell, as the one pictured at this web site: http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/creative-audigy2-zs/index.html (Scroll down a page or so for the pictures.) Specifications I've found online for the card mention a "MIDI/joystick port extension header": 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port extension header (e.g., at: http://www.xiertekusa.com/product.php?pid=737&PHPSID=35c87674e7f3eca03657cac73293bd5f ) I think this means that it has a joystick/game port that can, with the right converter/adapter, be used for MIDI input/output. The only candidate for that kind of port I see on the card is the larger, mostly-rectangular opening at the far right in the picture of the front panel. (See the first picture in the set at: http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/creative-audigy2-zs/index.html .) But this sure doesn't look like a 15-pin port to me (neither male nor female). Can anyone tell me if this port is a joystick port, if it can be used for MIDI i/o, and, if so, how to adapt it for standard MIDI cables? As you can tell, I don't know a lot about hardware or sound cards. I'm thinking the answer might be obvious to someone who does. Thanks! -- -- | |||||||||||||
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Posted by ChiRul on May 12, 2008, 4:23 am
Please log in for more thread options > )
> > I think this means that it has a joystick/game port that can, > with the right converter/adapter, be used for MIDI input/output. > The only candidate for that kind of port I see on the card is > the larger, mostly-rectangular opening at the far right in the > picture of the front panel. (See the first picture in the set at: > http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/creative-audigy2-zs/index.html > .) > > But this sure doesn't look like a 15-pin port to me (neither male nor > female). > > Can anyone tell me if this port is a joystick port, if it can be used > for MIDI i/o, and, if so, how to adapt it for standard MIDI cables? > > As you can tell, I don't know a lot about hardware or sound cards. I'm > thinking the answer might be obvious to someone who does. > > > Thanks! > > -- > Hello, Jim. Check the "Audigy 2 ZS and Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Users Guide" found here: http://tinyurl.com/yppeo9 What you are referring to as the "mostly-rectangular opening ..." is the Firewire port. The 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port *extension header* is on the PCB and is connected to the joystick port (mounted on a second card bracket) via a ribbon cable. See the 'About Your Hardware' section in the Users Guide. HTH. ChiRul | |||||||||||||
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Posted by Jim Cochrane on May 13, 2008, 2:36 am
Please log in for more thread options > On Mon, 12 May 2008 01:27:41 +0200 (CEST), Jim Cochrane wrote:
>> ...
>> Summary of the question: Does the Audigy 2 ZS SB0350 sound card have >> a "... MIDI / Joystick port ..." and can it be used, with the right >> cable/adapter, for standard MIDI I/O? If so, what cable/adapter is >> needed? >> ... >> >> Can anyone tell me if this port is a joystick port, if it can be used >> for MIDI i/o, and, if so, how to adapt it for standard MIDI cables? >> ... >
> Hello, Jim. > > Check the "Audigy 2 ZS and Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Users Guide" > found here: http://tinyurl.com/yppeo9 > > What you are referring to as the "mostly-rectangular opening > ..." is the Firewire port. Yes, after a little more searching last night, I realized it wasn't the joystick port, but hadn't figured out it was a firewire port. > The 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port
> *extension header* is on the PCB and is connected to the > joystick port (mounted on a second card bracket) via a ribbon > cable. See the 'About Your Hardware' section in the Users > Guide. Yes, I see from the diagram in the users guide that the port is on the PCB; and looking at the card now, I see 15 pins and next to them, the label "joystick". Now my next dilemna is, not being a hardware guy, how do I adapt this to hook up 5-pin MIDI in/out cables? (So that I can, e.g., plug my MIDI keyboard into it.) It's now obvious to me that a connector like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/PC-JOYSTICK-GAME-PORT-TO-MIDI-ADAPTER-CABLE-6FT_W0QQitemZ230250354381QQihZ013QQcategoryZ31492QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting won't work, since even though the pin count is the same, the layout is slightly different. Thanks! -- | |||||||||||||
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Posted by Paul on May 14, 2008, 1:15 am
Please log in for more thread options Jim Cochrane wrote:
>> On Mon, 12 May 2008 01:27:41 +0200 (CEST), Jim Cochrane wrote:
>>> ...
>>> Summary of the question: Does the Audigy 2 ZS SB0350 sound card have >>> a "... MIDI / Joystick port ..." and can it be used, with the right >>> cable/adapter, for standard MIDI I/O? If so, what cable/adapter is >>> needed? >>> ... >>> >>> Can anyone tell me if this port is a joystick port, if it can be used >>> for MIDI i/o, and, if so, how to adapt it for standard MIDI cables? >>> ... >> Hello, Jim.
>> >> Check the "Audigy 2 ZS and Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Users Guide" >> found here: http://tinyurl.com/yppeo9 >> >> What you are referring to as the "mostly-rectangular opening >> ..." is the Firewire port. >
> Yes, after a little more searching last night, I realized it wasn't the > joystick port, but hadn't figured out it was a firewire port. > >> The 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port
>> *extension header* is on the PCB and is connected to the >> joystick port (mounted on a second card bracket) via a ribbon >> cable. See the 'About Your Hardware' section in the Users >> Guide. >
http://cgi.ebay.com/PC-JOYSTICK-GAME-PORT-TO-MIDI-ADAPTER-CABLE-6FT_W0QQitemZ230250354381QQihZ013QQcategoryZ31492QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
> Yes, I see from the diagram in the users guide that the port is on the > PCB; and looking at the card now, I see 15 pins and next to them, the > label "joystick". > > Now my next dilemna is, not being a hardware guy, how do I adapt this to > hook up 5-pin MIDI in/out cables? (So that I can, e.g., plug my MIDI > keyboard into it.) It's now obvious to me that a connector like this: > > >
> won't work, since even though the pin count is the same, the layout is > slightly different. > > > Thanks! > The picture of the deactivated item on Newegg, shows an example of the included ribbon cable and PCI slot bracket with connector for SB0350. It probably uses the standard pinout (something you can partially confirm with a multimeter). Click on the pictures for a closeup (click the picture with the CD disc in it). http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102178 I would guess, if the capability existed, you'd see some sign of it in Device Manager or in some multimedia control panel. (I.e. the driver would cause it to show up and be named). Even without the ribbon cable adapter, it should show up as being present in the computer software. For another example of the usage of such a 2x8 ribbon cable header (with one pin missing for keying), see PDF page 51 of this document. This particular motherboard has a combo bracket, but you can see the part that converts the ribbon cable header to the 15 pin connector on the PCI slot cover. http://dlsvr03.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/socka/kt333/a7v333/e1010_a7v333.pdf The Estore only sells in the USA, but you should be able to find that ribbon cable thing, with 15 pin connector, around somewhere. This one happens to include a couple USB ports on the same PCI slot cover. http://estore.asus.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=165&catid=119 Midi.org has examples of what interfaces to the Midi-in and Midi-out signals. So actually, if you were handy with a soldering iron, all you really need to do, is connect to four particular pins of that 2x8 thing on the sound card. +5V, GND, MIDI-IN and MIDI-OUT and the adapter circuit to the two DIN connectors. It could be that your Ebay find, has the adapter stuff hidden inside. http://www.midi.org/images/midiadap.gif http://www.midi.org/about-midi/electrical.shtml (discusses avoiding ground loops) HTH, Paul | |||||||||||||
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Posted by Jim Cochrane on May 21, 2008, 4:27 am
Please log in for more thread options > Jim Cochrane wrote:
>>> On Mon, 12 May 2008 01:27:41 +0200 (CEST), Jim Cochrane wrote:
>>>> ... >>>> Summary of the question: Does the Audigy 2 ZS SB0350 sound card have >>>> a "... MIDI / Joystick port ..." and can it be used, with the right >>>> cable/adapter, for standard MIDI I/O? If so, what cable/adapter is >>>> needed? >>>> ... >>>> >>>> Can anyone tell me if this port is a joystick port, if it can be used >>>> for MIDI i/o, and, if so, how to adapt it for standard MIDI cables? >>>> ... >>> Hello, Jim. >>> >>> Check the "Audigy 2 ZS and Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Users Guide" >>> found here: http://tinyurl.com/yppeo9 >>> >>> What you are referring to as the "mostly-rectangular opening >>> ..." is the Firewire port. >>
>> Yes, after a little more searching last night, I realized it wasn't the >> joystick port, but hadn't figured out it was a firewire port. >> >>> The 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port
>>> *extension header* is on the PCB and is connected to the >>> joystick port (mounted on a second card bracket) via a ribbon >>> cable. See the 'About Your Hardware' section in the Users >>> Guide. >>
http://cgi.ebay.com/PC-JOYSTICK-GAME-PORT-TO-MIDI-ADAPTER-CABLE-6FT_W0QQitemZ230250354381QQihZ013QQcategoryZ31492QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
>> Yes, I see from the diagram in the users guide that the port is on the >> PCB; and looking at the card now, I see 15 pins and next to them, the >> label "joystick". >> >> Now my next dilemna is, not being a hardware guy, how do I adapt this to >> hook up 5-pin MIDI in/out cables? (So that I can, e.g., plug my MIDI >> keyboard into it.) It's now obvious to me that a connector like this: >> >> >>
>> won't work, since even though the pin count is the same, the layout is >> slightly different. >> >> >> Thanks! >> >
> The picture of the deactivated item on Newegg, shows an example of the > included ribbon cable and PCI slot bracket with connector for SB0350. > It probably uses the standard pinout (something you can partially > confirm with a multimeter). Click on the pictures for a closeup > (click the picture with the CD disc in it). > > http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102178 > > I would guess, if the capability existed, you'd see some sign of > it in Device Manager or in some multimedia control panel. (I.e. > the driver would cause it to show up and be named). Even without the > ribbon cable adapter, it should show up as being present in the > computer software. > > For another example of the usage of such a 2x8 ribbon cable header (with one > pin missing for keying), see PDF page 51 of this document. This particular > motherboard has a combo bracket, but you can see the part that converts > the ribbon cable header to the 15 pin connector on the PCI slot cover. > > http://dlsvr03.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/socka/kt333/a7v333/e1010_a7v333.pdf > > The Estore only sells in the USA, but you should be able to find that > ribbon cable thing, with 15 pin connector, around somewhere. This one > happens to include a couple USB ports on the same PCI slot cover. > > http://estore.asus.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=165&catid=119 Well, since I am in the US, I ordered one from estore - connected it to my Audigy ZS (The usb connectors are unused, of course), and it works! Thanks much for the tip. >
> Midi.org has examples of what interfaces to the Midi-in and > Midi-out signals. So actually, if you were handy with a soldering > iron, all you really need to do, is connect to four particular pins > of that 2x8 thing on the sound card. +5V, GND, MIDI-IN and > MIDI-OUT and the adapter circuit to the two DIN connectors. I've never been into that (soldering) much. (I'm more of a software guy than a hardware guy.) Perhaps when I retire, I'll have more time to experiment with stuff like that :-) > It could be that your Ebay find, has the adapter stuff hidden
loops)
> inside. > > http://www.midi.org/images/midiadap.gif > http://www.midi.org/about-midi/electrical.shtml (discusses avoiding ground >
> HTH, > Paul It's great to have it working. Thanks again (to you, and ChiRul and John McGaw) for the help. -- | |||||||||||||
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> a very good group for this question. I'm having a hard time finding
> an appropriate hardware group that has a reasonable level of traffic -
> a.c.h looks like a candidate; suggestions for a more appropriate group
> are welcome.)
>
> Summary of the question: Does the Audigy 2 ZS SB0350 sound card have
> a "... MIDI / Joystick port ..." and can it be used, with the right
> cable/adapter, for standard MIDI I/O? If so, what cable/adapter is
> needed?
>
> I recently bought a computer on ebay that has what appears to be a
> SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS (SB0350) card. The card looks exactly the same,
> as far as I can tell, as the one pictured at this web site:
>
> http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/creative-audigy2-zs/index.html
>
> (Scroll down a page or so for the pictures.)
>
> Specifications I've found online for the card mention a
> "MIDI/joystick port extension header":
>
> 15-pin MIDI / Joystick port extension header
>
> (e.g., at:
>