Wanted: MPU-401

[phlash]

I'm looking for some variety of smart MPU-401 for a 486 gaming machine I put together for old adventure games. I bought an MT-32 thanks in large part to this forum quite a while ago and haven't really been able to use it yet because I've yet to find a decent MPU-401 card/interface on eBay or anywhere else. If anyone here has an extra one they wouldn't mind parting with (with appropriate compensation of course!)  please PM me! Thanks!

[Ari]

Most games don't require an MPU-401 card with intelligent mode. a regular SBpro or SB16 would do just fine for most games (or any other brand of compatible sound cards).

Also, for several Sierra games that do require a genuine MPU-401 card, there's a patch that can solve the problem.

[Great Hierophant]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-MPU-401-MIDI-Proc-unit-w-MIFIPCA-interface-card_W0QQitemZ110012084221QQihZ001QQcategoryZ41784QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I wonder if that would work, nothing beats the original.

[phlash]

Most games don't require an MPU-401 card with intelligent mode. a regular SBpro or SB16 would do just fine for most games (or any other brand of compatible sound cards).

Also, for several Sierra games that do require a genuine MPU-401 card, there's a patch that can solve the problem.

I've never been able to find a list of what does and what doesn't require intelligent mode so I'm not sure but I'm fairly sure some of the games I want to play with the MT-32 require intelligent mode and do not have any kind of patch such as the Dyanmix games and some of the Ultimas.

[phlash]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-MPU-401-MIDI-Proc-unit-w-MIFIPCA-interface-card_W0QQitemZ110012084221QQihZ001QQcategoryZ41784QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I wonder if that would work, nothing beats the original.

I was wondering that myself. I got the impression from several things I've read that none of the original MIF-IPC cards, especially the MIF-IPC-A would not work correctly in anything but the original XT and PCs so it wouldn't work with my 486. If I'm wrong someone let me know ASAP so I can bid on that sucker!

I found this on google's usenet archives:

The earliest versions of the MPU401 would only work in an IBM XT or PC classmachine.  They were too slow for our blazing (10MHz) 286 AT's.  Later versions of this interface (featuring an ISA card made by CMS) work with the faster computers.


If the ISA card portion of the interface has MIF-IPC-A printed on the circuit  board, it will not work with anything faster than an XT.

[Cloudschatze]

I got the impression from several things I've read that none of the original MIF-IPC cards, especially the MIF-IPC-A would not work correctly in anything but the original XT and PCs so it wouldn't work with my 486. If I'm wrong someone let me know ASAP so I can bid on that sucker!

I've yet to see a definitive answer. Here's a little more descriptive post:

If you have the original MPU401, like I did, then apparently you need
to send it in to Roland to get it to work on an AT-bus. They add a chip and
lotsa wires. They do the job for free, at least they did at the time I sent
mine in. This issue is apart from the IRQ2 issue. If you have the more recent
MPU401 (the Roland single card, no outboard box version), then this mod is not
necessary.

Too many questions to draw any sort of conclusion though...

Is his "original MPU401" the 1984-released "DG" version?

Were the "chip and lotsa wires" added to the MIF card, or to the MPU?

Not to mention the incorrect statement that the "more recent MPU401" (the MPU-IPC(-T)) does not have external connector box...


In any case, I have a Voyetra V-4001 with CB-4001 connector box that I don't foresee using anytime soon. It's 100% MPU-401 compatible (contains the actual Roland chipset), and can be yours for the low, low cost of shipping reimbursement (~$4.00). I can post a photo later, if you want to see what it looks like.

[Cloudschatze]

Yes, the connector box really does attach directly to the card.

[HondaSiR]

Is his "original MPU401" the 1984-released "DG" version?

Most likely answer would be yes, the original MPU with the humongous big-sized breakout box.  Didn't know that this MPU didn't work well with PCs beyond the XT and the existense of a free upgrade from Roland then. Interesting.

Not to mention the incorrect statement that the "more recent MPU401" (the MPU-IPC(-T)) does not have external connector box...

Probably talking about the MPU-401/AT. But incomplete statement nonetheless...not mentioning anything about the MPU-IPC and MPU-IPC-T which are both capable of running smoothly in AT class machines (ISA slot required though).

[Great Hierophant]

He does say the unit worked perfectly well for him in Windows 95/98.  Windows 9x will not run in a PC, XT or anything less than a 386.

[phlash]

He does say the unit worked perfectly well for him in Windows 95/98.  Windows 9x will not run in a PC, XT or anything less than a 386.

He may have just been using it in UART mode, if that'd make a difference.  :?: