Hello Chris and all
Many thanks for creating and sustaining this wonderful treasure trove ...
I've not been able to contribute as yet, so having some potentially useful experience in this Opcode issue, I thought I might now be able to help. I'm not very accomplished currently, so please bear that in mind.
Nonetheless, I have no doubt the 64x can be used properly, fully functioning in 98SE via an onboard serial port and/or or via a suitable USB-Serial adapter.
I still have a pair of 64x's, which were once my midi mainstay on 98SE and then XPPro. I put them aside when I encountered too many sysex problems with the latter-day Gibson XP driver. I plan to put them to use again this summer. I'm building a 98SE machine, so I've had to re-visit/re-learn a great deal.
I was fortunate to find a little-used 775/865 MB with 98 chipset drivers, allowing me to fully use a (new) SeaSound, with an RME Digi 96 and the rare Audioterminal AT010. I'm planning around Cubase and/or SX/Nuendo, hoping to use 'System-Link' via ADAT concurrently with independent XP and Win 7 machines, via RME 9636/52's. I hope to achieve system-wide compatibility for concurrent operation of W98SE, XPProSP2 and Win7 SP1. I'll surely find out the hard way ...
It seems probable vintage serial midi gear can potentially be used on any MB with a Serial Port and/or via a USB-Serial adapter, on any Win OS; however, I doubt any sysex use with vintage gear could be viable post-XP, simply because program software will not have been developed.
I guess serial ports are now scarcer on contemporary MB; however, there are plenty of server boards. I know little of 'virtualisation'. I do not know if serial hardware drivers can function via VM's. Given Serial-MIDI is so fundamental and not complex; and given, the retro-gamers use joysticks via USB/MIDI serial game ports on old MB's and sound-cards, or via VM's, it seems there remains much potential for using vintage serial midi gear with modern OS's ...
I'm interested in what others more experienced think/know.
I recently discovered some notes I made 20 years ago. They may help those re-visiting 98SE Serial Midi/Daws, generally; and especially, with Opcode gear. Understanding how win 98SE installs/handles/assigns Com Ports is the key issue. Please bear in mind these notes concern a quite advanced setup (at that time). Some comments are not directly relevant; however, they illustrate a meticulous approach is required for Opcode in Win 98SE.
Kind regards,
JTL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
"64X - Important Install Notes 30/01/02
W98SE, CWPA9, Fujitsu P2-233/64Mb, PCI-ISA, ATX/PS2, Parallel & Serial, Crystal sound-card, ATX/Serial trackball kbd, Belkin FU012x2 and modem.
Both 64x on Serial Ports ... one via onboard serial, one via USB-Serial interface.
1. Despite inference otherwise on Opcode's web site, the 64x can be installed properly, fully functioning on Win 98SE. It cannot with full sysex on XP, but plain midi note code is OK bi-directional with the Gibson driver and with fully functioning/freestanding patchbay.
2. Installation process and Com ports setup must be as follows:
2.1 PC must be setup with Com 1 for first 64x and Com 2 for second 64x - and whilst no other Com Ports are installed.
ie: From a clean install, or having removed all Com ports beforehand.
NB: When some Com ports are removed via Device Manager, leaving others behind, they cannot subsequently be re-installed to the same port address (ie: Com 3, 4 etc) since Windows will skip any previously used port numbers and use the next free setting - such that prior Com 3 would become Com 4 etc (causing on-going driver code/addressing conflict.)
3. If problems arise on installing 64x, remove all Com ports from Device Manager and physically remove all coms hardware and associated applications/software. (Note directories/folders of all Coms gear beforehand to enable total removal of all related code) ...
Then let Windows re-install Com 1 & 2 from scratch on re-boot.
4. Install Belkin FU012x2 to Com 3, then Modem to Com 4.
(Do not install ISA Serial-Parallel card. Whilst it can be installed satisfactorily to provide another serial port, doing so leads to far too many Port Address/IRQ conflicts installing/setting up the 64x's.)
5. Kbd/trackball must be connected via Belkin FU012x2 serial port on Com3. It will be recognised as a Human Interface Device and HID Compliant Mouse ... But a PS/2 mouse must be used for setting up, since the trackball can't be used until the Belkin 12x2 is installed, as the on-board serial port is best used for first 64x.
6. The Modem must not be physically installed until Belkin FU012x2 has been installed and set up on Com3. Windows will otherwise detect the modem and assign it to Com 3. Setting up the 12x2 is only possible (at this time) by using the drivers for Windows ME.
7. Most importantly, the Opcode software must be installed whilst only Com Ports 1&2 are installed ... Do not follow the Win95 setup instructions in the 64x Help file, which is to install via Ctrl Panel/Add New Hardware/Manual Install/Sound,Video, Game Controllers ...
Install 64x directly via Setup.exe on the Opcode 64x driver floppy.
8. Any other approach means the 64x Patch Bay prog will not properly integrate with the basic drivers. The only fix is to remove all the Opcode entries in Windows\System.Ini, then remove the drivers from Windows\System, then configure all Com ports as above, before otherwise having to do it all over again !!!!
9. Only install one 64x on Com 1 initially (selecting Drivers, Patch Bay, Help Diag etc from the from setup menu).
9.1 When installing the second 64x to Com 2 via 12x2 select the 'Second Interface' option.
9.2 Ensure correct Com port configuration is set as Windows standard default ie: first 64x on Com 1 - IRQ 04, I/O 3F8, and second on Com 2 - IRQ 03, I/O 2F8.
10. Install CWPA before 64x's and ensure 64x User Program 3 on front panel is straight MIDI In to MIDI Out ie: 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4. "
END QUOTE.
