A Technical Question About Midi
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A Technical Question About Midi
Why 5 pins and what do they do?
I find it incredibly insightful since it has lasted this long.
I find it incredibly insightful since it has lasted this long.
- piRoN
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It's an interesting question, given that only two pins are actually used. I've always assumed it was simply because it was the same connector used for the pre-existing dinsync systems.
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Precisely.piRoN wrote:It's an interesting question, given that only two pins are actually used. I've always assumed it was simply because it was the same connector used for the pre-existing dinsync systems.
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read here for some additional info:
http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/tech/midispec/hardware.htm
http://www.borg.com/~jglatt/tech/midispec/hardware.htm
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MIDI DIN-5 connectors are good, in a way, because they've always been inexpensive and commonly available. You don't even need "real" MIDI cables. Old stereo hifi DIN-5 cables work just as well. I think at least in the beginning, price and availability was a great advantage for MIDI.
On the other hand, MIDI is hardly the most efficient use of available technical resources out there and it's dead slow.
On the other hand, MIDI is hardly the most efficient use of available technical resources out there and it's dead slow.
Actually, the third pin is also used on midi out connections as a ground which is useful for inline midi to sync converters so they dont need power. My guess for the DIN 5 was that they were planning on going beyond the two data wires down the road. Midi is a basic but fairly elegant as a communication protocol and has really endured as a digital communication schem (almost 25 years!!)
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Didn't the Roland DCB buss utilize all 5 pins? It was an immediate precursor toMIDI - and looks like it.
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I think MIDI is a dated tired interface, which has been holding back the potential of a solid reliable and flexible control medium for synths especially for live/performance use for far too long. I think the reason for this is that the big manufactures think the vast majority of users won’t need any more so why waste money on developing something new which may not take off (like most new hardware these days). Maybe it’s time to use all five pins or something in a 16/32bit resolution or maybe dump the whole thing and use something else. I know we have NRPN's on stuff like the Ion but it isn’t very user friendly to edit. Come on
it’s a quirky 25yr old 8bit binary language and its 2007!
Rant over!

Rant over!

Last edited by Soundwave on Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- StepLogik
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DCB was a proprietary interface before MIDI became standardized. They are completely different.Altitude wrote:The DCB I had on my JU60 was a D-sub connector so it was not even the same type of connector as midi
5 pin DIN connectors are much cheaper than the DCB connectors (I think they are Centronics type, but I can't recall) and are cheaper to manufacture and cheaper to utilize (even when making patch cords). Imagine if MIDI cables were $50 instead of $15....
Only two pins are used because MIDI is a serial line.
DCB is not a good protocol.. the JU-60 docs explain some of it. Besides the hardware design flaws (its prone to ground-loop since its not opto-isolated) the protocol itself does not lend itself to expansion. Also, if memory serves, there was no provision for sync in DCB, you would have to run a Sync24 line in addition to the DCB line.
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actually 7-bitSoundwave wrote:I think MIDI is a dated tired interface, which has been holding back the potential of solid reliable and flexible control medium for synths especially for live/performance use for far too long. I think the reason for this is that the big manufactures think the vast majority of users won’t need any more so why waste money on developing something new which may not take off (like most new hardware these days). Maybe it’s time to use all five pins or something in a 16/32bit resolution or maybe dump the whole thing and use something else. I know we have NRPN's on stuff like the Ion but it isn’t very user friendly to edit. Come onit’s a quirky 25yr old 8bit binary language and its 2007!
Rant over!

I agree though. MIDI is really starting to show its age.
Maybe its time for everyone to embrace mLAN?
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Well, it would be nice if someone could resurrect one of the old ibuss systems from the late 70's and early 80's. It does boggle my mind how [what's widely considered to be] a sluggish interface evolved from (at least) half a dozen independently-developed systems that were much faster. I've got to tell you, the scheme designed by Line 6 is truly awesome!
The greatest thing we ever have is the will to survive.
Rest in peace, Dr. Robert Moog.
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Rest in peace, Dr. Robert Moog.
http://www.ericbenjamingordon.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/ebgordon
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Hey, it's a fast system!Sweetnothing wrote:What, using (on their pedalboards) net cables? if not, please explainMrFrodo wrote:I've got to tell you, the scheme designed by Line 6 is truly awesome!
The greatest thing we ever have is the will to survive.
Rest in peace, Dr. Robert Moog.
http://www.ericbenjamingordon.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/ebgordon
http://www.myspace.com/ericbenjamingordon
Rest in peace, Dr. Robert Moog.
http://www.ericbenjamingordon.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/ebgordon
http://www.myspace.com/ericbenjamingordon