Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

The place for all discussion on gaming hardware
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

OK thank you, I'll look into this further and come back shortly.
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

SuperDeadite wrote: It's a standard USB audio device. Just install the driver, and it will show up as audio output/recording device in the audio settings. Then select it as your output device (You can use it to input/mix/record as well). If you set it as the default audio device, Windows will auto switch to it when it's turned on. So when turned off it will revert to HDMI audio or whatever else you have.

It's also a full MIDI interface at the same time. If you get a Yamaha style TOHOST (serial) cable, you can connect MU2000 there, and CM-64 to the standard MIDI output. So you can do everything through just one USB port.
OK so I've got UW500 in my system now (plus MU2000EX, CM-64 + exp.cards, and ofc the PC for running the emulator).
The good news is that I have a "'MIDI music' + 'rest of X68K'" mix being output from my receiver! To add, I'm able to balance the mix how I like, using the gain setting on the MU as well as emulator volume output setting. Great stuff.

A couple of queries persist;
- I'm unable to get digital out from the UW, when using MU (and its digital in) instead of CM module. Not sure why that is. For the time being then, I'm only getting analogue out from the UW, no matter the input source/s.
- Using analogue out, I'm getting some high pitched interference noise. It's not very loud but a little noticeable. This might be a function of the phono interconnects I'm currently using tbc.

Given the above and that UW is a 'standard USB audio interface', I do wonder if I might get better results from a more modern USB audio interface that can give digital out via optical, no matter what the inputs are. Something to look into. I do like the MIDI in/out and particularly the TO TG port feature of the UW, though I would need the cables (currently the UW+MU+CM are taking up three USB slots on my PC lol). The TO TG port looks like it's something a little custom, is that right? If it's easy to find the cable for this, I might be swayed toward keeping the UW even if a newer, better interface is out there.
SuperDeadite
Posts: 1000
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:31 pm

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by SuperDeadite »

Well that was fast lol. If I understand correctly, you are trying to get digital output via UW's toslink output on the front right? Be sure you have the rear switch set to the right position. The UW can't process digital and analog at the same time. The work around is when in digital mode, the analog aux port will function as a pass through. (I use this to mix digital MU and analog real x68k together.)

However the analog aux will only output to main analog output. As for noise, could be your cables, could be your uw... My unit is basically noise free.

When in digital mode, MU digital and USB digital should output via UW toslink output. If it doesn't check your PC srttings. Windows for example has a "listen to this device" option under recording settings. Among other things.

TOHOST cables are basically just serial cables.
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

Yeah I know a guy close to me with a UW and they let me try it out.
Thanks for the further advice. Yes I'm trying to get PC+MU digital output, from the digital optical out on the front of the UW. More tinkering to do shortly - part of me will be sad once this is all resolved and working well. Onto the next project then I suppose - I might play some of the games too ha (of course I will).
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

OK so I have resolved the noise issue, and I have also got the UW sending MIDI to the CM thanks to a new MIDI cable, which saves me taking up a USB port on the PC.
Just the digital out thing to go then. I have an 8-pin Mini DIN cable on order that should arrive shortly, so will connect MU to UW when the cable arrives and test that it works, then look into the digital out matter.
Nearly there!
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

Update -
My 8-pin Mini DIN cable arrived and I've used that to connect UW-->MU.
This said I'm struggling to send MIDI data from UW to MU (trying to send MIDI data to UW from PC via USB). I have tried this with both the XM6 Type G emulator (trying different output port of UW, in emulator MIDI settings), and through the test tone feature of Yamaha USB-MIDI Driver.
Any advice?

Some more context;
- Input Select on rear of UW is set to DIGITAL.
- Host Select on rear of MU is set to PC-2 (I have tried Mac as well).
- I am able to play MIDI files from MU's SmartMedia card, through the UW. I'm glad the MU2000 sequencer is useful ha! The output music can be heard in two ways:
i) from my PC (recording options for UW in Windows have 'Listen to this device' checked, and my TV is set to be the playback device, which sends audio to my AV receiver by eARC. [Audio is I presume being transmitted from UW to PC over USB.])
ii) from the analogue audio input on my receiver, that I have the UW connected to. Audio quality through this method isn't as good as is for method i).
(sidenote: I can't get audio output from UW optical digital output though.)

Above in mind I am conscious this might have something to do with either/both of the following?;
- the way the USB-MIDI driver is set up. Do I need to change any settings for input/output? I'm using default settings in the driver right now, also, the UW is the only device showing in the driver options' device list (I guess as the MU is no longer being connected to the PC using USB).
- during CBX driver install process, several pop-up messages appear:
i) near the start of installation I was informed that there is no COM port on my PC (duh, it's a modern PC that uses USB). You can click OK button to get past this pop-up though...
ii) then I'm given a window to ask which COM port I want to use, of which there is just one option (COM 1). I clicked OK on that and...
iii) then I'm asked if I want to use one or multiple MIDI output ports - I guess one is the correct option, through I have tried both just in case.
iv) then a pop-up advising to select PC-2 port on tone module, also, to connect TO HOST port of tone module to COM port of PC... I click OK on that and...
v) then a final pop-up advising the driver has been successfully installed, with a query of whether I want to restart the PC now or later.
Above in mind I'm starting to wonder if I need any USB/COM conversion hardware... though this could be a red herring.

If this keeps persisting I may go back to the USB/MIDI interface cable I was using and take up another USB port on my PC again, and/or, look into a different USB audio interface. Prefer not to of course.

Many thanks for reading and for any advice.
SuperDeadite
Posts: 1000
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:31 pm

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by SuperDeadite »

AAA wrote:Update -
My 8-pin Mini DIN cable arrived and I've used that to connect UW-->MU.
This said I'm struggling to send MIDI data from UW to MU (trying to send MIDI data to UW from PC via USB). I have tried this with both the XM6 Type G emulator (trying different output port of UW, in emulator MIDI settings), and through the test tone feature of Yamaha USB-MIDI Driver.
Any advice?

Some more context;
- Input Select on rear of UW is set to DIGITAL.
- Host Select on rear of MU is set to PC-2 (I have tried Mac as well).
- I am able to play MIDI files from MU's SmartMedia card, through the UW. I'm glad the MU2000 sequencer is useful ha! The output music can be heard in two ways:
i) from my PC (recording options for UW in Windows have 'Listen to this device' checked, and my TV is set to be the playback device, which sends audio to my AV receiver by eARC. [Audio is I presume being transmitted from UW to PC over USB.])
ii) from the analogue audio input on my receiver, that I have the UW connected to. Audio quality through this method isn't as good as is for method i).
(sidenote: I can't get audio output from UW optical digital output though.)

Above in mind I am conscious this might have something to do with either/both of the following?;
- the way the USB-MIDI driver is set up. Do I need to change any settings for input/output? I'm using default settings in the driver right now, also, the UW is the only device showing in the driver options' device list (I guess as the MU is no longer being connected to the PC using USB).
- during CBX driver install process, several pop-up messages appear:
i) near the start of installation I was informed that there is no COM port on my PC (duh, it's a modern PC that uses USB). You can click OK button to get past this pop-up though...
ii) then I'm given a window to ask which COM port I want to use, of which there is just one option (COM 1). I clicked OK on that and...
iii) then I'm asked if I want to use one or multiple MIDI output ports - I guess one is the correct option, through I have tried both just in case.
iv) then a pop-up advising to select PC-2 port on tone module, also, to connect TO HOST port of tone module to COM port of PC... I click OK on that and...
v) then a final pop-up advising the driver has been successfully installed, with a query of whether I want to restart the PC now or later.
Above in mind I'm starting to wonder if I need any USB/COM conversion hardware... though this could be a red herring.

If this keeps persisting I may go back to the USB/MIDI interface cable I was using and take up another USB port on my PC again, and/or, look into a different USB audio interface. Prefer not to of course.

Many thanks for reading and for any advice.
CBX driver is only for directly connecting MU to PC serial (com) port. Don't even install it if you are connecting to UW500.
1. MU2000 input switch must always be set to MAC when connected to UW500.
2. UW must be fully booted before you turn on MU. (Wait for the USB indicator light to turn green).
3. Change Windows settings so that it sends MIDI data to the correct MIDI port.
Yamaha UW500-1 = UW's DIN5 MIDI out (Easy place to plug in the CM-64)
Yamaha UW500-2 through 6 are the TOTG ports
4. So for normal use, set Windows to Yamaha UW500-2.

Note, Windows 8 and later removed the ability to actually change the default Windows MIDI port. So unless you run Win7 or older, you will need to install something like CoolSoft MIDI Mapper in order to change the default Windows port. If you want to just test that everything is working, try GZDoom. It doesn't care about the Windows default MIDI port, and will allow you to select from all available MIDI ports in it's sound options.
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

Thank you very much.
OK I rebooted PC with MIDI stuff all off, and uninstalled CBX driver. After rebooting I then installed CoolSoft MIDI Mapper and set output port to UW500-2, then turned on UW and waited for green light, then turned on MIDI modules (MU input was set to MAC before powering on).
Still no audio from the MU I'm afraid.
I got GZdoom (nice testing program btw) and went through all the MIDI options - it plays the CM-64 (in what sounds like MT-32 mode) from port UW500-1, however ports 2-6 don't give any audio.
As a further check I ran XM6 Type G and couldn't get MU audio from port 2 there either. XM6 let me change the UW MIDI port and override what CoolSoft MIDI Mapper had - even when CoolSoft is set to output from port 2 of UW, having UW port 1 as MIDI output port in XM6, gives me audio from the CM-64.
SuperDeadite
Posts: 1000
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:31 pm

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by SuperDeadite »

Sounds like your TOTG cable is wired wrong then. I have heard that Roland and Yamaha pinouts are different, but have never used the Roland type myself. I own the full Hello! Music! 2000 Audio package which was MU2000+UW500+ software and all cables needed.

Cool Soft just overrides the Windows default port. XM6, GZDoom etc ignore Windows default and use their own settings.

Edit: Did some checking, and I think the issue is that you appear to be using a straight cable. MIDI is one directional and therefore you need a crossover cable.
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

Yes it's a straight cable. My thoughts did turn to the cable so thanks for confirming. Sounds like a custom cable is needed... a quick poke around the web isn't revealing much as to the necessary pinout. Will keep looking - any other 'leads'(!) appreciated.
Last edited by AAA on Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SuperDeadite
Posts: 1000
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 5:31 pm

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by SuperDeadite »

Here you go:
Yamaha MAC male to male minidin8
Image
AAA
Posts: 161
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:02 am
Location: London, UK

Re: Trouble with X68k emulation in Windows 10

Post by AAA »

Thanks a lot for the pinout diagram, SuperDeadite.
I've had a couple of goes at building a cable, and while I know I have the right components etc., I'm not sure my soldering skills are up to much as I just couldn't get it to work. In the end I've picked up another usb audio interface, which is doing what I need it to ref taking, mixing and outputting the various digital and analogue inputs.
It's working great! Looking forward to getting stuck into some more games.
Thanks again for all the help on this.
Post Reply