Borland Cat is not a Cat

I bought my USB midi interface device in Singapore two years ago. Since then I can comfortably create or edit my midi files using the PC or directly from my Yamaha general midi keyboard. Before that I use my own built midi interface device to connect my PC to the keyboard. I searched in the internet and got one simple midi project there with detailed diagram but some electronic components are not available in our country so I used substitution parts as replacement to the original one. The midi/game port of my Yamaha XG PCI sound card is the one communicating with the keyboard (midi-in/out). The most sensitive device in making your own midi interface is the opto device. This is an electrical-to-optical or optical-to-electrical transducer chip that isolates the PC and the keyboard from electrical contact and it is also use light to transfer the electrical signal to the other end.

The result of my midi project is somewhat ok but from time to time I experiencing hang-up and end up resetting the keyboard and sometimes the midi application program –or both! Another problem is almost all modern x86 motherboards with built in sound chip doesn’t have midi/game port. Thanks! There is USB midi interface available in the market today. I’m using midi visual editor software to perfectly reproduce every sound of instruments in making my midi files. One nice thing about this hobby is that even you are not a good pianist or keyboardist you can learn to create your piece by yourself by just the aid of mouse since there is no scripting or coding knowledge is needed.