Amiga MIDI on the MIST FPGA
Today I decided to take a quick look at the MIDI functionality on the MIST FPGA system. I had assumed it was included to work with the Atari ST core only, but as I found out the MIDI ports work perfectly well on the Amiga core too!
Those who have been following my blog for a while would have seen my original coverage of the MIST system here, which I bought from amigastore.eu, and of course I had it on display at the Adelaide Retro Computing Group meeting this month.
I decided to hook up my trusty Yamaha MIDI keyboard to the MIST to try things out:
For those following my blog from the beginning would know this keyboard from when I tested MIDI using AmigaOS 4.1 on the AmigaOne X1000 way back here.
In this case though, I am using Workbench 3.1 on the MIST with the keyboard connected via MIDI cables. I then fired up Bars & Pipes Professional to try out an example MIDI song:
I am very pleased to report it works perfectly. You don't need to take my word for it though, I uploaded a YouTube video showing it running MIDI from the MIST so you can hear it for yourself:
Have to admit it was kind of nostalgic getting this working as I used to use MIDI on the Amiga 2000HD (which I still have) with this keyboard back in the early 1990's.
At that time I was using Sequencer One, a freebie on an Amiga Format cover disk. So, suitably nostalgic, I decided to try that out next:
I am pleased to report Sequencer One worked really well also with the MIST MIDI ports and my keyboard - no configuration needed:
I then tried out Octamed Soundstudio, which required MIDI output to be turned on in the settings to work, but then worked fine - Octamed can convert .MID files on the fly, meaning I could try out more songs I had in .MID file format:
Last but not least I tried out Music-X, which I had never used before but was pleasantly surprised how nice it was.
I think I might have to play with MIDI some more on the MIST when I have some more time!
For now though I am very happy that MIDI support on the MIST works so well using the Amiga Minimig AGA core. Another great reason to own a MIST!