Using Keyspan SXPro Serial Interface

[cornutt]

Good evening folks. It's great to have a forum for Metro users!

My problem: I have a stubborn streak that keeps me using an MOTU Micro Express serial MIDI interface. (I originally bought it to use with a Power Computing 120, aka "The Space Heater".) For the past year I've been running Metro 5 under 9.2 with a Keyspan SXPro serial card in my G4, with the MOTU box plugged into that. This has worked great, but it's time to move up to X. Last night I installed 10.2, and I finally qualified my Metro 6 upgrade (purchased several months ago) today.

Now the problem: I'm trying to figure out how to tell Audio MIDI setup to look at the Keyspan serial ports. There doesn't seem to be any way to do it; there's no buttons or icons for adding an interface. I take it that it is supposed to scan the available ports and busses and find the interface automatically. Assuming that the Keyspan driver has properly registered its ports, is there a way to do this? Is anyone running a setup with a SXPro card under Jaguar?

[Jerm]

Cornutt,

I too have an SX 4 pro card which works for MIDI, only under OS 9. They have OS X drivers but that is not the problem. The problem is that there are no (that I know of) serial drivers for CoreMIDI except for one written by Griffin Technology (I think) specifically for their device which plugs into the modem slot of some specific iMac.

I may not have all of this information 100% correct but it is close.

If you get it working I would like to know. We have a couple of MIDI time pieces idle to OS X.

[Scoot]

I think I've almost got such a system to work.


I downloaded the griffin bits that were mentioned by Jerm.

I have a yamaha xg synth connected to in/out midi cables, going into a MIDI translator II from opcode (ancient serial interface), running off into a keyspan twin serial to USB interface and then into the Mac.

The gPort midi setup was required as well as the gPort software from the griffen site. The second part gives you a midi port to recognise and a communication speed to select.

Metro does show the Yamaha now as a PORT to choose from even though the gPort isn't really there......the software seems to work anyway.

I know that data is being transmitted because the opcode device has a red and green in/out set of LEDs which is producing an in signal when hitting keys on the synth so I think its near to working.


I have a composite of 2 screen snapshots at www.kattsgifts.co.nz/metro.html showing the audio midi setup, the gPort setup on top, metro's graphic editor on top of that showing that the Yamaha is selected as the port and then a part of the synth's setup from the second snapshot.

I think I just need to know how to configure the 'Yamaha' and the 'standard interface' in the OSX Audio Midi Setup.


Maybe as a group we can work out how to get it to work.

[Jerm]

Your configuration looks ok. Which port is the serial->USB adapter on?

I thought the driver required the gPort. If you were to get that working that would be pretty incredible.

[Scoot]

Which port is it on?

It is plugged into the spare USB port on the back of the mac.

I remember in OS9 it would not 'drive' off the USB ports on the keyboard. I have an original G4 before the USB power voltage was raised to power external speakers etc.....(quicksilver and beyond).

It took a few attempts to get the transmit light to show life so I know its nearly there. Doing it does cause the modem not to ring out until I remove the gPort driver......then again I can type here from OS9.


Another thought......the keyspan appears as a option on the OSX 'Network' and gives you options to select isp and phone numbers as if it was a modem. This is the way it worked under 9 and when it was in use my modem said the port was always busy.


Can Metro in any way 'see' a modem port or see the options of the OSX network? That might be a way to remove the gPort software altogether.

second picture now up on above link showing network