MIDI Timing and PC soundcards

[Brad Sanders]

"List, Christopher" <Chris.List at sc.siemens.com> was saying...

>Mikko's is the most accurate description I've read so far of windows
>timing issues. The point that I think most people have missed is that
>Windows ***doesn't want*** you to have low level control of the machine
>- for security and stability reasons. That's why an OS like WinNT
>doesn't allow the kind of 16-bit processes that Win95 does - because
>WinNT is more secure. WinNT is more "strict" in it's multi-tasking, and
>it handles 16bit code differently from Win95, and is not very good for
>sequencing. 

Oh, c'mon.. it's not that bad. A 486 mobo now is like $30, RAM for the
old things is practically free, and a MIDI sound card is... $18?

You don't even need a video card or keyboard once you get the software
done (it's very easy to replace the BIOS on these things). Get an old
Borland Pascal compiler, an old 486 mobo, an old 200MB hard drive, and
an old power supply and build the sequencer from hell - just use that
shiny new ultraGHz PII to twiddle the knobs and flip the switches. In
fact, if you use the cool new internet-friendly DOS then building your
"control panel" becomes nothing more than writing a web page...

I once made a data acquisition front end (8 channels, simultaneous
sampling via the parallel port) with a resolution of just a few uS (or
mV, depending on what one was after) - and all it cost was a 555 timer
and a handfull of comparators. Old PCs NEVER die.. they just turn into
VIC 20s.