XLR-USB, possible to make??

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XLR-USB, possible to make??

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July 29, 2008 at 10:35 pm

#694263
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junglist1234

@junglist1234

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I’m needin an XLR-USB cable to connect my midi keyboard to the pc coz I cant afford a decent sound card with an XLR input/output.

Looked how much they are ont t’internet and theyr bout £25!

I’m guessin I’d need drivers n stuff but I’m sure they wouldn’t be too hard to find.

I know a bit about normal cables but not USB ones. Can you fuck about with them and stick different stuff on em or is it too complicated?
July 30, 2008 at 9:41 am

#908184
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

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sheffield-junglist;229373 wrote:

I’m needin an XLR-USB cable to connect my midi keyboard to the pc coz I cant afford a decent sound card with an XLR input/output.

what are you trying to get at, audio signal from the keyboard (like a m-audio with built in sampler) or control the thing via midi?

MIDI is usually presented on 5 pin DIN plugs and sockets. they are similar in concept to XLR but smaller – in my youth they were commonly found on hi-fi equipment and were once used to connect keyboards to old PC’s but are rarely seen today.

Quote:

I know a bit about normal cables but not USB ones. Can you fuck about with them and stick different stuff on em or is it too complicated?

how much skills with electronics do you have? ever programmed a computer?

I wouldn’t say its “too complicated” – nothing is if you put your mind and sufficient time to it..

but to start off with you may be better off spending the £25…

otherwise you will need about £150-£200 worth of test/lab kit to make stuff to interface to computers, including a binocular microscope as components are way smaller than when I last was doing serious hardware stuff about 10-20 years ago… and you will need to write your own drivers!
July 30, 2008 at 10:32 am

#908189
1

junglist1234

@junglist1234

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General Lighting;229411 wrote:

what are you trying to get at, audio signal from the keyboard (like a m-audio with built in sampler) or control the thing via midi?

MIDI is usually presented on 5 pin DIN plugs and sockets. they are similar in concept to XLR but smaller – in my youth they were commonly found on hi-fi equipment and were once used to connect keyboards to old PC’s but are rarely seen today.

how much skills with electronics do you have? ever programmed a computer?

I wouldn’t say its “too complicated” – nothing is if you put your mind and sufficient time to it..

but to start off with you may be better off spending the £25…

otherwise you will need about £150-£200 worth of test/lab kit to make stuff to interface to computers, including a binocular microscope as components are way smaller than when I last was doing serious hardware stuff about 10-20 years ago… and you will need to write your own drivers!

Well I were wantin a midi controller so yeh: to control the thing via midi!

Hmmm… thing you said about the 5 pin plug, never seen em in a midi keyboard before, the one ma sisters got which I would be usin has just got the normal 3-pin XLR:crazy:

And naah I know quite a lot about computers but only a very little about programmin. Started to learn C++ ages ago but gave up on it.

By the sounds of it, it would be a lot harder to try than its worth and I definately wont be able to do it!

Aah well just have to fork out the £25 or get an external sound card!

Cheers generallighting, is there anythin you don’t know:weee:
July 30, 2008 at 10:40 am

#908185
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

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sheffield-junglist;229415 wrote:

Hmmm… thing you said about the 5 pin plug, never seen em in a midi keyboard before, the one ma sisters got which I would be usin has just got the normal 3-pin XLR:crazy:

:crazy_diz

99% of all MIDI equipment has 5 pin DIN connectors. At least it did last time I was helping people set stuff like this up and that was only about 4-5 years ago…

I’d post up the model number of the keyboard and/or check exactly what sort of interface you have got. Whilst MIDI can be sent over XLR cable usually this is done with a (expensive) signal booster box for live performances, so longer cable runs can be used..

Quote:

Cheers generallighting, is there anythin you don’t know:weee:

the pinout to that “MIDI” interface for a start… you may think you know stuff but there’s always something new to learn,

there’s still plenty I need to learn or re-learn (been dealing a lot with C and interfacing PC’s to telephones and it has been 6 months solid work to get a working system)
July 30, 2008 at 11:13 am

#908186
1

BioTech

@biotech

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I must admit I would have said it wasn’t possible to interface USB and XLR for the purposes of MIDI communication.

ShefJ: It sounds like a very strange MIDI interface if it looks like an XLR connection. Have you got a pic?

The majority of midi controllers/keyboards these days can use USB-USB for MIDI aswell as the standard MIDI connections. You can pick up a half decent keyboard for £50 – £100.

Check this out for £50 (provided you don’t mind using a small octave range (which can be shifted of course)

http://www.dv247.com/invt/31117/

If you were planning to spend £25 on a cable it might be worth spending another £25 and getting the above depending on whether your current keyboard is a bit dated or not really suited to the task.
July 30, 2008 at 11:28 am

#908190
1

junglist1234

@junglist1234

Member
BioTech;229424 wrote:

I must admit I would have said it wasn’t possible to interface USB and XLR for the purposes of MIDI communication.

ShefJ: It sounds like a very strange MIDI interface if it looks like an XLR connection. Have you got a pic?

The majority of midi controllers/keyboards these days can use USB-USB for MIDI aswell as the standard MIDI connections. You can pick up a half decent keyboard for £50 – £100.

Check this out for £50 (provided you don’t mind using a small octave range (which can be shifted of course)

http://www.dv247.com/invt/31117/

If you were planning to spend £25 on a cable it might be worth spending another £25 and getting the above depending on whether your current keyboard is a bit dated or not really suited to the task.

Naah tis possible to get XLR-USB for midi communication.

Oh yeh I’ve just checked and I was talking complete bollocks, it is a 5-pin one:laugh_at::you_crazy

Yeh its rete annoyin that mine hasnt got a USB port. Ma mates does and I know the kind of thing you are on about.

(been dealing a lot with C and interfacing PC’s to telephones and it has been 6 months solid work to get a working system)

Sounds rete complicated:crazy:

Rete then it looks like I’ll have to get that keyboard that you showed me:weee:

When I’ve finished throwing money at my sound system that is.
July 30, 2008 at 2:14 pm

#908187
1

BioTech

@biotech

Member
@sheffield-junglist 229427 wrote:

Naah tis possible to get XLR-USB for midi communication.

Definitely for simple audio transmission but for midi communication it suprises me seeing as XLR’s are essentially a simple positive/negative 3 pin connection (the first being the ground/sleeve)

I would have thought MIDI would be more complicated as it transports data. However, I’m the first to admit that I have no real idea how data cables work so I’m definitely bowing down to GL’s superior knowledge here.
July 30, 2008 at 3:09 pm

#908188
1

elretardo87

@elretardo87

Member
Thats what you want. Don’t get a bodge lead as they are usually designed for joysticks not for music and are shite.
July 30, 2008 at 10:44 pm

#908191
1

junglist1234

@junglist1234

Member
elretardo87;229460 wrote:

Thats what you want. Don’t get a bodge lead as they are usually designed for joysticks not for music and are shite.

aye thats the kind of thing I’m on about. as I sed before, its not an XLR like I thought, its one of those 5-pin ones. Yeh I’ll just buy one!
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