How can I use old MIDI devices with modern PCs?

I have a Yamaha PSR-550 keyboard. It was released in 2001 (it's as old as me!), and is equipped with MIDI ports:

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How can I use the serial MIDI port (marked to host) with my modern PCs? (They don't have serial ports, and the keyboard appears to be using a non-standard pinout)

A copy of the manual with specifications (hosted on my webserver) can be found here: https://rahul.party/files/psr550-6044.pdf

Also see this short article to learn more about the port.

rahuldottech

Posted 2018-12-30T12:32:32.110

Reputation: 5 095

MIDI Connection | How to Connect a MIDI Keyboard to a Computer – DavidPostill – 2018-12-30T12:41:04.833

Did you google your question title? If not, why not? :) – DavidPostill – 2018-12-30T12:41:34.023

@david I did, couldn't find anything about serial midi – rahuldottech – 2018-12-30T12:47:34.480

So what's stopping you using the midi out port? – DavidPostill – 2018-12-30T12:50:21.593

@david the fact that there are no cheap USB→MIDI cables available in India. Also, I'd like to learn how one might go about using the serial port regardless, since it obviously exists for a reason. – rahuldottech – 2018-12-30T12:53:29.213

You can buy a serial to USB adapter. Note "Some old synth models (mainly by Yamaha) have a To Host connector that allows to connect the synth to serial port (COM, RS-232) of computer. As with USB connection, for the synth to function as a MIDI keyboard in this case, it requires a driver which usually comes with the synth.

This connection method is currently obsolete since the physical-level connection itself is obsolete — due to extremely low data-transfer rate, most of modern computers are not equipped with the serial interface (somewhen it has been used to connect a mouse)." – DavidPostill – 2018-12-30T12:53:50.503

Answers

Electrically, the "To Host" port uses RS-232 signals (when in PC mode), so you could connect it to any COM port with a simple cable.

However, the drivers that make this port available as a MIDI port are quite old, and work only with ISA(-compatible) COM ports integrated on the PC motherboard. So unless you have such an old PC, the only reasonable way is to use a USB/MIDI adapter instead.

CL.

Posted 2018-12-30T12:32:32.110

Reputation: 1 351

You need a USB to MiDI adapter. I have used this one and can personally say it works with my Casio and Yamaha keyboards.

You will also need MIDI software, such as Anvil Studio. I have used the free version of Anvil Studio and can also say it works with the MIDI adapter and my keyboards.

Keltari

Posted 2018-12-30T12:32:32.110

Reputation: 57 019

The linked adapter has no optocoupler, and does not support receiving running status or SysEx messages. – CL. – 2018-12-30T13:09:18.760