Buying a MIDI Sound Card or MIDI to USB Adapter

A MIDI capable sound card or MIDI-to-USB adapter can be used to connect electronic instruments and other audio equipment to your computer. Sound cards of this type, which can be identified by the 15-pin MIDI port, are available for both PCI and ISA internal expansion slots. A MIDI to USB adapter can be an easier to install (but somewhat more expensive) option for many computers, and a combination modem and MIDI sound card should be considered in some situations.

If your computer has one or more free USB ports and a non-MIDI sound card (or built-in sound on the motherboard) already installed, a MIDI to USB adapter should be considered. This device takes input and output to/from MIDI equipment and converts it to a USB cable which plugs into your computer. Unlike a MIDI sound card, it doesn’t require opening up the computer to install and won’t occupy an expansion slot. If you haven’t used the USB ports before on an older computer, try to make sure they are set up to function before purchasing a MIDI to USB adapter. Some, mostly older, operating systems do not support USB ports, such as Windows 95A and 3.x; some USB/MIDI adapters require newer operating systems like Windows XP and don’t supply drivers for older versions. Most MIDI to USB adapter units can be purchased on eBay.com for about $14-23 (including S/H), along with some other online shopping websites.

On the other hand, if you want to save a few dollars, your computer lacks USB capability, it doesn’t have any sound card, or you want to conserve desk space, an internal MIDI capable sound card may be preferable to the above-mentioned USB adapter. Depending upon the type of motherboard and already-occupied expansion slots, you may need a PCI, 16-bit ISA, or 8-bit ISA card. Some newer computers lack ISA slots, while many older computers don’t have PCI. Most computers with ISA slots have the newer, long 16-bit AT slots, while some 286 and pre-286 computers (mostly manufactured before 1993) have short 8-bit XT slots (some old cards, which are harder to find, fit in these).

A few examples of such cards include the Creative ES1373 (PCI), Siig Soundwave 5.1 (PCI), and AOPEN FX-3D (16-bit ISA). Unlike a USB adapter, some of these can be used with DOS or early versions of Windows. PCI sound cards of this type can be purchased at newegg.com and RadioShack.com, and PCI or ISA cards are available on eBay, often for only $9-15 (including S/H costs). They generally cost somewhat less than MIDI to USB adapter units, but are more difficult to install, although it shouldn’t be very hard if you have experience upgrading computers.

Finally, another option is a combination MIDI sound card and internal modem. This is a good choice if your computer has run out of free expansion slots and has a modem card installed, or if it currently needs both a sound card and modem. An example of this is the Aztech AT6800W, which fits in a 16-bit ISA expansion slot.

Overall, the right MIDI sound installation option to choose depends upon your computer’s expansion slot types, which slots are already occupied, the operating system being used, the amount of money you are willing to spend, and your skill at upgrading computers.