Midi-fication (with no USB or joysick ports)

[i978]

Hi all,

Wonder if anyone can advise me. I need to connect a midi keyboard to my laptop (Compaq Presario 900). Problem is the USB ports are fried & there's no joystick port. I do have a PCMCIA slot but its being used by my soundcard (Echo io), so i cant use it to install new usb ports. Can I connect midi using the printer port (somehow)? Any other ideas?

[e/did\t]

buy a new pcmcia soundcard with midi! like a rme

[i978]

if only i could! I'm trying to avoyd buying a new soundcard:
I'm a bit poor at the moment
I'm just looking for a cheap and cheerful temporary solution (doesn't even have to work particularly well)

[jspr]

i guess it will not work for your current setup......

no money = no midi

[i978]

I must say that is a bit of a defeatist attitude! Besides, i didn't say I have no money, just not enough right now for any card worth buying.

[jspr]

I must say that is a bit of a defeatist attitude! Besides, i didn't say I have no money, just not enough right now for any card worth buying.

what do you want me to say? it's nothing but the truth

without investing in gear you wont get the abillity to use Midi.

[isa]

Problem is the USB ports are fried

How can you burn usb ports? What the hell did you do to them? I heard some cases about this happening to firewire ports when hotplugging, but on usb?

[i978]

The USB ports just shorted out. Apparently a common problem with Compaq 900's - flawed design I guess. Perhaps the word "fried" is not the most appropriate to use.