MIDI input quality WILL be independent of sound card, because it is not music. It is just a binary file of commands to play music, and will be copied in the same way as, say, a text document.

This also applies to the MIDI output. You can plug the MIDI OUT to an external sound module and the sound quality will depend only on THAT. It is only the AUDIO output which will be of variable quality.

(Btw, The Game port kit was mentioned earlier in the thread)