*daylia*

If you got a new computer with XP and a DVD player/burner, they probably left the midi connector off in order to make room for the "digital video" and "surround sound" playtoy connections. Unfortunately, the mfrs don't see midi as "important," so they don't tell you before you buy.

If that's your case, about the only way easy I've figured out to get a midi connector is to add a "full feature" soundcard. I'll note in passing that if they didn't give you a midi connector, you probably also have no place to plug in a "conventional joystick" for games, but you can get USB "game controllers" fairly easily now.

In principle, there's probably enough "versatility" in XP, with all the "multimedia" gadgets they've stuffed into it to allow you to input midi information through a USB or serial port, but I don't know of any external "midi port converter boxes/cables" that let you connect through one of the other ports so I haven't looked at what kind of "source-flops" you'd have to setup inside to do it.

There is at least one true "external soundcard" that connects thru a USB port, but it's a relatively "high-end" setup, so it's a little more expensive than some options. ( Soundblaster Extigy $149 US List.) Not a recommendation, but to let you know what's available. Note that you can probably find significantly lower prices on the web.

There are two kinds of "standard" midi connectors. One looks like a serial port connector (ovalish, with pins in two rows), except the "computer side" of a serial connector has pins that stick out at you while the computer side of the midi/joystick connector has holes for pins to stick into. The second kind is the same size and shape as the round connectors you probably have for mouse and keyboard, but has a different number of pins. Hopefully you'll find one of these.

Most new "integrated soundcard" OEM systems don't have a midi port, unless you bought one of the "musicmaker special" configurations, and even then it's "iffy."

Having a separate soundcard isn't, by itself, enough to ensure that you have a midi port. Nearly all "new" soundcards have added the DVD (digital for your videocam) and "surround sound" speaker connectors to the soundcards, so there isn't room on the soundcard backplate for a midi connector. SoundBlaster, for example, puts a second backplate in an adjacent slot as an "option" if you want the midi connector. Even though the "piggyback" backplate doesn't make any connection to the adjacent PCI slot, it prevents you from using that slot, so many OEMs omit the second plate and the midi connection. (So far as I can determine, if they left it out you can't buy the "piggyback" plate as a separate item for most soundcards.)

Another situation where the "ignorant masses" who only listen to music dictate what the market will provide to those of who have lives.

John