My name is Mario Multimedia enthusiast since the early 90s, proud owner of several old Macintosh :
 iconic  Classic  68000,  powerpc  8100 with  maxpower G3 card and  powerbook g3 "wallstreet" computers in perfect working order... running System 9 

 

Wow. I am officially impressed with your concept and your ambition!

A couple of notes…

* It may not matter BUT I started using Opcode Sequencer (forerunner of Vision) on a Mac Plus a century or so ago. I am almost certain I used a version of OMS to talk to an early Opcode MIDI interface and later a Studio Three, then Four, then 5LX. I never used Apple MIDI Manager. That OMS version was on a floppy disk and ran fine on the 68000 Plus. This may not matter at all to your setup but I thought I should mention it. The issue may be that the HyperMIDI won't recognize OMS and not so much it won't run on a 68000(?)

** The reason for attaching the serial cable shield at one end only is to prevent a ground loop from occurring when connecting multiple devices together. It's usually NOT an issue with a simple computer-to-interface setup BUT with all of the stuff you're interconnecting here I would change my recommendation to connecting the shield on one end only. It's there to ground out EMI "airborne" interference and will work fine connected on one (probably best the computer) end only.

*** I'm just a little concerned about sync here. Both interfaces are MTC-capable and the MOTU especially is pretty versatile but I doubt they'll sync with SMPTE. The SMPTE-outs on both are intended for striping audio tape rather than synchronizing multiple units together. The Studio Four typically would receive SMPTE from tape, convert that to MIDI Time Code and feed that back to the computer over one of the two serial lines to allow Vision or such to slave to the tape machine. That does NOT work in reverse with a computer generating MTC and the interface converting that back to SMPTE so that anything can be a master clock. It would seem you will nonetheless need to generate time code from one source and distribute it to where it's needed.

Perhaps (and I hope) you already have a handle on how to make everything play nice together here…
Progress reports are encouraged!

Gary

Hi,  so  today I hope to be able to go  to the technician with cables and plugs to  have him solder  this  damned crossed cable according to your  invaluable suggestion  (without which I would still be stuck in quicksand).
Hypercard, in combination with HyperMIDI Stack, allows that wonderful tool that was Hypercard to communicate with a MIDI interface. (Among the many mistakes Apple has made, I would certainly put the abandonment of Hypercard development on the podium.)

However, HyperMIDI runs up to 7.5. So: a wonderful 1991 Mac Classic that I have jealously preserved (completely recapped recently)
runs Hypercard connected to an Opcode Studio 4  (the Opcode Studio 4 can communicate with Apple MIDI Manager without OMS on the Classic 68000, which is not compatible).

 The Studio 4 has one output to a DoreMIDI interface (which converts MIDI to DMX) and one output to 8100 with MOTU MTP AV, which runs Digital Performer 2.7.2 with a Roland JV1010.
I recently added a PowerBook G3 Wallstreet (the latest model with serial ports).

Classic and 8100 (or now Wallstreet) can act as either master or slave, as the interfaces are also equipped with SMPTE.

Interact with the Hypercard cards as an “oracle” that generates events, responses, sounds, and DMX commands for RGB moving heads. All in sync.
An ambient-retro multimedia experience, where the audience enters a living operating system. Sounds, lights, and interactions merge into a sensory narrative guided by vintage technology and contemporary vision.

The individual pieces all work, but without this fucking cable, the "chain is broken".

Hi Mulligatwny,
Welcome to the forum !

Having a first with older hardware is as thrilling as with new and less expensive
Happy discovery !

I just thought my first post should be to say hi, so hello everyone!
I found the site after looking for a download of OS9 to put on my first Mac

...My project aims to revive old technology, Hypercard, which controls a MIDI-to-DMX converter via sequencer to recapture the multimedia spirit of the early 90s.

Wow… now I'm intrigued. You have a Hypercard stack with a sequencer… or that follows a sequencer to control a MIDI > DMX converter? Does that run on a Mac along with a sequencer app somehow?
I could have really used such a thing 25 years ago when I had a sequencer-augmented band.

You know, even an old teacher can learn to solder… old dog > new trick 

Let me know what happens. 

PS. Thanks to Marl3n3, I remembered what I had re: the saga of Mini-DIN cables.
More than you ever wanted to know is here:https://whitefiles.org/tec/pgs/h10b.htm

Don't feel bad. This is simple but has tripped up countless numbers of users over the years.

Gary, didn't you bail me out with this same info a few months ago?  You're Crossover Cable Batman!

Actually I've been in the weeds of a bunch of retro tech noobery this whole year and that cable problem was probably the worst thing.  It just really does not jump out at you if you're depending on the original 1st party manuals.

Monumental post! This story about the correct wiring of serial ports has solved and clarified “MONTHS” of frustration and time and money wasted on the wrong cables for pin-to-pin connections.

...My project aims to revive old technology, Hypercard, which controls a MIDI-to-DMX converter via sequencer to recapture the multimedia spirit of the early 90s. It's as if Laurie Anderson and certain influences from Brian Eno had come together 35 years later.
Unfortunately, I've been bogged down in technical hardware mud for months.

And no, unfortunately I can't solder, I'm now an old history teacher.

If this fucking cable works, I'll put you in my personal credits :-)

Thank!
Mario

Try not to overthink this.

If you have the cable you pictured with the bare ends:
The pic is showing you looking at the outside end of the plug. Therefore,

On the "new" plug the wires will attach as:

1---Brown
2---Black
3---Yellow
4---Orange
5---Red
6---Purple
7---Blue
8---Green

There should be tiny pin numbers inside the new plug

The shield (sock) can be attached on one end or both. Personally, I prefer both with these.

So:
1 and 2 are crossed over
3 and 5 are crossed over
6 and 8 are crossed over
4 and 7 are NOT crossed over

It's not that difficult to solder one of these plugs but it does require (1) a small vise to hold the plug, (2) a small fine-tipped soldering iron because the pins are so close together and (3) patience.

No sweat… right?