[Budget DC-DC Step-Down Converter for MB6582]

Apologies for the suspense, but I struggle to find a few free minutes sometimes... 

Good news is, they test perfectly under minimal load on a breadboard.

Not sure when I’ll have a chance to test one in an actual build though.

 

[[SOLD] Two sammichSIDs]

Seems like there are no takers here in the forum, so I'd like to try to sell these through another channel if possible.

Any concerns with that?

 

Thanks,

-Darrell

 

 

[Cost of Building a MB-6582 Today, with either Premium or Economic Components]

To add some more context to this topic, I’m sharing the full side-by-side comparison as an Excel doc.

The BOM reference is for a complete MB-6582 build, with two sets of sourcing options (one using mostly premium components from Mouser and the other uses more economical alternatives, from the likes of AliExpress, eBay, Amazon and elsewhere). 
 

_MB 6582 BOM - Economy vs Premium Build Cost Comparison - Oct 2020.xlsx

The short of it is, you can make a complete MB-6582 today for around $513 USD, when you only consider the costs for required BOM components. However your total out of pocket expenses will actually be significantly higher, because you'll need to buy in bulk to get better volume prices (e.g., closer to $1,127 USD). This obviously means that after the build, you’ll have plenty of spares sitting around for your next build or another project. 

For a premium build, which uses real SIDs (8580 R5s), panels from FPE / Shaeffer and components sourced mostly through Mouser, your BOM will run closer to $1,221 USD. In this case, out of pocket expenses would come in closer to $1,661 USD, which means you'll still have plenty of spare parts left over, but far fewer than with the more economic option above.

There are obviously many other sourcing and bulk volume options that can be considered and all of them would have an impact on these numbers, so consider this to be some type of rough guidance.

Hope you find it as useful as I did when planning your own build(s)...

Cheers,

-Darrell

 

[Budget DC-DC Step-Down Converter for MB6582]

These just came in the mail... Will try to make time to test soon...

 

[Cost of Building a MB-6582 Today, with either Premium or Economic Components]

Yeah, it requires a bit of extra legwork with each and every purchase to find the best deal.

I’m not always willing to price compare for the smaller one-offs, but for larger BOMs in the ~$100+ USD range, the saves you can find are usually worth the extra effort.

 

[SID "Clones" List/Sources/Experiences]

10 hours ago, Rio said:

I tested it with my real sids with the mbsidv2 .. it worked.

 

I’m guessing that SID playback should work, since that already works well to a MB-6582 or sammichSID using MIDI Patchbay and TK’s ASID mod for SIDPlayer.

 

However, using MIDI encapsulation to manage the ARM2SID config is an altogether different animal...

Waiting for a window of free time to give this a try though...

Cheers
 

 

[Cost of Building a MB-6582 Today, with either Premium or Economic Components]

For the most part, I've been sourcing my components from either Mouser and or Digikey, but lately I've started placing one-off bulk orders with AliExpress.

You can typically find what appear to be great prices on larger quantities of discreet component, but then there's always that large shipping fee (at least to the US) and the significant wait time for deliveries (which typically take 4-12 weeks in my experience).

So, I decided to take a look at some of the components I need for a particular BOM and compare the actual costs, side-by-side:

In each case, I tried to source the cheapest components from reputable suppliers with the most positive reviews and feedback.

 

You'll notice that the volume and quantities aren't exactly the same for all items, since Mouser required some minimum qty. for certain items.

But in the end, the cost delta worked out to only be around 9%, so I decided to stick with Mouser for most of this order and benefit from the trusted quality and faster shipping time.

Apologies if this is stating the obvious, but the exercise was helpful for me, so I thought it was worth sharing.

 

Cheers,

-Darrell

 

[[SOLD] Two sammichSIDs]

[EDIT: Both have been sold]

 

Selling two sammichSIDs which were built earlier this year (March and May 2020).

The silver one has two 6581 R4AR SIDs and the black one has two 8580 R5s.

 

Both are running the latest MIOS 1.9h and firmware 2.044

Both come preloaded with tons of patches and ensembles from the forums and elsewhere. 

 

Happy to sell them together as a set or separately.

If you already happen to have your own SIDs I can sell them cheaper with empty sockets.

 

I’m based in the US (NYC area), so a domestic buyer would experience the fastest, cheapest and most reliable shipping. 

PM if interested...

 

 

[Selling: CNC Engraved Midibox Panels (mbseq/mb6582/etc) & Pactec PT-10 cases (for mb6582)]

On 10/23/2020 at 8:02 AM, Cyrax said:

i want a Panelset for my MB6582 Set, i am located in Germany, @dwestbury do you have a source for it?

I would suggest trying Julian's shop first: http://thebeast.co.uk/?product_cat=midibox

He’s based in the UK and he typically has panel sets ready to ship internationally.

And as I said above, his prices are the best I've seen (e.g., £80 vs £170)

 

If you want to source local to Germany (Berlin), you can try Shaeffer:

https://www.schaeffer-ag.de/en/front-panel-designer/?lang=en

 

Whichever way you go, good luck with your build and post some pics when you're done.

 

[SID "Clones" List/Sources/Experiences]

18 minutes ago, Noise-Generator said:

 

Question: Can you edit your ARMSID with Vice + Midibox via asid? Then I can add this to the Main Info.

 

I was planning to configure them using my Ultimate 64 (https://ultimate64.com/Ultimate-64)

I can certainly give the Vice + ASID thing a try (Hmmm... Interesting)

 

[[SOLD] MB-6582 with Original SmashTV PCB and 8 * SwinSID Nano]

I'm selling my first MB-6582, which has been with me for several years and has never let me down...

I just finished building a brand new MB-6582, so it's finally time to pass along the baton to someone else, who wants a pre-built system to play with and learn from.

Included are:

• 8 * SwinSID Nano Chips, which were recently assembled and they sound great IMHO (all configured to use the 8580 filter)
• 16 * 22nf metal film capacitors, just in case you want to swap in some real 8580s
• 4 * brand new PICs, flashed with BSL 1.2b, MIOS 1.9h & firmware v2.044
• Banksticks are pre-loaded with plenty of patches from TK and the rest of the MIDIBox Community 
• Using JST XH cables and connectors, which enables quick-and-easy removal and maintenance of the Control Surface
• Comes with a 12VDC 3A Power Supply compatible with 110VAC US power sources (it says it supports 240VAC, but I haven't tested that)
• Power Supply 5v regulator has been swapped from a linear 7805, which ran VERY HOT, to a nice-and-cool Recom switching regulator (e.g., https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/RECOM-Power/R-78B50-15?qs=YWgezujkI1JgY7IeN1uB3w%3D%3D)

 

I’m based in the US (NYC area), so a domestic buyer would experience the fastest, cheapest and most reliable shipping. 

PM if interested...

 

 

 

 

 

** EDIT: This has been sold **

 

[SID "Clones" List/Sources/Experiences]

Guess what showed up in the mail today, fresh from the Czech Republic?

 

 

Sound test soon...

 

[MB6582 External PSU similar to Option E]

Looks like a nice and compact design given all the flexibility it offers. Kudos
 

cheers!

 

[SID "Clones" List/Sources/Experiences]

Two quick updates:

First, I decided to order some ARM2SIDs to try out in my MB6582, so I should have them in a couple weeks, assuming all goes well with import customs, etc.

Second, it looks like Poly.play has a fresh batch of SwinSID Ultimates back in stock ~$44.50 USD (€38.02).

https://www.polyplay.xyz/SwinSID-Ultimate?jtl=v

From what I've read and heard, these sound (subjectively) closest to the real SID and they support external sound input, so you can use them with your distortion pots!

[Budget DC-DC Step-Down Converter for MB6582]

1 hour ago, m00dawg said:

Switchers vs Linear was, at one point, pretty hotly debated on these forums but it sounds like in practice it's just not that big a deal anymore. The SID itself is noisy enough in ideal conditions so yeah I think the switcher at least on the 5V rail makes a lot of sense.

Yeah, I read through some of the older forum debates, but decided to give PS Opt. E a go, with the Recom SREG and haven't looked back.

My ear doesn't pick up on any discernible noise, above what a standard 8580 SID would produce on it's own (not that I'm any kind of expert on the subject).

I went ahead and ordered some of AliEx converters, which I'll plan to take for a spin in a couple weeks :-)

 

[Connecting MB-6582 PCBs with JST XH]

On 10/12/2020 at 7:03 PM, m00dawg said:

It looks like from the photos you use regular straight and right angle SIL connectors? I noticed the linked JSTs appear to include the straight connectors but I couldn't find right angled ones. Any suggestion on options there?

I ordered the angled JST XH connectors from AliExpress, but they haven't shown up in the mail yet (usually takes about 5-6 weeks to make their way into the US from Asia).

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000029760504.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.349a4c4dKTIGpV

So, for now I'm using standard angled SIL headers, which seem to do the trick. The mount is flush and the connections are solid.

 

[Connecting MB-6582 PCBs with JST XH]

Just as I expected, the 100mm JST XH cables are a much nicer fit (and look), but what's most important is they leave enough room for the case to close properly.

Now I feel comfortable recommending this solution to anyone that's looking for quick removal access to service their control surface.

 

[Budget DC-DC Step-Down Converter for MB6582]

 

I love using the Recom DC-DC Step Down converter (r-78b5.0-1.5) in place of a standard 7805 5v regulator, with Power Supply Option E: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=wilba_mb_6582_psuopte

 

It's super efficient @ ~94%, so it doesn't require a heat sink, but it's a bit expensive @ ~$10.23 USD: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/919-R-78B5.0-1.5

 

I noticed that you can find super cheap DC-DC converters on AliExpress for only a couple bucks: https://bit.ly/36LB0q9

Clearly, they're not quite as efficient @ 76-90%, but they look like they should do the trick.

 

Any thoughts on these?

 

  

5V

Description: 

 

Input voltage 6.5~40V,output 5V

 

Maximum output current 1A

 

DC-DC Step-Down Converter module working frequency 550KHz. efficiency is 76-90% .

 

Quiescent current: about 1.5MA

 

Overtemperature shutdown, input under-voltage protection, BS-voltage protection, and short circuit protection.

 

2.54mm pin pitch,Can directly replace the L78XX  LM78XX  TO-220 IC

 

[Who is MaxB?]

Does anyone know if the guy in this video (@MaxB) is still here on the forums?

https://youtu.be/ZbJkuwY9W7k

You see, I purchased an army green MB-6582 some years ago, that looked identical to the one in the video (e.g., same panels & phillips head screws, same mixed red & green colored LEDs and knob set, etc.), so I'm like 99.5% sure it was his build.

Simply knowing that you could make such an instrument yourself, gave me the inspiration to seek out these forums and learn some electronics, so that I could eventually roll up my own sleeves and build one of these bad boys.

After studying my muse for what now seems like forever, I finally picked up a soldering iron around Christmas time 2019, and I still haven’t put it down...  :-)

So, I just want to thank MaxB for introducing me to this wonderful universe and I want to thank TK and the rest of this community for all the support that's been fueling this new addiction! 

Cheers all!

-Darrell

 

Here what she currently looks like today, with new knobs and LEDs and a few more battle scars to prove her warrior status ;-)

 

...here's a peek under the hood at some of the changes & MODs I've made...

 

Original knobs & panel screws...

 

[Connecting MB-6582 PCBs with JST XH]

Amazon is amazing. I received some samples in the mail today, within 24hrs of placing my order and with free shipping.

More importantly, I can confirm that even at the 300mm cable length, there's no discernible evidence of noise or instability in the communications between the control surface and the base PCB, over a >2hr period of testing.

 

I did wind up having to tie-wrap the cables to get the "spaghetti mess" under control and properly tucking them into the PT-10 case was a little bit clumsy.

 

I'm thinking @JohnnieBee may be right and 100mm cables will be a bit easier to manage... 

 

8 Pin JST XH Cables @ 100mm

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XKRZD7Z/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

2 Pin JST XH Cables @ 100mm

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XNTQK5M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I'll report back after some additional testing...

 

Cheers all,

-Darrell

[SID "Clones" List/Sources/Experiences]

Cheers @Noise-Generator - If I decide to give the ARM2SID a shot I'll report back.

 

[Connecting MB-6582 PCBs with JST XH]

Has anyone tried to use JST XH connectors and cables to join their MB-6582 PCBs?

They look to be about half the height of standard DuPont connectors, so they should fit nicely inside a closed PT-10 case.

Curious about the overall durability and bend radius, etc.?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XNZV995/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4uMCFb7TCFS47

 

 

[SID "Clones" List/Sources/Experiences]

Doing a little digging with the mbhp_core_v3 schematic, I can see that J14 should be accessible from the PIC's RD4 pin:

http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_core_v3.pdf

 

Following the relevant trace on the base PCB schematic shows this:

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=mb-6582:mb-6582_base_pcb_r2_color.pdf

 

Which is tied into the CS pin of U2_SIDx :

http://archive.6502.org/datasheets/mos_6582_sid.pdf

 

 

Would I need to reroute this to make an ARM2SID pair work in U1_SID1 and U2_SID1 of my MB-6582?

 

Thx,

-Darrell

 

[SIDplayer / ASID Application for OS X?]

On 9/28/2020 at 4:27 AM, johnnymeek said:

I managed to get this working, sort of. I built the to two applications and it runs, but the performance is bad.

The playback is very choppy and distorted. I think I read somewhere that this could be due the midi interface. Which interface are you using?

The streaming ASID over MIDI signal has been steady and stable for me over both my portable iRig (https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigmidi2/) and my full sized iConnectivity mioXL (https://www.iconnectivity.com/mioxl).

 

Best,

-Darrell

[Midi box sid v2 maker resquest]

On 8/12/2020 at 5:46 PM, anonyme-x22 said:

...Also when changing the volume on the VST, it doesn't seem to work, it's like a mute ?

Which VST are you using to control the sammichSID? Assume something like CTRL (for making patches) or Lemur for live MIDI control?