DrBunsen

How hard could it be to reverse engineer these old carts? The Roland ones go for about $60 for 64k of storage. That's just ridiculous. I'd be highly tempted to buy one, clone it and release a freeware rebuild plan based on modern parts. If I had a clue about stuff like that :)

Read 136 times it says at the top there :) Ditto - analogue drum nut here. One Simmons SDS-8 triggered from a 707 and a cardboard box full of SDS-V modules awaiting power supplies and extra mod knobs. A couple of tweaky old 9v preset rhythm boxes (all discrete components) awaiting circuit bending. One Mattell Synsonics. And a sharp eye on ebay... Got a bunch of bookmarks on building pads and triggers, and a box of piezos.

... err, not as yet, no ... few life situations to sort out first. Keep you all posted. Are you interested in working on something similar?

This would be great for modular builders. Sticky?

Go to ucapps.de and read the whole description for the MIDIbox FM project. The software is already written for full control of the OPL3 chip, it is handled by the Core module (PIC) and by the hardware user interface (knobs, buttons, LCD).

Have a look at the new MOTU UltraLite - $US 550 and very very close to your concept. /edit/ except of course it's all digital internally. If your all analogue version progresses, I look forward to beta-testing it And the software mixer map is just begging for cloning as a MIDIBox:

DIN Sync article at Wikipedia

If it's a PS/2 keyboard search for "PS/2 keyboard" on these forums :-)

There are lots of resources out there on the net for "interfacing and programming the PC parallel port" - Google?

Maybe change your title to include the word Protools - more people would like to know this has been achieved I'm sure :-)

There's a VST thing that will allow you to use another PC as a remote host for VSTs and VSTi's over 100MB Ethernet. Cubase and Nuendo will also let you do it over Firewire. The remote PC runs headless, you call up your VSTs from your main workstation, and the audio signal is piped to and from the remote box. Viola, extra DSP power! Okay so all this is off the top of my head, so I can't remember the actual name of the thingy, and I might have a detail or two wrong, but that's how I remember it. I always thought it would be fun thing to do with a few Mini ITX boards

Here's an older one that turned up.

This thread contains most of the links I dug up last time I searched. I started a search for the words "mixer chip" in the full message, in all forums, to see what else would show up, but I guess you can search as good as me :)

DIN Sync is just a positive DC pulse, not a particular waveform. You might have some luck with a parallel port if you have one.

Maybe this too? PAIA headphone amp Small kit, or you can look at their nice circuit diagram :) From what I read of thefRont's link, that's a line level mixer. It'll need amplifying to drive headphones.

Best mixer proposal yet! But not the only one. Have you read some of the others? This thread suggests using serial controlled audio mixer chips rather than AOUTs and VCAs. Could work out a lot cheaper, and simpler to build. There's also this one which sources a 16x16 audio matrix chip' date=' with any input to any or all outputs (but no gain control). Both threads then go on to discuss quite a few other chips. I'm not dissing your design at all! Personally, I'd love your front end attached to a simple to build and control mixer-on-a-chip, but I have no idea how the sound quality might be. It looks like you are designing for quality. Then again ... I found this external link which said ... and said many other interesting things One more thought ... DCAs?

My thoughts: a headphone amp and a "cue" button for each SID would be handy. Also, there are a few other mixer ideas floating around this forum - it might be worth doing a search for "mixer" in title.

Probably the best thing is to read the full MIDIbox-SID description at http://www.ucapps.de. Especially understand the three different ways you can build it. Step A is just a simple box containing the SIDs - all control for voice editing as well as playing notes is done over MIDI. The choice of software or hardware to control it is up to you, but there are (I think) Logic environments and Cubase mixer maps already created, as well as a Java program. If you are familiar with software synthesisers, VSTs, etc, this is like running a VST, except the control data (MIDI) goes outside your computer to the SID, and the SID makes the sound. You could also control it with a MIDI fader/knob box like a UC-16 or the knobs on a MIDI keyboard, but not all the parameters - there are too many! Step B adds a display, one knob and some buttons for menu driven voice editing Step C is a full synth front panel with loads of knobs, buttons, LEDs etc, like a Virus rack or other analog/virtual analog synth, for realtime live voice changing as you play. This gives you access to all the parameters of the MIDIbox SID, which is far more capable than the SID was stuck inside a C64! In any case, you can play notes to the SID from either a keyboard or a sequencer, the choice is yours.

Coming in late, but anyway, these features would make my System 100 sing again!

Creative Labs Vibra 16S - Model number CT2900 /edit/ NO GOOD see below Markings on YAC/YFM YAMAHA YAC516-E (edit - so this is a 16 bit DAC) 9F531N YAMAHA YMF 289B-S OPL (edit) 5323C (or 532SD or 532 SC) Can anyone tell me if these two chips will work? /edit/ This page suggests the above chips are not compatible. The DAC is 16 bit, not 12 bit, and the YMF is 48 pins SQFP, not 24 pin SOP

I'd be interested, but not till some time in the new year.

I've started a new thread here for my own thoughts on a simple x0x. It may or may not be what you're thinking, but have a look and let me know.

This is a way for beginners to learn how to work with PIC and MIOS code from the ground up, by building a very simple device. /edit/ TK, should I move this into the MIOS programming forum? Basic ideas: Instead of stripping features out of the MIDIbox SEQ to arrive at a Roland x0x clone, start simple and build in only what you need. The basic version doesn't even use MIDI. Start with 16 steps, one output. DIN sync input for timing, can be provided by the Clockbox (see below), or another drum machine (no MIDI handling required). The output is a +ve voltage pulse for triggering analogue drums. Modularise the code as much as possible to allow for expansion to future cases - ie more voices, more steps ... but Avoid feature creep - this is intended as the MIOS equivalent of a "Hello World!" program. See this thread Have a large box of pre-assembled LED matrixes, will trade for parts.

As usual, TK, your timing is perfect, pardon the pun. I've been looking into building a simple 16 step sequencer with some borrowed MIOS code recently. I've started a new thread to discuss it.

Oh for sure :) ;) I'm a Simmons fan bigtime - one SDS8 and the voice boards out of an SDS-V sleep peacefully on my workbench awaiting the sting of hot solder. Check out the Clockbox under MIOS toy of the week. And this link here implements a simple 16 step seq without even a PIC - just logic. There are good suggestions there we could use. Here is an 80 LED matrix off one core - actually 80 connections to red-green-blue LEDs but it comes to the same thing. 80 is 16 steps by 5 voices. I've been brewing a similar idea for a while. Shall we start a thread?