Wilba

Who said I was patient? Where are my damn knobs already? ;D

FYI those spacers in the eBay auction are not exactly right - I'm using threaded spacers that you can screw a screw into, rather than attach a nut to. They should work though, although it will be a little bit more tedious attaching and reattaching nuts instead of screws. Also, you will need M2.5 screws, nuts and washers for attaching the LCD to the PCB... it's a bit unfortunate that you have to buy 50 minimum (perhaps someone can share amongst other builders? Arrange a mini "bulk order" for a set of fasteners for MB-6582?)

Character PLEDs like the one I used on my original MB-6582 look fantastic, but suffer from a shorter lifetime and are prone to just stop working, perhaps the major reason for them being discontinued and practically unavailable. It was only after switching to a standard LCD that I also discovered that they introduce a significant amount of digital noise into the audio signals of an MB-SID, which I think is caused by the fast switching of the pixels (it's essentially a matrix of tiny LEDs). Since I put in the work to make the MB-6582 design use LCDs instead of PLEDs (in terms of the "taller" profile of LCDs), it makes no sense to now pursue the use of a PLED for what is just a purely cosmetic reason. If you persist regardless of my advice, I can still supply the extra PCBs so you can mount the PLED between the CS PCB and panel and the switches on top of that, instead of mounting an LCD behind the CS PCB and mounting the switches to the CS PCB (i.e. just like in my original MB-6582). But it's really not worth the effort - an LCD looks almost as good and even if it dies on you (unlikely), replacing it is relatively cheap and easy to do... the same is not true for PLEDs.

Excellent work, yet again! I must admit, I was reminded of a quote from the movie Crazy People - "Buy Volvos, They're Boxy But They're Good" <link> Very Boxy. Very good. ;D

It's been blogged... ;D http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2008/06/midibox-sid.html http://www.retrothing.com/2008/06/stunning-homebu.html

When the LCD backlight doesn't work, and the PICs don't send upload requests, and there is no sound from the SIDs, then the 5V rail is overloaded. Also, smoke coming out of the PSU is a good sign.

Nice video, but also disappointed... ;D surely it's not impossible to solder a Core in 4 minutes real-time? I might have to try it...

**CLOSED** This is #6 because: 6582 SID MEGA-SALE #1: 200 SIDs 6582 SID MEGA-SALE #2: 312 SIDs 6582 SID MEGA-SALE #3: 512 SIDs 6582 SID MEGA-SALE #4: 312 SIDs 6582 SID MEGA-SALE #5: 546 SIDs If you are already on the waiting list here: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/wilba_6582a_sid_mega_sale you're lucky, because THE WAITING LIST IS NOW CLOSED FOR NEW ENTRIES! If you wish to change your order (you want more or less SIDs), please update your entry and the total now. THE GOODS 6582 (6582A) SIDs are just like 8580 SIDs and not like 6581 SIDs. They have the filter that works best for the MB-SID V2 Bassline mode, low noise, less bugs. Look elsewhere for whether 6582/8580 is better/worse than 6581. I use eight of them in my MB-6582 MB-SID V2 Synth: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/wilba_mb_6582 (but you already knew that) THE DEAL 6582 SIDs cost AU$25 each plus postage and handling fees. I add up the exact cost of SIDs and postage in Australian dollars, and then multiply by 1.0351966873706 to add the handling fee. This means 6582 SIDs cost approximately AU$25.88 or US$24.78 or 15.74 EUR when including handling fees. Postage will be calculated as the actual cost to post, plus packaging. The PayPal invoice will include the handling fee in the postage amount. Do not email orders to me yet! This is only an announcement that I will be ordering more. I will probably make the order in about one week from today, around 4th July 2008, and then contact people on the waiting list to send their orders, details, etc. via email. If you are already on the waiting list, you don't need to do anything except wait, unless you want to change how many SIDs you want. If you were too late to add your name to the waiting list, you are welcome to complain loudly in this thread, the most amusing post might earn the poster a wildcard entry onto the list.

If you are desperate for a red LED fan: http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=372&products_id=22087 Anyone can make me an offer for the one (or two?) that I have and don't want to use anymore.

dcer10, you have a red LCD exactly the same as mine, not a PLED. The bridge should be done on the bottom of the base PCB. I should have done a better diagram before now, sorry :-[

The only non-cosmetic changes are the use of the PCBs from the bulk order I ran, which differ from my prototype (green) PCBs in a few minor ways, which are documented here: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/wilba_mb_6582 The essential difference is fully "MB-SID V2" compliant hardware, an integrated CAN bus connecting master and slave Cores (PICs), and a reconfigurable PSU section allowing a single 9V SID supply or dual 9V/12V SID supplies. The control surface differs from the prototype as it now matches the MB-SID V2 feature set. Hopefully the "MkII" doesn't confuse anyone - it's only "Mark 2" relative to me... It's the exact same setup that people are building now from PCBs and parts bought through bulk orders and from SmashTV, and when the next run of PCBs is made, they also will be almost exactly the same (only a few missing tracks fixed and components moved).

Unfortunately, I discovered too late that that particular fan is noisy both from spinning (if powered by ~11V) and noisy on the supply rails. If you want to stick with it, supply it with 5V, this should drop its speed down, but then there's perhaps too much load on the 5V supply (if stuffed with 8 SIDs). Plan B would be get a quieter fan that runs at a slower RPM at ~11V and supply via J25. Either of these two case fans are a good option: http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9_506&products_id=6016 http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9_506&products_id=5057 The 2nd one wasn't available when I built my last one, but I'll be using it in the next one (or two). FYI it's also fairly safe to disconnect the fan if you're only running 8580 or 6582 since these don't get as hot as 6581, but make sure you cut some ventilation slots!

There's a missing track for the backlight, among the known errors on the PCB, see bottom of this page: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/wilba_mb_6582_base_pcb_construction_guide If you feel like adding these "fixes" to the wiki, please do it!

FYI the MB-6582 went in checked-in luggage, well packed amongst lots of clothes and stuff, with a padlock on the zip. It was not opened and searched, and no one pulled me off the plane asking questions. I also had a big C64 PSU in there too, parcels with packed SIDs and about 20 metres of audio and MIDI cables... and these went Melbourne to Rome, then Rome to Munich by air. I thought checked-in luggage was the best option, considering the paranoia surrounding what you can actually carry on... "Oh no, sir, that tube of toothpaste is more than 100ml, you will need to throw it in the rubbish." Last year at Heathrow, I was not even allowed to carry on a laptop bag AND a projector, "Oh no, sir, that's two bags, you are only allowed one." The irony is, you go through the security checkpoint and then can buy bags of duty free booze etc. and waddle onto the plane carrying twenty plastic bags of stuff if you want. So now on planes I brush my teeth with vodka.

Thanks for the nice comments. I'll pre-emptively answer some questions: "MkII" merely refers to the fact that this one was made with the PCBs from the bulk order I organised last year (the red ones, as visible in the photos), which have a different layout to my original MB-6582 PCBs (which is now referred to as "the prototype"). The panels were made by Front Panel Express, using the optimised artwork, i.e. a single HPGL engraving object which was created by exporting to DXF within FPD, then importing into AutoCAD, then plotting to an HPGL file in AutoCAD, then importing back into FPD. Quite a laborious process, but saved money, and I like not paying Front Panel Express any more than I need to. Thanks to Doug Wellington for the DXF exporting (catch-22 of saying thanks is he'll now be pestered by everyone wanting to save money on their FPE/Schaeffer panels!) The knobs are the "Waldorf" knobs from ALBS, not from Goblinz, but thanks Goblinz for running ALBS bulk orders for these knobs! The rotary encoders are from the SoundWell bulk order, with detents removed, except for the menu encoder, which is detented and has a switch, this one came from mc4 from some samples from SoundWell when he ran his last bulk order for rotary encoders. Thanks mc4! The base PCB parts and red LEDs came from SmashTV. Thanks Smash! SmashTV's red LEDs work best with 1K resistors. The feedback knobs at the back are from a local store, attached to 100K dual-gang pots with shafts shortened using a Dremel and grinding disc. In the ~3mm gap between the LCD and frontpanel is a piece of 3mm thick smoky transparent acrylic, about 5mm larger than the cutout of the panel, attached to the panel using superglue at the corners. The edge of the cutout is made black using a Sharpie (permanent marker pen). The red LCD was bought directly from EIO (there was also a bulk order arranged for this LCD a few months ago). It happily works in 4-bit mode, and is a lot less noisy than a PLED! Finally, in case it wasn't obvious, this MB-6582 was built specifically for TK and was given to him as a gift during my visit to Munich on the 14th June, 2008, where I also got to meet nILS, seppoman and PolyKobol, drink lots of beer, eat lots of pork, and jam with lots of synths and MIDIboxes.

All SIDs are sold.

As usual, I'm probably overstocked on these transformers, so can spare one to someone in Australia or NZ, when I actually can be bothered driving over to /tilted/'s place to pick up mine. ;D

I think ultra wants at least 8 white ones. Can I reserve them for him? ;)

12 spare 6582A SIDs remaining

Due to cancelled orders, I have 28 spare 6582A SIDs, fully tested and packed in sets of four, ready for immediate shipping. I am leaving tomorrow on a trip to Europe for three weeks, so these are on offer only for people able to make immediate PayPal payment, not PayPal payment via bank transfer when your girlfriend's grandmonther's pension is paid next month. Additionally, if you plan to post in this thread that you want SIDs and then go offline for two months and not reply to PMs or emails, then this sale is not for you. I want to sell these SIDs to keen, fast-acting, always-online MIDIbox SID builders who want SIDs now. So, if you are one of those keen, fast-acting, always-online MIDIbox SID builders who want SIDs now, the price is immediate payment of AU$25 each plus PayPal transaction fees (add 3.5%) and I will post it for free. They are only available in sets of four, but anyone can buy as many sets as they want. If you want to split a set with other people in your country afterwards, that's fine with me. Place your order in this thread until there exists a combination of orders that totals 28 exactly. I will PM people once this happens, asking for a PayPal email address and postage details. You will then be sent a PayPal invoice, and after payment received, I will then post the SIDs either before I leave or from Europe sometime in the next week. Obviously I'm preferring immediate payment but due to time differences and being very busy getting ready to leave, posting them before I leave might not be possible.

Yes.

It was a custom job, once upon a time ;) http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/wilba_mb_6582 but this is just one implementation of MB-SID - you can still build MB-SID with Core and SID modules. In case you miss it in the documentation, the MB-6582 base PCB can handle multiple types of SIDs, by using PSU Option B or D. Each Core in an MB-SID runs one "engine" and 1 or 2 SIDs. So for example, four Cores can run one Drum engine, one Bassline engine and two Lead engines. However, having two SIDs connected to a Core with the Bassline engine lets you run two sequences at once, from a shared set of 8 sequence patterns, but each with some differences to the patch (like cutoff, transpose, waveform). If you understand basic electronics, have a reasonably good soldering iron (temperature controlled, fine tip), can solder well and can follow instructions, any MIDIbox is achievable, and in the unfortunate case that it doesn't work first time, there are many people willing to help you troubleshoot and solve your problems.

I once bypassed the two NOT gates... i.e. connected the output of the optocoupler directly to the 220 Ohm resistor of the MIDI Thru jack. It worked... I did loopback tests with a PC via this MIDI Thru port and didn't get any errors. My theory was, if the optocoupler output could drive the PIC's Rx pin (which doesn't actually draw much current at all) then it could probably drive another optocoupler at the other end of a cable attached to a MIDI Thru port. It works, but the buffers are a better idea and the right way to do it.

1K should be fine. I used 1K for SmashTV's red LEDs (in my latest MB-6582). I used 1K in a "test build" MB-6582 which used SmashTV's yellow LEDs, also fine. I was considering building another one with green LEDs, and thanks to Luke's pic, I'm now definite about it. (I'll also try tinting the white ALBS knobs so they're a matching green). BTW anyone who finishes an MB-6582 without at least sending me a picture is being very rude... >:( No MB-SEQ CS PCB for you! Come back one year! ;D

If it isn't a time-critical application (i.e. you don't mind a few microseconds of latency, inputs don't change very quickly), you could use one of the cheap, 8-pin burn-once PICs like a PIC12C508A to simulate an arrangement of AND, OR, XOR gates. I mean, if the inputs are just switch pushes and not some kind of serial communication, this would work fine. (You may prefer a PIC with the ability to reprogram it, in which case the common PIC16F84 would be ideal.)