tomtiki

I can solder SMT. If you need a tester or feedback, let me know :-) --tom

This is really nice. I would attach the front panel with standoffs, add a plain back panel and put rubber feet on the bottom. No case needed at all. If you decide to make a board, I would buy one. I built a MIDIBOX SID from a core module and 2 SID modules and my control surface has never worked right. I would prefer everything on a single PCB for reliability. As an alternative, if the control surface and SID/CORE/DIN were on separate boards, they could be stacked and it would be even smaller. This would also allow the control surface to be mounted separately from the other board and make a rack mount MIDIBOX SID very easy to build. Has anyone ever done a minimal control surface on a single PCB with controls and display mounted directly to the board? Like a sammichSID that would attach with ribbon cables to the CORE and DIN modules? --tom

Peter, I appreciate the answer. I'm going to investigate some different options. Of course, I have plenty of other projects to do. Thanks, Tom [

So, perhaps I should be asking : - Will this even work? (adding a keypad via a DIN module) - If it will work, would it be difficult for Midibox SID software to process patch/bank changes entered on the keypad? --tom

I have a Midibox SID with a basic control surface. Using the knob to select random patches is not the best when you are trying to pick a specific patch, or a higher numbered patch. In performance, there are generally lighting problems and these displays can be hard to read. Being able to enter a patch number via a keypad would be more efficient. A display would be nice, but not necessary. I may look at the C64 8x8 keyboard encoder to see if I can make that work. The software would then have to be changed to accept input from the keypad. There should be a way to do this as a Midibox module which could plug into the DIN/DOUT bus rather than MIDI. That would avoid the requirement for a MIDI merger. Update : Just found some 16 button keypads in my parts box. They are wired as individual switches with a common ground. Keys are 0-9, A, B, C, D, # and *. I could just connect this keypad to a DIN module, then I would just need software to make it work. Pointers on how to do this would be appreciated. --tom

A simple description of what I am looking for is a Midibox SID version of a Yamaha MU5 : http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-production/tone-generators/mu5/?mode=model The built in music keyboard is not necessary, but would be nice. Patches can be changed from the built in keys. I would like to be able to type in a patch number directly rather than using a rotary encoder. I'm thinking a 4x4 matrix keyboard. My end use of this would be for my son's marching band to be able to integrate SID/chiptune type sounds into their performance. I realize that i could build a separate box that would send these bank/patch changes, but that would use the MIDI IN port...then I would need a merger. If this was doable through the CORE without going through MIDI, it would be much simpler. I found the project that allows a C64 keyboard into a Midibox project, but that would make the system too large and contain many unnecessary keys. Thoughts? Sorry if I am missing something obvious. --tom

According to the midibox sid CC implementation chart : http://svnmios.midibox.org/filedetails.php?repname=svn.mios&path=%2Ftrunk%2Fapps%2Fsynthesizers%2Fmidibox_sid_v2%2Fdoc%2Fmbsidv2_cc_chart.txt CC0 is bank change and CC32 is "Voice 123 Portamento rate" I obviously have something confused. If someone could point me at information on how to do patch and bank changes from a practical sense (on an actual MIDI controller keyboard), then I will go read that before asking any more dumb questions. Has anyone ever wired a numeric keypad directly into the Midibox SID so that patch and bank could be typed in directly? I have a Yamaha MU5 Tone module with a built in keyboard and display that does this. Here is a commercial product that sends patch change commands : http://www.musictechnologiesgroup.com/midipatch.htm If this functionality (bank/patch change via keypad) could be added to the Midibox SID, it would be pretty much what I am looking for. Thanks, Tom

Is there a way to send patch changes to a headless (no control surface) Midibox SID? I'm thinking of a performance situation where patches could be loaded in advance and I would just select them from my control keyboard. I suppose it would be the same situation with a rackmount Midibox SID. Sorry if this is an obvious question. I did not see this information in the docs. Thanks, Tom

Is there any US supplier of bankstick PCBs? I could order from mikes but shipping is kind of steep. My hand soldering skills are pretty terrible. If we can get a number of people that need them, I could make a bulk buy from Mikes to keep the shipping costs down. --tom

I would like to add a second SID to my MidiBox SID setup. I was reviewing the wiring diagram here : mbhp_8xsid_c64_psu_optimized.pdf What is the optimal way of connecting the two SID boards to the core with rbbon cable? I have looked through the forum and wiki and MidiBox documentation. Should I make a 10 pin ribbon cable with 3 connectors, then cut the wire to the SO connection on the second SID board and solder that to a wire that goes to J14 of the core? Is there a better way. FYI, I am currently using a straight 10 pin ribbon cable between the SID and CORE module. I am not feeding the power via separate connections as shown in the wiring diagram mentioned above. 5V is being passed through the ribbon cable, and 12V is connected via a separate wire. I am using a power supply removed from surplus equipment and have no noise issues. Thanks, Tom

I'm thinking of doing the same...just finished a MB SID with the minimum control surface and would like to add 5 more knobs by using the analog inputs. I looked at the MB64 documentation to see how to wire the pots and could not find a wiring diagram. Also did not see anything in the wiki. I also searched the forum and could not find anything. Thanks, Tom

I already have a built DinX4 module. The Step A surface only requires 2 of the DIN sections. Which other controls would be good to add, only using the remaining 2 sections of the DinX4 board? Some combination of buttons and encoders. Thanks, Tom

I have a finished Midibox SID V2. I have not built a control surface yet. I would like a simplified, performance oriented interface that would allow me to plug in a MIDI keyboard, select one of the predefined patches, then use the MIDI keyboard to play the MidiBox SID. Will the "Step A" control surface allow me to do this with a minimum of fuss? Thanks, Tom