mesak

yep! correct voltages for both SIDs

ok so now changed the transistor and the 471 cap (which both i happened to have here ready) and they are ruled out not to be causing the problem. will be trying to figure this out somehow :p thanks!

hei peter! thanks for your suggestion. actually i had, while looking for bad solders, gone thru the whole pcb with soldering iron just like you described. unfortunately that didn´t solve the problem though. i was thinking about the transistor. but if the transistor was bad wouldn´t there be still a sound when listening directly to the SID audio out pin...? cheers!

Hello! I ran into peculiar problem with my good old Sammich and can´t figure out what might be the problem. Any tips are more than welcome :) I built the thing myself about 6 years ago. It has worked fine for a long time but after a small break i noticed this: Left output functions OK. RIght output is completely dead. I swapped the SID chips to see if it was the chip but the problem remained the same i.e. sound comes from left but not from right. So the SID chips seems OK. Then i swapped the M74.. IC´s below the SIDs but no change in the issue. So I tried to probe-listen directly from the SID audio out pin and the left SID sounds ok and right one gives some quiet hiss/crackle (not completely dead as in the audio output though, but also not noticeable notes). In other words both SID chips works just correctly but not when installed to the right side/right output. Been trying to search for bad soldering (well, i´m not too pro but still haven´t found any actualy mistakes or cold joints) but i´m wondering what the heck might cause this problem? I have a couple of different wallwarts with appropriate specs, and as I mentioned, this thing has worked before for some years... Thanks!! :)

yes yes, hammond from local guitar parts shops. made the holes to the case first but thought it was a bit boring. so then cut and puncted a leather cover for it. peace

ok, cheap plastic box changed now to metal/aluminium casing - with leather finish 8) in the makeover the size was doubled & weight tripled. having more space in the box i added one more pot. cheers!

hah, sorry i was A BIT unclear with my suggestion.... my god. :P what i actually meant was that choosing a destination "arpeggio on/off" for analog inputs is not available in the list. so that you could toggle it without going thru menus, or without software editor. maybe it's not very commonly needed for most users? somehow i'm feeling for that option. thanks

what about setting arpeggio on/off with the analog controls? i think it could be useful to be able to switch it quickly from the panel. atleast i can't find it on the software editor - can you do it with the control surface? peace

ok! cheers ;)

hmmm, it does get quite hot. though i also manage to play easily +1 hour long jams with the SID no problem so i doubt that would be the case.

it happened again, this time no computer & editor software connected to SID, so it is NOT related to the editor. i had notes and program change (same program number) sent rapidly to the synth and it hanged up again like before. kept booting and booting, swithced on & off few times but still repeated booting. i shut it off for 20--30 minutes and then it booted up normally.

sorry, i have no a clue what happened here. a day off from studio had stopped the SID's constant booting. uploading didn't give any errors now or before. i will pay attention if i come up with this again. but i think i found a bug in the new editor version: saving to bankstick (transmit patch to memory) doesn't work anymore. in v0_2 patches were stored succesfully to memory, but now with v0_4 when transmitting there is nothing special, like error messages etc, but when patch is loaded again it hasn't been overwritten. i'm using 24LC256 instead of 512, so might that be causing some problems (since someone else should have noticed this too for sure)? i tried again with older editor and it really does store the patches properly to the bankstick. thanks!

ok! but for now my SID is constantly booting and booting whether midi is connected or not. uploading the firmware again didn't solve that. i hope the CORE (?) hasn't been messed up for real.

top!! though i didn't have chance to test the new version & ensembles out really. i uploaded some patches w the editor to SID and played some sounds until quite soon it freezed. i don't think it necessarily has anything to do with the new version of the editor - the older version made SID freeze sometimes too. but this time the synth kept booting and sending the upload request again and again. i tried to upload the setup_6851.hex a couple of time and even the MIOS with no luck. what could make the SID hang permanently this way, known issue? how the hell can i slap it awake again!? peace

so i got it kinda finished. the casing i'd like to concider a temporary option, though i'm afraid it will take time before i can get back to this... first of all i should find more designed housing. but it's so small!! smaller (and much lighter) than the original C64 PSU ;) - i guess i couldn't make it much more compact (this one is 50x70x120 mm - outside!) even if there was no 2 pots, or if i learnt to make smooth cabling. anyway i hate that i had to place pots like that, very user-unfriendly... so most propably i wil get back on to this later. SID & CORE stacked: Bankstick harwired, sorry for sloppy soldering (i'm glad you can't see how terrible soldering really is): cooler for the 7805: once again, midibox is such a great project. SID V2 is crazy! peace t

thanks for quick feedback! :) yes i need to spend more time with the V2. i guess getting used to the software editor takes time since i didn't use much the editor with the old SID. programming with the physical CS is very straightforward. cheers edit: damn those analog control inputs w the assigning possibilities are sweet!!

hello, playing some years with the midibox SID I (see some documentation pics http://mesak.net/sid/ i decided to make another, more compact SID V2. got the parts from http://www.avishowtech.com/mbhp/ instead of more close european distributor. i have to say i was amazed how good and easy the PCB's and all the stuff was made, highly recommended. found a small general PSU http://www.clasohlson.fi/Product/Product.aspx?id=59043503 and the sound seems to be ok compared to original C64 PSU. 7805 does get extremely (i don't have LCD connected to it) hot and i'm wondering should i add some heatsink etc to it... still missing smooth casing for the new synth (will send some pics later ;) ). first tests shows V2 has taken the SID to completely new level. i'm a bit confused about the editor since it shows all the time stereo pairs & extra SIDs (only have one connected). different engines also need some time to get into and to get the most out of the system. but have i understood something wrong if i think that: MULTI engine doesn't allow oscillators in one SID to be edited separately (pitch, waveform, etc)? LEAD engine is only monophonic mode? there is no keyboard splitting available? ARPEGGIO is constantly running (compared to old SID when it activated only when you pressed more that 1 note at a time)? i'm on the software editor only, so perhaps i cannot reach some functions w/o the control surface? peace

slightly updated version of the documentation & address changed to -> http://www.mesak.net/sid/

sure! i'll put up some more decent photos soon. here's one from few weeks back in testing phase.. it's built inside a suitcase for packing it quick and taking on the road! :D t

DONE! and it sounds absolutely beautiful :D

ah, ok... i thought that it was 2x 2200uF/16V for you add one of those at the end of SID chain, vs & vd cheers

plus 1 x 2200/25uF isn't it? (between B40C800 and 330nF between the PDF)?

i found these: B40C1500R, 2KBP08 or MBS10... does someone have any opinions of which would be most suitable? cheers

cheers! ;)

okay, i have had too big gap from where i didn't have time anymore to build the SIDbox... but now i want to get it finished finally! :D changing to optimized PSU seems easy to do, but i want to make sure couple of things (avoiding more mistakes): J1 of core module is unconnected with optimized PSU, that's that? in optimized PSU there's no GROUND as was in the original PSU - what about audio out? it should still have ground connected too should it? is there any options for the B40C800 in case i can't find the component? many thanks!