dcer10

Hi, I am working on my sequencer and have the Aout board built and ready to connect, but I can not source the shunt that goes on the underside of the board. Does anyone have a spare or know where to buy one? Im really stuck, tried from MaxIC but they didnt send it to me. Thanks, John

Hi, Im working on my sequencer, I jave put a connector on the back for sync (ie not midi but the old sync used on roland gear) which I recall seeing can be added to the sequencer (some time ago) but I can not find the information on where to connect it up to. Can someone point me in the right direction please? Thanks, John

Hiya, I did see this cap on the diagram on the 4x sid synth, wasnt sure if its needed on a single so missed it out. Do you know what pins to put it on? Also what do you mean by short the audio input on J4, do you mean to join the pins? I was hoping to use the line in for the filter, is this not possible or does it add too much noise? Thanks again, John

Hiya, Thanks all for your replies. Interestingly enough I was using a midisport 2x2 but not with a long cable or anything else which can cause midi problems. I checked over all the connections and they were ok. The only thing I could think of is that the last program upload happened from a G3 mac. It looked like it worked to begin with, but obviously not. I could not re load it from the PC but I did put the pic into my midibox pic programmer and started over, it now works fine. Another side note is that I have tried the MIOS studio application with the midisport 2x2 on windows xp sp2 and it does not work in my case. I can upload normally with midiox (which I prefer anyway) but MIOS studio doesnt seem to see the midi ports. In any case my SID synth is now functional! I am using the power solution shown on the site which re uses the C64 PSU, but not the one for 4 SIDs. I have noticed that there is quite a bit of noise on the output. Is it possible to reduce this somehow? The s/n ratio is not too bad, but there is a definate high pitched digital type noise in te background which seems to change depending on which patch program you are using. The ones with the filters seem to have more, and the filter seems to click when changed, is this normal? Thanks everyone for their comments. John

Hiya, Thanks for the suggestion, but after a long time of debugging it landed up being that one of the IC's was upside down! I still have problems being that now it boots up, but after saying MIOS V1.9 the char lcd starts to randomly show non text characters and gradually corrupts itself almost completely. While this is happening the pic is spitting out a bunch of seemingly random midi events inc prog changes, sysex, and others... Also it seems that the pic (which worked fine up until now) can not be re programmed via midi any longer. I did have on it the SID interconnection application, which only showed Pin: A0 on the screen (along with the top row of text), is that normal for the test app or does it seem that I still have an interconnection problem? Thanks, John

Hi, I have been working on my sid synth and have hit a brick wall. It has: 1x core 1x sid with 8580 (v2) 1x 40x2 lcd 1x din 1x ltc 1x 8 x 256 chip memory modules on a board 3x encoders 18x buttons I am re using the power supply from the C64, and have made the small power circut as shown: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_sid_c64_psu.pdf I connected everything up as shown in the above pdf. When I power it all up, nothing. Using this diagram (without the sid connected) the core powers up and loads the sid interconnection application ok. I disconnected the sid and tried to wire it up as shown in this diagram: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_sid_v2_core_interconnections.gif But still nothing. I can connect up most of the wires and still have the core boot up, but the final few I connect seem to stop the core from booting up in both situations. I am going to try to build the power up as shown in: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_4xsid_c64_psu_optimized.pdf and try again, but it looks to me like something has gone wrong with the sid maybe? One constant I noticed was that in each case when connecting sid J2 vd to core J2 vd it would not start up. Im really stuck with this. Can anyone help please? Thanks in advance, John PS: The photo below does not show the problem I am describing. Since the photo the sid and core are joined as per the PDF's mentioned above and the crystal is removed from the core and connected via J7 from the core. The connections on the back panel are (left to right) Memory switch (int 8 chips, off, or external) then midi in/out, a svideo connector for external banksticks, c64 power plug and on off switch. Also the top panel has now had 10 extra select buttons added above the screen for the menu navigation, and 2 buttons removed and replaced with encoders for cutoff freq and resonance (I read the resonance control is very weak, is it worth having an encoder on this? I will re assign it to something else like decay or LFO if anyone can comment on this).

Has anyone tried to get a 40x2 LCD working on the SID? I have one here I wish to use with it but noticed in the setup there is no 40x2 in the list. If it can use 2 x 16x2 then 1 x 40x2 should be possible shouldnt it? Also does anyone know if the SID works with 8 memory modules yet? Ive got one of the 8 chip boards populated and want to fit it :) Thanks in advance

That sucks! Does anyone know if there is a 3rd party java application launcher for this OS? I have set up an older ppc in the workshop to use as an oscilliscope, web browser and to play mp3's while I solder away, so would seem a shame to have to physically move another kind of computer and midi interface in just to do such a simple task. The machine wont work with OS 9.2 or later, and I have a working serial midi interface to go with it so Im keen to use it if anyone has a suggestion on how to! I could probably install linux on it instead, but thats not easy on the old style macs, and from what I have read the midi support isnt up to the task.

Hi, Sorry if this has been answered already but I couldnt find anything about it anywhere else. How can you use the MIOS studio with mac os 9.1 ? I downloaded the MJR but it wont open the jar file. There does not seem to be any other java downloads from apple for older OS'es. Is there a method or an alternative? Perhaps I have missed something! Thanks, John

goyousalukis , did you land up finishing your LFO box? I am interested in building one myself, but theres not much information and it looks a little daunting for a beginner! I have built a midibox seqencer, but that had lots of info and a parts list etc as well as an interface laid out already.. Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks, John

Hiya, Was this taken any further? I own several roland x0x instruments, and it would be great to have one or more sync outputs. What is involved in adding this? Can you add them if you already have and use the LTC module for the second midi out or do you have to choose between them or could it be selected by the software application? I know that building an external unit can be done, but adding them to the sequencer would be a fantastic compliment to its already impressive range of features! Thanks, John

Thank you again!

I have just found 2 suppliers in Australia of the Max525 chips. One has the chips for $88 AU dollars each, and anothe has them for $39 AU dollars each (if you buy 8 or more at a time). I want to put an order in for for 8 and was wondering if there was anyone in Australia (or OS if its cheaper) who wants to buy any too? Theres a 4 week turn around time. Any enquiries welcome. You can email me on john.gray@message.net.au or leave info on this forum.

I have a problem with my "In progress" sequencer. I built a board with 8 memory chips as per the image on the web site, and it worked fine. It formatted the chips, and each time I would load up the seq it would say loading setup from bankstick. I left the sequencer for about a week and when I booted it up again it did not say that it was loading from the bankstick. I assumed that the very messy wires and posts I used under the board must have been damaged, and started again with a new board as it was too messy to repair. I made a much neater version of the 8 memory chip board and mounted the IC's and connected it up to the core, but still nothing. I checked with a multimeter from the J4 on the core to each leg of the IC's and everything connected up ok. I then assumed that the IC's must have been somehow damaged, so I ordered another 16 of them. Once I got them I tested a single chip wired up to J4 as per the diagram on the site, and still nothing! Can anyone offer any suggestions for troubleshooting this? Its a real pain! Do I need to build another core module? It seems to work fine except for this problem. Any help would be great!!

Im still building the sequencer, but have decided I want to be able to control some CV/Gate controlled synths with it to, so I have ordered the Aout board. How would this work with the sysex modificaiton you mentioned (if at all) and also as a side question does anyone know where I can order the max525 IC's from, particularly in Australia? I went to maxic and asked for a quote, but no response so still looking around. It would be great if someone sold an Aout kit. Thanks in advance! John

I think I found them (or a similar one which works) at: http://www.allshore.com/pdf/ASIF402ASGF_WSW.pdf This seems to work ok, is this the same as what you have? Seems that 1 of the 2 I have is broken as it just displays black blocks at the top of the screen, when I swap it with the other one it the other one works fine in its place. Thanks John

Hiya, I bought 2 of the 40x2 LCD screens from Joergs midi shop but I cant find the data sheets for them anywhere so Im not sure how to connect them up to the core module. Does anyone have access the the data sheet for this screen? thanks, John

Wow! Thanks! Thats fantastic! I will try this out as soon as the sequecer is built. Seems like this thing can do anything!!!

Thank you so much! Normally with my Kenton Control Freak I program it so that the system exclusive code has the following kind of layout: Start sysex Manufacture ID Device ID What Im changing Value from the slider * End of message * This is what I want to be sent from the knobs, so the whole message would be resent on each step with this new vaule changed depending on the value of the knob. Is this possible with the modification you mentioned? I have not got the parts to build my seq (but there on the way!!) yet so cant check, but full of ideas!

Hi, I am waiting on the parts for my seq to arrive so I hope that this isnt an obviouis question that can be covered by using the sequencer... Anyhow I was wondering if it is capable of sending sysex commands in a layer instead of note messages or controllers. I have an old yamaha tx81z which I love to use, but it is only editable via sysex. I had a profile on my Kenton control freak which allowed for the tweaking of all the parameters (which my good friend made for me who is more into sysex than me) in real time via the Control Freak. I was wanting to be able to do the same thing so I could have 1 layer for the notes, and more layers used to tweak the envelopes, filter etc per step. Is this possible with the current software? If not is is possible to integrate this feature into the application to allow for the transmission of sysex per step? I saw there is a sysex button on the panel, but havent really seen anyone talking about it or any real info (maybe im looking in the wrong place??) Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks, John

Hi, Im new to the whole MBHP and im waiting for the parts to build my midibox seq v2, so perhaps I am way off track, or maybe it has some features I dont know about, so maybe I am totally wrong but from my interpretation of your inital comment it sounds like you want to do something outside the realms of step sequencing, or at least a combination of step sequencing and somthing else? It sounds like what you want to do is to send midi note messages to your synth and then also some other parameters like midi controlers to control things like your cutoff filter via another "layer" in the midibox seq? When you are doing this, you are working within 16steps (Or some amount of steps depending on the step sequencer and its settings) which is great for many things including that old analog ala TB-303 style of writing note patterns (and many other things) as each note activates on a step. However sending some kinds of midi controlers ie cutoff filter would not really suit this method of sequencing as a filter may need to be changed smoothly over time. When assigning a controler number to the filter from a step sequencer the filter will jump about on each step jaggedly changing the filter in a very un natural way, which couldn't really be done by hand. This is good for things that may need to be changed on a per note basis, but not for a smooth transition of midi sliders by hand as they need to actually travel a physical distance up or down (which creates some smoothness between moments in time). In order to change the filter (or whatever it is you want to change) smoothly you need to use something with a slider (which you already identified) which you probably do from your MC-303 by using the pots on the front. These pots have no steps and can send a continual stream of data to a sequencer (either the internal one or an external one). If you wish to mimic this kind of behaviour I would suggest using both a midi controler like the midibox ones or a kenton control freak (please dont boo at me just yet, I bought it before seeing the MBHP!!!), which has an input merge built in which helps with this kind of situation (im very sure you could build a MBHP system to do the same from what I have read). You would plug your sequencer into the midi in on the control freak and the conrtol freak then into a sequencer like logic etc (one capable of recording lots of continual midi data without limiting it to fit into a "step") and play your notes from the midibox seq, and insert your favorite real time tweaks via the midi controler (kenton control freak or whatever) and have logic route this all into your synth. This will give you the best of both worlds, the "feel" of a step sequencer, and the smoothness and resolution of the sliders and the ability to record and play back the whole thing. When you are making a step sequence it is much like a bar graph, it can jump in a "square wave" type fashion between event values, and it sounds like you want a smooth "sine wave" like behaviour which without increasing the resolution of the steps to a value which would not be practical you wont be able to program these smooth changes in the step sequencer. Perhaps the MBHP could be programmed with a feature to allow for extra data to be included between the steps for midi controllers to smooth the behaviour of the controller between steps, this way you could (over a whole pattern) modulate your controller in a smooth way, this effect would be even better if you slowed the controler layer to 1/32 of the tempo of the "Note" pattern layer as the newly inserted events between the controlers could be made to be very smooth (depending on the resolution that this could be done at). This would result in something between a step sequencer and dedicated control surface (but programmed rather than manipulated by hand). I saw some information on a MBHP "LFO" board which would allow you to assign midi controllers to a smooth LFO which would self modulate (no doubt in some kind of programable way) which would be an excellent add on to the sequencer in my view. Im fact I would really like to see a large system including the MBHP seq v2, a couple of merge boxes to add the LFO board to self modulate some controllers, and a controller type surface so that you could route via the midi output a series of smooth controllers from the LFO and knobs/sliders, as well as step programmed notes and other cc's from the MBHP seq v2 which make sense ie envelope controls that change per note etc. Some kind of high resolution data recorder on the other end of the whole system which has a lot of memory and allows for record and playback (which could be a computer, but there too unreliable in my view) of all of this combined data for your final track. I intend (once I get to a stage of being able to even physically build the sequencer) to adapt it to contain such a setup with the LFO generator, step sequencer, control surface, and appropriate midi mergers, im sure that will be in a long time though as I am a newbie to the electronics side of things. Sorry if that was all a bit long winded or ff I was way off track or repeating whats already been said in another way.... You've gotta love midi.