NeurDis

Wow, thanks for the excellent answer. I'm still sorta learing all of this stuff as I go along. :) My main interest is in keeping the actual core/sid unit as small as possible so it's easy to take to practice. I hadn't really taken v2 into account though, so I think I'll take your suggestion and put a step A CS on the main unit. I like your idea for preventing the unit from getting stuck in a sub-menu. I think I'll implement that as well if I don't have a menu button on the main unit. Thanks again for the input. I'm sure I'll be back with more weird questions soon. ;D

Well my first SID is done and out of the way so it's time to start the second, which of course brings up some questions. ;) I basically want to make a SID that consists of two parts. One part would have the Core, SID, LCD, and up/down buttons for changing patches. The second part would be a detachable control surface that connects to the first part with a serial cable (or whatever cable is conveinent). The idea is that when i want to edit patches I can connect the CS via the cable. Whe I'm not using the CS I can just unplug it and set it aside. The two questions that this bring up for me are: 1) would it cause a problem for the SID/Core to have the CS there sometimes, and then not there other times. Would the core "miss" the CS if it wasn't there? 2) Is there a way to connect up/down buttons for scrolling through patches directly to the core without a DIN module? Thanks in advance for your help!

So I finally finished my MB SID (well, it's finished for now ;) ) This is the first DIY electronics project I have ever attempted, so I initially set out to make the bare minimum SID. I figured I would just use JsynthLib and the VST plugin made by S.M. (which are both awesome by the way) I used the kits from SmashTV. At first I just ordered the Core, SID, a bankstick, and a ribbon cable. I got the rest of my tools and supplies at Frys for under $50 USD . Just in case you don't know what Frys is, it's basically Disney Land for nerds 8). While I waited for the parts to arrive in the mail, I figured I'd better learn how to solder (yes, I'm that much of a noob). I found everything I needed to know with a quick google search. The parts got here about a week and a half after I ordered them, which gave me some more time to learn about what exactly I would need to do. Populating the boards was a lot easier than I had expected it to be. I got a little confused between the modules shown on ucapps.de and the ones I received. The documentation on SmashTV's site was really helpful though. These boards were a lot easier to solder on than the ones I had been practicing on. I eventually got the two boards populated and tested the voltage on the various sockets....no mistakes so far! My first real hang up was when it came time to connect the two modules. I got confused again with the differences between the boards on the walk-through and the ones that I was using. I couldn't figure out what pins connected with what between J2 and J10. Wilba was kind enough to answer my question here: http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=8636.0 Once I got the two modules hooked up, I was able to load the program on to them. It took a little while for me to sort this part out. It was nothing that a little reading couldn't solve though. Once I uploaded everything I was able to get the first sounds out of it! Here are a couple of pics of the two modules right after I tested them (with a US quarter shown for scale, for those that haven't made one before): As you can see, I went for the "messy spider web of confusion" approach for the SID-to-Core connection. At this point I decided that I might as well make a control surface. I chose to go with the 2x40 LCD and the 10 buttons. I ordered them from www.jameco.com. I also placed a second order through SmashTV for a DIN module, and encoder and some panel mounted MIDI jacks. I wanted to make the labels and the logo on the control surface light up somehow. I had been toying with the idea of using a clear case and loading the inside with a bunch of extra lights. The plan was to make reverse stencils for the lettering/labels and stick them on the CS. Then I would spray paint the whole thing black. Once the paint dried I would peel away the stencels to expose the unpainted parts. The light would then shine through the lettering but not the rest. Eventually I found this: It's actually a plastic display case for a collector's Hockey puck, and was only $7.00USD. I got the SID and core mounted on the bottom of the case and started drilling the holes for the jacks and buttons. I had a hard time making the rectangular hole for the screen. I wound up using a saw bit for a Dremil. I decided to mount the DIN module on the underside of the control surface to make wiring the buttons a little easier. I was still undecided regarding a light source for the inside of the box. I wound up using a short string of Christmas lights! I'm using two seperate PSUs rather than the recycled C64 PSU, so I wanted to have a single AC-in jack on the back (this helped for the lights too) rather than having multiple DC-in jacks. So at this point everything seemed to be hooked up. I was able to play and edit patches via MIDI, but the CS didn't work. After some poking around I noticed a wiring problem. Once this was fixed I was able to get the first four buttons to work. The other 6, the encoder, and the menu still didn't work though. After a little poking around a couple of posts on the forum: http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=8905.0 I was eventually able to get the rest of the CS working. I had neglected to enable buttons 6-10 in the cs_menu_io_tables.inc file. I also misread the connection diagram a little, so I had to re-assign the encoder, menu and #5 button. After that was fixed, the CS worked as intended. About this time I decided that I didn't want to paint the case. The lettering wasn't going to turn out like I originally planned, and I wasn't confident that my paint would do what I wanted it to. Plus, I really like how it looks clear. Here are a few pics of the current setup: I'm pretty much done with it for now. It turns out that the case isn't going to hold up as well as I'd expected. I may re-box the whole thing in a sturdier case at some point. Now that I'm done with this, I've got a whole of future MidiBoxes planed :) In the mean time I need to actually make some music with this thing! My current project is sort of an Industrial/Metal/DnB hybrid, so the gritty, Lo-Fi sounds of the SID should fit in nicely! :D

......and then I noticed the section in the cs_menu_io_tables.inc file that says menu buttons 6-10 have to be enabled if you're going to use them. I guess I missed that! Menu button #5, the main menu button, and the encoder also don't work...and I'll bet it's a similar problem! *edit* Yep, it was all software. The whole control surface works now! I hadn't defined the pins for buttons 6-10, and had to alter the settings for #5, the menu button, and the encoder.

Thanks for the info. It turns out that I had some wiring issues. It now recognizes part of the DIN. I can get buttons 1-4 to work like they're supposed to, but the rest, including the menu and encoder, are acting screwy. It's definitely acting like it's hooked up wrong. On this diagram: http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid_cs/2x40_enc.pdf it shows that on a DIN x2, J3-J6 are seperate SIL connectors. I'm using a DIN 4x from Smash TV, and it has four seperate DIL connectors. Does that diagram work with the DIN 4x board? If so, are the pin connections the same?

LOL, I guess I did! Thats what I get for trying to post here and work at the same time....I need to work less ;) Basically, I don't think the unit knows the surface it there. I feel that I may be missing something big. Assuming that the CS is enabled in the main.asm (and it's physically hooked up correctly), would it just show up when you boot the SID? When I press the buttons or turn the encoder, nothing happens. The display shows the exact same thing that it did before I hooked up the CS. To sum up that question: What do I need to do software-wise in order to tell the box that there is a CS hooked up? And on the physical front, how do the pins on the core match up with the pins on the DIN? does each pin of the same name hook up with it's counter part on the other module? Thanks again!

Sure thing! Actually, I just posted a question in the SID section regarding a problem with the Step A CS. Once I get that squared away I'm going to start the painting.

I have some sticky back printer paper that I'm going to test. I was thinking of printing out the lettering and then cutting along the lines. Then I would stick the letters on to the box and paint it. I'm worried that the paint will bleed or soak through the paper (there's a pretty big chance that it will, but that's what testing is for). If luck is on my side, then I would be able to peel/scrape off the sticky letters. and expose the clear, unpainted plastic. If it does bleed a little, I was thinking of sanding off the parts that bleed. I'm planning on making the letters pretty big. I'm only making a step A CS. The main design that I'm shooting for would have a couple of large (as in 50pt font or more) logos that said "MIDIbox SID" on the side of the case. Then I wanted to have lines going from each button to the LCD to indicate which button went with which parameter. I was planning on using large symbols rather than letters. I also wanted rings around the buttons. The paint type is still undecided. I've been wondering how make the paint less see-through, and haven't come up with much. I was thinking of trying a layer on the surface and on the inside. What I really want to find is somthing that is waterproof that has a sticky back on it. I'm thinking of contact paper, but I don't think I can print my stencel on that. I only half-expect it to work. I acually kinda like how it looks clear with the lights in it, so if the test run doesn't work I'm just going to leav it clear.

That's awesome! I'm working on something that's sort of the ghetto version of this.;D I basically have a clear plastic case for my SID. I made some reverse stensels for the knob/button labels so when I spray paint the box, the lettering will still be see-through but the rest will be black. That way the light only comes through the labels and lettering. I would totally do it this way if I could though :)

I'm trying to set up my control surface, and am having some problems. I'm trying to use a 2x40 LCD with 10 buttons, 1 menu button and 1 encoder. I altered the settings in the main.asm, made the hex file, and uploaded it. There didn't seem to be any issues with that (at least no error messages). Is there another part of the software that I need to change other than the main.asm? There is also the possibility that I made a mistake on something with the hardware. Is the connection between the core and the DIN module pretty much 1:1. What I mean is, from the core to the DIN does it go RC-RC, SC-SC, S0-S0, ect? (Im using the boards from Smach TV is that makes a difference) Also, I'm connceting to J9 on the core. Is this correct? Other than the control surface everyting seems to work fine. I've go it all boxed up and I'm ready to paint it. I'm going to post a build journal once I'm finished. Thanks in advance for all your help!

You don't have to have much experience. I just finished a SID, and it was the first DIY electronics thing I ever did. I'd done a small ammount of soldering in the past, but that's it. I know very little about electronics. It only took me about 4 hours of actual work, and a large portion of that was looking stuff up. +1 to what stryd said about the info being on the site. I did have to ask two questions in the forum, but I got the exact answer I needed the same day. There's also a good chance that the info was already on the site and I just missed it.

Thanks! Unfortunately my camera isn't available for use right now, so I will have to wait on the pics. I'm in the process of getting the enclosure and the buttons/encoders for the control surface. Does anybody have a recommendation for buttons? I found plenty of places on the web that sell them, but I'd like to know how they feel before ordering them. I found some locally, but they were too stiff. I think I'm gonna go with the basic control surface for now.

I'm at work right now so I'll have to wait until later. :( I don't have the encloser yet either. I'm trying to decide if I want to make it a table top or rack mounted unit. I'm leaning towards table top. Hammond makes some translucent enclosers that would look pretty cool. I'll post some pics of the frankenstien setup I have right now when I get home.

I just finished my MIDIbox SID and it works wonderfully! I'd like to thank Mr. Klose for this wonderful site and project design. I'd also like to pass along my gratitude to Wilba for being patient enough to answer my noobish questions. :) Now I just have to box it up and rock out! 8)

Perfect, that is exactly what I needed! Thanks a bunch. :)