ytsestef

I ordered a RPT-60B. Fingers crossed! :P

That was very helpful, thanks! Seems like Meanwell RPT-60B is ideal for me, could even fit inside the synth (since it is 3 octaves long) so, no need for a case. Has transformer built-in, too, i just need to mount an IEC socket on the back panel and i'm good to go. What do you think? Am I missing something?

Thanks for your reply! Where's the topic? :P Well, it's DIY we're talking about, i don't have any objections building a PSU. Depends actually on the price of the factory-made ;)

Hey guys! I just started a fairly twisted version of MBSID, it's a synthbasss/lead-oriented dual-mono version(6581 and 8580 blendable and routable to either of lp,bp or hp filter inputs) with a 3-octave keyboard, a Steiner VCF (controlled by AOUT_LC), built-in Big Muff fuzz pedal, built-in digital delay and more. The basic problem i have stumbled upon for the moment is how on earth am I supposed to power up all these different modules? I already have a C64 PSU which I want to use, I need +5V for the PIC and stuff, +9 and +12 for the two different SIDs, these are already there, but I also need -12v because some modules use inverting op-amps (such as the aout, the mixer, the filter etc)... I have already the "impoved c64 psu" circuit. Can I take the +14vdc (sum of +5dc and rectified 9vac) and drop it down to +12 then convert it into -12? I am no electronics engineer, though I heard this can be done but you need to keep both sides equally loaded. Any help/ideas? Thanks for your time Rock on! EDIT/PS: I also have a PC ATX 350W PSU lying around should I have to modify it, but I don't see any difference, ATX doesn'y have -12V either plus it's more bulky and needs a case so I'd rather stick to the C64 PSU...

Thanks a lot for your replies. The KNoBs menu section of the manual mentions: "Knob values can not only be changed within the KNB menu, but also with the 5 rotary encoders of the OSC assign layer. In addition, they can be controlled via analog pots connected to J5.A0..A4 " What kind of pots are optimal for this and how would I wire them? If I do it this way there's no need to switch to "knb mode" i guess, right? (I mean analog pots connected on J5 are always controlling knb#1-5?) Thanks again for your time, you have been very helpful!

Would it be possible to build a "minimum" control surface (lcd,rotary encoders, the 5 buttons below, inc, dec, shift) and add the 5 knobs from the osc section of the full control surface? The concept is to program the sound in the editor or via the menus but still be able to control 5 parameters for live playing, assigned on diferent parameters depending on the patch. I guess I would had to alter the fw to make the knobs always act at knob mode (as opposed to envelope mode). What do you say?

i didn't know it was that much a complex thing. yes, i can send MIDI cc messages via my controllers... what exactly is your suggestion?

Hi there, lovely SIDheads! I know It's been a while, but I moved (as in "i live elsewhere now" :P ) and I don't have an internet connection YET. Anyway, the MBSID works fine, I am impressed, I wrote a demo for it and I'm gonna upload it in two weeks time (when I HOPE i will be able to connect to the damn thing). I'm also going to upload some pictures of the "constructing" procedure as well as the final synth as it is now. I have a suggestion which I *think* is pretty easy for TK to implement and quite helpful, especially for those who have the minimum Control Surface and want to control the machine via an external MIDI controller. Here goes: Supposedly I have a MIDI controller (eg. such as behringer BCR-2000) and I have assigned the rotary encoders to control the Filter Cutoff Frequencty, the Attack Time, the Resonance, the LFO frequenct etc. Wouldn't it be lovely if the MBSID's LCD read what am I tweaking and what is its current value? (Just like if I had a full control surface, that is). That's it. I hope this can be done one day... Bye!

I'm pretty sure that this is not the case. Trust me, I am an experienced sound engineer, I am just relatively poor in electronics and software. I am sure that what I hear is two channels, aka stereo. I even told you I can distinguish small differences in sound characteristics between the two SIDs. The two line outputs are definately seperate, and from what I know there is no such thing like audio exchange between SIDs possible in MBSID. ***Also, when I say lower in level, I mean _LOWER_. Like -40dBFS RMS in my audio interface whereas using the other application (the one that is not modified) I used to get -6dBFS RMS. I use smashTV's PCBs. I have measured every voltage many times and everything is fine. In addition to that, when connecting one sid at a time (mono mode) everything is working perfect. Thanks again for your time! :D

yes, they are connected into a stereo input of a behringer line mixer. you can be sure that i am not listening to one SID because one of them has a somewhat different filter frequency response and i can clearly hear a difference between L and R channel when playing back C64 tunes (SIDplayer mode). It is a control issue. Question: If the wire that connects J14 of the CORE with SO of the Right SID is not making good contact would it still play the same as the Left SID or would it be silent???

Once again, both sids play, although this time, the 1kHz signal is very low in level (yet equal level between the two sids) @bugfight: the SO of the right SID is fed only through the J14 of the CORE (in other words I have already done so)

Still both sids are playing. :-\

thanks for your interest in my problems!! both sids are giving me 1kHz. :'(

thanks for your answer TK, but i described in my initial post that i have done so. i am quoting myself:

here goes: I use the stereo setup, but the system does not seem to be able to control the two sids seperately, i.e.: i use the drum engine, for example, and when i set an instrument in osc1,2 or 3 both sids are producing sound. when i set an instrument in osc4,5 or 6 no sound is produced at all... Do I have to configure something? Am I missing something? I have connected the SO of the one MBSID module to J14 of the CORE module as described in the OPSU pdf. PLZ HELP!!! edit: oh, and in the SID menu, under "mon" there is a circle, not an asterisk :-\

Wait a sec... are you saying you are going to cut this for me??? You RULE :D

an idea... would it do any good building an MB6582's control surface (without the LCD, the five select buttons, the main rotary encoder and the +,-,shift buttons)??? It will be easy to construct due to the ready pcb board that fits perfectly in the ready (predesigned) panel, but will it work without the stuff I mentioned above? And is it easy to interface to independent DIN and DOUT modules (and not to the MB6582's board) ???

Thanks for the reply, wilba! Sorry if I am being a total newbie here, but am I missing something? Why is it needed for the Step-C CS to be detected??? Now that I only have the Step-A CS, if I connect at any moment some of the unused DINX4 pins with Vs, it sends signal normally as there was a Step-C CS :-\

Happy New Year everyone! I have almost finished my step-a mbsid, and today I woke up for the first time this year having an idea: Wouldn't it be great if we could make a project for an external full control surface that can be connected via a multi-pin cable to any step-a mbsid? We could use it to create patches without having to get lost in the menus, have our beautiful modulation matrix, with all those leds and stuff, realtime control and everything, and when someone would like to take their sid to a gig or something they could always detach the control surface and take the compact, step-a midibox with them!! So, the lcd, the 5 select buttons, the +,-,shift buttons and the menu button with the main rotary encoder would be still on their midibox, and the filter/osc/env/lfo section and modmatrix would be on an external box. My only consideration is where are the many dinx4 and doutx4 modules going to live. A solution would be to include them in the control surface. That would save us a lot of wires to connect each button/led/encoder to another DIN module that lies in a box next door. But, then again, the step-a mbsid already includes a dinx4 for its step-a surface. I think with smashtv's boards it is possible to chain multiple DINs and DOUTs via a single IDC cable. Is it possible to waste the remaining two shift registers on the synth's DINX4 and connect all the rest of the controls to the other DINs (the ones that would lie in the CS) without running out of ''free slots'' on the CORE? Any ideas are welcome! (Sorry about my bad english, if you can't understand I'll try again :) )

:-[ sorry !!

I think I found a bug: When in SIDplayer Mode the lower row of text doesn't get cleared with each new song that is played. If for example I listen to Bionic Commando and then Super Frog, the display will read "Super Frogmando" (the ''mando'' being left from the previous song) I guess that makes it a bug, doesn't it? ;D

:P

thanks a lot for your answer TK :) About that Stereo setup connection, i just used a IDC cable with three connectors, from which i cut the SO from the Right SID's connector and connected it to J14 of the CORE. I hope this is correct. About the DIN: >:( The srio communication app works fine (measured even on the chip's pins directly), which means the interconnections are ok, but when i load the midio128 app, nothing works (if i'm using it correctly). Details: I use smashtv's DIN R5 board. The resistor pack orientation is ok. I tried each of the four chips stuffed one by one in the first socket, tried with all sockets stuffed, tried every possible combination. I made two cables for interconnection between CORE and DIN, even if srio works, just in case. Tried both. Still nothing :-\ Another quick question: how can i check if the stereo setup works now that i don't have a CS yet? Do I have to enable it via menu only? When i play sid tunes, or try presets via midi, only the right channel is heard. Thanks a lot again! EDIT: Stereo Works!!!! I had done a mistake in the audio out polarity (inversed, obviously) and my balanced audio interface seems to have canceled it. Now everything works fine except the DINX4 module... I'm off to paint the case and drill some holes!! ;D ;D ;D

ok, it is confirmed, my board is ok. that is because today i received 2 sids, tested them on the same board and both worked fine for over an hour ;D now, let's continue with a question: :P i want to make a stereo setup, checked the 8xSID Optimized PSU PDF and it says that the SO of the right SID has to be connected to the J14 of the CORE, and that the SC connections must (can?) be ommited. Do I really have to do this? Why is that so? It would be really nice if I could just make a 10-wire cable with two DIL connectors just like the traditional IDE cables in our PCs. Will it work?? And another one: (although very generic) :-\ The DINX4 module is connected with the CORE module and I wanted to test it so I only connected one button (select #1). I connected one pin to the Vs and the other pin to D7. I push the button and nothing happens. Shouldn't this bring up a menu? I tried shortening directly Vs and D7 and still nothing. I checked the cable that connects the DIN with the CORE and it is ok. Am I doing something wrong? I get closer to finishing my MBSID and i am really excited! You guys rock, thanks a lot for your help!

Yeah, but I measured the voltage, just +5,14V and +11,98V... :-\