XTheWoodX

Dear Nils, Thanks again, my friend. Well, I will burden you with that PM (I'm assuming that I can do that by clicking on the thought bubble below your name) in about a month or two. My father and I are working on this project rather slowly. Time constraints as well as our patience ensure that we will proceed as such. ;) I will definitely post pics of the final product. It would have been a shame to limit the Nessy 101 to the 2x20 display only because I am a bit apprehensive when it comes to computers. Thank you, and remember that if I can help you in any way, you need only ask. ;D Cheers, XTheWoodX.

Dear Cavey, Man, you must've been reading my mind! Those were exactly the reasons why I was ready to settle for the 2x20! Cheers, XTheWoodX.

Dear Nils and Swindus, You are both correct. It is the reticence to changing the code that would limit my creativity here. However, your offer, Nils, and yours, Swindus, are much, much appreciated. :) Indeed, given the current circumstances, I will definitely opt for the 2x40. So, Nils, if it would not inconvenience you in the least, I would be most obliged if you were to find the time one day to create the file that would enable me to use the 2x40 display. I do not know how difficult it would be to grant the following request as well, but would it be possible for you to include a bit of text that would appear whenever my SIDBox powers on? I would like for it to say the following (the message may change in the future, for the list may become longer)... "Nessy 101... created by TK, built/designed by Dad and The Wood, with the priceless assistance of Nils Podewski, Swindus, Frailn, Buhler, and /Tilted/." This would be an alternative to etching/engraving the screen names of all forum members who have helped me onto the back panel of my SIDBox. I always thought that this would be a cool way to remember the names of those who helped me along the way. If it is possible to do this, I would greatly appreciate it. That would be my greatest tribute to all of you who have helped me, and continue to do so, as time goes by. Every time the Nessy 101 powers on (yes, that would be my SIDBox's name, as it shares the nickname I gave my fiancee ;D), your names will scroll across the screen. Without the generous assistance that I have received from all of the aformentioned, the Nessy 101 could not be built. ;) Nils, I can imagine that your time is of the essence; when it is free, I am sure that it is your most prized and sought after commodity. If you are unable to help due to unforeseen circumstances, I would understand perfectly, for your offer is what I appreciate the most. Thanks again. ;) Swindus... Thank you very much. I am confident in your ability to create the file should Nils' schedule not permit it. I hope that my humble gesture - to include your forum name along with those who have helped me so much in a bit of text when the Nessy 101 powers up - is a suitable representation of my gratitude. It is important to remember those who help you along in life, and to be grateful for their efforts and friendship. I am a man of many faults, but gratitude is certainly not one of them. It is my sincerest hope that this is evident. Best regards, XTheWoodX. p.s, three 6581 SIDs received in the mail, one more to go! Then come the parts from SmashTV. :)

Dear Buhler, Cavey, and Nils, Very well, so the 20x2 it is. Now... I'm off to find a white on black 20x2 LCD..... Cheers, XTheWoodX.

Dear All, Which is the largest LCD screen that I can use with a Step C SIDBox without having to change MIOS or making any adjustments through software? Can I use the following LCD, or something a bit larger? http://www.oceancontrols.com.au/panel_meters/lcd/lcd_modules.htm#Purchase Cheers, XTheWoodX.

Dear Nils, Swindus, and Tilted, I think that I am pretty much set on using the white on black 2x16 LCD display available on http://www.oceancontrols.com.au/panel_meters/lcd/lcd_modules.htm#Purchase That one should work with the Step C SIDBox, right? That is, I will only use the 2x16 if it does not require any adjustments in the asm file. After re-reading the LCD Module section, I am still assuming that the 2x16 is the display that can be soldered in and used (solder and play, heheh... instead of "plug and play"... eh, I guess that pun was not that funny.) ;D This would be the only reason that I would settle for a 2x16. However, which one is ultimately supported - without need for adjustments of any kind - by MIOS? 2x16? 2x20? 2x40 (the one that I truly like)? I think that I can bite the bullet with the smaller display, since my Waldorf Micro Q also utilizes a small display and I have no difficulty adjusting parameters. But... gentlemen, if you reeeeeaaaally feel that incorporating the larger LCD is really that easy, I might change my mind and go back to the larger screen. I read your posts several times, though the task, for this rookie, seems a bit intimidating. Lastly, I will download MIOS Studio this weekend and begin to familiarize myself with it. I read some of Buhler's old posts on the forum regarding the Mac version of MIOS Studio and all of the trouble he experienced with it, so I will download the version for PC and work on my Dell instead (though I prefer the former, it is no big deal... I love my PC.) :) Have a great day, gentlemen, and once more... thank you. Best regards, XTheWoodX.

Dear Swindus, Since I have not any experience with MIOS (yet) or with programming, will the data that you provided make more sense to me once I begin to work with MIOS Studio on my Macbook? I noticed that your data refers to an "8580.asm"... I am assuming that since I am using 4 6581's, I will use somehting called "6581.asm." Is that correct? The part on the LCD: ;; number of visible menu items on LCD ;; use: 4 for 2x16 displays ;; 5 for 2x20 displays ;; 10 for 2x40 displays #define CS_MENU_DISPLAYED_ITEMS 10 ;; NOTE: if CS_MENU_DISPLAYED_ITEMS > 5, you have to adapt the DIN settings ;; in CS_MENU_DIN_TABLE below ... appears to be pretty straight forward. However, the part regarding the DIN settings looks a bit complicated. I believe that it all will indeed make sense once I open MIOS Studio. In fact, would you recommend that I download it now and open it on my Macbook, without having completed my SIDbox (since I am still awaiting the arrival of several more parts,) in order to acquiant myself with the interface? Or, must a SIDBox be connected to it in order for the program to open/function correctly? As a precautionary measure, I would like to learn the program before I make any adjustments that I may not quite understand. Cheers, XTheWoodX.

Dear Nils, Swindus, and Buhler,

Dear Nils, Good point. A friend of mine is a cop, and a few of us were talking one night about life in New York City. He worked there for a few years, and said that NYC was an awful place to live. The part of your reply that I quoted above reminded me of a friend's response to the cop's comment. She told him that of course life in NYC seemed terrible and violent to him. He was a cop, and no one ever calls the cops because everything is going just great! ;D Indeed, you are absolutely right. Comments regarding the ease of a project's completion would be hard to come by in a troubleshooting post. I'm sure that everything will work out quite nicely. In fact, when I finish in a few months, I will create a post on how my father and I succeeded in completing the MIDIBox SID V2. ;) I will include pictures of the completed piece as well. So far, the plan is to make the casing out of a very opaque, glossy, black plexiglass/acrylic. The case will be black and the side panels will be white plexiglass/acrylic, and the knob(s) will be short, white plexiglass/acrylic rods. Lastly, the LCD screen will be black (well, as dark as possible) with white lettering. This is quite a project! Cheers, XTheWoodX. p.s, I checked out your web site a little while ago. That is some tuner! Very nice! Did you create that yourself?

Dear Buhler, Nils, Frailn, and Stryd, Indeed, it will be a great experience for the both of us. :) Frailn, I am quite humbled... and pleased to see that you will work on a project with your son. My father was very poor when he was growing up, and never could afford a radio. The son of a silversmith (my grandfather was a great artist), he enjoyed working with his hands and building since he was very young. So, in his desire to own a radio, he used his dexterity to build one out of an old telephone. He would spend many a night listening to episodes of Boston Blackey and The Shadow on it. Too bad he doesn't have it anymore. He went on to build ham radios on his own and today he enjoys a fine career as an engineer. Now, he is designing and gradually implementing a project here in Miami to convert abandoned co-generation plants into bio-diesel plants and to build brand new ones as well. I admire him a great deal, and it is an honor to sit at a table and build a machine with the man who, as a child, once built a radio out of an old telephone. Thanks again, gentlemen. We will talk more as time goes by. I am sure that I will have a few more questions for you; and Buhler, thanks for your last post. I am truly grateful for the time and help that you and everyone else has provided to this project so far. Mr. Thorsten Klose's ideas live on because of people like you, who dedicate time, through this forum and in other ways, to ensure that his machines continue being built. Everyone who has built, or is building, a MIDIBox owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to all of you. Cheers! ;) Best regards, XTheWoodX. p.s, by the way, Frailn, thanks for answering all of my questions back when we communicated through Ebay. Your candor and time are much appreciated.

Dear Buhler and Nils Podewski, And here is a million dollars for you, and a million for you. Well, they may not be dollars, but for now, I can give you a million "thank you"s. ;D My father is an expert engineer (Naval, Mechanical, and Industrial) so he offered to be an integral part of the construction process. It will be a very pleasant experience to share with him. As much as I would love to build the MIDIBox because it will bring an entirely new dimension to my music, I see this as a great project for the both of us. If Thorsten Klose and everyone who has worked so hard to design this machine and its software are reading, and those of you who have helped me so far, provided reassurance, and answered my questions can view this post, thank you for providing me with a project that I can share with my father and for assisting me in its successful completion. This is more a labor of love than anything else. Cheers to you, gentlemen. Best regards, XTheWoodX.

The Million Dollar Question... ;D Is the optimized PSU necessary for a Minimum Control Surface with Multiple SIDS (4 6581's)? I viewed Daniel Price's web page (thanks Frailn) http://www.danielprice.org.uk/synth-diy/sid_2.htm and in the description is straight forward, but one thing is describing it... another is doing it... I ask this only because after reading Foona's post... http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php/topic,10805.75.html ... it appeared that his Optimized PSU was causing him quite a bit of grief. I am trying to simplify the building process as much as possible in order to minimize the probability of error and would appreciate any feedback on this topic. I have a C64 with an excellent PSU (well, the cable, big black box, and plug, that is.) The part of the PSU that is inside the C64 is, I am sure, in good condition as well. So... if the optimized PSU is not necessary, what is the simplest solution? Best regards, XTheWoodX.

Gentlemen, thank you for your replies. Tilted, your explanation was spot on; it clarified my issue completely. Swindus... I hope that you received my PM from one or two days ago. If not, I would like to ask you a quick question. I am building a Step B MIDIBox SID and I like the way your V2 box looks. After /Tilted/ brought to my attention that yours is not quite a Step B interface, I wondered how you managed to create your own interface. My untrained eye cannot match your piece to either Step A, B, or C, and I wonder how yours works. Step B has 13 (or 14... I cannot recall at this time) buttons and one encoder, whereas yours has 5 knobs, one encoder, and I believe 9 buttons. What does each part do, and how difficult was it to build yours? Thank you for your time and assistance. I am looking forward to your reply. Best regards, XTheWoodX.

Dear All, I am building a Step B MBSID, and have a question about the schematics regarding the connection of the buttons and encoders. First... (please refer to http://www.uCApps.de/mbhp/mbhp_dinx4_32buttons.pdf ) I assume that a Rotary Encoder (undetented in my case) and a button(s) cannot share the same input. For example, since I am building something as close to Swindus machine, the SID V2 - http://www.midibox.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/swindus1.jpg - with the exception that I will use 4 SIDS and not 2, I will connect a total of 14 buttons (4 on J4, 4 on J6, 4 on J8 and 2 on J10,) I must connect the 5 Encoders to other inputs, such as 4 enc's on J5 and one on J7. Is this correct? Also, should I use more or less buttons? Second... (please refer to http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_dinx4_16enc.pdf ) Apparently, Swindus used a total of 6 knobs (5 smaller ones and one "big knob.") These would be connected to unused inputs, I am sure, but the schematic has a caveat: that this is MIDIBox16E wiring and that for "MIOS based controllers [you] must chain it with the DINX4 button modules @J9!!!" What does that mean? What is the "it" that the name was referring to? What does it mean to "chain" in this case? Just like the above question, should I use more or less encs? Any assistance would be much appreciated. Thank you very much for your time, and best of luck to all of you with your goals and works in progress. :) Best regards, XTheWoodX.

Dear Frailn, Thanks for the tip on the DOUT board. After reading these pages so many times, I did not realize that I left out one major component! I am printing out all of the posts on this thread as well as all of the schematics. In the event that my experiences with Step B help you or anyone on this forum, I will post periodic "progress reports." Remember: if I may be of service to you, please let me know. That also applies to everyone on this forum. I am very grateful for everyone's assistance. Today, I received my first C64. Two lone 6581 chips are on their way from Germany and I am looking for the fourth now on ebay. Friday, I will order everything else from Mouser and SmashTV. By the way, the extra PCB's were a good idea. Room for error on projects like these is quite minimal. ;) I will buy extra parts as well. Best regards, XTheWoodX. p.s, @/tilted/... I am much obliged. Like I mentioned to Frailn, after reading so many pages of information and technical details, I forgot that major detail. :)

Dear /tilted/, Thank you. That cleared up a bit of confusion. Best regards, XTheWoodX.

p.s.s, I found this bit of information on http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/mios_pic18f4685 "PIC18F4685 and PIC18F4682 are not 100% binary compatible to PIC18F452. RAM from 0×60-0x7f is not directly accessible. BANKED accesses have to be used instead." Will I run into any trouble using PIC18F4685?

Dear Frailn, I will order exactly the parts you mentioned. Now, you included a tidbit of information for the Step A Control Surface; if i am not mistaken, Swindus' machine appears to be a Step B Control Surface. Will that tidbit about the rotary encoder and switches still apply to the Step B CS? I believe that I need 5 knobs in addition to the Step A supply of encoder/switches as well; please correct me if I am wrong. As always... Best regards, XTheWoodX. p.s, please keep me posted on your progress with the 2x40 LCD screen. By the way, did you purchase it from Mouser as well? If you had a pleasant experience with their products/service, I would prefer to go with them (or any vendor that you trust, for that matter.)

Dear LyleHaze, Thanks for the confidence builder. ;) I am quite eager to build my unit and it helps to be reassured of its simplicity. I will certainly order the PIC with the pre-installed boot loader. This is going to be interesting! Best wishes, XTheWoodX.

Thank you for your recent post, Frailn. And once more, thank you for inviting me to the forum. On my shopping list, I have the following for a complete box much like Swindus minimal setup: - 2 CORE Kits - 4 SID Kits - 1 DIN Kit - 1 optimized PSU (still not too clear on how to "optimize" and exactly what that means... in ucapps, I read how to make the c64 PSU work with the MIDIBox SID but until I read the post that you refered me to before, I had not heard of the "optimized" psu. If possible, please explain to me exactly what this is/means.) - 1 LCD (I would prefer the 2x40 display, however, I see that some additional programming may be required so I will opt for the 2x20 instead.) - 1 eeprom 24LC512 chip for the "bankstick." - ribbon cables (don't know exactly how many yet) - 1 male and 1 female dsub connector for the bankstick. - some perf boards. Does that sound sufficient to you, for now? And my final question for now involves MIOS Studio... exactly how difficult is it to transfer those files to the core? Thank you for the break down that you provided in your previous message. That made it all look so much simpler than before. Even though you stated that it was your first completed unit, I have seen your work before (the Commodore 64 that you rewired to work with Prophet 64 and an extra SID) and it is quite impressive! I will follow the general direction of your steps as closely as possible. Indeed, I will most likely order the parts Friday evening. Then, I will begin work on this project. My father has been an engineer for the past 30 years, and was a ham radio operator/builder. I will rely on his assistance for the minute details (soldering tips, how to read schematics, etc.) I am much obliged to you and Mr. Podewski. Respectfully yours, XTheWoodX.

Dear Nils Podewski, That was very helpful; thank you for such a detailed reply. I see now that I must use MIOS Studio in order for MIOS and the application to work properly. Now, can the application (I can infer from what I have read on the http://www.ucapps.de/mios_bootstrap_newbies.html that an "application" specific to the kind of machine is what is loaded... on that page, the example of the MIDIMon is used in order to make a MIDIMon functional... please correct me if I am wrong) for the MIDIBox SID that is just like Swindus be downloaded from the web site in .syx format and transmitted to the MIDIBox SID that I am building in Cubase 4.1.2? Probably not, and MIOS Studio may be easier to use, but I admit that I am a bit apprehensive about this since step since I am not very keen on computers. As a History professor, my knowledge of such subjects is rather limited. :-\ Lastly, when did you use MIOS Studio? Was it toward the beginning of your project or was it at the end? To me, it sounds like a phase that is best saved for the end, once everything is soldered, assembled, and so forth. Thanks again, Nils Podewski. I will IM Swindus with a few more questions specifically about his project. Please remember that if I can help you in any way, you need only contact me at any time. I am most grateful. Respectfully yours, XTheWoodX

Hello Frailn, it is nice to talk to you again. =) Thank you for your reply. I do not see the photo that you are referring to in your post, unfortunately. At this moment, I am searching for the post... Found it. I see what you mean at: midibox.org Forum > Archive > MIDIbox of the Week (Moderators: TK, stryd_one) > Stereo SID V2 So, on my list for SmashTV should be 2 cores, 4 SID kits, and one DIN kit. I presume that you can connect two SID kits to one Core. After reading through these pages so many times, I feel it essential to install a bankstick board as well but it appears that SmashTV does not sell them. I can buy the banksticks themselves from them (24LC512) but not the board. Where can I find one? Also, where can I purchase the optimized PSU? As for the PICs, if I purchase only 2 for both Cores that will drive the 4 SID kits, what exactly should I enter in the fields with the 16 zeros (the PIC ID Header?) If I have read these pages correctly, the pics must be numbered 1 and 2, indicating one as master and the other as slave. Therefore, what will that 16-digit number (the PIC ID Header) look like in the end? Lastly, if I buy the preprogrammed PICs, does this mean that I will not have to program anything i.e. I will not have to install MIOS or connect the unit to a PC in order to execute an initial setup of some kind to make the unit work? If I understand this correctly, if I buy the preprogrammed PIC, I will not have to do any programming of any kind. This is the outcome that I am hoping for. If Swindus himself happens to view this post, I would appreciate any feedback or information that you may deem necessary to my successful completion of this project. Thanks again for the information and for your help, Frailn, and for informing of this forum. Best regards, :) XTheWoodX.

Greetings. I have perused the ucapps.de site for two weeks now and thus familiarized myself with the process to an extent. The "Wiki" was also quite helpful. Out of all of the designs for the MIDIBox Sid, I have decided to build the "Minimum Control Surface for Multiple SIDs." In particular, I would like to design one much like the one built by Swindus at http://www.midibox.org/blog/?p=27 On the SmashTV website, I see that "kits" are available: is the purchase of just one sufficient for the construction of a MIDIBox SID with 4 6581's? How many of each included component are supplied in each kit? Also, where are the actual audio outputs (RCA or 1/4"?) I have fished through this site for hours on end and gained a fair understanding of the building process; since users and experienced builders visit this site frequently, I hope that someone who has already completed a similar project or has much experience with such an undertaking can help me choose the correct kit. Lastly, also on the SmashTV website, I find that one must provide a 16-digit code for the PIC. Since I will need four, exactly which codes should I enter? If I purchase those "-Programmed with bootloader and MIOS firmware--" will I still be required to program something, or can I assume that once the MIDIBox SID is built (properly, of course) it will work? Am I required to know how to code and work with computer languages? Thank you for your time and assistance. As consideration for any help that you can provide and out of my sincerest gratitude, if I may be of service to you in any way, please feel free to send me a message or post one on this thread. Wishing you the best of luck with all of your goals and projects, XTheWoodX. :)