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Desoldering wick is good when you have to desolder a smd part or a standard, thru-hole element soldered to a small pad. If you have difficulties using desoldering wick, add some resin or liquid flux or anything you use to solder, and the wick will do the trick (yo, nigga!). I desoldered YAC512 and YMF262 using only braid, iron, resin and a needle. As Wilba said - sometimes it's better to add some amount of solder and then try to suck/wick it. About soldering to ground plane - use some sort of flux, maybe some soldering paste, then try to reheat and resolder whole thing.

1. Every 1nF cap will do the job. 2. If you're not sure you can desolder this cap without damaging the PCB, do it like you described. It's always easier to replace a $0,01 part than a PCB... This cap is neither made of gold nor an 1% expensive one, so do it if you think you should:)

Toneburst, I'm using similar iron settings, temperature about 290-320C. It depends of the quality of my PCB. But as I said, my PCBs are brand new and shiny, so I don't experience such a problems. Sometimes, especially when I try to solder an IC without a socket and I have to be rather quick, I have problems, cause the solder won't stick to the pad. I use then some resin, and if it doesn't help (sometimes when soldering big electrolytuic caps) I remove the solder with my solder pump, clean the leg with an exacto knife, apply some flux and then try to solder. Too much heat isn't a good solution, cause you can burn all the resin, what makes further soldering impossible. Sometimes if you can't clear a hole using solder sucker, you can try using a big needle, the one you're using to inject things;) Heat the solder, put the needle and try to move it carefully. With some practice you can even desolder an IC without solder sucker. Good luck!

Use some sort of resin or flux or something if you're having difficulties. Maybe the soldering pads are oxidised. I make all the PCBs on my own, so I use lots of eeh... this powder you're using in kitchen to wash frying pans and stuff:) How hot is your soldering iron (uhh... don't touch it, rather read it on display;) )?

And remember to do one thing at once. If you think, that your PSU gives too low voltage, check it, change, but don't do anything else. If you're sure, that your PSu works good, check something else. Cause if you're trying to fix 2 things at once, you can fix a thing but screw another one:) Maybe you should write on your local forum to find someone with uC programmer? You know, I had problems with my core module too. I'm a rather nervous one, so I built another core module (that worked flawless) and then began to debug my old one. I've found a cold joint that caused all my problems. Maybe you should check for bad joints? But remember - 1 thing at once!

Copy/paste these errors here. And maybe get some holy water.

PC running MIOS instead of Windoze? Hmm... interesting. I'l try to compile MIOS for x86_64;) Thorsten, we need a MIOS solitaire!

It's like installing windows 3.11. You have to install DOS before you install W 3.11. Same with Midibox. Upload MIOS first http://www.ucapps.de/mios/mios_update_v1_9f.zip and next upload SID app. You're using PIC18F*, right? Sou you have to upload 2 apps, not just 1. Are there any questions?:)

Have you uploaded MIOS first? You should do it before uploading SID app.

Shoot some photos, maybe it's only a wiring problem. My sid looks like a jungle, so it's not really hard to make a mistake. Good luck.

I have similar soldering iron. I doubt if it helps, cause there's some more wires, but I made a photo. I haven't swapped the heater yet, so everything's original. Good luck:) EDIT: Nope, there's only 5 wires. I can't count.

One word about LCD backlight adjusting. I can't do it too, but I guess the cause is too high voltage on T1's base. In my case it was at least about 0,7V. Isn't it too much for T1? So maybe we should change P1 to ~22k and R4 to slightly more - for example 2,2k?

I haven't soldered this cap and in my case there's no audible difference with or without it. I doubt it's necessary in 1 SID environment. But if you insist - in theory it should be as close as possible to avoid ground loops, but it's really hard to solder it under the PCB. Maybe try to use some short insulated wires?

Thanks for all advices. Of course I'll put some pics when I modify something. First I have to make a proper chassis to keep the boards in place and wire them properly. My target config is a stereo SID and full CS. I think it will be the hardest part, as I plan to make the frontpanel on my own, and modify the C64 case (paint, fiberglass etc). So keep the fingers crossed:)

I feel godlike after a short jam session:D Now I can say it: if I had to spent like 10 more hours fixing it, I'd do it. And than again. There's no greater motivation to continue your work than audible results. About salvaging stuff: it's a great idea, but sometimes it's better to use brand new parts than search for bugs everywhere. Thanks Midibox SID project, hundreds of C64s were revived to live in synthesizers rather than to lie next to old pants in the closet. Making Midiboxes is probably the most pleasant way to save our planet. Love, peace, unison!

Guys... especially nILS... Please do laugh at me. Maybe I'll be smarter next time... 1. My audio connector salvaged from an old PC - i soldered a wire instead of using this old cable. 2. I had the recording volume cranked up with additional +20 dB boost turned on... That what we heard was distortion and boosted shift registers' noise... I'm so ashamed... But I had to confess. So now everything seems to be OK! Step 2: *BUY* some proper connectors and stuff core module with 2 SIDs:) Thanx for help:)

You don't want to see my wiring. It's a big mess. You know, I'm such a guy that won't go to the store when he needs a wire or a plug, 'cause it takes too long. I rather use anything I have spare. But, okay. I'll shoot a foto after I eat something. And then some shame. Ok... Please, don't laugh too much:) Edit: My camera is dead, so I have to wait till the batteries get charged. More detailed photos tomorrow. Cheers.

I haven't made DIN/DOUT yet. My current setup is Core + SID and sometimes LCD. I have 2 cores (1 faulty, but caused comparable noise level) and 2 SIDs (8580 each). Tried both ones with similar results. With/without 8580 there's audible noise of shift registers. Testtone app - no noise. No shift registers - no noise (and anything ;) ). Is it possible, that my 74HC595s are hmm... not suitable?

Here it goes: SID CC Send.wav - Noise, than some more noise caused by CC sending. SID (not really) Nice Lead.wav - 'Nice Lead' patch and of course some noise. Noize.rar Noize.rar

Winter comes, evenings are getting longer, so let the fun begin:)

No, bypass caps are on the parts side. Does it really should make a huge difference? With a 100uF cap I can hear a little less high frequencies, but still too loud. Edit: Even a 2200uF polarised cap doesn't do the job. It kills some high freqs, but not enough. How can I add an mp3 file?

So I managed to run my Midibox without any major glitches. BUT... There's always something that makes me crazy. This time it's noise. Before I start to make some, I have to get rid of high frequency digital noise. I already found, that this noise are shift registers. Not the PSU (it hums nice and quiet, besides I tried couple of different ones). It always starts when I power up the Core module. I plugged out 8580-noise. 74HC595-no noise. What am I doing wrong? Maybe there's another 'solder on the bottom side' part I forgot to put in?

I *THINK* I managed to force my midibox to work. I was tired searching for reasons why it still reboots, so I built another Core module, and so far it works. If it crashes I'm sure I'll be back here again ;)

I think you guys are already fed up with my midibox;) Today I uploaded Sidplayer app to my Midibox. The software I'm using is ASID XP. I'm able to play some sids, and except too much noise, everything's ok. Some tunes seem to lock my midibox up - I can't hear anything, although core is responding to the midi data (changing titles on lcd). After a reboot everything works fine again. Some tunes (in comparsion with sidplay2w) sound really strange i.e. timing, strange sounds and other glitches. And the others just fine, and I can play them for hours without any problems. Maybe it's a ASID imperfection? But I still have problems with a SID app. Any new ideas? Maybe it's a crystal?:) It's really strange, that only this app won't work...

Ok. I plugged another PSU with a multimeter plugged in to core+lcd(+sid but with C64 PSU). It started once, crashed after playing some quick glissandos on virtual keyboard, reboot, then started once again, crashed and doesn't want to boot anymore (F0 00 00 7E 40 00 01 F7 every ~4secs over and over). Voltage on PSU pins, both Vdds and Mclr# - 5,07V +/-0,01V. Without LCD +0,01V more.