dtg84
-
Posts
69 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Gallery
Posts posted by dtg84
-
-
It's been a while since I've been on the MB forums. I have been doing less tinkering and more music making these days :)
With that said, for anyone that is interested, here is my latest EP, which was composed with MIDI NES. Naturally, lots of post-processing and some basic sound design elements were added. Checks it out!
-
It appears that in the batch I got, the panels are slightly warped (i.e. they aren't perfectly straight, but slightly curved). I will post pics soon.
I will note that my sammichFM, the side panels are nice and snug. But they aren't curved like sammichSID (sammichFM uses the black enclosure, while the SID uses the white one).
-
My sammichSID enclosure is pretty flimsy -- the side panels keep falling off and it is really quite irritating. Right now I have it held together with a piece of tape, which doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing. Does any one have any recommendations as far as replacement enclosures go? Who should I contact to see about getting a nice one?
-
MIDIboxers,
Does someone have a link to the above part in question? When I built my sammichSID several months ago, I made the mistake of supplying the LCD with too much current, resulting in a not so pleasant smoking incident (face palm x100). It is still working, but now the display is getting really dim - which probably means it needs to be replaced.
Thanks,
- Dylan
-
It is by no means pure OPL3? Or is it?
Yes, everything but the break-beat samples is in fact OPL3.
-
I like this jam. Nice synth textures and the drum tracks sound nice and fat.
-
I love that wet acid-style synth you had going on that came in at around the :20 mark.
-
Hello fellow MIDIboxers, it has been a while since I have been back on the forum, so I thought I would share a new track. Enjoy.
-
Been a while since I have been back on the forum, so I thought I would share the latest:
http://soundcloud.com/demi-batard/mecha-dragon-versus-blue
Thanks for listening!
-
The 1*** is correct for a sammich, the SIDs are effectively one stereo SID. You should be able to select the individual SIDs by using the LR selection in the SID editing menu. If you have not done so I suggest you download the SID V2 user guide from ucapps.de.
Some patches are quiet on my sammich and some only work on the left channel (drums mainly). If you pull the plug out a bit it shorts the left and right channels together.
Yeah, I noticed that when I am playing drum patches and the cable is plugged in all the way, I get almost no signal response whatsoever. So this is normal??
Oddly, when the cable is all the way in the jack and i am in a drum patch, if i adjust the detune parameter on any of the oscillators just slightly, it seemingly activates the drum sound and it plays as normal. This doesn't seem like it should be normal behavior...
-
I think you press the left-most button below the LCD. Or rightmost? I forget :) Once you know how to do it, it's easy though (as I remember, anyway)
Nope. That doesn't seem to work. Pressing any of the buttons below the LCD (except the leftmost) will put you in the patch editor submenu. If i press the arrows it will just change patches within the current bank.
In the Ensemble->SID menu, there is a section called "Bnk" for what I am assuming means bank. It currently says it is on bank "A". However, under Ensemble->SID->Bnk menu, if I hit the arrow it just says [not here!]. WTF? Why should changing patch banks be this complicated?
OK, I figured it out. In the current submenu, you turn the encoder one step to the right from A to reach B. But the submenu doesn't give you any indication that you have switched banks until you go back to the Ensemble->SID menu. Oh well.
-
Thanks. Another difficulty I am having is switching patch banks. I saved a patch to bank B, but from the panel I don't know how to switch from Bank A to B. I have looked over the manual online, but I can't find any discussion of this. If i hold down "menu" and hit the arrows, i can cycle through ensembles. If i hit the arrows i can cycle through patches on the current bank. I have tried multiple combinations but can't figure it out for the life of me!
-
At least one problem is solved.
I guess the smoke came from the LCD, I think the default negative green display is 5Volt only but it needs a link placed on the main board to short the resistor for the high power display. There is something in the build guide that mentions this.
Yes you are right, this was in the build guide. I initially tested it with a shunt in 5V and without the shunt in the JR4 header (i think that was the one that supplied 250mA of current)and it seemed that the LCD wasn't getting any power at all. So I tried the 12V and it started working... until last night when it started emitting a nasty smoke. I am surprised that it still works (no telling for how long though). Now my room smells like chemicals...
-
I am still new to sammichSID. I am not sure how to play the two SIDs in a multi-timbral mode across different MIDI channels.
Reading the manual online, I found the explanation of "instruments" and "channels" confusing. It lists three instruments: "lead", "bassline", and "drum". Then it says that the fourth instrument is "multi" where all six instruments are used. But only see three possible instruments.
By default, Instrument 1 was set to channel 1. All the other instruments are disabled.
So if I set up in my custom ensemble E002 the following:
INS 1 CHN 1
INS 2 CHN 2
INS 3 CHN 3
INS 4 CHN --
... . ... ..
But when I send MIDI data out of channel 2 and 3, nothing happens. Channel 1 sends output and I can hear audio. The way the manual reads, channel 2 should be triggering the Bass instrument, and channel 4 should be triggering the drum instrument, but I don't get either - just response from sending MIDI out from sequencer to sammichSID.
Also, a point of clarification, my sammichSID lists only SID1 as available ( "1***" ), though I have two 8580s installed.
Thanks
-
When I go to the SID menu under sammichSID, I see that under SID, it appears "1***". Though there are two SIDs installed, I can only select the one (the display will read "[not here!]" when I attempt to switch to add SID2. Is this normal for sammichSID? Or does this imply one of my SIDs is not functioning properly?
Also, when using a TRS cable in the output (stereo out), some patches are really quiet while others are nice and loud. If i move the cable just slightly out, it will be loud on the patches which were previously quiet. I tried several different TRS patch cables and all were the same. Is this normal?
-
UPDATE: Thought it was solved, but something emitted smoke! I am not sure where it came from, as the control surface was plugged in at the time. I verified that this does not occur with the control surface plugged in.
I discovered (the hard way) that this is the low-powered LCD. Which is odd, because when I first tested it with the 5V, the screen was completely dark, even after adjusting on the trim pots. Only after I put in the 12v jumper did it start to be visible. I guess after I swapped the ICs into their right spots, the current readjusted itself somehow (i don't know much about electronics, as you can probably tell). It seems to work now (but for how long...)
-
The 74hc165s (sorry typo in my last reply) and 74hc595s are the 16pin dil chips.
If the control surface is not working then you may have mixed them up.
74HC595s are for the DOUT part and run the LEDs (IC3 and IC4 on the control surface) and the SIDs (IC2L and IC3L on the main board for the SIDs), the 165s (IC1 and IC2 on the control surface) are the DIN part and are for the control surface.
Chances are that the SIDs are ok, they are just not being told what to do if these chips are in the wrong sockets.
HAHA!! You were right, the two ICs in question were swapped. I replaced them and now it works beautifully!!
Thanks!!
-
F1 on the control surface should make the sammich play the currently selected patch, the 1*** is highlighted on the LCD when playing.
Does this do anything?
No, although panel doesn't appear to be working correctly either. Argh!
If all of the voltages etc. are correct then it looks like the sids could be at fault.
There goes 50 euros down the proverbial drain...
The only other thing I can think of is possibly you have mixed up the 74hc168s and 74hc595s, I did it but spotted the error before I applied power, as they are the same size.
Are you referring to the voltage regulators? I made this mistake too, but caught it before I supplied power to the SIDs.
-
Apart from that, check that you have all of the ICs inserted the right way round, check the midi and voltage jumpers too.
It could be that the noise is just the SIDs normal noise and you are getting no midi to the core.
I have tried my sammich with a pair of working but very noisy 6581s and it sounds quite similar. I don't like the noise so I have gone back to the 8580s and all is good.
Checked all ICs to see if mounted correctly. Checked midi and voltage jumpers (JP is horizontal since I am using 8580s). I am not sure... maybe these SIDs are no good? I haven't tested them personally, but I bought them from a reputable seller on these boards who tested them. I have checked my solder with the loupe and they all look good.
-
you mention channel 3/4, are you aware that the audio out is a stereo jack? The other jack is the audio input.
The audio out is the jack closest to the power in.
Oops. I guess that is what I get for using sammichFM's rear panel as a reference. Thanks.
-
All is solved, and all is well in SammichLand!!!
-
UPDATE: I stupidly supplied the LCD with more current than it needed. Which was odd, because when I first tested it with the shunt placed in 5V, it was completely dark, even after adjusting the trimpots. Maybe the incorrect IC i placed on the Control surface earlier drew more current from the LCD?
UPDATE: Thought it was solved, but something emitted smoke! I am not sure where it came from, as the control surface was plugged in at the time. I verified that this does not occur with the control surface plugged in.
UPDATE: Below is SOLVED
Tried to test sammichSID today, although I can't get it to work. Passed all the voltage tests, made sure to test between pin 14 and pin 28 on the SID IC sockets (pin 28 reads 8.97 V on my DMM, pin 14 read 0 V). However after I powered it on, I quickly realized I forgot to put in the capacitors for C1/2L, C1/2R!! Do you think I toasted my SIDs?? In any event I put the capacitors in and then tried to test it...
Setup with MIOS was successful. i was able to upload PIC firmware and install sammichSID .hex file just fine. However, when testing audio of the sids it is extremely quiet and noisy. It also seems to drone on one pitch, and sending midi data only seems to effect it momentarily before it goes back to the initial pitch...
Any ideas?
-
J.S Bach sitting in front of a tracker on a GameBoy-stylee :thumbsup: What was really the contents of that Espresso I just had? Well done!
Heh. Thanks. Although (full disclosure) I did not use a tracker - I used Ableton (I know, I lost some nerd cred just now).
-
Oooh nice MidiNES! I'd love one of those things one of these days! We use Famitracker and render NSFs which we play on the PowerPak.
That sounds like a more authentic method... I suppose since I sequenced and arranged everything in Ableton rather than one of the various trackers it isn't "real" chiptune music, but hey, I guess I fooled some of you!
New EP of MIDI NES tunes
in Songs & Sounds
Posted
Updated. Not sure why, but the link was URL was somehow converted to an embedded SC player.