My First MidiBox

[Theta_Frost]

Well, hello!  I am thinking about trying to make a midibox sid as a summer project and I of course have some questions! :P

So first of, how do you program PICS?  Second when using a 2 x 40 LCD do you have to do anything different from a 2 x 20 LCD?

Also what do you house the midibox in?  How do you set up more sids after the first one?  And where do you connect the knobs and stuff on the front panel?  Is there also like a video guide or a solid straightforward easy to read guide?  I'll think of more later and update this but any help would be appreciated!  I'm a bit of a noob and I'm working on circuitry!  So thanks! :D

[buhler]

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/midibox_sid_faq'>http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/midibox_sid_faq

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/midibox_sid

[nILS]

Welcome aboard Sirkit ;D

First off, do a lot of reading on ucapps.de and on the forum. All of your questions have been answered around here countless times. Some hints:

  * Pictures of different housings can be found in the "MIDIbox of the Week" section

  * A 2x20 show less information than a 2x40 (duh!)

  * More SID - ucapps.de -> mbSID

buhler: Good boy ;D

[Foona]

I have gotten sooo much help from this forum, it's about time i give something back!

Well, hello!  I am thinking about trying to make a midibox sid as a summer project and I of course have some questions! :P

Of course :)

I know the feeling.

So first of, how do you program PICS?

First of all, i would recomend that you buy kits from SmashTV for example, like i did.

When doing so you can order a PRE-BURNED pic, so you do not really need to know how to program/burn them.

But if you really need to know, then there is alot of good documentations,

at the links that Buhler provided for you.

And personaly, i believe it is important for you to go through the Ucapps site to,

like nILS Podewski recomended. Even though the people here on MIDIbox forum have helped me,

iv'e had to go to the Ucapps site many times for reference. Everything one needs to know is there, and in the Wiki.

Second when using a 2 x 40 LCD do you have to do anything different from a 2 x 20 LCD?

Yes there is difference. For example the number of select buttons.

If you look through this section, Front Panel Options, of the Ucapps site, you'll se it for yourself. ;)

Also what do you house the midibox in?

In a casing of some sort. :P

Well, if you look through The Midibox Gallery you'll get some ideas.

I personally have done what many others allready has done. I reused the C64 casing.

Usually i would build it in wood. But im too nostalgic not do do this this time.

My next project however will probably be made out of wood though. Wood is nice :)

How do you set up more sids after the first one?

Explaned in the Wiki and the Ucapps site.

And where do you connect the knobs and stuff on the front panel?

Controller elements are connected to the curcuitboards.

And this is also explaned in the wiki and Ucapps site.

There are heaps of schematics just waiting to be looked at.

Here's one for example.

Is there also like a video guide or a solid straightforward easy to read guide?

I don't think there are video guides...is there guys?

I have no idea' :)

I'll think of more later and update this but any help would be appreciated!

I'm a bit of a noob and I'm working on circuitry!  So thanks! :D

You can always ask questions here at the forum.

But do please search the forum before doing so.

I can admit that i myself haven't done it as thoroughly as i should have.

But im leaning at searching more than asking.

And i guess this is the whole thing about DIY.

One has to Do-It-Yourself. Cuz when your'e finished with a project, you feel reel good about yourself.

And the bonus is, one have one more fun musical instrument to play with :)

Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself in the Miscellaneous section of this forum.

You say you're a noob, but how much of a noob?

When i joined this forum and the wonderfull world of midibox i made a presentation of myself.

When doing so, it might be easier for others to help you with more specific stuff.

And personally i like presentations.

....and i cannot stop doing looong posts either.... :-[

Welcome aboard Sirkit and good luck with your projects.

[nILS]

Funny how quick "newbies" start answering the question nowadays - I like it ;D

[DenDer]

Well its quiet easy......just read read read read and if you still got questions there is a chat room on this site with some nice people who can help you if you're in a hurry. Otherwise use the search function on this site. Most of all the problems are handled here. But if you come across a problem, also provide the answer or solution to this problem so other people can benefit from your answer. good luck and keep us up to date on your progress.

[Theta_Frost]

Wow, thanks!  I have read a lot of the links that were showed to me, but a lot of it doesn't make sense to me, because I haven't learned any of it in school.  Learned it all through the internet and I'm pretty young so yeah but thanks I'll have a thread detailing my creation of the sid!

[stryd_one]

a lot of it doesn't make sense to me, because I haven't learned any of it in school.

This IS school! Trick is: you are not only the student, but also the teacher, principal, Mum and Dad, classmates, truant officer and guy smoking behind the cricket shed at lunchtime ;)

[Jaicen]

and guy smoking behind the cricket shed at lunchtime ;)

No, that's Smash...

[buhler]

This IS school! Trick is: you are not only the student, but also the teacher, principal, Mum and Dad, classmates, truant officer and guy smoking behind the cricket shed at lunchtime ;)

don't forget me... the special ed. kid! ::)  i ride the short bus here every morning...

[Foona]

Wow, thanks!  I have read a lot of the links that were showed to me, but a lot of it doesn't make sense to me, because I haven't learned any of it in school.  Learned it all through the internet and I'm pretty young so yeah but thanks I'll have a thread detailing my creation of the sid!

That doesen't matter.

I was placed in a borg maturation chamber at the age of 5,

and internet was hooked up into my brain with elektrodes.

For 10 years i was fed information about bakery, history, science and the mating rituals of bugs.

I tell you, when they finaly cracked that chamber open,

i looked like a bag of sh*t with legs.

And if anyone doesen't believe me i can assure you,

i am not sick, just special.  :P

..and oh..you need school for some stuff.

But the internet itself, is also like school.

All the information of this world available with just a few clicks.

So don't worry.

And if it doesen't work out, i can tell my drone neighbours

to stop by on their way to assimilate Risa, to install an ocular inplant in your head.

Will make you read stuff faster.

[doc]

Funny how quick "newbies" start answering the question nowadays - I like it

Yes, indeed. I remember the time you were a noob, nILS ...  ;D