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Emulated MIDIbox SID AU and VST for Mac/Windows


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Posted

In the last weeks I re-implemented the MIDIbox SID sound engines in C, so that
it is possible to run MBSID on a STM32 core, but also to emulate it accurately on a Mac or PC.

post-3436-126375946268.png

The AU/VST gives you the possibility to try some MBSID patches before building the hardware.
The sound isn't so fat like on the original, the filter sounds weak and there are a lot of aliasing
effects when higher frequencies are played... but probably you will like it anyhow. smile.gif

The AU/VST is based on Juce, Dag Lem's reSID is used for SID emulation, and the part of my MBSID code
is to control the SIDs with the possibilities described in the MIDIbox SID Manual.


Download (current version 0.2 from 2014-09-28)

Known issues:
- only the first preset sound bank with 128 sounds is available.
No possibility to access the sound parameters yet.

- no access to CCs, NRPNs, SysEx yet
This will be added very soon, so that it is possible to automate parameter changes, and to edit
complete patches with Rutger's editor (Java), or Nils' editor under Windows

- the VST doesn't work with Logic 5.5 under Windows

- the AU requires MacOS 10.6 or higher - only 64bit supported anymore


- only a single instance can be opened!
To support multiple instances it will be required to implement the MBSID code in C++, but this
will also increase the memory consumption which is bad for the STM32 build. I will evaluate the
separation in classes later.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

P.S.: big thanks to Philetaylor for building the VST under Windows - it wasn't straightforward!

Posted (edited)

Wow nice work.. Will be having fun with this next month :smile:

Slightly off-topic question, how's programming with JUCE? never done it.. Thinking about using it to make the next version of my Sync Unit app () cross-platform

Is it really that simple to compile for mac & win?

Is the 10.5 limitation on your app due to Juce?

Edited by rvooh
Posted

Slightly off-topic question, how's programming with JUCE? never done it.. Thinking about using it to make the next version of my Sync Unit app () cross-platform

Is it really that simple to compile for mac & win?

On a Mac it was really simple, just click on the example Xcode project, edit it, build it - done.

On a PC Phil noticed a lot of compatibility issues between gcc and MSVC while trying to compile my code, since I'm sometimes using code constructs which are not supported by the Microsoft compiler, such as variable declarations inside the function body, or casting one union to another in a single line.

And there are problems with the latest MinGW based gcc version as well (I will give you access to the programmers lounge where you can read more about the details).

However, for somebody like me Juce is still very attractive - without reading any documentation I was able to adapt the AU/VST wrapper example code for my needs within a couple of hours. :)

Is the 10.5 limitation on your app due to Juce?

No, it's because the latest Xcode version which was shipped with Snow Leopard uses gcc 4.2, but the MacOS 10.4 SDK isn't compatible to this version.

I guess that the Plugin could be compiled successfully with an older version - sooner or later I will "sacrifice" an external HD for a Tiger installation.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Posted

No, it's because the latest Xcode version which was shipped with Snow Leopard uses gcc 4.2, but the MacOS 10.4 SDK isn't compatible to this version.

I guess that the Plugin could be compiled successfully with an older version - sooner or later I will "sacrifice" an external HD for a Tiger installation.

if anyone wants/needs a Tiger version, I still have Tiger running here (as well as Panther)..

so they can PM me and I'd try to compile it whenever the schedule allows :smile:

Posted

Hi,

Nice AU Component. Runs well on my iMac 2GHz 10.5.8 Intel.

This is so cool, I can play with this at work, and nobody will notice, as compared to having my MB SID and some MIDI cables connected to my work computer... ;-)

Posted (edited)

Only spotted this thread yesterday!!!

Was playing with it in reaper last night, and im absolutely stoked! :turned:

I suspect there'll be a lot of bitching from vst lovers, outside of midibox

who dont realize what the intent is with it.

No problem, it was fun. I always like learning new things and I have learnt quite a few doing this !

Here is the VST playing a note in Reaper:

post-6005-126411947764_thumb.gif

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Edited by Smithy
Posted

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I won't say that it was particularly easy to get it to compile but 99.9% of the thanks should go to TK for actually writing the plugin. All I did was fix a few platform specific issues and hit "Build" (well nearly whistle.png )

Phil

Posted

Last night I had some trouble with the patch selection menu. I was using the VST in Live 8.1 in Windows 7 64 bit. My selections from the patch menu wouldn't always register, and I'd have to click on the menu item several times before the patch would actually change. Anyway, great job and thanks!

  • 5 months later...
Posted

Hi there,

Really enjoying this AU in Logic right now... as to the above post, I had the same problem, but in Logic I noticed that if you try and change the preset while it's playing it will just revert to the previous preset. Simply stopping the playback simply fixed this for me.

My problem is this: I have a single instance of midibox playing (the maximum i believe?) one of the pad type presets. When I stop the project playback the current note continues to play and even if no sound emits the cpu meter is still up in the yellow... there are no other plug ins on the channel. Any way around this [yet]?

Thanks anyway for this awesome component! :D

  • 4 months later...
  • 1 month later...
Posted

I am slightly confused. Is this a plug-in instrument? I'd enjoy playing around with this, as all I have to emulate a SID is my Monomachine (which is lack-luster to the max. for me). Increasingly interested in the MIDIbox SID and got excited when I clicked into this thread. :)

Downloaded - just not sure what to do with a ".component" file.

Guess you could say I'm a n00b with all this technical stuff... I'm just a stupid drummer. My bad! :P

  • 1 year later...
Posted

Bugreport:

Plugin runs fine in Logic Express.

Running inside Ableton 8 seems buged.

With open gui cpu load is at 50% on my macbook (OSX 10.6.8) and sound is weird.

with closed gui the sound is ok and cpu at around 20% (which is even high for only one plugin)

Best Regards

Thomasch

Posted

Would love to know if there is ever gonna be an update for this, I have used this plugin in around 80% of my productions as it has a particular sound that I haven't found in any other SID emulators, especially as I'm running Logic which limits the options somewhat. I'd be willing to donate for any improvements (and I'm sure there would be others out there that would as well)! Mostly I'd just like some parameters to play with :)

  • 5 months later...
Posted

Bugreport:

Running inside Ableton 8 seems buged.

With open gui cpu load is at 50% on my macbook (OSX 10.6.8) and sound is weird.

with closed gui the sound is ok and cpu at around 20% (which is even high for only one plugin)

Best Regards

Thomasch

I can confirm that (running Ableton Live 8 under OSX 10.6.8 on MacBook Pro Core 2 duo 2.4Ghz).

Sometimes the sound is wired, but when you select a new preset, it will play that one, not the wired sounding stuff.

  • 4 years later...
  • 1 year later...
Posted

Hi all and a happy new year.
I'm just courious, because the basic version still sounds quite nice and i would love to see a vst version with tweakable knobs and buttons, but - is this project dead or just on the bottom of your priority list Thorsten?
 

Best Regards,
Thomasch

  • Like 1
Posted

Hi Thomasch,

I'm not working on it; motivation is low since AU/VST development is so cumbersome and I've the original device...

If anybody else has the motivation & programming skills, he is welcome to take over.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

  • 2 years later...

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