A commercial SID synth that look damn familiar (seen on MESSE)

[taximan]

Hiya,

This is just off the top of my head (as usual) but when someone from the forum buys a set of pcb's from smash can his user name be forwarded to TK (or who ever) and have the software download page password protected?

Without the software the units made by unscrupulous bastards such as those mentioned above are useless .....any one can solder something together and get a case but the real smart stuff is the software.

I guess we will be seeing seqv4L and seqv4 clones on ebay before long huh?

If this doesn't make sense just ask me to elaborate or rephrase what I have written.

cheers

Paul

[jojjelito]

It's up to TK if he wants to implement that kind of security measures.

Edit for clarification: Stronger security around the whole software framework is a good idea!

I personally don't think it's cool to require hardware purchases before being able to form an opinion about software. Where's the DIY ethos if you live somewhere remote, can't easily get SmashTV PCBs, so you decide to roll your own? I think both kinds of peeps should be catered to. I'd get Smash stuff any day of the week, I have enough of my own PCBs to etch and drill...

However, Mode Machines will lose karma over this. I was contemplating getting a nice wooden end-cheeks Krautrock Phaser, but I'd rather get some PCBs to support the children/family of the late mr Jürgen Haible and build it myself. If MM wants to use shady business practices (this plus associating with Shitforbrains - the master of broken Xox kits) it will come back and haunt them in the end.

Cheers,

Johan

Edited December 8, 2011 by jojjelito

[rosch]

lol, no further comment necessary!

bontempi meets water color box

[nILS]

O hai. Methinks this is good enough for the classic:

[Smithy]

I'll be killed for saying this,

but I don't think it looks that bad, I actually like it!

Its very faithful to the c64, and very fitting to the whole 8-bit and retro concept. It may not be as conventionally pretty as a x0x or an mb-6582, but for some reason it still appeals to me, in a big way!

Dissing the aesthetics of it is almost like dissing the aesthetics of TK's MIDIbox SID, an image which I would actually prefer to the MB-6582 in terms of authenticity. It's funny how that image gives me a different feeling, something that I simply cannot explain in words.

Having said that, the SID Groovebox thingy could benefit from nicer buttons, and look a little less x0x like. I like the layout of the knobs though.

Edit: After reading the Thread fully in reverse order, I now see where the source of peoples frustration came from.

[nILS]

Smithy: I think you obviosly missed half the point. While obviously taste differs, I am pretty sure that for most people the origin of the box filtered into the amount of non-liking.

Also, as we all know "it's a long way from the render..." and I am absolutely positive that the final real life result is going to be hideous.

[Hawkeye]

damn, gotta clean my screen zoon, theres some fly spots on it :laugh:

edit: to clarify - nILS made Smithys font tiny - which was soonafter undone by Smithy :)

Edited December 10, 2011 by Hawkeye

[rosch]

i admit, the origin adds to the dislike.

but i really don't like the look of it either. and TK's C64 box looks very different to this imo. also quality wise. that's just a water color box, isn't it?

+1 on the x0x look, but that's probably trying to make it at least look different, easy to go that route, as they are producing the Chitforbrains b0xes also

[Hawkeye]

they also cleverly installed those 5mm hi-power blue led eye burners to make their users go ray charles

[jojjelito]

@Smithy: For me it was more about the origins of this idea of theirs, plus that if you are a company trying to sell the idea of a C64 sound box at least you could try to keep it nicer. I wouldn't mind the looks of a c64 breadbox if it's DIY, I think it's a great idea to reuse and cut costs. Problem is, that

a) this smells like being a blatant rip-off

b) it's not going to be cheap either

If they want to go with the C64 looks I think they could have made something nicer.

But opinions are like assholes: I certainly am one, and everybody's got them :flowers:

[orange_hand]

hehe... I have heard that this time all licence agreements are in line with the developers :-)

Cheers

orange

[xmodz]

Here it goes again...

http://yfrog.com/eswl3mkj

[Shuriken]

It looks hardly better then on the initial mockups.

[gslug]

I'd say that it looks significantly worse than the mockup :sick:

Kevin

[jojjelito]

Still hatin' on it. Diss!

[nILS]

Haters be hatin'.

Needless to say, I'm one of them.

[nILS]

Yay, here's more free advertisment for Mode Machines. Hope they appreciate it.

Oof. Bah. Blerch. Well at least it's really cheap @ 599 EUR :console: I love the attention to detail that Mode Machines shows here. Like, for instance, how awesomely well the display and display cutout line up or how all labels totally align with the knobs, also nothing says retro like bright blue LEDs.

Also, the technical specification from their site (quote: "Always up to date and top informed ;-)") is rather intruiging:

Technical specification

Power: 12V AC500mA (PSU included)

<snip>

Dimensions: 0 cm * 0 cm * 0 cm (0" * 0" * 0")

(with packaging: 0 cm * 0 cm * 0 cm (0" * 0" * 0"))

Weight: 0 kg (0 lb)

(with packaging: 0 kg (0 lb))

for more: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=400181340008691&set=a.358036360889856.103938.178267622200065&type=1&ref=nf

As a general sidenote: While the SID does have an 8 bit interface, its sound is not 8bits. At all.

[Altitude]

well at least at that size, it will fit anywhere..

who's sid synth design are they using?

[Shuriken]

[Johey]

I guess it might be controversial, but I actually like the design of this machine. Apart from the ethical aspect, I would consider buying one. That said, I think it would be great with a commercial option for those who want to have a MIDIBox SID but don't got what it takes to build one.

Personally, I think I am able to assemble my MB-6582. At least I hope so, as I've recently found myself ordering parts for one. However, was there a pre-built option, I would have bought it, as my main goal for now is to make music. Part hunting and soldering is fun too, but that I can save for a project where the final product is less interesting and the build process is the point.

So, T.K., my suggestion is that you create a fair commercial license allowing companies to build and sell machines based on your product, paying you a license fee for each sold machine. Still, of course, keeping the noncommercial DIY license option for those who love the sound of tin melting.

Sorry if this is already discussed. I'm new to the MIDIBox community.

[rosch]

look at the adafruit forums who's providing free support for all the Shitforbrains x0xb0x'es that can be had for a few bucks less on ebay. as has been said already MM are teaming up with those genuine inventors so from my perspective i'd surely doubt the quality of anything they sell.

dimensions 0*0*0 haha maybe they rated their creativity by that. salesmen.

[Taika-Kim]

Well, welcome to the world of music hardware, I believe it's a usual procedure to take your competitors' devices to pieces, copy what good ideas they have, and then change it enough to avoid lawsuit. I would wager that there are people in the community who own Behringer products for example, and they are only the most blatant example.

Even if the prototype used Midibox community boards and software, I think we need to wait and actually see the synth to see how much they changed the design.

I for one would like a commercial device a lot, I'm not so good with electronics, as long as the price was sensible.

My sammichSID has been a lot of trouble until now, nothing like the commercial synths I own. I'm a musician, I want functional tools available.

Don't get me wrong, I totally don't appreciate the fact that MM does not give any compensation to the community.

Just saying that... OK, they're maybe making profit on the community's work. But, in the end, the community can go on like it has thus far.OK, we're not entitled to the profits, but if the community and the original developers of the Midibox hardware wanted that, they could have headed for it in the beginning. Why complain about lost profits from a nonprofit project?

What I'm saying... You do something for free, openly, somebody might take things forward from that point, that's what happens, people copy ideas. You can't stop that from happening by attaching a textfile with a license on your product, if the pirates really want to avoid lawsuits.

So... Let's wait until somebody sees the box to make a final judgement...

[ytsestef]

OMG, I didn't know about that. I'm so angry now. :getlost: Plus, it's FUGLY!

[rosch]

i don't see them taking things forward, honestly. they just copy it. it's TK who takes things forward afaik, and some of the guys here who are able to really get into it and add new features / modules / versions too.

[orange_hand]

I would not wonder if they totally disappear in a couple of years from the marked, because I don't believe that they can live on this basis. Due to the good information flow within the major forums, MM have lost a big chunk of their reputation.