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Questions about enabling swinSID


jjonas
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Hi,

there's two entries in setup_[8580/6851].asm (rc38) on swinSID-related options:

;; 0: SwinSID extensions disabled

;; 1: SwinSID extensions enabled

#define DEFAULT_ENABLE_SWINSID 1

;; 0: only waveform 0-8 selectable

;; 1: waveform 0-15 selectable (e.g. for selecting additional SwinSID Waveforms)

#define DEFAULT_ENABLE_UPPER_WAVEFORMS 1

I have three cores in my MBSIDv2: core00 with 6581s, core01 with 8580s and core02 with swinSIDs. I've updated cores 00 and 02 (maybe only 00 would have been necessary?) with the recompiled hex with above modifications, but I'm not able to choose swinSID waveforms. Is there other stuff I need to do apart from changing these two lines?

In the wiki a search for "swinsid" yields only one entry that mentions it, but even that doesn't really deal with the matter itself:

http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=changing_the_order_of_items_in_menu_pages

However based on this it looks like two new entries should appear in the OSC menu if swinSID is enabled, but that doesnt' happen. Am I missing something?

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It's like you are writing: the two new parameters (SwM and SwP) should appear at the end of the OSC menu.

After the modification of the setup_*.asm file, you've to rebuild the application (type make) -> has this been done?

And did you upload the new generated .hex file?

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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Hi,

thanks for the confirmation that this is what is to be done. Based on this newfound conviction I double-checked what I had done, and indeed I had only edited the setup_8580.asm but not the setup_6851.asm in addition. Now that I edited also the latter, recompiled and uploaded it, the new options appear, and I can also choose the extra waveforms (called Ns1-7). BTW is it necessary to update only the master core, or also the slaves?

However now the question is what the new options do, and how the new waveforms operate. It doesn't seem to be covered in the MBSID manual (there's a swinsid review there though). With a 6851 the new waveforms don't make a peep (not a big surprise there), but with a swinSID the new waveform sounds are the same as they are with a 8580 - they sound like the normal noise waveform. Changing the SwM and SwP variables doesn't do anything. Is there something else I still need to do? For example do the jumpers on the swinSID matter? I have them both removed.

Thanks!

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I guess that you mean that SwinSID doesn't work on the slave cores?

Then I've a plausible answer: all cores which should handle SwinSID parameters need the firmware update.

Simply use the clone function: power-off your MIDIbox, press&hold the MENU button and power-on again.

Once the version number is displayed, the firmware of the master core will be transfered to the slave cores.

It doesn't hurt if cores which handle normal SIDs get the changes for SwinSID as well. The synth engine consumes a bit more time, but it's a minimum compared to other options, such as AOUT handling etc.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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Hi,

I have swinSIDs only on slave core 02. I performed the firmware cloning operation, but the situation is still the same as previously.

One separate question about cloning: as 8580 and 6581 have their own hex files, how come it doesn't hurt (or does it) to clone the one uploaded to the master core (which has e.g. 6581s) to the slaves as well, when the slaves might have 8580s..?

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The only difference in the 8580 and 6581 setup are the different filter calibration values which are stored in the ensemble during formatting (0..600 for 8580, and 0..FFF for 6581)

After formatting you can change the value individually for each SID (event separately for left and right channel) in the FIL page of the ensemble, and store it in the SAV page to make it default after boot.

SwinSID: currently I've no idea why it doesn't work at your side.

What kind of SwinSIDs are you using exactly, and which firmware version?

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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I have 2 x SwinSID nano, which I bought here:

http://retro-donald.de/sinchai-shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=90

If by firmware version you mean that of the swinSIDs, I don't know. (I bought them some time last year, autumn maybe.) My MBSID firmware used to be v2.0RC38, but as of today it's v2.040 (compiled with swinsid options enabled + cloning).

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Alright, I've also two SwinSID nanos and will try them soon - it could be that the firmware doesn't support the additional features, or that the parameter mapping has been changed.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

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  • 1 month later...

These extensions works only with special 'MIDIbox' SwinSID firmware version. Nevertheless your firmware is definitely much more close to real SID than the one reviewed by TK some time ago. It features e.g. ring modulation, improved waveforms and supports all filter modes.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sorry for being a little dense here, as I think you've answered my question. But to be sure, you're saying to throw all the previous info about SwinSID's out, and don't enable the extensions, there is no special firmware, and just use them as regular SID chips??

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  • 8 months later...
These extensions works only with special 'MIDIbox' SwinSID firmware version. Nevertheless your firmware is definitely much more close to real SID than the one reviewed by TK some time ago. It features e.g. ring modulation, improved waveforms and supports all filter modes.

 

Is this special "MIDIbox" SwinSID firmware version available for the Nano SwinSID that is sold on the sinchai.de page here? Or is it only available for the older SwinSID X2 using TDA1543 DAC?

 

Cheers,

James

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