8x SID, 1X YM-262 OPL-3, Dual Synthsizer - %100 Finished ! (Awaiting V2 SID FW)

[Artesia]

After both the MBFM & SID projects sat languishing for 10 months; due to a lack of enthusiasm to go about the painstaking control surfaces assembly. I decided on a rethink & concluded that i should dispense with making the full control set for now. Opting to edit via pc for the meantime.

So, i decided that maybe both projects should be stuffed into one box ..to save potentially wasting rackspace on empty case space ;) ..thus the resulting design below:

The current panel design, hmm will i actually stick to it & make it ?

Revised slightly due to oversights, heres whats acutally being printed to the decal:

Design drying on front panel.. oh the tedium (hmm.. will it stick ?):

Well the case is togeather, wondering what its like with the lights on ?:

..well i am too.. give it a couple of hours and come back :):

A quick snap of almost everything working..

Proper shots & hopefully fully working hardware to come shortly...

---

Right here goes for now folks,

its up and running, however the full compliment of sid chips will have to wait until after xmas ..as i found out i dont have enough PICs lying around.

However as far as controls and aesthetics go, it is now finished ! ..so nothing new to see later.. enjoy !

---

Another previous one ..not so happy with it (due to dirt cheap 2u case, tut tut..):

Old design:

If i do build a control surface in the end, it will be in a sepperate box & will probably look much like the below 2u module (the matrix editing buttons need a final bit of sorting out - not quite right):

Also this synth will contain 8 sid chips, four each of 6581 & 8580 to allow for the most flexability when programming sounds... Hope, i'll be able to use that feature when i've finished this box... as its still sat in the 'sid wish list' of functions ;)

Hmm... this poses another question.. does this project belong in the sid or mbfm forum ..or does it belong in both ? ..maybe neither ? :)

[AndrewMartens]

Excellent designs!  :D I look forward to seeing the finished product.  Don't forget that eight SID boards will take up some space (depends on how deep a rack case you're going with, but it shouldn't be a big issue).

I had considered doing either two FMs or two SIDs in a 1U rack, but just couldn't be bothered to do a nice design for it.  Now I'll probably just keep my spare SIDs, OPL3s and PCBs around as a backup in case something happens to my working set.

[Artesia]

I've got afew opl's & one sid spare just incase.. tho im going one further mesure to insure against electrical damage.. there'll be a spare mains filter unit going in this box to help snuff out any spikes. Also there's a big one supplying all the kit, so two in a row and it shouldnt come offf too badly, home or away...

As for layouts, yes itll take up some space in 1u format... however it can be squeezed into about the same space as one of my oberheim matrix's ..and pack a little more sound capacity into the same space ;)

Below is a quick sketch up of how things will layout, the extra 4 sids will just about sit directly on top of the exhisting ones.. as will afew other items ..tight fit, but will work...

[toneburst]

Those front panels look nice!

I recently thought of going a seperate control-panel for a rackmount SID myself, actually. Great mind think alike, clearly.

It just occurred to me- you're going to need some sort of control on your SID front-panel to select which of the 8 SIDs you're editing. Also- do you have enough Core (CPU) boards in there? It looks like you only have 4 dedicated to SID control, whereas I'd have thought you'd need one for each SID board (ie 8 in total). I may be wrong though, and it may be possible to control 2 SIDs with 1 Core module....

Good work though! Looking forward to seeing (and hearing) it!

Alex

http://www.toneburst.net

[mess]

as always, really nice design artesia,

I wish that I had your graphical skills for my CS design  :D

Also- do you have enough Core (CPU) boards in there? It looks like you only have 4 dedicated to SID control, whereas I'd have thought you'd need one for each SID board (ie 8 in total). I may be wrong though, and it may be possible to control 2 SIDs with 1 Core module....

a core with the v2 SID firmware will be able to control 2 SIDs from one core module

see http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid_v2_wishlist.html

Michaël

[toneburst]

a core with the v2 SID firmware will be able to control 2 SIDs from one core module

see http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid_v2_wishlist.html

Ah, I seeeeeee.....

Is the v.2 firmware available now then? I got the impression from the linked page Thorsten was planning to make a start on v.2 this Autumn, so I'm guessing it's not ready yet.

Alex

http://www.toneburst.net

[Artesia]

Hi alls,

No the v2 firmwares not ready yet to the best of my knowlege, tho of all the things i could wish for right now.. is the 8 sid function.. everything else can wait abit for me at least..

As for the number of core boards used to control 8xsids ..i beleive that it meantions something about using one core to control two sids ...however if another 4 cores needs to be stuffed, it could be done at a real push of double board stacking :)

As for the sid selection buttons, note that the matrix buttons & already exhistant sid selection buttons are not finished on that layout.. i need to think some more on how that is to be done in the tidyest fashon. And i dont plan to build the control surface part this year, if i do make it. So that can wait abit.

Also on the note of being able to switch between 8 sids, the ability to switch between 4 is already present in tks design.. so i would presume that he'd change the firmware to keep the same CS & just have the button for selecting one sid ..toggle between the two connected to the same core.

Otherwise if there are more buttons to add, theres still plenty of time to include that in the eventual CS design..

[Hmm.. ahha ! ..how about having the option to use a rotary encoder to quickly slide up and down through all 8 sids ? ...pretty please ;) ..could even do this by reusing the sid buttons in 'hold down' mode to enable 'sid select' - then spin the main screen editing dial (or for that matter why not all of the dials, for ease of access ?)]

Basically, the main point of these boxes is to make noises, and im just enabling that for the meantime..

If i desire lots of control.. that can come later..

[DrBunsen]

Where's the cooling fan?  ;)

[Artesia]

There's a gang of hamsters who take turns sitting on various bits (whilst trying not to get electrocuted (thats why the mains is boxed off); then they go sit somewhere cooler in the case to chill. thus transferring the heat & giving questionably more sense of purpose, adventure & comfort than a wheel & bottle feeder..

Been in London this past week recruting hamsters for the task, training & construction this week..

..maybe i can get them off to an early start & they can help hold those troublesome bolts and screws in place whilst i fix them down.

[stryd_one]

ahh the old hamster-race heat-sink trick!

You need a good hamster-whisperer ;)

[dj3nk]

An optional control surface plugged by a (serial) cable  at the back of the  mainmodule ( perhaps a very flat version like a keyboard you can take into your hands ;) ) would be very cool ^^

[Artesia]

Well, reluctantly the case size jumped up a whole unit size ..due to getting a 2u rack case at a radio show brand new for £3 ..rather than the usual £30 ish :))

Built Psu now, fully tested and ok, designed to supply 5v+ for the logic side, 12+, 12v- and +9v to account for the opl3 & the two different sid supply rails.

Leds on top of each cap bank to show if theres a psu problem.

All parts for psu recovered from free, scrap equipment :)) Transformers from old pcb modules of some sort, all regulators, diodes and caps from old Computer power supplies.

Notibly the three capacitor banks are composed of about 30 x 6.3v 4,400uf caps arranged to make them suitable for the working voltages used, Got waaay too many of these lo-v ones & it seemed as good a place as any to dispose of them :)

Overall the power supply is pretty overkill, at the end of the day, the regulators are the weakest link, and upgrading / adding to them is easy enough if needed.

note: half of the sid boards loaded ...,4 more arriving shortly.

[Artesia]

Okay.. well just running over the final headache of redesigning the front panel to work with 2u in a 19" rackmount case.. feeling abit miffed about wasted space for a minimal interface ..and not enough to put at least all the controls for the mbfm in ;) ..well its finished i think; unless i change my mind by this evening.

The current panel design (due to dirt cheap 2u case, tut tut..):

still not 100% on it, tho if i go ahead with it; the panel & part mounts will be cut out tonight :)

..oh also, the rear connector panel has been fully populated with all the ins and outs ...cant be bothered to take a photo of that just yet.. tho itll go up in the end anyways :)

[Wild_Weasel]

Looks very nice indeed.

Are you left-handed?

How do you plan to transfer your artwork onto the panel?

regards

michael

[Artesia]

yes indeed i am ..well for writing at least ...you are the first person to notice my deliberately left handed layouts ;)

Transfers done with Lazertran at this moment, look out for my sequencer in mbseq to see the previous work done with lazertran.

[Artesia]

hmm come to think of it ..i know whats bugging ..well one of the things ...the knobs are too small in isolation for the pannel  size ...going to knock them up one size & see how that looks.

[TheAncientOne]

Been thinking about SID box layout a lot too. I think it might be neat to use a real rack module case (I've got some old ones), and make the SID modules plug into a backplane of sorts. It wouldn't need many pins on the connectors, and would allow me to bring the unit up one module at a time. I was figuring on using indirect connectors, and using a piece of alloy the size of a long eurocard, with the Core and SID just mounted as usual. It might be worth vamping up a 'module activity light on the slaves. Another slightly mad thought is the idea of making the control surface in a thin case that acts as a 'lid' to the module rack. It could then hinge down for service. I'd of course put the DIN and DOUT modules in the back of the control surface

Hmmm - has anyone got ideas as to the maximum working length of the cables to the control surface? Might be cool to have a surface that lived on the rack unit, but could be unshipped and used as a console for live jamming. Some old disc drive magnets would make a great hold down.

[Artesia]

hmm.. yup not a bad idea.. go with that.

Was thinking of doing that with some filter banks which are on the project rouster..

However they are more likely to actually be  swapped in and out... whereas a sid will stay in place when its put in.

As novel as Drop in's for sid are.. you might be creating a little more work for yourself than nessursary..

[dj3nk]

my idea prof ;)

[Artesia]

headscratch...

Almost happy with this design now...

Only thing.. dear me..  is that its a bill board for the wrong logos ;)

[dj3nk]

looks great !

[Artesia]

Revised slightly due to oversights, heres whats acutally being printed to the decal:

And heres the panel, drilled up, painted and drying:

Hmm its going to be another slide decal panel ..however next up will be acid etched, painted panels.. looking forward to that one :)

Design drying on front panel.. oh the tedium (hmm.. will it stick ?):

[stryd_one]

looks dope man

[Artesia]

Well the case is togeather, wondering what its like with the lights on ?:

..well i am too.. give it a couple of hours and come back :):

Btw those werent the first choice for knobs ...maplin had no more of those fluted ones i like so much ..so bought those & shaved the huge skirts off them.

[AndrewMartens]

Looking great!  Where did you get that case from?