Newbie Question

[NorthernLightX]

Hi everyone.

Since the HardSID cards are sold out and I needed a pot-box anyway (hmm, sounds like... ;D ), I'd like to build me one of your nifty MIDIBoxSID devices. Only I'd like to use 4 SID modules. So, there rose some questions:

- Is it even possible to stack 4 SID modules on one control board? (I understood it works this way, please correct me if i'm wrong)

- I also need potmeters. Lots of them. It would be very cool if it would be possible to build myself a box, tabletop, with 19" dimensions, lots of pots (MIDIBox 64 module I guess?), and the possibility to assign these pots to either control the SIDS or my other MIDI gear.

- So, I've gathered 4 SID IC's, what do I need to wire them up? (Probably a FAQ question but I'm so new I haven't even found the FAQ yet)

- Oh I'd also like to use one of those LCD screens, they're cute.

Thanks in advance and feel free to mail me about this.

Rgds,  Alex.

[LO]

Hi

yes you could stack modules however at present I think you need a seperate core module for each SID so for 4 SID's you would need 4x SID PCBs & 4x Core PCBs or I spose you could attempt it all on one vero board?!

but it would be fairly big!

Yes you need a MB64/16 as this is a "generic" midi controller you can use it to control your existing midi gear and software and the MB_SID (until the SID control surface is available

Dont think MB_SID supports LCD screens at the moment however knowing what Thorsten has created in the past Im sure it will in the future!?

If Ive got anything wrong please feel free to correct me  :D

[NorthernLightX]

Thanks for your reply.

OK, I understand that I CAN'T stack four of them on one control board then, I would need 4 Core boards (I called them control boards, my mistake) to connect 4 SIDs.

First, I've already deceided that 3 SIDs is enough for me. But now, how can I control 3 Core boards when I have 64 pots hooked to 1 Core board? I'm currently not up to the sollution of hooking 20 pots to one board, I'd need 3 MIDI out ports to make the whole bunch assignable then, while I want one MIDI out port only.

[Edit]

Or should i use a MIDI merger at the end then? Any suggestions are welcome! (For example: what would be a good way to distribute them among the 3 Cores, 20/20/24? 8/8/48? I like this last one, I'd use 8 pots for every SID exclusively and make 40 pots assignable (I know the 24 SID pots are assignable too, but I'd leave them alone)

Any suggestions are still appreciated!

[TK.]

Hi Alex,

since the SID firmware is very busy with all the 16 and 32 bit additions, multiplications and divisions, which are necessary to emulate the LFOs/Pitch/Envelope generators, only one SID can be controlled by one core module.

Every CORE/SID module combination can be assigned to another MIDI channel, so up to 16 SIDs can be controlled over one MIDI cable ;-)

If you want to control them with a MIDIbox64, you can get use of a BankStick which allows you to store 16 setups (e.g. for 16 channels) seperately. However, with the upcoming control surface the SID can be controlled much easier and of course I will provide a function which allows to access other SID modules from one console (I will try it with the MIDIbox-Link...)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[NorthernLightX]

Hi,

is there already any info on this control surface? Does it do anything besides controlling the SID directly?

...Will it make possible to connect an LCD to every SID module 8) ???

The bankstick sounds cool. I guess you'd need one "receiver" for a stick per core module? Or is there a way to flash all three cores at once?

What I want to have is:

- 3 SIDs with a minimum of 8 Pots (and 1 LCD if possible, to display patch info and such) per SID (-> 3 SID Boards, 3 Core boards, and one (or more?) SID control surface, perhaps a MIDIBox Link module too if I understand correctly? ANd also 3 LCDs if possible).

- A bunch of knobs to assign to various MIDI functions (40 sounds enough if alle pots need to connect via MIDI, 32 will do fine too if the SIDs will be directly controllable by 8 pots, so I'd only need one Analog Input board -> 1 or 2 Analog Input boards).

- An LCD to view MIDI stuff, and buttons beside it to control menu functions. I only need the buttons for the menu and special functions, so a single DIN board would suffice(?). If I need the DINX4 board for the buttons anyway, I'll implement some other buttons as well, I guess they can come in handy for trigger and/or mute functions. But then I'd want to have LEDs next to (or IN 8) ) the buttons too (-> 1x Digital Input X1 board or 1x Digital Input X4 board and 1x Digital Output board, and an extra LCD).

- LEDs to flash whenever MIDI data is sent trough or received by the external MIDI ports. (-> 1x LED/THRU/COM module).

- A way to store knob configurations and SID patches internally, but readable by all Core boards and all SIDs. Would it be possible to use the Bankstick Flashrom, but not fix it in an external "key" but on an internal piece of PCB, and then attach it to all Core boards and/or all SIDs? Is this technically possible? Is it's memory big enough? Would it be able to hold SID patches too? Is it perhaps a good idea to develop a separate board with a load of flashmemory, perhaps two separate modules; one for Knob Assignment Data and the other for SID Patches?

- I do not need a sequencer (I have a Korg Triton and Fruityloops, enough sequencer power for me)

- I do not need motorfaders (I have a Yamaha 03D, enough motorfaders for me)

So, is it possible to interconnect all these devices and make it work too? I hope I'm not too much touble ;)

[TK.]

Hi Alex,

is there already any info on this control surface? Does it do anything besides controlling the SID directly?

See the MIDIbox SID page: Not before next year, when the features are clear and I know which knobs, sliders and buttons have to be available for direct control. I don't want to provide any further informations before all synth features have been implemented.

The MIDIbox64 solution I explained in the last posting is an immediate solution --- it will be replaced by something really different - a perfect control surface which is handled by the MIDIbox SID firmware itself.

...Will it make possible to connect an LCD to every SID module 8) ???

sure

The bankstick sounds cool. I guess you'd need one "receiver" for a stick per core module? Or is there a way to flash all three cores at once?

Don't mix the BankStick for MIDIbox64 with the BankStick for MIDIbox SID! To reduce the confusion, I will not answer any MIDIbox64 relevant questions now --- the BankStick for MIDIbox SID will be able to store 128 patches. You can plug it on any MIDIbox SID module, of course, it will also be possible to transfer the settings to one of the SID modules.

- 3 SIDs with a minimum of 8 Pots (and 1 LCD if possible, to display patch info and such) per SID (-> 3 SID Boards, 3 Core boards, and one (or more?) SID control surface, perhaps a MIDIBox Link module too if I understand correctly? ANd also 3 LCDs if possible).

- A bunch of knobs to assign to various MIDI functions (40 sounds enough if alle pots need to connect via MIDI, 32 will do fine too if the SIDs will be directly controllable by 8 pots, so I'd only need one Analog Input board -> 1 or 2 Analog Input boards).

- An LCD to view MIDI stuff, and buttons beside it to control menu functions. I only need the buttons for the menu and special functions, so a single DIN board would suffice(?). If I need the DINX4 board for the buttons anyway, I'll implement some other buttons as well, I guess they can come in handy for trigger and/or mute functions. But then I'd want to have LEDs next to (or IN 8) ) the buttons too (-> 1x Digital Input X1 board or 1x Digital Input X4 board and 1x Digital Output board, and an extra LCD).

- LEDs to flash whenever MIDI data is sent trough or received by the external MIDI ports. (-> 1x LED/THRU/COM module).

- A way to store knob configurations and SID patches internally, but readable by all Core boards and all SIDs. Would it be possible to use the Bankstick Flashrom, but not fix it in an external "key" but on an internal piece of PCB, and then attach it to all Core boards and/or all SIDs? Is this technically possible? Is it's memory big enough? Would it be able to hold SID patches too? Is it perhaps a good idea to develop a separate board with a load of flashmemory, perhaps two separate modules; one for Knob Assignment Data and the other for SID Patches?

No further informations until next year. I want to finish a lot of features for the other projects (which will partly be used by the SID firmware) before I continue with the MIDIbox SID. And I don't want to promise non-evaluated features.

- I do not need a sequencer (I have a Korg Triton and Fruityloops, enough sequencer power for me)

- I do not need motorfaders (I have a Yamaha 03D, enough motorfaders for me)

So, is it possible to interconnect all these devices and make it work too? I hope I'm not too much touble ;)

This is already possible.

Once more: the MIDIbox SID is already a perfect synth module - main focus for the next time is to finish the sound features, thereafter I will begin with the pot stuff. Note that all MIDIbox projects are sparetime projects ;-) I take your inspirations into account, but I implement it on a way where it works perfectly for my own needs :)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[NorthernLightX]

Ok, I'll settle for a normal 1 SID MIDIBox then, until the new features are complete. I want to make a Midibox 16E, but I'm not sure if this firmware supports the SID?

[TK.]

Hi Alex,

yes, I think this is the best "temporary" solution, before you start with the case for all the pots and buttons.

MIDIbox16E: sure, it works - you can assign the different controllers (see http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_sid/sid_cc_implementation_chart.txt) to the 8 internal banks. The "encoder positions" will be automatically saved on every bank change, so that you can switch back and forth through the banks without information loss. :)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[NorthernLightX]

OK, thanks, I'll start ordering some stuff then ;D

I'm already filled with anticipation by imagining how the result of the final project would look, 24 rotary encoders, 4 LCD screens (I've seen some very cool blue ones from Crystalfontz, would match very good with blue LEDs 8) )...

Feel free to keep me posted on any updates!

[NorthernLightX]

Another question: would it be possible to drive the menu with a rotary encoder? If so, would it be one of the 16 encoders from the box or does it need an extra encoder?

[TK.]

Another question: would it be possible to drive the menu with a rotary encoder? If so, would it be one of the 16 encoders from the box or does it need an extra encoder?

Some menu options (e.g MIDI Learn and Encoder Mode assignments) can be already controlled by the encoders, for other function it isn't really necessary.

Btw.: In the next weeks I will release a new MB16E firmware which allows to select one of 128 parameters for every encoder seperately on the fly - intependend from the current bank by pressing a button and just turning the encoder to which the parameter should be assigned to. During the selection, the parameter name will be displayed on the LCD. In a later version, it will also be possible to group encoder assigments. I think that this will result into a very efficient usemodel for (software) synthesizers. :)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[NorthernLightX]

Actually I meant it more like an Alpha Dial. But this is not necessary at all, so don't bother. I've also sent you an email with a very elaborate description of all my current ideas.