need some programing advice for 303 sid

[matrigs]

i want to make a monophonic 303 style sid for my friend.

generally i would want to add the normal control unit with a 2x20 lcd.

but i would also want to add a few encoders for controlling the most important "303ish" controls like cutoff and resonance so that, wherever you are on the control unit screen you can control them on the fly.

could someone give me a hint on how to do that? i guess i just have to change something in the cs_menu_enc file but i'm a bit confused.

thanks for the help.

[TK.]

Hi Matrigs,

unfortunately there is no straightforward solution to change the purpose of the encoders. It's not only the cs_menu_enc.inc file which needs to be changed, multiple files are affected, and some additional code needs to be implemented to get a special encoder behaviour exactly like you want.

If you could give me the encoder functions you are planning to control, I could do the changes for you...

(sidenote: the new code wouldn't be compatible with MBSID V2, as the encoder implementation has been changed)

Sidenote: you should consider the use of a PIC18F4685, so that MBSID V2 can run.

In MBSID V1 the 303 extension was only an add-on which hasn't been considered from the beginning, and therefore is a little bit complicated to use. In MBSID V2 the overall concept has been prepared for such special "engines".

For example, in difference to MBSID V1 bassline sequences can be edited on a more comfortable way, and multiple sequences can be embedded within a single patch, so that you can easily switch between them.

There will be additional sound parameters especially for those funky C64 like bassline sequences.

Also the encoder functions will be changed automatically when the bassline engine is selected, so that the MBSID V2 CS will propably already provide the look&feel for which you are asking.

Only problem is, that these are only ideas, and I cannot give you more details before I've implemented the bassline engine (propably it will be much more powerful than I can imagine for now ;) --- see the progress of the Lead engine! :))

You propably need to wait one or two months before the engine is ready for use.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[SLP]

what about an external midi-controller?

[matrigs]

thanks for the reply !

i would need those controls:

tuning, resonance, cutoff, env. mod, decay, accent.

but i really don't want to squander your time if you say that this is so time consuming. maybe i just make my friend a "normal" box and wait until v2 then.

i presume you suggested the "knobs" page in v2 that it will be able to provide me with the controls i need.

one question though - can i already stuff a pic18f4685 into my new core and already make those new changes to the sid module and then just wait for uploading the new software?

thanks

[matrigs]

an external controller would use up a second core

[SLP]

Isn't there the possibility to connect pots directly to some pins at the Core-PBC which can then be used as a LFO? using the modmatrix you could modulate tuning, resonance, cutoff, env. mod, decay, and accent with the LFOs which means with the pots.

[TK.]

tuning, resonance, cutoff, env. mod, decay, accent.

btw.: in the v1.7 firmware, you will find such controls within the 303 menu page.

one question though - can i already stuff a pic18f4685 into my new core and already make those new changes to the sid module and then just wait for uploading the new software?

yes, this is possible. Just upload the most recent release for the PIC18F4685 (v1.74685)

i presume you suggested the "knobs" page in v2 that it will be able to provide me with the controls i need.

Not really - knobs allow you to customize some controls. This feature will also be available for the bassline engine, but I think that they are mostly interesting for automation via MIDI, or for some prepared "special effects" (e.g. changing cutoff and glide rate with a single knob)

In general with the bassline engine the menu pages will change, so that only relevant (and some special) sound parameters are displayed for best live usage. The intention is to have nice sounding bassline (+ special sequencer) without much configuration, and with an ergonomic user interface (therefore the encoder functions will change as well in this mode) - it will "feel" like if a different firmware is running, but in background it's still MBSID V2 :)

Isn't there the possibility to connect pots directly to some pins at the Core-PBC which can then be used as a LFO? using the modmatrix you could modulate tuning, resonance, cutoff, env. mod, decay, and accent with the LFOs which means with the pots.

the MOD matrix of MBSID V1 only provides 7 fixed targets for OSC 123 pitch, OSC123 Pulsewidth and filter cutoff, so this wouldn't be a solution.

Best Regards, Thorsten.