build: sammichSID & mb6582 sid chip synthesizers

[playthatbeat]

Some interesting developments on the SID front..

Just noticed these guys (tnx to purest hatred for the tip-off)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r-yMTLVW1U

and we now have a MSSIAH cart and twinsid board.. Will get into it properly soon i assure you.. looks very much like PRO16 or PRO24 on the AtariST, being pattern based and using 'ghost' blocks in the sequencer, ehere you can clone a pattern and if you change the original the clones change too - to save memory innit..

Some awesome tools on the cart, sampling even! defo need the twin sids though, to provide 6 channels of sequencing.. Claims to MIDI sync, so we will see innit!!

[playthatbeat]

There are plenty of Commodore64 emulators out there, and they will run the likes of Cynthcart from the good folk at Atariage i expect, and umpteen other Sid-related programmes.. But if You MUST have hardware, and if you are anything like me, then only hardware will get You going day after day, then here's an interesting development.. A polish hardware emulation of the sid, switchable from 6581 to 8580 modes, in a reasonably close physical package that should go well in a c64, and i PRESUME in a midibox sid - it's called the SWINSID

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDXJiHO8je4

Yes, i now this is technically like running an emulator for Your sid noises, and that isn't the same, but it IS a variation on the Sid. Now we have the 6581, The 6581R3, the 6581A4, the 8580, the 6582 and the Swinsid, all capable of offering slightly different sid experiences.

One is on order, and even if it's a stiff version of the real thing, it's still beats software IMHO.. get it into you etc. If it's as tight as i think it will be, then we may have a contender.. soon we will now how it behaves in the various devices..

[playthatbeat]

Got the Swinsid into the MB6582 on one of the CPUs.. It's defo cleaner and tighter then a real sid.. the mode jumper seemed to make no difference to the sound.. It was silent on some patches - not sure what it's not doing or why, but most of the stock patches sound fine and dandy..

reading up a bit, it seems there is a special switch to enable in the source to allow EXTRA WAVEFORMS on the swinsid to be used in the MB6582.. I am not clear on weather this will affect the non-swinSID chips if i compile and install it, but i expect no ill-effect, just silence when selecting waveforms that aren't supported i guess..

might do this in the future, but for now, not bothered too much.. there is still so much to learn with what i have..

so, i know what You are thinking: Is the SwinSid an apt replacement for a real Sid chip? the answer is YES IT IS. and it has a lower noise floor..

it's just another flavor of sid, innit.