Sunday Jam #59 : 8th wonder

video upload by MIDI IN

"Since it's BF/CM, how about a twofer? You get two tracks for free instead of one for free!

0:00 introduction
0:33 Showing the ES2 instruments I used
2:24 How I used MIDISID
5:16 ES2 version
9:18 SID version

Library video used:
courtesy cottonbro:
https://www.pexels.com/video/side-vie...
https://www.pexels.com/video/low-angl...
courtesy Magda Ehlers:
https://www.pexels.com/video/string-o..."

Midweek MIDPan Minijam #2 : built-in looper

video upload by MIDI IN

"Since last week I've been working on building a looper into MIDIPan. Here's a demo."

Midweek MIDPan Minijams

Midweek MIDIPan Minijam

video upload by MIDI IN

"This midweek mini-jam is partly because I need some footage with this new MIDIPan design being used, partly to experiment with a possible new feature and partly because I just enjoy playing it."

Sunday Jam #55 : Halloween special : 4am again with visualisations

video upload by MIDI IN

After last week's effort I'm kicking back a bit this week and have spent the time on a visualisation. The music is something I first posted in 2020 [video below], at that time with a compilation of some spooky C64 and Vic20 games.

0:00 intro
0:16 talking about Dr.VIP 2040 board
0:42 talking about the visualisation
2:05 the track

"4am" - Original music, with Spooky Vic20 and C64 games (listed in description)

video upload by MIDI IN

"Original spooky music, all sounds are produced by a real C64 (6581 SID). Accompanied by me playing some of my current favourite games on Vic20 and C64.

This time I used the C64 as a midi instrument (via Datel MIDI cart and my own software) and recorded around 30 sounds separately, and mixed them using minimal post-processing (a little reverb and eq).

All of these games have their own music, by better musicians than me. This isn't an attempt to deprecate their music. I've enjoyed the games and the visuals make a great accompaniment to this piece of music.

I am a fan of using real hardware and usually play these games on original computers. However, I don't have a capture device and pointing a camera at the screen looks crap, so I resorted to emulators for the purposes of making the gameplay footage.

Games shown:
Zombie Calavera Prologue, Vic20, from Digital Monastery https://majikeyric.itch.io/zombie-cal...

Pumpkid, Vic20 from Hewco https://hewco64.itch.io/pumpkid

The Isle of the Cursed Prophet, C64 from Icon 64 https://psytronik.itch.io/cursed-prop...

Luna, C64 from Shallan https://shallan64.itch.io/luna"

Sunday Jam #54 : Music for an imaginary puzzle game - plus!

video upload by MIDI IN

"After deciding that my original idea was a complete disaster, I returned to something I've developed several times in the past. This time I've given it the rock treatment.

I first showed this tune played on a dual-SID C64 [1st video below]

And then using MIDISID [2nd video below]

0:00 Intro
0:24 previous versions
0:49 what I've done today
1:00 how I generated the video
2:01 the track"

Puzzled : music for dual-SID C64

video upload by MIDI IN

"Another piece of original Dual-SID music. I'm starting to doubt the wisdom of writing long ponderous intros, so I won't think any less of you if you skip forward 30s to where the bass and percussion action starts.

My 16-channel MIDI to 6-channel SID voice music player is improving . The sound for this video is captured straight from my sixtyclone which you can see in the video. The music is actually being generated by Logic Pro on a Mac and sent to the C64 via MIDI (Datel MIDI cart)."

Puzzled MIDISID demo 2

video upload by MIDI IN

"I've been unlisting some early MIDISID videos which show MIDISID as a prototype - it's come a long way and is now a commercial product: https://peacockmedia.software/midisid/

I like this tune and decided to re-shoot the video and re-record the audio using some better MIDISID sounds. If you like this or any of my tunes, and would like to use the music for free - you are welcome, as long as you credit me and give a link to my channel. Better still, contact me and I'll provide a good quality audio file."

Phantasmal Force beta firmware + MIDISID + KORG NTS-3

video upload by Arman Bohn

"Phantasmal Force available here:
https://www.distropolisgoods.com

MIDISID info can be found here:
https://peacockmedia.software/midisid/

Phantasmal Force v2.0 firmware coming soon!

Testing out the beta firmware for the Phantasmal Force micro MIDI controller with a new friend. The MIDISID (purple dual SID synth on the left) is being sent Program Change messages from the Phantasmal Force to change the instrument sounds on each of its six channels. The Phantasmal Force is also sending six different sequences (one to each voice of the MIDISID). The sequences are different lengths, and follow different subdivisions of the master tempo. Sequences can have their notes, velocity and probability randomized. Notes can be locked to 43 different scales.

The NTS-3 is just here to add some fun ear candy.

There are a ton of new features in coming up in v2.0 of the the PF firmware."

Wednesday update: Calibration tool and better velocity sensitivity with MIDIPan and MIDIKalimba

video upload by MIDI IN

"Other people using MIDIPan / MIDIKalimba:
mccy plays kit on MIDIPan: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGe3b1TnP/
Maria uses it as a synth controller: • Behringer Pro VS Mini Synth played on...
Kale improvises using an iPad plugin: • MIDI-Pan jam (handpan / steel tongue ...

MIDIKalimba home page:
https://peacockmedia.software/kalimba/
MIDIPan home page:
https://peacockmedia.software/drum/
Other instruments and projects:
https://peacockmedia.software/hardwar...

0:00 intro
0:15 feedback
0:28 the challenges
2:37 user suggestion
3:18 demo of calibration tool
4:48 playing the devices and demonstrating wide variation in velocity
5:41 thank you"

Walkabout at the Synthesized event, Cambridge

video upload by MIDI IN

"I wasn't able to do the usual musical Sunday video this week, I was at the Synthesized event at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge.
Tony the organiser had caught everyone for interviews which will be on the museum's own channel here: (link when available)
So I just picked a quiet moment for a walkabout to show the variety of musical technology on display."

Also see Synthesized Festival 2023 - Cambridge Centre For Computing History & Making Drums For Modular Synth

Experiment : The 'MIDISID Beast', a 3-headed beast with 18 SID voices

video upload by MIDI IN

"It has long been a dream of mine to build a version of MIDISID with 6 SIDs making 18 voices. The MIDISID Beast if you will. Here I hook up 3 regular MIDISIDs to test the idea.

https://peacockmedia.software/midisid/

0:00 The current 2-SID 6-voice MIDISID
0:25 The Dream
0:53 Testing the idea wit 3 regular MIDISIDs
2:09 Comfortably Numb
8:32 canyon.mid
10:35 passport.mid
12:43 Day of the Tentacle part of opening sequence
14:03 closing thoughts and invitation to Cambridge to experience The Beast"

e-ther - new and improved version 2!

video upload by MIDI IN

"Today I'm announcing the new and improved e-ther.
Stock of the original e-ther is now discounted until gone.
For latest news and buying options, please visit
https://peacockmedia.software/e-ther"

Synthesized Festival 2023 - Cambridge Centre For Computing History & Making Drums For Modular Synth

video upload by Hack Modular

"Synthesized Festival https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/d...

If you'd like exclusive access to projects you can subscribe on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/hackmodular

00:00 Intro
00:20 Museum Tour
01:02 Vintage Synth Room
01:23 Hack Setup
07:50 LMNC SWTPC
08:03 John with the Nascom-2
09:33 Sheila with the MIDISID and e-ther
14:33 Jonathan with Windows 98 PC sound
18:54 Outro

Making Drums For My Modular Synth!

video upload by Hack Modular

Synthesized Festival: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/d...

Tindie Store: https://www.tindie.com/stores/hackmod...
Reverb Store: https://reverb.com/uk/shop/hackmodular
Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HackModular

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hack_modula...

00:00 Intro
01:33 Laying Out The Big Components
09:00 Making The Individual Drum Voices
12:15 Testing The Completed Drums
13:35 Final Bits Of Advice

MIDISID manual : the four modes of operation

video upload by MIDI IN

"in which I describe and demonstrate MIDISID's four modes: General MIDI, MT32, Polyphonic and Monophonic.

This is mostly concerned with the different ways that MIDISID can alloctate the incoming MIDI data to the 6 SID voices it has.

0:00 introduction
0:28 General MIDI
3:50 MT32
4:20 Polyphonic
5:30 Monophonic
6:31 Fooling around with some interesting sounds"

See the MIDI IN label below for more.

Ring modulation with the SID chip using MIDISID

video upload by MIDI IN

"MIDISID: https://peacockmedia.software/midisid/
This video accompanies the manual for MIDISID. In it I explain and demonstrate one of the SID's more advanced features, ring modulation."

Major New Version of MIDISID

video upload by MIDI IN



"MIDISID contains two SID chips (supplied with two modern SID replacements) for a total of six voices, driven by MIDI input. Each voice has configurable waveform, ADSR envelope, pulse width and more. The chips also feature filtering and more advanced features such as ring modulation and waveform sync. A menu system and four push-switch rotary encoders allow you to design sounds or choose preset sounds and mode of operation.

My project received some media attention towards the end of last year and things went crazy.

The support and sales I've had have enabled me to spend the time developing the hardware and firmware. In May I released a major revision.

The footprint is slightly larger, the top is angled forwards, knobs and screen have been repositioned, custom sides partially enclose the electronics. All of this make the device more user-friendly; you can see the screen when sitting back from it and your hand doesn't obscure the screen when using the knobs. The overall design is a little reminiscent of the breadbin C64 case that originally housed the SID chip.

The biggest addition to the firmware is by popular request. Users wanted to be able to control or modulate any of the SIDs' parameters using MIDI CC messages, and so now this is in place.

The price remains the same.

This video shows one way of using MIDISID to compose music - you can create up to six 'external midi instrument' tracks in your DAW, each sending to a different channel / SID voice.

Other videos on my channel show other ways of using MIDISID.

Details of the CC control are in Appendix F of the manual.

MIDISID_manual.pdf

MIDISID's home page is here: https://peacockmedia.software/midisid/"

Duck Tales theme on 2xSIDs

video upload by MIDI IN

"I will be making a follow-up to this in which I explain how I started off with a .mid and made it work well with MIDISID. That will be the start of a series of videos to accompany chapters of the MIDISID manual, in this case 'playing a .mid and getting the most out of it'."

See the MIDI In label for more.

Quick look at what I'm up to today - "MIDISID" for RC2014

video upload by MIDI IN

"This project brings together the SID interface for RC2014 by Quazar:
https://www.samcoupe.com
(also shortly available from https://z80kits.com/shop/sid-interfac... )
... and my new MIDI interface for RC2014:
https://www.tindie.com/products/shiel...
In the video I demonstrate how I've got some tracks set up in Logic which are sending on channels 1,2 and 3. Notes are being played on the SID by the RC2014 with a program I'm writing in Z80 asm."

PeacockMedia MIDISID jam with Drumstep Pro

video upload by Dj Puzzle

"Something new on the Table of Boom. Here we have an Arturia Drumstep Pro sequencing the Sinmons SDS9 and the MIDISID. It’s also sending sync to the 1010music Razzmatazz. The Replicator is a cassette tape echo device. Interesting fact, the MIDISID uses two SID chip clones to generate synth sounds you would find made by a Commodore 64. MIDISID uses two modern SID recreations (Nano SwinSIDs). The reveb on the MIDISID is coming from that cheap Harbinger mixer I got a couple months ago. I think it sounds nice for the price."

Creepin' around

video upload by MIDI IN

"A creepy tune for a dark and cold January Sunday evening.

As you can see, I've worked within 6 channels with MIDISID as an external instrument so that all of the audio can be captured from the back of MIDISID in one take.

I sat down last night with no ideas but after a little messing around we were almost at this stage. A little more tweaking today."

e-ther, the e-theremin

video upload by MIDI IN

"Just me having fun with e-ther. it's played like a theremin and has audio or MIDI out, several octaves and a range control.
Launched 25 Nov 22

The web page is at https://peacockmedia.software/e-ther/

0:00 teaser
0:07 introduction
0:51 using audio output
1:29 using MIDI output with Logic Pro
6:02 using MIDI output with MIDISID"

"Play like a Theremin, audio or MIDI out

e-ther is played with gestures in the air like a theremin and can output:

MIDI over USB
MIDI over TRS (a TRS-5-pin DIN lead gives MIDI over 5-pin DIN)
audio at line or headphone level and a gain control (with optional Pimoroni PicoAudio DAC)
e-ther's sensors don't use visible light and therefore aren't affected by changes in ambient light. They measure distance very accurately (invisible, eye-safe) making e-ther very predictable and consistent."

CLICK FOR MORE »

MIDISID 6 oscillator 4 waveform Synthesizer

video uploads by MIDI IN

Echoes on Stone Walls, rendered on dual SIDS
Developing MIDISID

via PeacockMedia

"This is a 6-oscillator synthesiser with a choice of 4 waveforms per voice, ADSR, filtering and modulations such as PWM and vibrato. It also has some advanced features like ring modulation and waveform sync.

The SID (;Sound Interface Device;) was designed for the 1982 Commodore 64 home computer. It has many features and a distinctive sound. MIDISID uses two modern SID recreations (Nano SwinSIDs). MIDISID has three modes allowing you to play .mid files or plug in a MIDI controller such as a keyboard. You can choose from preset sounds or dive into the parameters, create and store your own sounds.