The tuning of SID chips and modern replacements

video upload by MIDI IN

"An interesting question came up this week about the tuning of SIDs. I'll be adding calibration tuning to MIDISID's menu which will solve any issues and also allow tuning to other non-tunable things, but I've spent the day testing the tuning of real SIDs and replacements, and looking at what affects their tuning and documented all of that here."

A soundscape using MIDISID and MIDIPan

video upload by MIDI IN

"Inspired by my trip to the Ambient Garden, I've made a soundscape from sounds including a bass drone made with the 'bowed glass' preset in MIDISID, 'strings' made using MIDISID's "synth voice" polyphonic sound, one of the audio MIDIPan's built-in tongue-drum sounds and my tube trumpet!"

MIDISID:
https://peacockmedia.software/midisid/

MIDIPan:
https://peacockmedia.software/drum/"

Sailing the Styx : dual SID chiptune composed in DAW

video upload by MIDI IN

"I decided to use MIDISID in a mode that I don't use so often, to drive the 6 SID voices directly from my DAW with some automation of parameters using CC messages. Since the CC control is hidden unless you've read the manual thoroughly, I've made a little tutorial after the track.

0:00 intro
0:43 the track
2:31 General MIDI mode and automation via program change and CC messages"

New features in MIDISID - Arpeggation options

video upload by MIDI IN

"Arpeggiation is an effect that's characteristic of 8-bit sound chips like the SID. MIDISID has been able to do this, but with no options. This has been on the enhancement list for some time and users have been asking about it."

https://peacockmedia.software/midisid

Improvising chiptune music using 2 SIDs and a looper

video upload by MIDI IN

"I realised that I haven't recently tried using the looper in MIDIPan with MIDISID, and that's actually a lot easier now that the new version of MIDISID allows you to plug in a USB MIDI controller. Power and data with a single lead. I chose a slow laid back beat, and used a lot of portamento, or glide. I'm using the Beebop minor scale for some interesting licks."

MIDIPan: https://peacockmedia.software/drum/

MIDISID: https://peacockmedia.software/midisid/

MIDISID 4 : 'Morpheus' : Demonstration of new features

video upload by MIDI IN

"the SID is the sound chip that was used in the Commodore 64 8-bit home computer, it's a synthesizer on a chip with 3 voices. This has two of those, or modern recreations of, for a total of 6 voices. It has MIDI in so that you can control it from a keyboard, DAW, or anything else that produces MIDI

Find out more / buy at:
https://peacockmedia.software/midisid

New features:
Larger screen
Revised menu
New 'duophonic' mode
Physical 'stereo/mono' switch
USB-C socket, capable of acting as a USB host for MIDI-over-USB
Switch to Kung Fu SIDs rather than SwinSID nanos

0:00 intro
1:18 larger screen and revised menu
2:12 new 'duophonic' mode
2:44 USB-C for MIDI-over-USB
3:44 stereo/mono switch
4:34 the new Kung Fu SID
5:35 rendition of Corridors of Time by Autumn Altair

Echoes Stone Walls by Autumn Altair:
https://altairaudioengineering.bandca..."

Midweek MIDIPan Minijam : Plus first look at MIDISID for RC2014

video upload by MIDI IN

"This is a looper jam on the MIDIPan and also a show & tell about a project I'm working on right now. For 8-bit music fans!"

Sunday Jam #60 : Drivin' again - with guitar

video upload by MIDI IN

"I've decided to take an existing piece of music, my Music for an Imaginary Driving Game, which I've published a few times in different forms, most recently for dual SIDs, I'll link to that video, and enhance it with real guitar and realistic drums.

The stop-motion driving clip is thanks to Mike Bird:
https://www.pexels.com/video/time-lap...

The most recent pure dual-SID version of this tune is here:"

Latest version of 'Drivin' SID tune, plus new SwinSID design

video upload by MIDI IN

"I've just received these in the post this morning. I was unable to make edits to Tolaemon's 'nano SwinSID b' design and so I made a new board design using the SwinSID schematic. This is a demo, (apart from the looks, and easier manufacture for me, they're the same as the nano SwinSID b)
https://peacockmedia.software/midisid"

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..."

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."

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"

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."