My SID Player plays SID tunes with the SIDKick-pico
I wanted to try the SIDKick pico also with my SID Player, everything is ok, it works as well as i expected.
The green LED just below the SID Socket indicates that the SIDKick is playing.
Video:
I wanted to try the SIDKick pico also with my SID Player, everything is ok, it works as well as i expected.
The green LED just below the SID Socket indicates that the SIDKick is playing.
Video:
SIDKick pico by Frenetic is a microcontroller-based C64 SID replacement. Analog inputs for paddles and mice are available just as for the original SID.
SIDKick pico uses firmware similar to its “big brother” SIDKick. However, the pico variant is based on the Raspberry Pi Pico board that uses the RP2040 microcontroller which is much cheaper and has better availability than the Teensy that is used by the normal SIDKick.
Technical features:
My personal opinion:
My personal opinion as an inveterate purist is that no emulation or implementation will have the sound performance of the native SID (6581/8580).
I can accept as a good implementation the FPGASid and ARMSid where the developers have done a really good job.
SIDKick defends itself well and is low cost, furthermore it’s Open Source, also has a nice feature that i appreciated a lot, it has integrated configuration software that can be run with a simple SYS in both C64 and 128 modes.
So my final opinion is most people will never notice any difference, but i assure you that the differences are there, so i recommend it to everyone unless you are a SID purist.
Note:
The audio output and emulation improves if you use the PCM5102A-DAC add-on card, in my test i chose not to use it because i wanted to show you a plug’n'play without too many cables, jacks and patches. Maybe it was better to include this additional module directly on the SIDKick PCB? probably yes.
The KIT was purchased from restore-store.de, fast shipping and impeccable service.
Gallery of the shipping box:
Gallery:
Video:
source: c64-wiki.com github.com/frntc/SIDKick-pico restore-store.de
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.22 – 6/2/2023
Note:
Added:
# Choose the default SID Socket on bootup (0: Nothing – 1:Socket #1 – 2:Socket #2) – default: 1
DEFAULT_SID_SOCKET=1
Updated:
Fixed:
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.21 – 29/9/2022
Added:
This mode allows to change the SID model in realtime while the music is playing.
Example:
If a SID music is played with the SID 8580 positioned on SOCKET #1 by choosing the ‘sid’ mode you can with the encoder turning it to the Right or Left choose the SOCKET #2 where for example where is installed a SID 6581. The led placed under the Socket will show the sid you have chosen.
An apparently useless option which, however, can be used to experiment the differences in reproduction of the piece of music with two different SID models or choose the most appropriate sid model if the SID not specified the SID to be used.
So in summary we have these choice with the mode key while you are in TUNEINFO screen.
- Single Play
- Sequential Play
- Random Play
- Intro Play
- Sid Switch
Updated:
Fixed:
I only found one SID with this strange configuration : Hammer Down by Sean Connoly. Fixed by setting it to the default value : 1.
This happens when the driver scan the file system and immediately after is done the bubble sort routine that takes about 700ms for 512 entries and more for the max entries (800) in one single directory and during this time the sid player freezes.
To avoid hearing the annoying last note played repeatedly for this amount of time, i have forced the player to pause and remove it as soon as the contents of the new directory will be displayed.
Obviously if you had chosen to pause the song voluntarily with the appropriate button, it will not resume playing after the new directory is displayed.
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.20 – 30/7/2022
Added:
The new feature working when you are in FILE BROWSING display mode and by holding down the button MODE and at the same time press the button of the ENCODER you can go up of one directory.
This mode is very useful if you have a list of many files or directory and would like to easily go up of one directory, currently you should scroll at the beginning or at the end of the list and then click on the double dot to go back, really boring.
Updated:
I was not very convinced by the system that i have made for scroll the filenames horizontally, so i changed the mode, in my opinion much nicer.
By holding down the MODE key when you are in FILE BROWSING display mode you can move the entire screen with the filenames list left and right using the same encoder that is used to scroll the filenames list up and down.
Moreover the horizontal screen position is maintained also after the switching of the display mode or if you go up of one or more directory.
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.19 – 22/5/2022
Added:
Updated:
Below is an excerpt from the “config.ini” file.
# Choose the default SID Socket on bootup (1:Socket #1 – 2:Socket #2) – default: 1
DEFAULT_SID_SOCKET=1
Fixed:
The PCB of our SID Player rev v2.0 is finally here.
Missing only the assembly and testing.
Gallery:
Note:
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab).
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
The Return of the HybridSID Player PCB rev v2.0 by Xad/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab). Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
After the first revision of the PCB we are realized that there were some design problems and consequently of a correct functioning.
Below is a brief description of the fixes and improvements that have been made for the new one version of the SID Player PCB.
PCB rev v2.0 St.Valentine’s day version:
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.18 – 28/1/2022
Fixed:
Updated:
Below is an excerpt from the “config.ini” file.
# Serial Debug Baudrate – default: 115200
SERIAL_BAUDRATE=115200
# Set the Timeout in Seconds for the AUTO/RANDOM playing mode – default: 2 minutes
AUTORND_TIMEOUT=120
# Set the Timeout in Seconds for the INTRO playing mode – default: 15 seconds
INTRO_TIMEOUT=15
# Write 0 if you want to disable the visualization of the vu-meter for the 3 x sid voices.
# Default: 1
SID_VUMETER=1
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.17 – 31/12/2021
Added:
Below is an excerpt from the “config.ini” file.
# Select the Sid model for the Tune played by the SID Player on the Socket #1 or Socket #2.
# Specify the socket which you want to play the sid tunes (example for SID_8580_SOCKET write
# the number 2 if you want it to be played with the SID 8580 installed on socket #2)
# This configuration makes the use very dynamic for everyone. – default: socket #1,#1,#2,#2
TUNE_UNKNOWN_SOCKET=1
TUNE_6581_SOCKET=1
TUNE_8580_SOCKET=2
TUNE_BOTH_SOCKET=2
# Use Armsid with Auto Switching (0:Disabled – 1:Socket #1 – 2:Socket #2) – default: 0
# Note: When you use the auto detection and switching of the SID model with the ARMSID this can be
# used only in one of the two sockets, the other socket is completely ignored and can remain empty.
ARMSID_SOCKET=0
# Brightness of the OLED. (0 … 255) – default: 127
OLED_BRIGHTNESS=127
# Brightness of the OLED in IDLE mode. (0 … 255) – default: 10
OLED_BRIGHTNESS_IDLE=10
# Enable the serial DEBUG. (1 Enable | 0 Disabled) – default: 0
SERIAL_DEBUG=0
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.16 – 29/11/2021
Updated:
Fixed:
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.15 – 26/9/2021
Updated:
* I’ll never stop saying we are far away from my personal feeling of absolute perfection but sound ok for 90% of peoples, luckily there aren’t many SID sound purists :-D
Many people still think that a SID played with a SID emulator on a Mobile Phone or PC sounds absolutely identical to the one played with the SID in the original hardware version :-|
Fixed:
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.14 – 22/8/2021
Added:
Fixed:
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.13 – 3/8/2021
Added:
Sample:
Obviously the displayed address range is the real memory occupation.
Fixed:
The return of the Hybrid Sid Player by xAD/Nightfall & Gianluca Renzi (RetroBit Lab)
Based on the Project and Hardware Schematic by Markus Gritsch released in the years 2011-2015 on the forum dangerousprototypes. Thanks Markus.
Changelog:
v1.12 – 18/07/2021
Updated:
Added:
Fixed:
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