New to propeller

average joe

I'm looking at a couple different ideas for my PropRPM board. One is an interface for a 6581 Sound Interface Device. It takes an 8 bit data bus, 5 bit address bus, chip select, R/W and 1mhz clock. Hookup would be pin for pin with a simple midi interface. Tone control would be accomplished with system exclusive messages.

The other idea is using a hexaphonic pickup to hook up to the propeller for guitar synthesis. I would like to combine the two functions into one system, using the guitar to play upto 3 notes with the SID or send midi messages.

I'm looking for thoughts, suggestions or comments.

Microcontrolled

Welcome to the Forum!!

That is a good idea. Are you making your own object for this project? What is your schematic? Are you going to use this with a guitar? That would be neat!

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Robots are microcontroled.
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JonnyMac

That does sound like a fun project; is the 6581 easy to come by?

average joe

Micro, I will be writing my own object for these projects. I'm probably going to get the SID working first, then look at the guitar synth. My thought was to use the FastIO routine from Frequency meter. My big question is if I can get good enough resolution from running 6 cogs *one for each string* to process the notes and one to gather information and process midi messages. I will make schematics soon. I do plan to use this with guitar. I've got several ideas, just need to find the time to proto them out.

Johnny, the 6581 is kinda rare. They do sell a "replacement" but I prefer ebay *although there has been some report of fraud. The easiest way to find one is to find an old Commodore 128 or 64 and steal the chip.

Any thoughts? Comments? Ideas? I really need help on the guitar synth idea.
Thanks

Oldbitcollector (Jeff)

Joe, welcome to the Propeller!

I'm looking forward to seeing your SID interface project. It's been on my
"to do" list for a long time, but I've got some many projects going that
it hasn't made it to my desk yet. The only minor hurtle I see is interfacing
the 5v lines to the 3v Prop. (There are many solutions to this.) I would
steer clear of the later revisions of the chip for voltage reasons as well.
(Besides the older one sounds better. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

SID chips can be had readily if you know where to look. CCCC has an
inventory of working and non working 64's inexpensively. PM me if you
need more about this. I'd skip Ebay as there have been many scams
around older chips lately. I'd doubt anyone who is selling them as
"new, unused" stock.

Do keep up informed on your progress!

OBC

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average joe

I have a Sid *still in the c128* and am thinking about looking for a couple more soon. From what I have read, interfacing should just take a resistor between the SID and the Prop on the data lines. Any suggestions on value? I was thinking on the order of 5k. There's another project out there based on the SID that I've looked at several times. It uses a PIC micro and looks pretty interesting.

http://www.ucapps.de/index.html?page=midibox_sid_manual.html

I'm not planning on following their design, just putting some ideas together.

Microcontrolled

Do you mean that you have to salvage the chip out of a Commodore 64 just to obtain it?? That's crazy!! Are you sure that there is no other way to get it? I wouldn't like to have to wreak a perfectly good "computer" just to get it.

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Toys are microcontroled.
Robots are microcontroled.
I am microcontrolled.

average joe

Well at least it's in a socket? lol
I don't really see it as wrecking it because it will function MOSTLY as is did before. I know a few programs used the chip to generate random numbers, so that does limit use. I havn't pulled the chip yet and don't plan to until the circuit is built. There is a clone "SwinSID" http://www.swinkels.tvtom.pl/swinsid/ Looks interesting and I will get one once I have tried the 6581 I have.