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There's a slight difference between sticking a known logo on a mass manufactured hardware and actually designing innovative chips like C= did in the 80's.
There's a reason if someone still uses that technology today.
Today, even AmigaOS would be a top seller if only those bastar^H^Hkind folks who own the rights would open source it or actually do something with it, like porting the system to tablets and portable computers, instead of letting it die slowly.

The SID6581 lives on.

I'm surprised that the poster didn't create his own. The card in question is basically the chip and a game port.

This track reached no.2 in the British charts about 5 years ago, and pretty much consisted of one riff sampled from a Commodore 64 game ("Lazy Jones") with a heavy drum beat added.

The C64's SID chip has something of a cult following, and has been turned into a musical instument in it's own right by these guys

Same as a lot of people we had a C64 in our house to teach me the new ways of computers and actually be able to do something with and not remember what I learned in school what the words ROM, RAM and VDU meant.
But what actually happened was I bought a lot of those gaming mags which had program listings which you had to type yourself to get a program happening and play the game.
Weeks and weeks of typing.
Then,
RUN
...
SYNTAX ERROR
A few weeks later you'd be damned happy that you had a working game.
Doing all this made me finally try that music synth program which was mentioned in the manual and got me interested in MIDI and computer music.
So what next ensoniq samplers.
Something called the toaster and the PAR on the Amiga
Cubase on the Atari ST
And now Logic, FCP, AE etc on a MAC
Computers made me more creative and opened up a whole new wave of opportunity.
And there is a synth based on the C64 sound chip the Sidstation , it all is just too good. Circle complete. :)

I guess you've never heard of the SidStation.... Many electronic artists like the sound chips from consoles, they are unique in many ways....

For things like the commodore audio chip you can't get exactly the same sounds without the real hardware. But for SNES I think that zsnes + roms + alsa does a pretty faithful rendition of the sound. And if I fiddle with the sound options you could argue that however unfaithful the sound becomes, it is actually superior in quality to that of just an SNES.

That's one thing the SNES did have over the Genesis. The sound quality was vastly superior. I remember the "echoy" cave noises in super mario world, that was something else.

I agree on all counts. I have a soft spot for the SNES's defining sound (Actraiser in stereo really cemented it for me), but the Commodore's SID is just on a whole other level. Occasionally a piece of hardware--be it audio, film, video, or whatever--is released that has such a unique character and artistic potential that it outlives its generation. Personally, I think the SidStation is the quintessence of reborn game audio hardware.

But in the world of synths every piece of gear has its nuances, and even the dookie sound chip in the MD/Genesis could be refabbed with an interface that liberates it and affords it a special niche all its own.

...like the SidStation based on the legendary MOS 6581 (aka. SID) chip from the Commodore 64.

The SidStation is essentially a MIDI synth expander that uses the SID chip as it's main sound source. It'd be interesting to do the same kind of thing with a SNES sound source, although from memory, it wasn't a sound chip worthy of any merit.

...like the SidStation based on the legendary MOS 6581 (aka. SID) chip from the Commodore 64.

The SidStation is essentially a MIDI synth expander that uses the SID chip as it's main sound source. It'd be interesting to do the same kind of thing with a SNES sound source, although from memory, it wasn't a sound chip worthy of any merit.

I was under assumption that SIDStation was making own
chips, but you are right, my bad:


\ The possible production of SidStation synthesizers is limited.
\ Production of SID-chips has stopped since long, and we have
\ searched all over the world for remaining stock. We will stop
\ the production of SidStation as the stock we've managed to
\ secure is at an end. The price of the SidStation will also be
\ increased as the stock dries out. If you want to be in
\ possession of a SidStation - don't wait.
from : sidstation.com/sidstory_sidwhat.php

--
/apz, SID is much better sounding than Roland TB-303 !!!

SID chip was developed in 1981 and is still produced

Are you sure the Sid chip is still produced?

Reason i ask is that these people Sidstation claim to have access to the only remaining stocks of the sidchip which they are using to build their Sidstation "Groove Box" . So... If you know where I can buy a bucketload of sid chips id sure like to know...

Nick ...

http://www.sidstation.com/

I've got a sample CD made with this synth, and it can make some very complex and interesting tones. Game systems used to have character and personality based on what sounds their hardware could produce. Now they just seem to be used as a CD player and a straightforward sampler.

It's just nostaligia and what people are used to. People that grew up with tube guitar amps learned that that was what a guitar sounded like. This sound included coloring and inaccuracy. Then as technology advanced, they heard the sound change and didn't like it, so they think that the old technology sounds better. In fact modern (quality) digital sound tech sounds more accurate. People think it's no sterile and has no warmth, but it's simply reproducing the sound accurately.

I find myself liking old-school 8-bit audio, growing up in the 80s. You see all kinds of bitcrusher effects and lofi effects for that low-bit, low-sampling rate, noisy effect. Yet, it's obviously colored compared to the original signal. So I think this is similar to tubes for older people (or people who just like tube sound). Now people remember the way old samplers and video games and the like sounded and miss the sound. This is why I spent over $500 on a SidStation synth, which has an actual Commodore 64 sound (SID) chip in it. Very low-fi, but very cool stuff. There is software that replicates it pretty well, like SIDAmp --a Winamp plugin, but I like having the real thing (along with the knobs). Of course, I use it to make my own music, not just play back C64 tunes.

Personally, as a musician, I'd rather record the sound exactly as it is, and add coloration or effects later. For the record, I used to play guitar and now write electronic music. I have some analog gear, some digital gear, some hybrid gear, and lots of software (which is obviously digitial). As far as synths go, I generally prefer digital, but analog has its place too. Digital sythesis (and effects) is(are) capable of much more flexibility and weirdness. Aphex Twin and Autechre, for instance, couldn't do what they do with all analog gear. But I would like to build a nice big analog modular synth one day. :)

Anyway, my point is, if you like analog or tube or vinyl or whatever better, use is, but don't be so elitist thinking that it's obviously so much better.

slightly OT - but don't forget the other great C64 contribution to music: the Sidstation. A synthesizer that uses the SID6581 sound chip as its heart.

slightly OT - but don't forget the other great C64 contribution to music: the Sidstation. A synthesizer that uses the SID6581 sound chip as its heart.

The sid chip had three monophonic digital oscillators, individual envelopes, and an analog filter. Sometimes people used it to simulate polyphony but mostly it was used to make a full song (ie. 1 osc for drums, 1 for bass, 1 for lead)

Some of the music composed on the C64 was amazingly complex given how limited it was. The C64 was also one of the first platforms used for "demos" (mostly in the form of crappy scrollers.)

For those who really really love the sound of the SID chip there are lots of options to get it back. Most notably is the SidStation which is sadly no longer made and the HardSid.

I also can't recommend Kohina enough.

The song "Kernkraft 400" by Zombie Nation received significant airplay in the US. The dance song basically consists of a C64 SID chip driven synth lead over percussion.

The sound chips of the C64 were revolutionary for the time, and even today are still sought after by SID music enthusiasts and other PC music junkies (for use in PC board hardware - such as HardSID), and quite frankly I would like two of them myself!

If you like the classic SID sounds, then you'll love the SidStation Synth. Somebody get me one before they run out of chips!

Fortunately they decided to just do the standard chemical explosive swab (and maybe waved a Geiger counter at it, I don't know).

If you're into MIDI et al you can get a Sidstation - basically a MIDI-controllable SID chip in a box. Incredibly cool sounds, check out some of the demos on the site... fantastic!!

you should sell them to the guys that make the sid-station synthesizer. they're ending their line of synths because sid supplies are constrained.

The custom synth chip made for the C64 is in short supply, in fact from what I understand there arent any bulk ones left. It's the basis of some pretty neat modern synth projects including the SidStation, and the amazing DIY project The MIDIbox Sid. You might wanna check out this interview with Bob Yannes the designer of the SID chip.

A company has already built a completely dedicated piece of hardware around the sid music chip from the commodore 64: http://www.sidstation.com.

The SID6581 is a very cool little soundchip, built like no other. Its original techniques have resulted in a very special sound with unique realtime control possibilities.

Housed in a 28-pin DIP-capsule it is a mixture of digital and analogue technology with phase accumulated oscillators and analogue multimode NMOS filter. It has inherited the character and individuality from the analogue world, sometimes appearing to have a life of its own.

SID6581 was a part of the Commodore 64 - the computer with the most active hacker community ever. This meant that thousand of hackers and musicians explored every little corner of the chip, trying to beat each other in doing the most advanced and interesting sounds. Over time hackers came up with many original ideas on how to squeeze even cooler sounds out of the chip.

What this means for the SidStation is that not only the SID chip is original in sound, but the way it is programmed is based on over 10 years of experience from the C64 hacker community. No other synth chip has had this chance.

Sure you can emulate it, but you miss so much by simple emulation. The most hailed feature of the C64 was the sid chip (it's still used by some techo artists to make effects)

So go out and get yourself a SidStation.

There are some pretty damn good software emulators of the SID chip sound around these days. They've gotten much better.

I still don't get the point of running something like this in this form factor.

It most definitely can't. The SID was, and is, a masterpiece of a chip. The main reason that it is impossible to emulate well is its analog filters.

That's why gear like the SIDStation exists - it's a professional music tool to get analog synth sounds that the current digital tools just lack.

Cheers,
Ian

(Oh - for proof? Try listening to Ghost and Goblins on a real SID, then on an emulator. They have never got it right)

The swedish(?) company Elecktron makes a gadget called the SIDstation based around the c64 SID chip. It's intended for use in electronic music.

aww JEAH! old sk00l ghetto synth in da hizzaus!

as mentioned above, the sidstation uses SID chips from the commodore 64 to generate all sorts of crazeh beeps and gronks-- the site also has a ton of demos as well.

for all you crazeh c64 SID toon fans, be sure to check out the High Voltage SID Collection! tons of great SID toons from your childhood, including, but not limited to:

- Contra! bew bew bee boop ba boodaboop!
- Commando! chikkachikkabowgronk!
- Ultima IV! ba blinng! ba da bling! ba da bling. ba da blonng...
- and who could forget the cutting edge voice synth of Neuromancer? SSSHOMM SHINNGS MMEEEVVERR CHANNNSGE!

you'll need the SIDPlay plugin to listen to these things with winamp. don't forget you can move the slider doohickey to choose from multiple tracks within each SID toon! WOOHOO!

aww JEAH! old sk00l ghetto synth in da hizzaus!

as mentioned above, the sidstation uses SID chips from the commodore 64 to generate all sorts of crazeh beeps and gronks-- the site also has a ton of demos as well.

for all you crazeh c64 SID toon fans, be sure to check out the High Voltage SID Collection! tons of great SID toons from your childhood, including, but not limited to:

- Contra! bew bew bee boop ba boodaboop!
- Commando! chikkachikkabowgronk!
- Ultima IV! ba blinng! ba da bling! ba da bling. ba da blonng...
- and who could forget the cutting edge voice synth of Neuromancer? SSSHOMM SHINNGS MMEEEVVERR CHANNNSGE!

you'll need the SIDPlay plugin to listen to these things with winamp. don't forget you can move the slider doohickey to choose from multiple tracks within each SID toon! WOOHOO!

The SID chip from the Commodore 64 was recently put into a separate synth named the Sidstation. It's not a hack but it's a hack gone professional - aka. an innovative product. Elektron, the people who make it, are the most impressive audio hardware manufacturer's around right now, IMO. I can only wait to see what they do next.

It's really interesting that in the last couple years lo-fi synthesis and reworking of old systems has made more progress than hardware synthesis (I'm aware of all the advances in software such as Scanned, Fourier, etc but none of them have made it to hardware yet. We've seen C64 SID chips make a comeback in the form of the SIDstation, and two great Gameboy synthesizers, Nanoloop, and Little Sound DJ all three of which are incredibly useful and have interesting and unique sounds. The kind of DIY synthesizers we'll find in 10 years is going to be fascinating.

I hope the guy that is manufacturing the carts doesn't get overly slashdotted so I can get mine! :)

Make use of the SID chip - control it over the internet and then broadcast it via the server. That would be awesome. (Sorry, every time I see the c64 mentioned I think of my Sidstation and the SID chip.)

I was having a discussion the other day about this, how people of a certain age have emotional attachments to video game music, and sometimes it's hard to understand.

One of my favorite labels is an online MP3-only label, Monotonik, they have some cool original chip tunes and some Mario remixes (here's one). Actually look around and there's lots of cool stuff for fans of IDM, electronic music, etc.

Also of interest, there's a music machine that uses the sound chip from the C64 (that's Commodore 64, kids) with MIDI support.

Also check out the Minibosses.

Lots of this stuff around! I never played video games much but that stuff all managed to get stuck in my head anyway..

>Back in my day, the SID chip on a C-64 was only for snobs and rich sissy boys who needed fancy stuff like color and sound on a PC. We didn't need it then and we dont need it now and we LIKE it that way!.

have you seen the SIDstation (www.sidstation for the goatse.cx weary)? the SID chip is still fot rich people ($580 US for a 15+ year old chip), but the sounds on this synth are pretty sweet......

You think you're joking, right? Check out the SID Station, a rack-mounted synth that incorporates the Commodore SID chip.