High Voltage SID Collection: Update #76
Date: December 23, 2021

Resulting Version: 76
 Previous Version: 75

After this update, the collection should contain 55,067 SID files!

This update features (all approximates):
     681 new SIDs
      26 fixed/better rips
       1 repeats/bad rips eliminated
     279 SID credit fixes
     100 SID model/clock infos
      12 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN/ identified
       0 tunes from /GAMES/ identified
      20 tunes moved out of /DEMOS/ to their composers' directories
      12 tunes moved out of /GAMES/ to their composers' directories      

We are always looking for others to help make HVSC a better collection.
If you find any errors or have new rips to add, please email:

 iAN CooG  <hvsc (sid) c64.org>

Thanks to all the people who have helped to make HVSC the collection that it
is today, without your help it would be a much tougher task.


SID RELATED NEWS:


#########
# Monty #
#########

Monty is a MIDI synth controller for the ATmega1284p which drives up to 2 6581
SID chips.

The software receives MIDI messages via UART (serial), tracking "note on",
"note off", "pitch bend" and other such MIDI commands. Up to 2 SID chips can be
controlled which totals 6 voices across 2 channels. Instrument definitions
decide which of the SIDs voice types to use, which include pulse wave (with
variable duty cycle), triangle wave, sawtooth wave, pseudorandom noise (white
noise). The SID chips also contain a filter and ring modulator. As was common
on the Commodore 64, software can then apply arpeggios and other register
manipulations to create more textured sounds.

More info can be found here: https://github.com/slipperyseal/monty

With the same hardware, the Monty on the Run tune from Rob Hubbard was converted
by cross assembling the 6502 code to AVR assembler, run the code on the
hardware, intercepting writes at $d4xx and send them to the real SID.

A video that demonstrates this can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0d1r9NZg9I


###########################
# SoedeSoft SIDMaster 1.3 #
###########################

Version 1.3 of SIDMaster has been released.

SIDmaster is a virtual synthesizer for the popular DAW: Reason. It emulates the
SID 6581 or SID 8580 sound chip of the popular Commodore 64 home computer of the
eighties and nineties.

SIDMaster is made by SoedeSoft who also made the music editor SoundMaster on the
Commodore 64 in the 80s.

Changes since version 1.1:

- Adding options to improve sound quality
- Extra filter feature
- Bugfixes
- Some new free patches
- Adding support for 8580 versions of the SID chip
- Combinator patches

Check it out here:

https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack-extension/soedesoft-sidmaster/


#########################
# ARMSID firmware 2.13  #
#########################

A new firmware update has been released for the ARMSID.

ARMSID/ARM2SID is a replacement of the MOS6581 and MOS8580 sound chip used in
the Commodore C64. It is minimalistic (in simplicity of circuit and use, not in
function and power).

The following has been changed:

- Further optimization of code speed and size
- Also bus operations are faster, finally "paddles" are successfully read on
  NTSC machines even with the oldest HW versions of ARMSID!
- ARMSID start is faster. Instead of hundreds of milliseconds, ARMSID is fully
  functional in less than 15 milliseconds after power-up!
- Added the possibility to "fix" the so-called ADSR bug, i.e. a bug in the
  envelope generator, which is inherent to the original chips and is reproduced
  in ARMSID too. This is not needed in the C64 for compatibility reasons, but if
  you use ARMSID in synthesizers, you might be interested in this feature.
- Slightly modified quality (Q) of filter circuits for even more faithful
  reproduction of MOS8580.

Get the new firmware here:

https://www.nobomi.cz/8bit/armsid/index_en.php


#############################
# ACID 64 Player Pro V4.1.1 #
#############################

A new version of ACID64 has been released. ACID 64 Player is a cycle based
Commodore 64 music player designed for playing SID tunes on external interfaces
that emulate the sound of the SID chip or that consist of a hardware device
that has a real SID chip (6581/8580) on board.

What's changed since version 4.0.0:

New
- Split view feature in file browser and search page
- Lock feature for automatic device selection
- Find players in memory option in context menu (useful when playing PRG files)
- Added full screen option (F11)
- Added portable version of ACID64. Be aware that the startup time is slower

Fixed
- SID files couldn't load from network drive
- HardSID UPlay startup delay
- Playing tune when voice 4 was muted
- SLDB and STIL were not reloaded after indexing new HVSC version
- Device timing to fix animation issues with voice bars
- File watch handling when file in the current folder is renamed outside ACID64
- Muting all voices via keyboard media key didn't update checkboxes
- Muting voices and toggle filter on/off for 2SID and 3SID tunes

Improvements
- Startup performance
- Network latency for Network SID Devices
- Voice bar synchronization
- Latency correction option added per device type
- Less audible reset
- Support for multiple connected HardSID USB devices
- Error handling of HardSID USB devices
- SID ID player names are now shown with diacritics
- Several UI improvements
- Last tune is now loaded after device becomes visible and device was not
  present during startup
- Setup file size decreased

The new version can be found at:

https://www.acid64.com


############################
# Interview with Mark Tait #
############################

C64.com did an interview with Mark Tait recently. Mark Tait made games and music
for several Commodore 64 games in the 80s and early 90s.

You can read the interview here: http://www.c64.com/?type=4&id=54


#######################################
# BackSID (6581/8580 SID replacement) #
#######################################

Evie Salomon released the BackSID. It's a replacement for the 6581/8580 SID
chip. It's using the ARM Cortex M4 chip to simulate the SID.

Features:

- Acts as fully compatible replacement for the 6581 or 8580 SID chip in all C64
  and C128 revisions
- Sound is faithful to the original SID and gives correct intonation on most
  classic games
- Loud, clear, and punchy sound will not disappoint
- Supports analog & PWM potentiometer reading, allowing proper functioning of
  paddles, mice and diagnostic harnesses
- Configurable settings, including overdrive, filter mode, and smoothing
- Firmware is upgradable by running a program file from your Commodore 64/128
- Includes socket for soldering to motherboard or as a "buffer" with an existing
  socket

For more info: https://store.backbit.io/product/backsid/


###################
# Sidplayfp 2.2.2 #
###################

Libsidplayfp (and its console frontend sidplayfp) is a fork of sidplay2 born
with the aim to improve the quality of emulating the 6581, 8580 chips and the
surrounding C64 system in order to play SID music better.

Changes since 2.2.0 release:

- Corrected and added a few Windows codepage mappings
- Fixed model selection command line options
- Trim too long file names

Get the new version here: https://github.com/libsidplayfp/sidplayfp


###############
# SID Monitor #
###############

SID Monitor is a SID player with piano-roll-like visualization. Just drop a sid
on the exe, slap space and enjoy.

You can get it from here: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=210734


##############
# CGSC v1.40 #
##############

The Compute Sidplayer Collection has been updated and contains now 15697 MUS
files, 4321 STR files and 5400 WDS files.

Get the collection here: http://www.c64music.co.uk/


##############
# Sidekick64 #
##############

Sidekick64 is a versatile cartridge/expansion for the C64, C128, and the C16/+4.
Its functionality is entirely defined by software running on a Raspberry Pi 3
(RPi). The connecting circuitry is quite simple and does not include any
programmable ICs.

Currently implemented features include the emulation of:

- GeoRAM/NeoRAM-compatible memory expansion
- Freezer cartridges
- Numerous bank switching cartridges
- C64 kernal replacement
- Function ROMs on a C128
- Multiple SIDs and Sound Expander/FM emulation (up to 8 SIDs)
- Simplified Datel and Sequential MIDI interface with built-in
  SoundFont-synthesizer (slightly modified version of TinySoundFont)
- TED-sound and Digiblaster emulation for C16/+4 (to have all sound devices on
  one output)

More info: https://github.com/frntc/Sidekick64

Recently Henning Pingel worked on a HVSC browser that can be accessed via the
Sidekick64 cartridge running a network-enabled kernel. It allows you to directly
browse through HVSC on the C64 and launch and playback any SID files on the C64.
Sidekick64 allows to convert a SID file directly to a PRG via PSID64 which is
used by the cartridge on the fly.

If you don't own a Sidekick64 cartridge, you can try out Sidekick64 and the HVSC
browser online:

https://sktpdemo.cafeobskur.de


########################
# Music Studio 2.2.0.6 #
########################

Music Studio is an open-source Windows-based SID music creator software. It uses
RESID-FP for SID emulation, both old (6581) and new (8580) SID chips. Music
Studio is capable of creating 1x speed tunes and alternate many SID chip
parameters directly with various commands. Classic and new C64 sounds can be
created with envelope parameters that can be set up in a few simple steps.

Changes in this release:

- Improved the rip SID functionality to extract more of each instrument
  detected in the SID file
- Self playing demo includes extra scope effect

Check it out: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=210743


###############
# sid2sng 1.2 #
###############

sid2sng converts sid files back to GoatTracker2 sng files. Note: sid files need
to have been generated via GoatTracker2.

Since version 1.0 the following has been changed:

- Added support for multiple subtunes
- Improved speed table length estimation

Get it from here: https://github.com/2bt/sid2sng


###############################
# Goat Tracker .SID Protector #
###############################

Goat Tracker .SID Protector (GT Protect) is made by Jason Page. It's for those
who want to protect their GoatTracker sid files from being converted back to
sng files.

Check it out: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=211073


################
# Denise 1.1.2 #
################

Denise is a cycle accurate and platform independent c64 emulator.

Features:

- Cross platform: Win32/64, OSX, Linux, BSD
- 8 x SID support
- Bass Boost and Reverb
- Pseudo stereo
- Write audio output to WAV file
- Multi SID filter models
- RunAhead
- Cartridge support
- Dynamic Rate Control
- PAL and CRT emulation
- Scanline or cycle accurate renderer
- Drag & Drop
- Command line support
- Fast loaders

Check it out: https://sourceforge.net/projects/deniseemu/ 


#################
# SIDInfo 0.9.4 #
#################

SIDInfo is a simple utility written in C by Matti Hamalainen (ccr), that
displays information about SID files in various formats. Includes support for
PSID and RSID files versions 1-4, HVSC songlengths database and HVSC STIL
database.

Changes:

- Check for the validity of certain header fields in case of RSID and give
  indication in SID 'type' field if it is invalid
- Fix handling of the in-data load address, e.g. if PSID header load address
  field is 0, we should interpret first 2 bytes in data as load address. This
  had been broken when support for "new" SLDB MD5 format was added because it
  changed how the MD5 hash has to be calculated
- Finally remembered to add displaying of StartPage and PageLength attributes
  from PSIDv2NG headers
- Improvements in PSID parsing etc. robustness

Check out: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=210265


##################
# Station64 v2.6 #
##################

Station64 is a live player solution made by DJ Indikator. The program runs on a
C64 and can be controlled via Midi input or C64 keyboard.

New features in version 2.6:

Added:
- VESSEL midi interface
- Change MIDI IN led to "X" when midi in overflow
- Predelay for volume adsr. now ADSR -> DADSR
- Arp global enable mode (key run/stop to switch)
- Legated uni notes behaviour (repeat to previous note after last off)
- Arp total seq length in seconds X.XX (decimal)
- MIDI CC for predelay
- Hi/Lo limits of pw/cutoff by ELFO
- Global repeat speed of crsr keys
- Hi/Lo limits of pitchbend
- Elfo depth 0..15 15 = FULL. have an influence on each elfo loop
- Elfo speed 0..31 0 (16 times faster), 16 (original speed), 31 (4 times slower)
- MIDI CC for elfo speed/depth

Fixed:
- Change CC mappings
- Err with help for PERF screen
- Handle commodore keys optimize
- Select right time for 1/100 irq handle (on NTSC machines)
- Some decimal was wrong
- Some bad garbage with MIDI-MONITOR

Changed:
- Optimize font and screen layouts (midi leds for example)
- Hardrestart delay was eliminated in preferences. Use predelay instead
- Arp len/speed now in decimal (show ms)
- Elfo shows len in seconds X.XX (decimal)
- MIDI CC waveform (4 CTRL -> 1 CTRL)
- MIDI CC filter channels use (3 CTRL -> 1 CTRL)
- Old *.prg files are incompatible

The new version can be found here: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=207214


###########
# DeepSID #
###########

DeepSID is an online SID player made by JCH of Vibrants. It emulates music
created for the Commodore 64 home computer. It supports nice features like:

- Toggling between WebSID/jsSID/SOASC for SID playback
- SID player and year display for each song
- Creature and play playlists
- Rating folders and SID files
- Comment / Discuss SID files
- Profile / CSDb / GB64 / Player / STIL / Piano / Graph view
- Search through HVSC / STIL
- and much more

DeepSID is continuously updated. See the Changes tab for the full change log.

Check it out: https://deepsid.chordian.net/


###################
# SID Known v1.22 #
###################

Wilfred Bos has released SID Known v1.22. This version supports now HVSC #76.
SID Known is a command line tool which you can use to identify SID tunes from
SID and PRG files.

This tool can be used if e.g. you want to know which SID tune is used in a
specific C64 demo or C64 game, or you have a SID tune found or ripped and you
want to know if it is already in your SID collection.

SID Known can be used to identify music but it also helps to find out which
tunes are not in the High Voltage SID Collection. If you find music not found
by SID Known, it would be appreciated if you report this to the HVSC crew
(https://hvsc.de) or post it in one of the CSDb forums (https://csdb.dk) like
"SIDs that aren't in HVSC yet".

Get the tool here: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=212278
