What is it?

This is a MIDI-based 6-oscillator synthesiser with a choice of 4 waveforms per voice, ADSR, filtering and modulations such as PWM and vibrato. It also has some advanced features like ring modulation and waveform sync.

What does it include?

• Fully built and tested
• Fitted with two SwinSID Nanos
• Custom firmware, written from scratch for this project.
• A good manual (see link below)
• Firmware will remain in development and supported. Updating is easy

Why did you make it?

I enjoyed making music using the C64 and had written similar software for the C64 with MIDI interface. I'd long dreamed of a more portable standalone device with multiple rotary controls for playing with parameters like ADSR, vib, PWM etc.

What makes it special?

The SID ("Sound Interface Device") was designed for the 1982 Commodore 64 home computer. It has many features and a distinctive sound. It is much loved even today. There's even a radio show dedicated to old and new SID music - https://chipsidshow.co.uk

MIDISID supports modern SID recreations. This new version of the MIDISID supports Nano SwinSIDs or ARMSIDs. MIDISID has three modes allowing you to play .mid files, plug in a MIDI controller such as a keyboard or use with a DAW as an external instrument.

• General MIDI mode maps channels to voices and responds to program change messages to set the patch for each voice
• Polyphonic mode applies the same patch - preset or custom - to all voices and allows you to play with 6-note polyphony
• Monophonic mode uses all voices to play more complex sounds with one-note polyphony, again with preset sounds or full control of all parameters on all voices.

New form factor

Note that MISIDIDs sold as from now will be the new design - it has enclosed sides, a sloped top and is slightly larger. Some pictures and videos such as the one below still show the original design.