17

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

defMON uses CIA timing. The "ticks" that were mentioned here doesn't relate to that, though. That just means the number of times the player code needs to be called to advance one step in the sequence.

So.. there are two factors involved in "speed".

1. The number of player code calls before advancing one step further in the sequence. In defMON the "speed" column in the sequence specifies the number of ticks until next step in the sequence, BUT... it is somewhat non-intuitive. (There is a reason for it actually, but..)  Writing "2" in the speed column actually results in 3 ticks per step. Writing "3" results in 4, and so forth. So the actual number of ticks is always one more (+1) than what is written in the speed column.

2. The time between each call to the player code. This can be controlled with VBLANK interrupt (on C64 it would be called a raster interrupt) or with a CIA timer. CIA timers are much more fine-grained, just like you say.

18

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Hehe.. yeah that was kind of funny actually: that they work exactly the same.

Having the 1.8 version with that code in it could potentially be useful, yes. If you do it, i'd like to have it, and in any case it could be relevant to have the 1.7 version that you had already modified

19

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

MARiO64 wrote:

So there is also a SID-Wizard version I can provide which works with the defmon sync device

Did I understand that correctly. You have a version of SID-Wizard laying around, that is able to use Scannerboy's sync interface to drive external gear?

Thanks for the info, regarding connectors/cables.

20

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Cool! smile

21

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Maybe this type of adapter would do the trick?

https://catskullelectronics.com/product … nc-adapter

Not sure

22

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Yes this is for Scannerboy's interface which has DIN-sync, MIDI clock and — last but not least — analogue 3,5mm sync compatible with LSDj for example. A question from me is:

What sort of connector is used at the gameboy end?

23

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Hi! I never used that 3,5mm jack myself actually, so I can't answer that. Scannerboy would be the one to ask, I suppose. I would be interested in hearing the answer though.

24

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Congratulations! Good to know:

CTRL+SHIFT+PERIOD = Midi/Dinsync delay value up
CTRL+SHIFT+COMMA = Midi/Dinsync delay value down

You may want to fiddle with this setting to fine-tune the sync with your external gear.

25

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Nice smile

Alright. That makes sense. If you want to experiment with defMON some day, and want to "inject" some particular code somewhere. Just send me a PM and I can insert the code for you. Not in the "official" version, but in a temporarily hacked version.

As for the official version, I'll stick with support for the Scannerboy interface and (upcoming) support for that new MIDI interface (called "The Vessel").

Hi, sure if the code is very small I could probably put it in defMON too, yes. Send me a PM? The interface required is not available to buy anywhere I suppose? (Sorry I haven't checked that new youtube video yet although I should.)

It may also be relevant to say at this point that a new MIDI interface is in production. It uses the user port, and therefore does not collide with the cartridge port (for users of cartridges = most C64 users) or with the serial port (if using the HerMIDI interface). It has full support for both MIDI IN and MIDI OUT, and can be configured to generate NMI interrupts on incoming MIDI data. Furthermore, it can  be configured to filter out incoming MIDI data on certain channels, and it it also possible to configure it to only receive certain types of MIDI messages, to save some headache for the midi parser in the C64 in case a lot of MIDI data is sent that should not be handled by the C64 anyway. While the original defMON probably never will have a very developed type of MIDI support, it will still support MIDI sync IN and MIDI sync out using this new interface. At least that's the plan. (As I said before, MIDI/DIN sync out is already supported using Scannerboy's interface). I am also working on defMON 2 though, and that one will be more explicitly built around the idea of having full (whatever that means) MIDI support — using this particular interface — and it will also support for at least 3 SID chips (e.g. at least 9 channels). I have a prototype of the MIDI interface here, and it works very well. An initial batch of units will probably be produced in the next few months. My role has been to dream up the kind of MIDI interface that I would like to have, and a guy in New Zeeland and another guy in the Netherlands are making those dreams come true for me.

Right. So.. regarding the implementation.. Do you basically count the number of incoming MIDI clock messages, and each 6th (or 3rd?) clock tick, advance the sidwizard player one tick? ...or were there any other complications involved?

Good work there. I was about to say that SidWizard has some kind of MIDI IN, but I guess that's not for sync'ing but just for entering notes (if even that?), but obviously it was precisely SidWizard that you had modified so you should know I guess. I am not aware of other C64 trackers that are sync'ed from an external clock. Dunno about Messiah though.. maybe that one can do that?

Other than that I guess the closest thing would be things like MIDI Slave and M64 (same name as your tracker?) that act as synth modules for external sequencers, but that do not contain any sequencers themselves.

It would be relatively easy to modify defMON — or any other C64 music editor really — in the same way that you have modified SidWizard, but I am not aware of anyone actually doing it, like you said.

(Otherwise defMON is typically acting as master. If you use the interface that scannerboy created, you can use defMON to send DIN sync and MIDI sync signals to external gear.)

30

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Today I cancelled the current webhosting + domain for the defMON wiki, and it will expire around January 12 2021. So it will be functional for a few months more. We'll see what sort of solution/alternative I'll find until then.

31

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Maybe, yes. I'll give it some more thought.

32

(443 replies, posted in Commodore Computers)

Cool! Good to hear that you were able to get hold of a unit! It is very reliable.