MIDIbox SID is a non-commercial & "DIY-only" project. Beside of the common SID functions (three oscillators, triangle/saw/pulse/noise and mixed waveforms, independent envelope generators for the amplitudes, sync & ringmodulation, 12db multistate low/band/highpass/notch filter) it features four different software based synthesizer engine implementations:
Lead Engine:
Mono or Legato Play Mode, optional SusKey portamento/glide control
8 modulation pathes with 24bit resolution. Each consists of two sources (e.g. ENV/LFO/MP Feedback/Wavetable/Constants), which can be combined with an operator (e.g. Add/Sub/Mul/XOR/AND/OR/Binary Operations/S&H/...) and routed to multiple modulation targets (e.g. Pitch/Pulsewidth/Filter/Volume/LFO Depth/Rate/Wavetable Position/CV outputs/...)
Stereo modulation of two SID chips (=2*3 oscillators assigned to two audio channels), controlled from a single core
2 DADDSRR envelopes sources with optional non-linear curve for Attack/Decay/Release. Positive/Negative (invertable) depth. Delayable. Different Loop Point configuration possible. Synchable to MIDI Clock. Retriggerable via Trigger Matrix.
6 LFOs sources with different waveforms. Freerunning or synched. LFO Cross- and MIDI-Synchronisation possible via Trigger Matrix. Optional oneshot mode. Delayable. Selectable Phase. Positive/Negative (invertable) depth. Depth and Rate can be modulated via Modulation Matrix.
6 independent Arpeggiators with various direction modes, variable octave range and gatelength. Optional oneshot mode and "constant cycle" time.
4 independent Wavetable Sequencers with access to a 128 step memory, assignable to different sound parameters (also usable as sequencer for complex arpeggiator textures). Loop or Oneshot function. Wavetable position can be modulated from any source (e.g. Key Number, Velocity, ModWheel, Envelope, LFO, ...) via Modulation matrix. Step position can be incremented/reset via Trigger Matrix.
Trigger matrix with various sources (e.g. Note/Envelope/LFO/MIDI Clock/...) and targets (e.g. OSC Gate/Envelope Attack and Release/LFO Restart/Wavetable Step and Restart/...)
Fine Tuning and Pitch Bender with configurable Pitch Range
Portamento/Glide function with different modes (logarithmic/constant time/Glissando)
Oscillator Phase Synchronization with selectable delay between oscillators
Detune function which affects all 6 oscillators (stereo configuration)) with a single parameter for fat sounds!
Lead engines, running on multiple cores, can be combined to a "superpoly mode"
Multi Engine:
polyphonic playing of two SID chips, and/or individual control of 2*3 SID oscillators
dynamic or explicit voice allocation assignments
6 instruments which can be assigned to different MIDI channels and/or keyboard split zones
two dedicated LFOs and one envelope for each voice, which can be assigned to Pitch/Pulsewidth and Filter CutOff with individual depths
6 independent Arpeggiators with various direction modes, variable octave range and gatelength
6 wavetable sequencers (an own for each voice)
Bassline Engine:
optimized for 303ish sounds with dedicated parameter set (easy to use for fast success)
two independent basslines are available for left/right SID audio channel
One master and two slave oscillators with different waveforms/octave transpose/sync/ringmod/static note/detune/variable phase offset!
supports direct MIDI control or internal sequencing
the basslines can be assigned to different MIDI channels and/or keyboard split zones
2 independent Arpeggiators with various direction modes, variable octave range and gatelength
8 sequences, directly controllable from MIDI keyboard or Control Surface
external analog filters (e.g. Moog Ladder, SSM based, CEM based, original TB303 circuit, etc...) can be controlled from SW based envelopes and LFOs (-> F2A option)
Drum Engine:
optimized for C64ish drum sounds with dedicated parameter set (easy to use for fast success)
16 drum instruments with dynamic or explicit voice allocation assignments
20 different drum models with variable parameters (firmware allows to add more models in future)
Supports direct MIDI control or internal sequencing
8 sequences with 8 tracks, directly controllable from MIDI keyboard or Control Surface
Thanks to the generic concept, each engine supports in addition:
a consistent user interface
"ensembles" which store the MIDI/Clock/Instrument configuration of 4 MBSID cores
access to two SIDs per core
each core can handle any synth engine (selectable via patch configuration)
7*64k BankSticks can store 7*128 (=896) patches, independent from the used engines
one additional BankSticks used to store 128 ensembles
a global clock generator with 96ppqn resolution (master/slave) with selectable BPM (in master mode) which can synch Sequences, Arpeggiators, LFOs, Envelopes and trigger targets which are part of the Trigger Matrix
control of up to 8 external CV outputs (analog voltages with 12bit resolution) per core
control of up to 8 external digital switches per core
5 "knob" functions. Sources: MIDI/Control Surface/Analog Inputs (CV Inputs); Target of each knob: 2 of up to 256 sound parameters with configurable min/max range
up to 256 parameters can be accessed via NRPN messages with full resolution
access to all parameters and patches via SysEx
non-destructive accesses to sound parameters (shadowed patches) from all control sources (e.g. Wavetable, Knobs, NRPN, CC, etc...)
filter calibration for each connected SID (allows you to equalize both types, 6581 and 8580/6582)
a random patch generator - not only for the whole patch, but also for individual parts
Special Features:
sophisticated control surface which is running on the master core
get control over up to 8 SID chips with 4 PIC18F4685 cores!
enjoy the extremely high update rate of 2 mS and modulation resolution of 24bit (C64 based solutions normaly support 20 mS and 8bit resolution, and can only control a single SID chip)
exploring new land by adding analog circuitry (Filters/Fx) and controlling it from the modulation matrix
control the internal sequencers from your MIDI keyboard - concept is focused on live jam sessions
listen to good old C64 tunes on original SID chips by using the ASID protocol (SidStation)
This project is a DIY project licensed under TAPR NCL. A commercial release is neither planned, nor allowed! But the license allows you to build and sell up to 10 units per year (e.g. to friends) as long as the given constraints of the license are not violated.
Project Documentation
Details about the MIDIbox SID V2 project are documented in the User Manual!
English Version 
French Version 
License