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cowboy hats.
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NOTE: Cynthcart will be available again from Atariage sometime in the first week of May, 2008. Atariage ran out of
circuit boards, and have now designed their own so they don't have to order then from Australia. And I am
finishing up some fixes and updates to the software.
Hey, it's a program that turns your Commodore 64 into a cool synth that you can play like a keyboard!
It's available on cartridge now at AtariAge, and you
can order it with a socketed EPROM, which means it's easy to upgrade when I release a new version.
Version 1.1 features:
- 3 voice polyphony
- works with the common C64 piano keyboard overlay.
- no latency
- LFO for vibrato
- portamento
- can change patches and settings while playing
- support for 2nd SID chip (stereo chorus effects)
- filter cutoff control via paddle controller
- whammy (space) bar
- control of attack and release
- tuning (10 cent steps)
- psychedelic rave color patterns
- can turn off video chip to reduce noise
- can be used easily without a TV/monitor
- SID HEX editor allows you to modify any SID register directly
- copies itself to RAM (makes it more reliable if it's bumped, or even removed while playing)
changes in v1.1 (released 6-21-06):
- added SID HEX editor
- changed tuning keys to avoid accidentally changing the tuning
- added ability to turn the SID filter on and off
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Where do I get that keyboard overlay?
You don't need the overlay to play it, but they show up on Ebay reasonably often and typically go for about $10.
It's called "The Incredible Musical Keyboard"
so search for "C64 musical" or
"commodore keyboard" or similar variations.
Or check your local thift stores or maybe some online retro-gaming vendors.
How do I get the audio signal from the C64 to my amp/mixer?
You can buy an A/V cable (on ebay all the time).
It has a DIN connector on one end that goes into the C64, and RCA connectors on the other.
Or you can make one out of a MIDI cable.
Just cut it in half and figure out which two wires are ground and audio and solder on a 1/4" plug.
What gear do I need to use this thing?
The core things you'll want are a Commodore 64 and power supply, A/V cable, piano keyboard overlay,
and a set of paddle controllers. The piano keyboard and paddles are optional, but it really is a lot
cooler with the paddles so you can control the filter in realtime. I'm sure you could learn to
play it fine with the typing keyboard, but it's a little easier with the piano overlay.
All of these show up regularly on Ebay. You should be able to easily find
a C64 with power supply and A/V cable on ebay for about $20-$25. You can use a monitor or TV
with composite input to see the video output, but this really isn't necessary to use the
Cynthcart.
The Cynthcart works with with both the original beige C64 and the later white 64C with the sloped
front. Should also with with the C128 and SX-64, but I haven't tested this.
If you're going to play shows with it, you'll probably want to get a backup power supply
and possibly a backup C64. Note that the off-brand C64 power supplies are usually much more
reliable than Commodore brand supplies. And probably the most reliable power supply
is a Commodore 128 power supply modified to work with a C64. More info
about power supplies here.
How do I add another SID for stereo?
The easiest way is to get a SID Symphony cartridge (a somewhat rare cartridge with a second SID chip)
and a cartridge expander that lets
you use more than one cartridge at once. Another way is to
install
a second SID into your C64, but the current version of the Cynthcart doesn't support the SID addressing
necessary and I haven't tested it. I can create a custom Cynthcart ROM if you have an internal SID. Future
Cynthcarts will support multiple SID addresses.
Does it support MIDI?
No. MIDI is a possibility in the future, but very low priority since there are already
many ways to MIDI-up a SID chip. I was interested in creating a SID synth that's very
cheap, simple, portable, reasonbly reliable, and tends to produce stuff that sounds
different from a lot of the other SID stuff out there, mainly because it's played instead
of sequenced.
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Hardcore! The Cynthcart installed as a replacement for the C64 BASIC ROM
(so the C64 always boots to the Cynthcart).
More about replacing the ROMs on Nick Coplin's page.
A Magic Desk I cartridge which can be used to make a Cynthcart
(More about this on Nick Coplin's page too.)
ROMs removed and replaced with socketed EPROM.
I should have put it in the upper left spot since that's the one that boots up first.
I just cross wired the OE line from the EPROM.
Ready to rock.
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