New SID Synth: TherapSid

[Alex E]

http://twisted-electrons.com/therapsid/

This is very cool. Hands on control, plus the option to use your own SIDs.

Very fairly priced as well!

[Bitexion]

Wow $400, I was thinking in the likes of the SIDstation, which was WAY overpriced

[Alex E]

Fun fact: when the SIDstation was released in 1999, the price was originally $400 as well!
As Elektron's chip supply dwindled, the prices for new ones slowly went up.

I vividly remember when the very last SIDstation sold in 2006 for $950. Stupidly high price for what it is.

[Bitexion]

I only found a couple of used ones that cost like $1000+
So the prices only went up not down at least on the used market.

[JayEm]

400 euros
thats about 520 us or 570 cad

[Ashe37]

And then you find your own SIDs.

[Alex E]

I love harvesting SIDs myself! I've already done it twice.

[karmag]

I love harvesting SIDs myself! I've already done it twice.

Seeing this on a site dedicated to vintage gear makes me sad.

[Bitexion]

Just get a cheap C64 from ebay or something. Shame to ruin such a nice gaming machine though. I grew up with the C64, had no nintendo or any of that "c**p", I was a computer kid through and through.

[sensorium]

Nice. I've still got about 10 of the MOS6581 and 25 of the MOS6582 (the best parts of the 6581 and the 8150) lying around somewhere from an old midibox Sid bulk order. I may have to pick one of these up.

[Rokk]

Oh, man! This is nice! Years ago I've been playing drums in one electro-alter-rock band and we had Sidstation. Ballsy sound all the way with lots of character and of course lo-fi in a very good way. Gotta love its PWM! And the 12db/oct filter is also very cool. The price is kind of right here so maybe... But what I love about SID sound is that it doesn't really need to be used in a lo-fi gritty context but can really sing nicely in a more gentle, even ambient settings if used right.

[Bitexion]

I've always wanted a real SID synth..I've tried learning to program the C64 SID chip a few times, but it's just impenetrable unless you're a hardcore assembly programmer.

[Jaytee]

I love harvesting SIDs myself! I've already done it twice.

Seeing this on a site dedicated to vintage gear makes me sad.

Three things:

First, the C64 sold about a gazillion units. Supply is very high and demand is very low. Nobody's dismantling some rare, treasured piece of gear here. This is a computer that a lot of people can't even give away, they're so common and generally unwanted.

Second, removing a SID chip from a C64 doesn't necessarily render the C64 inoperable. You can harvest the SID for use in a synthesizer, where it'll be really used to its fullest potential, and if you so desire, replace it in the C64 with a SwinSID, which will get you as close as you need to be for most of your vintage computing needs.

Third, the C64 is a 99.9% digital beast (only that analog audio filter sticks out) and as such, has been emulated on modern hardware to basically an indistinguishable degree. Maybe there's something nostalgic about using the original hardware, but that's pretty much an emotional argument; for nearly all practical purposes, the actual hardware is no longer necessary for retro computing (and for any exceptions, see point #2).

I mean, think about it. The reason this is even on VSE is because it's a product breathing new life into a somewhat inaccessible form of classic synth music. Not everyone wants to program their music in assembly or use archaic tracker software or make space in their studio for a C64 and CRT monitor in order to use MSSIAH.

[Jaytee]

I have a sammichSID and as far as the synth engine built around the SID chip is concerned, it kicks the c**p out of this guy.

All the same, I find myself really drawn to this product. All those knobs, everything connected up via MIDI as well; even if it's not as powerful as the sammichSID, it has a ridiculously practical design.

I suppose I could build a control surface for the sammichSID (being that it's just an MBSID on custom PCBs), but this is probably not much more expensive and totally beautiful to boot. Plus, then I'll have three SIDs!