MIDI/ASID control options:
Diagram by MetalHexx
Sending MIDI from a MIDI/USB controller such as a keyboard, drum pad, Sax, or M8 tracker/sequencer to your C64
- Connect USB cable from a MIDI Keyboard/Controller device to the USB Type A Host port on the TeensyROM board.
- Select MIDI device to emulate
- Note: if using the built-in CynthCart, Station64, or MIDI2SID app, the correct IO is already associated, you can skip this step.
- Prior to running a MIDI program, go to the settings menu (F8)
- Under "Special IO:", select your preferred "MIDI:*" device by cycling through the options.
- The following MIDI cartridges can be emulated/selected:
- Sequential, Datel/Siel, Passport/Sentech, Namesoft
- All use $DExx address space and IRQ for interrupts
- Select/load a MIDI capable application on your C64 to receive the MIDI data from your controller
- Play around and have fun!
- MIDI out (C64 to MIDI Device) is also implemented so that keyboards, etc with their own sound capability can be "played" by the C64
- Some C64 sequencer apps require the 6840 timer chip in Passport/Namesoft, which is not currently emulated.
Full control of your C64's SID chip remotely using the ASID MIDI protocol
- See the ASID Player document
Playing .MIDI/.MID files on your C64 from a computer
- C64/128 Setup
- Connect USB cable from a MIDI Host/computer to the USB Type B Micro Device port on the Teensy module.
- Power up C64/128 to TeensyROM main menu.
- Select Cynthcart+Datel MIDI or Station64+Passport MIDI to play the MIDI data
- Select a polyphonic voice profile to get as many independent notes as possible (3).
- The buit-in MIDI2SID (F8 from the main menu) can be used instead of these
- Can be helpful in seeing/hearing independent notes and seeing any voice overflows
- No other MIDI special HW emulation required
- PC Instructions using Cakewalk by BandLab.
- Other DAWs/Players may work similarly. If you find another good one, please let me know
- Download/Install from here: https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk
- No need to activate/purchase unless you otherwise desire
- In Cakewalk, press "p" or select Edit/Preferences to enter the preferences window
- Select MIDI/Devices
- Check TeensyROM under the "Outputs" section, and click OK
- Select Project/MIDI
- Uncheck "Zero Controllers when play stops" under Other Options
- Click OK to close Preferences window
- Select MIDI/Devices
- Load a .mid/.midi file and play it
- Remember that there are only 3 voices in the SID, so complex midi files with more simultaneous notes/voices won't sound right.
- The playback should be eminating from your C64/128!