Browser-based ASID player for Sidstation and others

While developing ASID support for TherapSID I was a bit annoyed that there was no available player for recent macOS. So I recently implemented it into the online DeepSID, which contains a huge database of C64 SID files (HVSC and more). So nothing needs to be installed. Today it got into the main release and is available for everybody. Would be interesting to see if it works fine for Sidstation owners!

You will need a browser that supports Web MIDI, such as Chrome.

Here it is: DeepSID

I also made a short demo of it with the TherapSID and the remix capabilities, here:

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Seems to work great!

https://youtu.be/euz61u-83ZY

Thank you for this!

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Happy to hear that! More updates are coming, and here’s a sneak peek:

https://youtube.com/shorts/hyuPjiCq7E0

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cool! ß)))
works like a charm.

Try to find out how to create and play own tracks with it (still new to trackers).

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Does not work over here via a cheap usb-mid-cable from china…i think i have to buy a more professional one.

So I powered up my old imac and found a copy of “sidplay with asid support” in the www. When i start that in combination with a standard midi-interface i can run some sid-tunes from the HVSC on the therapsid. But i recognize while the old tunes (Ron Hubbard, etc.) run smooth, newer, modern stuff produces hickups.

I think this is a problem of my old “sidplay”-Version, which is not able to read the newer, more complex programmed sidfiles correctly.

Or did you run into similar problems?

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Since ASID runs over MIDI (which is a slow interface) there is a limitation on the amount of data that can be transmitted. Thereby, modern “Digi” files with samples or files that is dependant on ultrafast changes will not work. The maximum rate that can be transmitted over ASID and standard MIDI is about 75Hz and as most “normal” SID files runs at 50 or 60Hz it works quite nice. So 2x/3x/4x-etc files that needs much higher rates is thereby too complex. Digi-sample files needs even higher rates than that.

However, I do have a few things up my sleeve that remedies some of these limitations as I on a recent TherapSID firmware have extended the ASID protocol to use the Elektron Turbo MIDI protocol. While still not allowing for Digisample files, it does work with 2x/3x/4x or even multi-SID files. I haven’t had the time to do a proper release of it yet but here are some demos:

Regarding getting an ASID player up and running you have a few options:

  • New computer: Chrome with DeepSID
  • Windows computer: Chrome with DeepSID or Elektron ASID-XP player
  • Old Mac computer: Elektron ASID-X player or the ASID-Sidplay-version you have.
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Yes, the ASID support works on a Sidstation using a Firefox browser.

Great work!

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