User avatar
3D-vice
Germany

Posted Wed Jan 20, 2021 5:11 am

Hello there, all of you 8-bit gals and guys!

I recently purchased a pair of ArmSID chips form the Retrocomp.cz shop and I was amazed about the quality and craftsmanship of the actual chips, as well as about their packaging. So I thought to share this with you here and do a small comparison of the SID chips I possess. If one of you has another SID-alternative, please feel free to add them here.
C64_SID_ArmSID1.jpg
The ArmSID comes in this beautiful little box.

C64_SID_ArmSID2.jpg
It rests comfortlably on a piece of ESD foam inside.

C64_SID_ArmSID3.jpg
The chip is actually a tiny PCB the size of the original SID.

C64_SID_Comparison.jpg
Here is a comparison between an original MOS 6581 SID, the ArmSID, and the FPGA SID.

C64_SID_FPGASID.jpg
The FPGA SID has a larger PCB, but it also has some nice additional features.

Speaking of the FPGA SID: You can get one and all relevant information about it here from the FPGA SID homepage (German site, English language).

That's it for now. Cheers! <3

User avatar
obitus1990
USA

Posted Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:42 am

Nice...what does the ARMSID look like on the underside?

User avatar
3D-vice
Germany

Posted Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:52 am

obitus1990 wrote:
Wed Jan 20, 2021 7:42 am
Nice...what does the ARMSID look like on the underside?
Well, that is a valid question. ;)
C64_SID_ArmSID_Underside.jpg
The underside of the ArmSID.

And just to complete the picture, here's the underside of the FPGA SID too:
C64_SID_FPGASID_Underside.jpg
Sorry for the blur on the left-hand side.


User avatar
obitus1990
USA

Posted Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:23 am

Amazing how the ARMSid does it with so many fewer components than the FPGASid!

User avatar
fxgogo
Twickenham , U.K.

Posted Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:13 pm

I can’t wait to hear the differences and similarities of these chips.

User avatar
Zippy Zapp
CA, USA

Posted Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:48 pm

I bought a couple of these a while back and that was the first thing I noticed too. A++ on the presentation. The sound quality is also excellent and there are quite a few things you can tweak too. I don't have it in a machine at this time but I plan on doing a comparison between that and the few revision SIDs that I have as well as a NanoSwinSID, which IMHO is nowhere near as capable as these modern SID replacements. I don't have an FPGA SID as I opted for the sleeker ARMSID.

User avatar
rpiguy9907

Posted Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:56 am

Has anyone documented the true incompatibilities for each SID solution? For example, which games and demos have bugs on certain solutions.

It has been years since I've looked for a replacement SID, but half a decade ago most of them didn't support paddles, etc.

Things like that.

User avatar
obitus1990
USA

Posted Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:33 am

I have a SwinSID Ultimate that I purchased a couple of years ago, and it has paddle support. I am pretty sure these two newer entries do as well.

User avatar
3D-vice
Germany

Posted Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:12 am

rpiguy9907 wrote:
Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:56 am
Has anyone documented the true incompatibilities for each SID solution? For example, which games and demos have bugs on certain solutions.

It has been years since I've looked for a replacement SID, but half a decade ago most of them didn't support paddles, etc.

Things like that.
As for the FPGA SID, have a look at its specifications. As far as I got with experimenting with it, I had no incompatibility issues so far. In comparison with other SID solutions, the FPGA SID is the flagship device of SIDs so far, at leat imho. Ok, I have to admit, they are quite expensive, 75,- Euros per unit.

I have 2 FPGA SIDs mounted on my Ultimate 64 board, so this machine runs in fact 4 SIDs parallel, theoretically. ;)

I do not have experimented with the ArmSIDs yet...

User avatar
Bulletdust

Posted Wed Jan 27, 2021 1:33 am

Personally I use the emulated 6581 and 8580 SID's built into the 1541 Ultimate II+ snooping at a range of addresses ranging from $D400 to $D780 for twin/stereo SID's and IMO they sound fantastic. Furthermore the 1541 Ultimate II+'s Ultimate Audio Module is fantastic, playing up to 80 channel MOD files on the C64 is just amazing. I think it's the most versatile solution around.

Best of all, it connects to my speakers via a simple and convenient stereo jack.





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