Commodore 64 (C64) was the most popular home computer in the days when you connected your computer to the TV set. This most popular home computer just turns 40 years old.
Commodore C64: The Most Popular Home Computer Ever Turns 40 article tells that this year marks the anniversary of the most popular selling home computer ever, the Commodore 64, which made its debut in 1982. “Note that I am saying “home computer” and not personal computer (PC) because back then the term PC was not yet in use for home computer users.”
Happy Birthday Commodore 64, with Bil Herd
The Commodore 64 is the best-selling home computer of all time — it’s the box that launched a million geeks. In this video Bil Herd walks us through the evolution of 8-bit home computers at his old employer Commodore in the late 1970′s to 1980′s.
The 6502 is at the heart of many of the home computers of the era starting with Atari, Apple, BBC Micro, and of course Commodore. Commodore, under the reins of its founder Jack Tramiel, purchased MOS technologies and became a computer company that owned a chip fabrication plant. Commodore eyed to calculator market, but soon Commodore found itself in the position of being a computer company that could make its own (custom) IC’s, or chips. The VIC-20 was Commodore’s “TI Killer”.
Some amazing chips were combined into a demo and shown to Jack Tramiel, and the decision was made to produce the Commodore C64. The C64 became Commodore’s “Apple Killer” as it was targeted at the market shared with the Apple II. The C64 is listed in the Guinness Book or World Records as the most popular home computer ever sold at 27 million units (although numbers that suggest that somewhat fewer units were sold in actuality). Commodore’s founder Jack Tramiel stated famously that we made “computers for the masses not the classes” with emphasis on selling the hardware at a fair price which would open the door to massive software sales.
I have 10 years ago made a post The Commodore 64 is 30. Read some history from that post and post comments.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
The Dark Forest’s Outbreak64 Aims to Give Your Commodore 64 Its Best Composite, S-video Outputs
Offering S-Video, composite video, and the option of stereo audio outputs, this board-sandwich works with most C64 models.
https://www.hackster.io/news/the-dark-forest-s-outbreak64-aims-to-give-your-commodore-64-its-best-composite-s-video-outputs-78e7cd3803e3
Pseudonymous Swedish vintage computing enthusiast “The Dark Forest” has released a new accessory for the popular Commodore 64 family of eight-bit microcomputers: the Outbreak64 video output board.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can you build a brand new Commodore 64 from (nearly) 100% new parts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TSffXvmx3M
It’s time! It’s the big one! It’s a home built Commodore 64!
The C64 250407 replica
https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/The_C64_250407_replica.html
A replica of the Commodore 64 250407 1983 mother board, and a replica of the schematics made using SprintLayout and KiCad.
The replica project was started by Michael K. (Der Alte Bastler) in 2019 to learn SprintLayout and the process of reverse engineering PCB. I finished it, importet it in KiCad, imported the KU motherboard schematics and modified it to match the 250407 Reb.B schematics.
The board has been prototyped, and tested by me and Langwell Cowan.
We are not the first to reverse engineer this board, but we are the first to share the design files online I think.
More information at: https://github.com/bwack/C64-250407-Replica-KiCad
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/building-a-brand-new-c64-96e803e82e7c
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://kickstarter.myretrocomputer.com/signup/?fbclid=IwAR0juRouUrQuPXLLtw7heS4mh6N6jZHNJojr7ZH9fOCg0ZzKcTpVJ-V6hjg
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Thin-Film Flexible 6502
https://hackaday.com/2022/05/21/the-thin-film-flexible-6502/
The choice of an archaic 8-bit processor might seem a strange one, but we can see the publicity advantage — after all, you’re reading about it here because of it being a 6502. Plus there’s the advantage of it being a relatively simple and well-understood architecture. It’s no match for the MHz clock speeds of the original with an upper limit of 71.4 kHz, but performance is not the most significant feature of flexible electronics.
Reincarnating The 6502 Using Flexible TFT Tech For IoT
https://fuse.wikichip.org/news/6648/reincarnating-the-6502-using-flexible-tft-tech-for-iot/
Despite being nearly 47 years old, the MOS Tech 6502 – or its low-power direct equivalents – is still being manufactured and is widely used in consumer products such as toys, automotive, and appliances as well as in embedded and industrial applications. It would seem that interest in this chip isn’t dying out any time soon. Due to its simple design and the large existing repository of knowledge and code, this chip could find new uses in the emerging world of IoT and ubiquitous computing.
At the recent 2022 International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), a team of researchers from the University of KU Leuven in collaboration with imec and PragmatIC Semi presented the world’s fastest TFT-based processor, the Flex6502.
Highly integrated systems manufactured using Thin-film technology on a flexible substrate are an attractive area of research due to the relatively lower cost, mass production capabilities, as well as the unique use cases they can offer such as enabling seamless integration of electronic circuits on everyday objects. While your typical silicon die thickness is in the 100s of microns, thin-film can be less than 20 microns making them highly bendable. There are, however, various other tradeoffs when dealing with plastic electronics such as lower performance due to the mobility of the material and device dimensions. For the Flex6502, the researchers utilized PragmatIC Semiconductor’s 0.8 μm FlexLogIC fabrication line.
FlexLogIC technology is a 0.8-micron process with an actual channel length of around 800 nm featuring only four metal layers. It is an n-type metal-oxide TFT technology and is based on Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) manufactured on an 8″ polyimide wafer less than 30 μm thick. Coincidently, There are a number of major barriers preventing mass production of large integrated systems not too dissimilar from the challenges engineers faced during the 1970s when the 6502 was first made. FlexLogIC fab suffers from high power consumption, poor noise margin, and large process variation. Beyond being a monotype process, they also only offer a single Vt device. Furthermore, no fully verified design follow is currently offered by foundries.
For the Flex6502, the designers allocated two metal layers for the gate and source/drain and the two remaining layers for routing. Addressing the design restrictions of IGZO TFT technology, Flex6502 utilizes Pseudo-CMOS, a technique first described by the University of Tokyo in the 2010 IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices. Invented specifically for working with the limitations of TFT technology, it claims to offer comparable performance with the complementary type and dual-VT designs while utilizing a single Vt monotype design.
All in all, the Flex6502 was synthesized and fabricated as 1718 standard cells integrating 16,393 TFTs in a 24.9 mm² area. Roughly 18.6% of the design is inverters, 17.4% NAND2, 13.5% NOR2, and 7.1% AOI22. All other cells make up the remaining 43%. The chip was validated and tested using an FPGA which emulated the memory, UART communication, and clock generation. The chip achieved a maximum operating speed of 71.4 kHz (at Vdd=3V/Vbias=6V) while consuming a maximum of 134.91 mW. Likewise, the chip can run as low as 10 kHz at 2V while consuming just 11.6 mW.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Commodore 64 is Back and Better Than Ever
2022 Technology With 1982 Swag
https://kickstarter.myretrocomputer.com/signup/?fbclid=IwAR2kEScvNN77LHQxPTUL5Zciv-lQlr4kz5N1LBrpPAYPGYvqFqy6l7WRnfI
That’s right! The legend has returned. Hailed as the World Record holder for the highest-selling single computer model of all time, the Commodore 64 is going to be a hit with retro fans everywhere.
There will be three models available including the barebones case DIY model, the Extreme Model compatible with Windows 11 and Linux, and the PC gaming-ready Ultimate Model. Both Full Retail & VIP Pricing are outlined below. You’ll also have your choice of chameleon colors! It’s time to experience the joys of nostalgia, with the coolest all-in-one computer ever.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Will The Real Commodore Please Stand Up?
https://hackaday.com/2022/06/16/will-the-real-commodore-please-stand-up/
The Commodore 64 is a much-loved 8-bit retro computer that first appeared in 1982 and finally faded away around a decade later. The Commodore company started by [Jack Tramiel] went on to make the Amiga, and eventually ceased trading some time in the late 1990s. All history, now kept alive only by enthusiasts, right? Well, not quite, as the C64 has been the subject of a number of revivals both miniature and full-sized over the years. The latest came in the form of a Kickstarter for the C64x, a seemingly legitimately-branded Commodore 64-shaped PC, but it seems that has now been paused due to a complaint from an Italian company claiming to be the real heirs of Commodore. So will the real Commodore please stand up?
Commodore Branded Kickstarter Gets Hit by IP Troll Shenanigans
https://www.amigalove.com/viewtopic.php?t=2254
Tomi Engdahl says:
Music played with Commodore 64 computers:
8 Bits High: Autofire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRl4bC2YOVE
Tomi Engdahl says:
Commodore 64 tuli kauppoihin 40 vuotta sitten – tietokone synnytti koodaajien sukupolven ja levitti teknologiauskoa
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12588063
Suomessa yksi legendaarisimpia yksittäisiä tietokonemalleja on Commodore 64. Lähinnä pelaamiseen käytetty tietokone totutti suomalaiset itse koneisiin, mutta myös koodaamiseen ja uuden teknologian omaksumiseen.
Milleniaalin silmin Commodore 64 näyttää huonolta vitsiltä tietokoneeksi. Erillistä keskusyksikköä ei ole, vaan se sijaitsee muovisen oloisessa, tiiliskiven kokoisessa näppäimistössä. Typerryttävän yksinkertaisia pelejä tihrustetaan kookkaalta, joskin kuvaltaan vaatimattomalta kuvaputkinäytöltä.
Levyasemaa ei ole, vaan näppäimistöön on yhteydessä kasetti- tai levykeasema, jota on vaikea käsittää: miten peli voi olla nauhalla? Vaatimattomista kaiuttimista pinnistävät äänet taas kuulostavat koostuvan eriasteisista vikasignaaleista.
40 vuotta eivät siis välttämättä ole kohdelleet nykymittareilla rumaa, mutta tehotonta “kuusnelosta” tai “kuusnepaa” hirveän hyvin.
Silti konetta edelleen rakastetaan ehdoitta. Koneesta tehdään kirjoja, dokumentteja ja sen ympärillä pyörii useita satapäisiä harrastajayhteisöjä. Koneen ääreen kokoonnutaan edelleen pelaamaan ja ohjelmoimaan.
Commodore 64:n tapauksessa kehitettiin niin osuva tuote, että se – jos ei suorastaan määrittele – niin ainakin leimaa kokonaista sukupolvea ja aikakautta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
C64 Turned Theremin With A Handful Of Parts
https://hackaday.com/2022/08/30/c64-turned-theremin-with-a-handful-of-parts/
The theremin is popular for its eerie sound output and its non-contact playing style. While they’re typically built using analog hardware, [Linus Åkesson] decided to make one using the venerable Commodore 64.
The instrument works by measuring the capacitance between its two antennas and the Earth. As these capacitances are changed by a human waving their hands around near the respective pitch and volume antennas, the theremin responds by changing the pitch and volume of its output.
In this case, the humble 555 is pressed into service. It runs as an oscillator, with its frequency varying depending on the user’s hand position. There’s one each for pitch and volume, naturally, using a clamp and spoon as antennas. The C64 then reads the frequency the 555s are oscillating at, and then converts these into pitch and volume data to be fed to the SID audio chip.
C64 Theremin
https://linusakesson.net/hardware/theremin/index.php
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using a Commodore 64 on the modern internet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfahsGLtQwc
That’s right! Now your Commodore 64 can surf the web! Well, kinda.
In today’s video, I go over two ways to get the venerable Commodore 64 online. The C64 is one of my favorite retro machines, and I hope you enjoy this trip down (a slightly modernized) memory lane.
Commodore BASIC commands used during the making of this video:
`LOAD”*”,8` – load the first thing (or last opened file during current session) on the Commodore floppy drive
`RUN` – runs the program it just loaded
`LOAD”$”,8` – load the list of files from the Commodore floppy drive
`LIST` – actually list out the list-of-files loaded with the previous command
“Esoteric command” that renames the file: `OPEN 1,8,15,”R:NETCONF.PRG= NETCONF.PRG”:CLOSE 1`
`LOAD”SETMAC”,8` – sets the mac address for your device in Contiki
`LOAD”CONTIKI”,8` – loads the CONTIKI program itself
Tomi Engdahl says:
How It Was Made: THE COMMODORE 64
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WBqGyf8eQVk
Using machine learning on some scenes (see pinned comment & description) we’ve digitally remastered the only known, low-quality footage of the Commodore 64 & 6502 factory production to better show how the world’s bestselling computer was made!
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/linus-akesson-s-commodordion-is-an-accordion-with-a-commodore-64-twist-8f921db3ac9c
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/10/22/the-commodordion-turns-two-c64s-into-a-single-instrument/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/11/07/commodore-datasette-does-its-own-calibration/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/11/08/cheap-scope-troubleshoots-commodore/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/11/27/portable-commodore-64-lives/
Tomi Engdahl says:
MCL65 – Cycle Accurate MOS 6502 FPGA Core
https://hackaday.io/project/188447-mcl65-cycle-accurate-mos-6502-fpga-core
The MCL65 is a cycle accurate microsequencer-based FPGA core which can be used as a drop-in replacement for the MOS 6502
The MCL65 is an open source, cycle accurate, microsequencer-based FPGA core which can be used as as an embedded processor or as a drop-in replacement for the MOS 6502.
The core uses a 16-bit microsequencer which allows it to be cycle acurate and structurally compatible with the MOS 6502 microprocessor. Both the bus interface and the ALU are implemented in microcode which results in an extrememly small core that leaves the majority of the silicon available for other logic.
It has successfully been used in a Commodore VIC-20, Apple II+, Apple IIe, and Atari 2600.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Designed to replace the MOS Technology 6510 chip, the MCL64 can run in cycle-accurate or high-performance modes.
Ted Fried’s MCL64 Is a Teensy 4.1-Powered Drop-In Upgrade for Your Commodore 64
https://www.hackster.io/news/ted-fried-s-mcl64-is-a-teensy-4-1-powered-drop-in-upgrade-for-your-commodore-64-6630915d888d
Designed to replace the MOS Technology 6510 chip, the MCL64 can run in cycle-accurate or high-performance modes.
Vintage computing enthusiast Ted Fried has released a neat replacement for the MOS Technology 6510 processor at the heart of the Commodore 64 family of computers — taking advantage of the performance available in a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller board to offer a big speed boost to those who find teh original a little slow.
“The MCL64 is a MOS 6510 port of my MCL65+ project which is a 6502 emulator written in C running on a Teensy 4.1 which can be used as a drop-in replacement for the Commodore 64 CPU,” Fried explains. “Like the MCL65+ the MCL64 6510 emulation can either be cycle accurate or it can run significantly faster than the original processor.”
Released as a follow-up to the 6502, the MOS Technology 6510 processor is based known as the driving force behind the Commodore 64 family of eight-bit home computers. Running between 0.985MHz and 1.023MHz, depending on region, the processor is somewhat outdated by modern standards — which is where the MCL64′s accelerated mode comes into play.
MCL64 can locate all memory and ROM ranges inside of the Teensy and run them at 800MHz.”
This isn’t Fried’s first drop-in accelerator for vintage hardware, by any means: Late last month we wrote about the MCL86jr, an FPGA-based accelerator board designed to replace the processor in an IBM PCjr. Like the MCL64, the board offers two operation modes: Cycle-accurate, for maximum compatibility, and a less-accurate high-speed mode running at between four and six times the performance of the original processor.
https://microcorelabs.wordpress.com/2021/04/19/mcl64-worlds-fastest-commodore-64/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building A New Commodore 64 In 2022 With All New Components
https://hackaday.com/2022/12/28/building-a-new-commodore-64-in-2022-with-all-new-components/
Call it fake or simply new, but when [DusteD] set out to build a brand-new Commodore 64 with only new parts, it resulted in Project MaxFake64 that is electrically and binary compatible with any genuine C64 out there. While not really ‘fake’ in the sense that a C64 emulator is fake, it is in the sense that it uses no parts produced before this millennium. This might actually be easier than getting a used C64 in fully working condition these days.
In total, the project contains an aftermarket C64 power supply by Electroware, a brand new C64C case, a C64 (ASSY NO 250407) mainboard based on the genuine board, a generic RF modular module, an FPGA-based Kawari VIC-II replacement, a 6502 MPU using a 6502-to-6510 adapter by Monotech PCs, a dual-GAL-based PLA replacement, EPROMs for the kernal, character and BASIC ROMs (with in-socket hacks), and a SinSID Nano as (temporary) SID replacement.
Project MaxFake64
http://dusted.dk/pages/c64/MaxFake64/
The most fake c64? That would be an emulator. I decided that a C64 has to have a physical component to it, something a bit more electrical in nature. So, in my definition, it is a machine which acts exactly like a C64 and replicates and responds to its actual electrical signals in real time, both to the outside world through various connectors, and also represents the electrical interconnections found in the real hardware.
I thought that the Ultimate64 was a C64, but decided that it was not, the cartridge port is not compatible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Swedish engineer creates playable accordion from 2 Commodore 64 computers
Linus Åkesson’s instrument sports custom software and a bellows made of floppy disks.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/playable-commodore-64-accordion-delights-with-homemade-chiptune-goodness/?utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=facebook&utm_brand=ars&utm_medium=social
In late October, a Swedish software engineer named Linus Åkesson unveiled a playable accordion—called “The Commodordion”—he crafted out of two vintage Commodore 64 computers connected with a bellows made of floppy disks taped together. A demo of the hack debuted in an 11-minute YouTube video where Åkesson plays a Scott Joplin ragtime song and details the instrument’s creation.
Åkesson—a versatile musician himself—can actually play the Commodordion in real time like a real accordion. He plays a melody with his right hand on one C64 keyboard and controls the chord of a rhythm and bass line loop (that he can pre-record using the flip of a switch) using his left hand on the other keyboard.
Tomi Engdahl says:
C64 bass guitar
https://youtu.be/_kDhpFaf4EY
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2023/02/05/evo64-is-the-ultimate-audiophile-upgrade-for-the-commodore-64/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2023/02/15/free-virtual-synthesizer-based-on-commodore-64-bpb-64/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://monster6502.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/03/21/fresh-pcbs-for-the-quickshot-ii-and-ii-plus-joysticks/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/03/22/commodore-64-reports-the-news/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi Powers Commodore 64 Expansion Cartridge, Plays Doom
By Les Pounder published about 20 hours ago
40 Year old computer plays 30 year old game
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/commodore-64-pi-powered-doom
Tomi Engdahl says:
Swedish engineer creates playable accordion from 2 Commodore 64 computers
Linus Åkesson’s instrument sports custom software and a bellows made of floppy disks.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/playable-commodore-64-accordion-delights-with-homemade-chiptune-goodness/?utm_brand=ars&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/23/commodore-64-upgrade-in-modern-package/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/01/commodore-64-web-server-brings-8-bit-into-the-future/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/02/c64-gets-chatgpt-access-via-bbs/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using Excel To Manage A Commodore 64
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/08/using-excel-to-manage-a-commodore-64/
The “save” icon for plenty of modern computer programs, including Microsoft Office, still looks like a floppy disk, despite the fact that these have been effectively obsolete for well over a decade. As fewer and fewer people recognize what this icon represents, a challenge is growing for retrocomputing enthusiasts that rely on floppy disk technology to load any programs into their machines. For some older computers that often didn’t have hard disk drives at all, like the Commodore 64, it’s one of the few ways to load programs into computer memory. And, rather than maintaining an enormous collection of floppy discs, [RaspberryPioneer] built a way to load programs on a Commodore using Microsoft Excel instead.
Load Commodore Computer Programs Using MS Excel
https://www.instructables.com/Load-Commodore-Computer-Programs-Using-MS-Excel/
Some of the main features are:
Load D64, PRG and T64 program files, including multi-loaders to your Commodore
Select programs from the comfort and familiarity of an Excel spreadsheet
View box art for the program where this has been set-up
Switch between the Commodore 64 or Vic-20 computers if you have both computers
Works with various 5V 16Mhz Arduino / clone microcontrollers, including the popular Arduino Uno
Requires simple connections to the Commodore serial interface and Windows PC / laptop
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linux On A Commodore 64
https://hackaday.com/2023/08/27/linux-on-a-commodore-64/
We are used to seeing Linux running on almost everything, but we were a bit taken aback to see [semu-c64] running Linux on a Commodore 64. But between the checked-out user name and the caveat that: “it runs extremely slowly and it needs a RAM Expansion Unit”, one can already start piecing together what’s happening here.
The machine running Linux is really a RISC-V32. It just so happens that the CPU is virtual, with the C64 pretending it is a bigger machine. The boot-up appears to take hours, so this is in no way practical, even though the comment is that optimization might be able to get a 10X speed up. It would still be about as slow as you can imagine.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://wereallgeeks.wordpress.com/2023/09/04/backsid/?fbclid=IwAR29irmi41j7xiAQKW_YTn4r228IuKDKbjrm6dSOHQcUrZJ38ebGEuvdeWE
WE TRIED A BACKSID ON OUR COMMODORE 64, HERE’S HOW IT WAS
I’m a geek, you’re a geek, we’re all geeks.
And when we built a Commodore 64 we needed something to replace the 6581 Sound Interface Device
MOS 6581 “SID” chip is the audible output of a Commodore 64 computer. It was revolutionary when it was released in the 1980s, and made it’s way in synthesizers and gave its sound to the Commodore 64.
This chip has an analog nature, filtering, and could produce 3 simultaneous voices – much better than anything IBM’s “personnal computer” could produce at the time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Original SID chips came in two flavors – 6581 and 8580. One being NMOS and the other HMOS meant their supplied voltage differed. The BackSID was designed with this in mind and will detect the motherboard’s supplied voltages and adjust audio output accordingly. Unless we configure it otherwise.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How old school video digitizers worked
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vpKsteIzJs
In this episode I take a look at how oldschool video digitizers like the “computer eyes” for the Commodore 64.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://virtualconsoles.com/online-emulators/c64/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/09/24/celebrating-the-6502-with-song/
Tomi Engdahl says:
One man’s nearly 40-year, 8-bit quest to finish his teenage Commodore 64 RPG
Disks and tapes are fallible, so it’s back to assembly code and pencil notes.
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/06/one-mans-40-year-8-bit-quest-to-finish-the-c64-rpg-he-started-in-1984/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=ars&fbclid=IwAR24wlEgr7Ts5YTBI30f8MM5O3R_Uz19sZlv0w5F6OKNwuspDXC_v2mKDkQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l5MoOh4LkSs
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/09/28/fixing-a-c64-with-a-cheap-20-oscilloscope/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Commodore 64 is celebrated to this day for its capable SID sound chip, which provided the soundtrack for some of the best video games of its era. Even today, it’s still in demand as a chiptune synth. decided to take a breadbox-style C64 and mod it to be a more dedicated synth platform, creating what he calls the Cyanodore 6….
CYANODORE 6 IS A RAD COMMODORE 64 SYNTHESIZER
https://hackaday.com/2023/09/29/cyanodore-6-is-a-rad-commodore-64-synthesizer/?fbclid=IwAR39bX39ObaltNfDAAiEszzLggCn3ms7Xh683yaxryOZMyIiFKGIRYGSDNM
The Commodore 64 is celebrated to this day for its capable SID sound chip, which provided the soundtrack for some of the best video games of its era. Even today, it’s still in demand as a chiptune synth. [gavinlyons] decided to take a breadbox-style C64 and mod it to be a more dedicated synth platform, creating what he calls the Cyanodore 6.
The build starts by equipping the C64 with MIDI via a C-LAB interface cartridge. Software is loaded on to the C64 via a readily-available SD2ISEC converter, which lets the retro computer run off SD cards. The original SID was removed and replaced with an ARMSID emulator instead, giving the rig stereo output with some custom wiring. Four potentiometers were also added to control various synth parameters by wiring them into the C64’s two joystick ports.
https://www.instructables.com/The-Commodore-64-Synthesiser-Build-Aka-Cyanodore-6/
Tomi Engdahl says:
There is a Finnish band that plays with Commodore 64 computers as their instruments
https://youtu.be/X2WVbyEk7ug?si=JSuZO1tNiMAneTq5
https://www.discogs.com/artist/5662564-8-Bits-High
Tomi Engdahl says:
Säveltäjä Mikko Tammisen ensikosketus tekniikkaan oli Commodore-64 – toisin kuin nykykoneilla, sen laatu ei riittänyt levylle
Vaasalaisalainen säveltäjä ja tuottaja Mikko Tamminen on nähnyt miten radikaalisti musiikin julkaisu- ja ansaintalogiikka on muuttunut.
https://yle.fi/a/74-20064110
Tomi Engdahl says:
chipsynth C64 is an emulation of the SID so good, it can replace hardware
https://cdm.link/2023/12/chipsynth-c64/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Travis Smith’s TeensyROM Adds a Wealth of Functionality to Your Commodore 64 or Commodore 128
Open source cartridge design, powered by a Teensy 4.1, includes ROM loading, MIDI in and out, and even Ethernet connectivity.
https://www.hackster.io/news/travis-smith-s-teensyrom-adds-a-wealth-of-functionality-to-your-commodore-64-or-commodore-128-b6ae0a433bb9
Tomi Engdahl says:
I was a video game software pirate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ockNRSt3Nsk
This is the story of how I inadvertently became a software pirate in the 80′s starting with the Commodore 64 and then to the Commodore Amiga where one program would change everything, X-Copy Pro. Please Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The video is not meant to promote software piracy in anyway, rather discuss my history and what most computer users in the 80′s experienced.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/01/08/putting-the-c-in-c64/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Full Schematic for the old SX 64 Luggable
you can get it from the usual place: https://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/schematics/computers/c64/sx-64/index.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2024/01/29/a-vintage-monitor-lives-again-with-a-new-heart/