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SIDPLAY64:

This is a program that can playback .SID music files found in the
HVSC collection on a real Commodore 64 or a Commodore 128 (in C64 mode9:

You can also get my own compilation of the best .sid files here.

Sidplay64 works on these drives and devices:
1541, 1541-II, 1571, 1581, CMD FD, CMD HD, CMD RAMLINK, CMD RAMDRIVE, IDE64(+PClink)
IEC(UIEC/IEC-ATA), SD2IEC, Digilog FD 2064, Enhancer 2000, Indus GT, Oceanic, Netdrive
1541 Ultimate 1 (standalone/iec mode) and 1541 Ultimate II (With REU & Command Interface).

And I assume these drives will also work:
Amtech FD-148, Amtech RF501c, Bluechip BCD128, Bluechip BCD525, Cardco CSD-1,
Elite DS64, FSD-1, FSD-2 Excelerator plus, Master41, MSD (MSD Systems Inc.),
RexDatentechnik 9900, Rear Admiral Thunderdrive, Roctec RF512C, Skai 64, Swan SW 41/71,
Tecmate NPH-501c

I will also work with a Ram Expansion Unit (REU).
(Look for REU in the filenames in the latest download.)

Before you can start playing SIDs you have to go through a small setup.
The reason for this setup is to make the main program use as little memory possible.
If you think this is a tiresome process you can just press return on all questions.

Select device:

You can use F1/F2 to select device number 6-30. Press return when done.
Device #8 is normally used by your 1541 disk drive.
Device #6 or 7 is normally used for netdrive.

Special device cases:
If you for any reason want to force the device number you can press CBM+Return.
Both netdrive, 1541u (iec mode) and 1541u2 (iec mode) returns: "@? :31,syntax error,00,00" when
Sidplay64 tries to read the error channel. Just press return to start the program when you see this message.

Do you have a 2nd SID ?

Default is N. Because the C64 only has one sid chip.
If you answer Y you will get to type the address of your 2nd sid chip.

Skip SIDs using $0000 as play address ?

Both RSIDs and PSIDs can have this play address and they will stop
the random Shuffle play and the play next routine in your playlist.
Selecting Y here will avoid loading these "troublesome" sids.
Default is N.

Disable song lengths for modded sids ?

The sids we are talking about here are modified sids done with our little
program called sp64injector.exe. If you select Y, any information about song lengths in the sids will be ignored.
You can read more about that program in the readme file.
Default is N.

Keyboard or Joyport #1 (K/J) ?

Default is K for keyboard control.

Press 0-9 for colors

Just an small option for those who are tired with the black and green colors.

The program will now load the directory from your selected device.
And you can now select files with your keyboard or joystick.

Keyboard controls:

Cursor keys    :Select sid tune
Return         :Load a sid tune / open directory / open disk image file
Instdel        :Go back a directory level (For versions that supports directory browsing)
Space          :Load/Reload directory
F1             :Restart song
F7             :Pause/Continue song
+ / -          :Select songs  (if any)
, / .          :Set timer
M              :Toggles Manually selection, Next play or Random Play (MNR)
Cursor Left    :jump 15 lines upwards.
Cursor Right   :jump 15 lines downwards.  (In the non-REU version this jumps all the way down.)
Restore        :Force exit from the sid playing - reloads directory.
Runstop+Restore:Force exit from the sid playing - returns to fileselector with all keys available.
<-(left arrow) :Fast forward (when song is playing)
CBM key        :Exit an RSID or PSID with $0000 as play address.
S              :Screen on/off. (reduce video chip noise)
X              :Load Next or Random sid
CLRHOME        :Keep pressed to load more filenames when reading directory holding more than 164 files (only for non-REU versions.)

When the sid is playing/present in memory you can use all these keys.

The Next Play and Random Play functions will take effect when the
clock reach the timer value.

1541 Ultimate II :

For older firmware versions (v2.x) you need to start the program in the root of your sd card.
You need to enable REU.
You need to enable the Command Interface.
Try to press Return if you get the "no files present" message the first time you start the dir,
or when you have reached the dir level above the root dir of your SD card.

In depth about Sidplay64 memory use:

On startup the program is located at this memory areas:

$0115-$019D Static memory : variables, data.
$C400-$CFxx Self relocatable main program.
$D000-$DFFF Static memory : filenames, dirs, subroutines.

The main program can relocate itself to other memory adresses after reading the
free relocation pages found in the sid header for each sid file.

Read the sidplay64-readme.txt file found in the zip file for a much more
in depth explanation.

Project Members:

• G.R. Gallefoss (admin)