FAQ
What is SIDManager?
SIDManager is a utility to enable the simple and effective management of the huge number of SIDFiles that have been handed down through the generations of music-lovers who believe that computer music reached its zenith during the reign of the Commodore 64.I don't understand any of that. Please explain it all.
Right then, let's get some of the basic terminology out of the way. This is a personal view, so don't take any of it as being of particular relevance or accuracy:- Commodore 64 (C-64) - The finest 8-bit computer of them all. Great graphics, great sound, great games. You whipper snappers out there may not appreciate it, but the C-64 was cutting edge. I remember when my parents had to save up for 6 months...blah...blah...
- SID Chip - Sound Interface Device. The chip on the C-64 responsible for generating sounds and music. Remarkably advanced for the time, with a unique and memorable sound. Gave those early musicians the power and the tools to advance the boundaries of computer-generated music, whilst at the same time making them work hard before their creativity could be unleashed.
- SIDTune - Both the piece of music itself and the representation of the code used to drive the C-64's SID Chip. A SIDTune is not simple musical information like a MIDI file, but actual binary code for driving the SID Chip itself. Most of the finest SIDTunes (particularly the early ones) were originally game soundtracks, so the SIDTune code has to be carefully 'ripped' from the rest of the game code. A single SIDTune can contain up to 256 different Songs (SIDManager uses Tune and Song to differentiate between the two levels, so a Tune can contain a number of Songs!)
- SIDFile - The file containing the SIDTune data. SIDFiles come in a number of formats, but for the purposes of SIDManager it is used to mean SIDFiles that can be understood by SIDPlay. N.b. a single SIDFile contains one SIDTune.
- SIDPlay - The program that converts the code in the SIDFile into music that can be played through a PC soundcard. Effectively acts as a SID Chip emulator. Originally written by Michael Schwendt, a Windows version (SIDPlay/Windows or SIDPlay/w) was written, and is maintained, by Adam Lorentzon.
- PlayList - One of the most important features of SIDPlay is that an arbitrary list of SIDTunes can be created. This list also contains information on the timings associated with the SIDTune, which is useful because SIDTunes don't contain 'stop times' internally - they just play on indefinitely.
- HVSC - The High Voltage SIDs Collection. A remarkable compendium of just about every SIDTune ever let out into the World, including all the classic game soundtracks, all organised, maintained and updated in an incredibly professional manner.
- STIL - The SID Tune Information List. Part of the HVSC. Comprises a structured record of information, comments, etc. on many of the SIDTunes and their Authors.
So let me ask it again, what is SIDManager?
OK then, you should have an idea of the basics now. SIDManager has two purposes: firstly, to bring all the information about the SIDTunes in your collection (particularly HVSC) into one place so that it can be easily viewed and manipulated; and secondly, to allow you to listen to the SIDTunes you want to, when you want to, by making it simple and easy to generate PlayLists that can be used with SIDPlay/w. And because PlayLists can be sent straight to SIDPlay to be played immediately, SIDManager can be used as the main interface whenever you listen to SIDPlay. Your SIDTune listening sessions need never be the same again.How does SIDManager work?
Firstly, SIDManager builds a database of information on all the SIDFiles in your collection using a combination of sources. This only needs to be done once for each collection. Once the database is produced, the information can be handled via a nice friendly user inteface that includes natty features such as drag-and-drop to make the process of creating PlayLists as efficient as possible.If the interface is so good, can I have a quick peek?
OK. It may look complicated at first, but the structure is nice and logical. Once you get going it's a real breeze.
But what is the advantage in using SIDManager?
The average SIDTune collection, like the Universe, is huge. Ok, so not quite as huge as the Universe, but pretty huge nonetheless. For instance, the HVSC Collection contains upwards of 14,000 SIDTunes. SIDPlay is not really that great at PlayList manipulation (which is not a criticism - it's got more important things to do), so it is a real pain when you want to listen to more than the few old favourites that you've managed to compile into a PlayList. With SIDManager you can concentrate on listening to the music as it gives you the interface to take away all your worries *.So where does HVSC and STIL fit into all this?
SIDManager is designed to be used with the HVSC collection because it (a) it has a standardised naming convention and (b) SIDManager can utilise the STIL data. You could use SIDManager with any collection of SID files, but the results would be unpredictable and some of the features wouldn't be usable.Can I use my existing PlayLists?
Yes. SIDManager can import both new (format 2) and old (format 1) style PlayLists, although at the moment it is only possible to save in the new format. The PlayLists produced by SIDManager are exactly the same as any other SIDPlay PlayLists, so using SIDManager in no way prevents you from doing anything that you're doing now.Tell me more about the Timings issue.
I'm glad you asked that. One of the constant irritations with SIDTunes is the fact that you have to work out for yourself how long a Song lasts. You can plug the information into your PlayList, but this takes time and we've all got better things to do than sitting around timing SIDTunes (you could be sitting round doing all sorts of other things). Fortunately, there are people out there who have done this sitting-timing thing and we are able to take advantage of their good work (I don't know their exact names, so I can't give full credit, but hooray for them anyway) in producing a database of the Timings (their terminology is Songlengths) for almost all the SIDTunes. This database can be imported into SIDManager meaning that listening to a PlayList will be just like listening to a CD: when one song ends another begins. Remarkable.What Files do I need?
Because SIDManager uses some fancy Visual Basic features there is a whole bunch of files beyond the simple executable that must be installed. Unfortunately the full download is a bit on the chunky side, but you will only have to do it once, and be assured that it is worth the effort (those VB files are bound to come in useful elsewhere). More information on the files is in the Readme.txt file. The installation files can be obtained from the Files page.In order to get the best out of SIDManager you should also have the High Voltage SIDs Collection (HVSC) and the HVSC SongLengths Database. And of course, let's not forget SIDPlay itself.
What Operating Systems does SIDManager run on/Will there be a version for OS X?
SIDManager has been built and tested using Windows 98 SE. I suspect it will run on most flavours of Windows 9x (please tell me yes or no). Beyond that, it's a case of never rather than if. I've never had much involvement with non-Windows OS's (not that there's anything wrong with them I'm sure) and it's probably too late to start now. The fact that I used VB doesn't help either. If anyone does want to have a go at a different version then I'm happy to help where I can, but I'm sure most of you have better things to do.What versions of SIDPlay/w and HVSC has SIDManager been tested with?
SIDManager has been tested with SIDPlay/w versions [Apr 10 2000] and [Jan 1 2001], and HVSC version 3.9.Am I going to use SIDManager for a week and find that it starts asking me to send you my life savings to keep on using it?
Don't be silly. Like most of the emulation-related programs SIDManager is free to use. Of course, if you have a desperate urge to send me money then feel free to give in to it. Large denomination UK currency is preferred.I found this FAQ really useful, but I still have more questions?
The latest version of the Readme.txt file contains more technical info that this FAQ which is intended mainly as an overview. If that doesn't help, then you are welcome to e-mail me. I will try to reply, but I can't promise anything - I'm not sure yet how much time I will be able to devote to this project. Constructive comments and suggestions for improvements are welcome.* This comment should be taken as pure hyperbole. GernthSoft offers no guarantees that SIDManager will take away all your worries, particularly those related to mortgages, family, work, lack of sense of humour, etc.
