USBSID-Pico Connects Real Commodore 64 SID Chips to Modern USB Devices

Connecting Vintage Sound to Modern Systems

USBSID-Pico is an open-source hardware project designed to bridge the gap between the iconic MOS Technology SID sound chips from the Commodore 64 and modern computing devices. The project allows for the direct connection of physical SID chips to workstations, phones, and media players through various interfaces including USB (CDC/WebUSB/WebSerial), MIDI, and ASID. This enables retro audio enthusiasts to utilize the original analog sound hardware, which is valued for its unique filters and distortion characteristics that software emulations often cannot fully replicate.

Hardware and Capabilities

The USBSID-Pico board is powered by Raspberry Pi Pico microcontrollers, specifically the rp2040 and rp2350 series. It functions as a flexible controller capable of managing up to two physical SID chips or modern hardware replacements. Future plans include expanding support to four SID chips. The project aims to provide an authentic retro audio experience by leveraging the original silicon.

Project Origin and Development

The creator, LouD, developed USBSID-Pico after being inspired by existing projects like SIDPod and ESP32-SIDView. The journey began with an interest in how things work and a desire to play SID tunes through a real SID chip. Initial prototypes involved modifying SIDPod to include SDCard support (SIDPod-SDCard) before moving towards a more comprehensive solution that supports real SID chips, culminating in the USBSID-Pico project.