High Voltage SID Collection: Update #80
Date: December 24, 2023

Resulting Version: 80
 Previous Version: 79

After this update, the collection should contain 58,150 SID files!

This update features (all approximates):
     577 new SIDs
      41 fixed/better rips
       3 repeats/bad rips eliminated
     327 SID credit fixes
      25 SID model/clock infos
       7 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN/ identified
       3 tunes from /GAMES/ identified
      31 tunes moved out of /DEMOS/ to their composers' directories
       9 tunes moved out of /GAMES/ to their composers' directories

We are always looking for others to help make HVSC a better collection.
If you find any errors or have new rips to add, please email:

 iAN CooG  <hvsc.crew (sid) gmail.com>

Thanks to all the people who have helped to make HVSC the collection that it
is today, without your help it would be a much tougher task.


SID RELATED NEWS:


##############
# PSID64 1.3 #
##############

PSID64 version 1.3 has been released by Roland Hermans. PSID64 is a tool for
converting SID tunes into PRG files.

New features:

- Added support for new song length file format
- Use Songlengths.md5 default filename when HVSC root directory is specified
- When converting a directory to a specified output directory, use a trailing
  slash or backslash to never append the basename to the output directory
- Avoid grey dot artifacts on 8565 VIC-II
- Fixed missing argument in --root command line option description
- Added more extensive usage description and examples to README

Get it from: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=234184


#################
# Chipsynth C64 #
#################

Chipsynth C64 by Plogue is an advanced emulation of the SID sound chip. After
years of meticulous research, Plogue has created a highly detailed emulation
that reproduces 32 different SID chips, covering various revisions and tonal
characteristics.

The emulation is capable of accurately playing original songs with a
full-featured SID file player, accommodating even complex compositions with
multiple-SID setups, sample playback, and hard filter overdrive. It aims to
capture the diverse sounds produced by real chips in the field, offering a
genuine and high-quality emulation experience without the use of samples.

More info can be found here: https://plogue.com/products/chipsynth-c64.html


##################
# GTUltra v1.5.5 #
##################

GTUltra (GoatTracker Ultra) is an enhanced version of GoatTracker v2.76 Stereo
made by Jason Page.

Changes since version v1.4.2:

- Fixed issue where entering values in pattern view
- Fixed MIDI input (remember to also set MIDI port to 0 
- Ctrl+F9 will do quick export using previous export settings and file name
- Fixed Shift+LEFT when in pattern view and when song is playing
- Fixed displaying of incorrect pattern number if too large when exporting
- Fix potential for saving a corrupt .sng file
- Fixed audio issue when entering notes or jamming
- Added option to allow SID playback in zeropage mode in the SID export page
- Modified SIDTracker64 mode. Now enable with EITHER Shift or Ctrl F12
- Minor fix to Export WAV (uses sample rate from within CFG file)
- Minor update to report correct song length when deleting / inserting patterns, etc.
- Added Drag / Drop to load files
- Improved jamming mode
- KeyOff performed automatically on key release
- Other improvements and fixes

Get the latest version from:

https://github.com/jpage8580/GTUltra


###############
# SIDevo v4.4 #
###############

SIDevo is a SID input plugin for XMPlay audio player written by Nathan Hindley.
It's a partial rewrite of the SIDex plugin and it uses the most recent
libsidplayfp library.

Changes since v4.2:

- SIDId now returns multiple players if applicable
- Default duration of 0 seconds will no longer override HVSC song lengths

Get the new version from:

https://github.com/KelticDanor/xmp-SIDevo


########################
# Sidplay/MAC 5.1.0_74 #
########################

Sidplay/MAC 5.x is a fork of Sidplay/MAC 4.2 done by Alexander Coers.

It has the following improvements since 5.0.1_44:

- Changed the way how the engine is initialized
- Sound glitches in export
- Wrong song duration in export
- Quick Look Preview Extension for SID tunes
- Update to libsidplayfp version 2.5.0 and latest reSID release (VICE)
- Small fixes to applications toolbar 
- Rewrote buffer handling for CoreAudio to support different buffer lengths
- Re-enabled voice solo/mute buttons in info view
- SIDBlaster USB support

Check it out:

https://github.com/Alexco500/sidplay5


#################################
# SID Factory II build 20231002 #
#################################

SID Factory II is a cross-platform music editor made by Thomas Egeskov Petersen
(also known as Laxity) for editing SID music that can be played on a C64.
It is a successor of SID Factory which runs natively on a C64.

The latest build is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Changelog:

Added
- Visualizers for pulse width (per channel), filter cutoff and an indication
  per channel if it is being filtered
- Config option Visualizer.PulseWidth.Style to set the default style for the
  pulse width visualizer
- Configuration option Disk.Hide.Extensions to hide files with certain
  extensions in the file browser. Default values are .sid, .wav and .mp3

Changed
- New default driver is 11.05.00
- Configuration parameter Window.Scale now has a range from 1.0 to 10.0

Check it out:

https://csdb.dk/release/?id=235968


#################
# SidTool 2.3.1 #
#################

SidTool is a C64 Music Player Emulator Frontend for Windows, build to explore
large chiptune collections. It needs .NET framework 4.8.

The following has been changes:

- Added multimedia keys support
- Added sidplayfp support
- Clicking links in charts no longer starts 2nd instance
- Fixed minor bug when changing subsongs and restarting song
- Download now includes SearchDB for HVSC 79
- New Contextmenu to open Playlist song in HVSC
- Added new Playlist columns: Release info & Sid Model
- Fixed issue with default playtime/override playtime/songlength.md5
- Added option to rate playlist songs 1 to 5
- Sidtool.ini back in sidtool folder
- Added option to ignore time settings when using playlist
- Added search on remix64.com
- Fixed issue where Search DB wasn't properly used
- Search DB loaded into RAM on startup now
- Fixed wrong shuffle icon and button behaviour
- Added normal "Save" button
- Added Sid & Playlist name to window title
- Added option to memorize a Sid (e.g. prior searching)

Get it from here: https://sidtool.de/


################
# Prg2Sid 1.15 #
################

Prg2Sid is a tool that attaches a PSID header to a ripped (prg) tune. It
identifies some players and sets init/play accordingly. It also patches
the header and code if needed.

Since 1.08 the following has been changed:

- Added optional parameters Subtunes and StartSong (suggested by Encore/Undone)
- MusicAssembler & MusicMixer init/play addresses now are checked at $1000/$1003
  and kept if the 2 JMPs are correct, else they are set in the sid header to
  the actual addresses
- Master Composer bug in the end of tune code fixed, thanks to Prof Chaos/HVSC
- new players identified:
  SidFactory II (v3)
  StarBars (v1.1/1.2/1.3/1.4)
- improved detections:
  SidFactory II (v1 & v2), more variants

Check out: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=235041


##########################################
# Star Bars Atari 2600 Music Editor v1.4 #
##########################################

Star Bars is a music sequencer and play routine for Atari 2600 video game
console from the late 70's made by Alekse Eeben. The editor runs on a C64 and
exports both PAL and NTSC Atari 2600 ROM images containing your music and the
music player code.

Star Bars uses Tiatonic Tuning to achieve 8x improved frequency resolution over
TIA chip au naturel and it can play the full chromatic scale over 6 octaves. No
more awful out-of-tune Atari 2600 bleeps! C-1..F-2 and E-3..F-6 are the most
accurate note ranges. F#2..D#3 and above F#6 are a bit hazy.

Registers are updated up to 32 times per frame, so using Star Bars music in
games or demos is somewhat challenging, yet not impossible.

Get it from here: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=235226


#######################################
# BackSID (6581/8580 SID replacement) #
#######################################

Evie Salomon released new firmware for the BackSID. BackSID is a replacement for
the 6581/8580 SID chip. It's using the ARM Cortex M4 chip to simulate the SID.

Firmware changes since v2.1.1:

- Improved "SYNC" distortion
- Option to choose Auto or Koala pots on hardware revision 3
- Reduced overall distortion

For more info: https://www.backbit.io/downloads/Firmware/BackSID/


###################
# Sidplayfp 2.5.1 #
###################

Libsidplayfp (and its console frontend sidplayfp) is a fork of sidplay2 born
with the aim to improve the quality of emulating the 6581, 8580 chips and the
surrounding C64 system in order to play SID music better.

Changes since 2.5.0 release:

- residfp: fix a 6581 filter bug where values could actually go negative
- Sync resid with upstream

Get the new version here: https://github.com/libsidplayfp/sidplayfp


#################
# SIDInfo 1.0.1 #
#################

SIDInfo is a simple utility written in C by Matti Hamalainen (ccr), that
displays information about SID files in various formats. Includes support for
PSID and RSID files versions 1-4, HVSC songlengths database and HVSC STIL
database.

Changes:

- Fix build with recent clang versions which default to -Wstrict-prototypes
- Backwards-incompatible change in UX: the 'Copyright' field has been
  renamed to 'Released', as it should be per PSID standard
- Improvements in sidlib
- Build system improvements

Check out: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=237857


###########
# DeepSID #
###########

DeepSID is an online SID player made by JCH of Vibrants. It emulates music
created for the Commodore 64 home computer. It supports nice features like:

- Toggling between WebSID/jsSID/SOASC for SID playback
- SID player and year display for each song
- Creature and play playlists
- Rating folders and SID files
- Comment / Discuss SID files
- Profile / CSDb / GB64 / Player / STIL / Piano / Graph view
- Search through HVSC / STIL
- and much more

DeepSID is continuously updated. See the Changes tab for the full change log.

Check it out: https://deepsid.chordian.net/


###################
# SID Known v1.26 #
###################

Wilfred Bos has released SID Known v1.26. This version supports now HVSC #80.
SID Known is a command line tool which you can use to identify SID tunes from
SID and PRG files.

This tool can be used if e.g., you want to know which SID tune is used in a
specific C64 demo or C64 game, or you have a SID tune found or ripped and you
want to know if it is already in your SID collection.

SID Known can be used to identify music but it also helps to find out which
tunes are not in the High Voltage SID Collection. If you find music not found
by SID Known, it would be appreciated if you report this to the HVSC crew
(https://hvsc.de) or post it in one of the CSDb forums (https://csdb.dk) like
"SIDs that aren't in HVSC yet".

Get the tool here: https://csdb.dk/release/?id=237970
