Welcome to your all-in-one toolkit for creating and editing C64 .sid music files.
What is a SID file?
An SID file is the essence of Commodore 64’s auditory magic, encapsulating music designed for its iconic SID (Sound Interface Device) chip. You can explore the vast universe of SID music on DeepSID and the High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC). SID ToolBox is fully compatible with the SID file format specification. Found a bug? Contact me!
Editing an existing .sid File
You can easily edit any existing .sid files by dragging and dropping them into the interface. All versions from 1 to 4 are supported.
Creating a new .sid File
Creating a new .sid file is also easy. Just drag and drop the C64 binary data and fill in the required details. The binary data is visible in the “SID Data” field. However, be careful; this zone offers raw hex editing without automatic validations and will be saved into the .sid file.
Saving a .sid File
Be precise in data entry for a compliant SID file, as inaccuracies can result in corruption. The system auto-generates filenames based on the title, sticking to the High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC) naming convention. For instance, version 3 files automatically receive an “_2SID” suffix.
PSID vs RSID
PSID files offer seamless playback in emulators, while RSID requires a full C64 emulation, including CIA and Vblank interrupts. Choose RSID when the complete driver, including interrupts, is in the code, for example, tunes with sample playback.
Versions 1 to 4
The evolution from SID file versions 1 to 4 introduces progressively sophisticated features. Version 1 provides the basics, whereas Version 2 expands into advanced settings like clock and SID chip configurations. Opting for ‘v2NG’ (Next Generation) reveals even more detailed options for genuine hardware tuning. Versions 3 and 4 allow for compositions using multiple SID chips.
A Final Note
SID ToolBox aims to be as user-friendly and time-efficient as a McDonald’s drive-thru. Is it tasty? No. Is it fast? Yes. While editing, keep an eye on the screen’s bottom for the data-help field. Let’s celebrate and preserve an era’s creativity, offering a tribute to the 8-bit history that still inspires us today.