Thanks, I will go through the entire thread and replace any that might be missing using the archive.

Excellent! (I have sometimes done similarly, to repair old posts of mine where the links or images have rotted.)

Amazing! Glad you're doing OK, and thanks for fixing the photos!!

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"The key is not to let the hardware sense any fear." - Radical Brad

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

Hey, thanks for the plug!
Funny, I was just looking at a design I did for a 30 foot tall bike a few years back to outdo my old record.
It would be based on this over engineered one I made 15 years ago that allows climbing while in motion...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUwJgl15sqU

Being 10 years older than the first 6502 now though.... maybe I will stick to saner adventures!

I recently renamed AtomicZombie to https://chopzone.com/ as I can't afford to fight the trademark every year now.

Ps...
Your works have always brought me back here during the last few years when I was too busy to work on my own projects.

Cheers,
Brad

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

I too would not be happy thirty feet from the ground... three thousand feet, no problem, thirty feet, um, maybe not

Neil

Piloting one of these ultra tall bikes feels like flying since you can't see anything but the world ahead of you.
Here is my original SkyCycle, not nearly my tallest, but the one that went viral.



It was cool to get my mug in the book too...

_________________
x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

_________________
x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

Thanks, it's nice to finally have a chance to drop in and think about continuing this thread and the project.
That quote... makes me smile when I see it. I think that was over at AVR freaks when I made that comment. Probably up to late with too much java as usual.

I have been busy up flying up North for work so I have mainly been working on the 6502 code for the sound channels and main OS. I built a tiny breadboard version with one channel that travels along with me so I can keep sane after the workday is done. Today I switched gears and took some time to start on the base frame so it would at least be done before the snow returns around here. Since I had not used my old welder for a few years, it needed work so by the time I had the sparks flying, the sun was already setting.

Did manage to get a lot of the base frame complete, which is the footprint for the entire unit.

Here are a few stills from the videos I took today, along with a few updated renders showing what the final Synth should look like.
I like to change things as I build, but I would think it will be pretty close to the final look.

Here is a model of the entire steel frame. Made from 1" x 1/8" angle and 1" x 1/8" flatbar....



Dimensions of the base frame that I am working on today...



Sparks are flying in my high tech shop (aka - old pallet out back)...



Slowly working up the angles based on my sketch...



Here is a basic 3D model showing what I am working towards.
The CRT is a 12" mono like the PET, but brand new and white.
The computer keyboard is from a VIC, multiplexed by the main OS 6502.
The disk drive is a 1541, using the original components.
The piano keyboard is an 88 key unit also multiplexed by the OS 6502.
There will be a lot of other analog controls for mixing and FX on the black metal front panel as well.
The Huge PCBs are behind glass plates and will have cool backlighting and active LEDs on each of the 12 channels.



There are 6 massive circuit boards, each one 10 x 20 inches.
Most likely, the final hand wired boards will have 1000 or more ICs, all 74 logic and multiple 6502s.
I actually have all of the components already, so there is no going back now!

In keeping with the spirit of this original post, I am only using parts available in 1980.
Everything is 74 logic, SRAM and 6502s. Yeah, there are now fifteen 6502s in the unit (12 for sound, 1 for OS, 1 for Video, and one in the 1541).
I literally have buckets of ICs on my bench since I have already purchased all of the parts and ICs I need for this project!



I also have the gutted Commodore 1541 jacked onto my protoboard and so far I seem to have control over it.
Even with only 4 working channels, it's fun to jam out on the prototype. It keeps my energy level high for getting this completed.

If I can get the frame completely welded before winter then I can work on the wood sides and PCB frames indoors.
Not sure where I am going to find all of the 1/2" solid mahogany or cherry wood required, but I will keep looking.
It would be great to have at least a few channels and the main OS running to the point where I can make some simple tracks.

Greets out to all 6502 freaks.... thanks for posting all of your amazing projects!

Cheers,
Radical Brad

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x86?  We ain't got no x86.  We don't NEED no stinking x86!

Yes, the 88 key piano was taken from an early Korg parts synth. I figured out the multiplexing, which is pretty basic using latches and a few mux chips.
Since MIDI was not yet invented, all piano decoding is done by the main 6502, exactly the same way it decodes the VIC keyboard matrix.
I have this working already, and can play basic samples on 4 independent channels.
Since each channel has its own 6502 and mini OS, I can have 8 note poly on each channel, which equals a whopping 96 note poly - unheard of for a 1980 synth.

The unit is 70 inches wide and 20 inches deep to take up a similar footprint to an upright piano.
I also chose this size so it will fit nicely in my small upstairs office and possibly the minivan so I can visit World of Commodore with it one day.
It will be easily moveable by two people, probably 80 pounds at most. The heaviest parts will probably be the two front glass plates.
The stand (not yet shown) will be removable as well. It has floor safe rubber casters to move around the room.

I still have some other small edging to add in the frame, but here is a side shot of the 90% completed model...

I assume the keyboard has velocity sensing (or whatever the term is: how hard you hit it, basically).

You're reminding me of an additive synthesizer I designed, um, forty years ago for a friend in the music business; stuffed full of TI DSPs. In context, they were expensive parts and initially I simulated them using a 6502. It _did not_ run at full speed!

Neil