The phrase modular synth SID might sound like something out of a niche electronics lab or a C64-fueled fever dream—but Jason, the mind behind hammondeggsmusic.ca, has turned it into a fully functioning, slightly chaotic reality. In this deep-dive demo, he walks through a hybrid setup where classic Commodore 64 SID music is broken out, rerouted, and reimagined through modular synthesizers—cables, knobs, quirks, and all.
Jason’s approach is twofold. First, he uses the Electrosmith Daisy platform, which emulates the entire C64 system: the 6502 processor, VIC-II timing, and the SID chip itself. This emulation isn’t just digital—it feeds out four channels of SID audio plus CV and gate signals, allowing control of analog modules directly. Second, he’s built a custom cartridge for the real C64. It watches SID register writes in real time and sends that data to a Raspberry Pi Pico, which then converts it into analog control voltages. The result? A modular synth SID translator that literally lets the C64 “play” a wall of hardware.
During the demo, Jason loads up classics like Ghosts ’n Goblins and Delta, with SID voices triggering envelopes, filters, and oscillators from synth modules like the Moog Model D and 2144 filters. With his setup, he can isolate basslines, apply real-time filter sweeps, or assign voices to different waveforms—all while letting the original SID tunes do the driving. It’s like remixing Rob Hubbard with patch cables.
The modular synth SID concept also solves some SID quirks. Jason’s system detects ultra-short “micro gates” and stretches them to trigger real envelopes. He even wrote a BASIC calibration tool on the C64 to fine-tune voltages—a programming flashback straight out of eighth grade.
When complete, the cartridge will expose every SID register—pitch, pulse width, waveform, filter controls—as patchable analog signals. Is it practical? No. Is it brilliant? Absolutely. Modular synth SID playback is here, and it sounds fantastic.
