TeensyROM Desktop UI Hits Version 2.0 with SID DJ Features

07/23/2025

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The TeensyROM Desktop UI has just reached version 2.0, and it’s turning heads in the retro community. Hexx, the developer behind the project, has packed this release with tools that bridge the gap between Commodore 64 nostalgia and modern-day performance setups. Whether you’re a SID chip fanatic or a retro DJ looking to push boundaries, this update delivers big.

At the heart of version 2.0 is a bold new focus: enabling live MIDI and SID DJing. This isn’t just about tweaking SID files—this is about spinning, mixing, and remixing them like you would vinyl on Technics. And yes, it works on the original hardware.

Taking SID Mixing to the Stage

For those who’ve ever seen a live Amiga DJ set—two machines, four drives, and a hypnotized crowd—you’ll understand the vibe. That underground culture of retro performance has found a new playground with the TeensyROM Desktop UI. Hexx isn’t just catching up with the 16-bit Amiga crew—he’s giving 8-bit fans a way to join the party.

Hexx admits the inspiration came from watching Amiga DJs rock a room with tracker tunes and visual flair. Naturally, the next question became: Why can’t we do this on a Commodore 64? With the SID chip’s legendary sound, it was only a matter of time.

Realtime Remixing on Real Hardware

Working closely with Travis, the developer of TeensyROM, Hexx has harnessed the power of the C64’s SID chip for live manipulation. Through a clever use of serial port commands, users can now control key functions like SID playback speed and individual voice muting in real time.

This opens up incredible flexibility. You can fade in a bassline, kill the lead, or chop rhythms—live—without leaving your MIDI controller. It’s not just cool; it’s practical. DJs and retro performers now have a way to remix C64 tracks in a live setting with zero emulation, using the original chips and authentic hardware.

What’s New in Version 2.0?

TeensyROM Desktop UI v2.0 brings a long list of improvements over the previous version. Not only does it include a refreshed user interface, but it also introduces expanded support for controlling TeensyROM’s SID functions remotely. Hexx has developed an interface that maps neatly to MIDI hardware, enabling familiar workflows for DJs and musicians.

Alongside the new DJing features, users will find:

Extended control mapping for external devices
Visual feedback and waveform-like SID data views
Customizable performance panels
Detailed setup documentation and demo videos

It’s not just a utility anymore—it’s a performance tool.

Bringing the C64 Into the Club

This release marks a major shift in how the Commodore 64 can be used in creative spaces. While SID composers have long pushed the chip’s limits in demos and trackers, this new tool brings those sounds to dancefloors and DIY venues.

The idea isn’t just to preserve C64 culture—it’s to evolve it. Hexx’s DJ-centric additions to the TeensyROM Desktop UI give artists and hobbyists a fresh way to keep vintage hardware relevant and fun in 2025.

Ready to Remix the 8-Bit Way?

The v2.0 release is available now on GitHub, along with full release notes, screenshots, and setup instructions for those ready to spin some SID. The future of C64 live performance is here—and it sounds incredible.

Check it out:
TeensyROM Desktop UI v2.0 on GitHub

New Features

Player UI Updates

Toggling the gear icon on the player will reveal some new advanced control features
SID Fast-forward
SID Seek / Scrub (move forward or backward through a track!)
SID Fine-grained Speed Control from -68% to +10,000%
SID Voice Muting
Save SID speed preferences
Send playing SID (or any program) from one device to another – handy to set up a beat juggle.
SID Loop Mode
- Most SIDs loop. Very handy in a mix.

Playlist Support

Create and manage your own playlists
Playlists create a dir on the TR.
- Usable when working directly on your C64 hardware.
Custom sortable with drag and drop (for dj mix sets)
Custom ordering saved to playlist.json on TR

Multi-TR Device Support

This unique feature aimed to support DJing with multiple TR/C64s
Open a UI instance per TR device you want to use.
Unique TR Hardware is tagged and “remembered” for things like MIDI settings.

Device Synchronization

Sync multiple file operations across devices for easy mix set planning.

Favorite Tagging
Playlist creation/changes.
Directory sort order
SID Speed customizations
File deletion
Launch the current playing SID on another device (great for prepping a beat juggle)
Offline Syncing enables a device to “catch up” with previous sync operations.