Is The ARMSID As Good As A Real SID? And, It's Competition Time!

[@The8BitGuy]

I have no earthly idea which is which. I mean, I can tell the difference between A and B. One of them sounds like it has a filter on it compared to the other. But as to which one is the authentic version? No idea.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed on the 13th :) Thanks for watching David - been a fan for many years. Hope things are getting back to normal for you back home!

[@suncho6502]

Now I know why KZbin recommended me this video, it's because the8bitguy commented :)

[@mattb5930]

one seems slightly softer and has punchier bass...no idea which is which either.

[@davealancaruana6727]

Looking forward to more 8-bit guy videos .. how is the disaster-recovery progressing ?

[@Christdeliverme]

Man, celebrity appearance from The 8-bit guy! Looks like all of us win!

[@XalphYT]

It is very cool that a SID replacement exists of this quality. I’m definitely going to check it out. As you say, they’re not making them anymore. MOS has been gone for a long time now.

[@TheRetroShack]

I love that there are such CLEVER people out there :) !!!

[@MiccaPhone]

The ArmSid is not made any more??

[@lwvmobile]

Its not a true test of the ARMSID because you didn't have an 8-bit Dance Party.

[@TheRetroShack]

You don't know what I did off camera! I was head-to-toe dripping in neon and raving like a lunatic! :)

[@Mr_ToR]

When Adrian hears a proper SID track... if not Donkey Kong :-)

[@rothn2]

@@TheRetroShack Play Donkey Kong for us!

[@rothn2]

​@@TheRetroShack Play Donkey Kong for us!

[@SCP-POOL]

I love how there is a thriving community for these classic, yet extremely important part of computing history...

[@TheRetroShack]

Always amazes me what people manage to create - I feel lucky to be able to test them out!

[@rick420buzz]

How it sounds to me: SID A = Dolby OFF, SID B = Dolby ON

[@BarnokRetro]

Wow! That sums t up really well!

[@JamesPotts]

That's a great way of describing it.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@pqrstzxerty1296]

yep

[@ovalteen4404]

When your sound chip has more computing power than the rest of the computer...

[@TheRetroShack]

I know! It's hilarious right! I was thinking the same thing when I put the Raspberry PI 'CO-PROCESSOR' in the BBC Micro :) :)

[@AmaroqStarwind]

Kinda like the SNES, actually.

[@jammi__]

Not unusual at all in C64 peripherals. Even its original disk drive had more computing power than the computer.

[@TheRetroShack]

COMPETITION AND COMMENTS NOW CLOSED - Thanks for entering! Look out for the winner reveal over the weekend!

[@MatthewBalaam]

The sid audio in this video sounds wrong to me, like there is some kind of delay processing happening on it?

[@HuntersMoon78]

SID A Edit: it's close, but SID A just sounds a bit crisper to me.

[@1337Shockwav3]

Firmware my ARM2SID was initially flashed with was too crisp in a certain scenario so I could easily tell it apart from a large number of MOS SIDs ... that has been patched since almost a year tho.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@TimRex.]

I’m going with SID B as the original. SID A sounds a little “too” clean, perhaps with a higher S/N ratio which I think would imply it’s the ArmSID.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@JesusisJesus]

A is the original, because he said so and also he wouldn’t pull it, record, then swap it, record, then swap it again to give away the 8580. Confused? The 8580 has a crisp sound and the ARMSID sounds more like the 6581 with whatever filter is built into it.

[@ibd1977]

Commando, SID A straight away brings me to the game so Original SID B sounds muffled not the way I remember the tune so ARMSID

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@mrbwa1]

Based on your comment about the A/D converters, I'm guess SID A is the replacement as it sounds a bit clearer. They are pretty close though.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@FromZeroToZed]

I want to say SID B is the real sid and A is the armsid just from the frequency responses.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@c64cosmin]

SID A I'd say is the ARMSID, but the difference is so small it is barely audible by someone that is not an expert. This is great to know, having a replacement that is so easy to manage is great. Glad got this recommended

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@8bitsinthebasement]

Great job on the presentation of the ARMSID along with a little spattering of SID history. Great to know that if ever my SID goes west there's a good replacement that can handle the analogue side of things too ;)

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks very much - and yes, couple of days 'SID-less' and haven't really noticed any noticeable difference :)

[@EelkodeVos]

SID A hits my sweet spot. I've heard these songs so many times and that sound, crashy, a bit sharp and harsh even at times, really takes me back. SID B sounds muffled, generated. It comes close, but it lacks the sharp edges. Like it's been filtered. So my vote goes to SID A definitely. And if that is the ARMSID, I'm buying one on the 13th!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@brundelmouche8948]

totally agree

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

I'd suggest you test this with the Turbo Outrun intro, as it has lots of digitised samples. It could help setting the digifix properly.

[@TheRetroShack]

Will do - thanks for the tip!

[@damonsach3347]

I second Buford's suggestion. The Turbo Outrun intro on my Australian C64C 8580 always sounded muffled. Jeroen's voice sample was much clearer through a 6581.

[@AntonioPetrelli]

@@damonsach3347 yep, turbo outrun digitised sound has lower volume.

[@AgeofReason]

Antiriad song or *Aztec Challenge for that rolling bass line!*

[@bitrot42]

Hit it -- O-O-Outrun! Probably my favorite SID tune....

[@broomeydj]

I don't know which chip is real or fake, but the sound is much fuller on A. Let me know what chip A was at the end and I will be getting that for my Ultimate64!

[@TheRetroShack]

Will do - there'll be a full announcement on the 13th on the Community Tab along with behind the scenes evidence :)

[@rootlabs]

The FPGA SID in the Ultimate64 is more accurate than the ARM SID so I wouldn’t bother. Perhaps the channel author can do a comparison

[@TheRetroShack]

@@rootlabs I have plans to review the Ultimate64 but the reality is that not everyone can afford one, and most people may just simply want to replace their dying/dead SID, so better or not it just may be out of the reach of some folk. I am looking forward to reviewing the U64 though, not going to lie :) :)

[@coffeecuparcade]

I'm with you. The ARMSID runs at a lower voltage, has modern updates, and sounds amazing and can be either chip! I ordered one to compare with our SwinSID (came with our C64C) and 8580 we have coming.

[@suadcokljat1045]

As a sound engineer I clearly hear the difference. A is more clear and defined, B is little muffed and less presence. However, I can't say which one is real. I gonna guess - B is real, A is ARM. Cheers

[@TheRetroShack]

Sorry, you were incorrect this time round - think of it as coming in second :)

[@suadcokljat1045]

@@TheRetroShack Wow! So emulation sounds worse than original.

[@osgrov]

This is cool. They must've improved the firmware quite a lot because when I heard it originally it was quite good but (to my ears) not that near a real chip. Really I'm stoked to hear that we may finally have a good enough modern replacement, for that most important of chips.. That's amazing news! My guess, although both sound slightly off (intentionally? I'm assuming those are 6581 tunes), is that SID A is the real one, and B is the ARMSID. The bass on chip B feels too deep and it's slightly muddy overall. Don't need a chip though so if I win feel free to give it to someone who needs it. :) Fun video, keep it up mate! This channel is going to grow and grow.. :)

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks very much!

[@wimwiddershins]

Given a choice of a C64 with no sound output (due to dead SID) or any modern replacement, I'll take the latter. It's great to have options now that the real chips are scarce. I can't wait to see a modern VIC-II drop-in (hopefully with enhancements). No idea which is real, A or B even though I have the same revision SID in my C64.

[@TheRetroShack]

Your wishes may well be answered soon - keep an eye on this guy: kzbin.info/door/x2-Yj0WsM-T88y09ywPjMw

[@wimwiddershins]

Yes. I have been watching... Brilliant!

[@chrisbranson1490]

SID A is the ARMSID - crisper/cleaner sound. I have one and also will be keeping it installed, love how it sounds.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@richardm6332]

I think that the ARMSID is the best replacement for the SID available and at some point I need to get one for my 83 Breadbin in which still works apart from not having any sound. Pity the competition prize isn't the original SID. I think SID B is the original.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@whirlwind77]

Sid B is my guess , I'm not totally sure but I've a hunch and it hits the right tones for me , great channel thanks for the videos !

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck! - And you're very welcome :)

[@bsvenss2]

SID A sounds right to me. SID B has more bass, mumbled sound and something feels wrong with it. I don't need an original SID though. Give it to someone else.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks - very noble of you! We've got a nice group of peeps on this channel :)

[@izools]

I can't say which one I think is genuine, but I can say which one I prefer the sound of. B. Definitely B. A sounded hollow and shrill wheras B had far better bass extension and overall warmer tonality.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@ukwebb]

SID A is the ARMSID , a lot sharper sounds, a bit too sharp

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Great Video! I just learned of your channel today. I just made a video changing out my broken C64C Sid chip with the Armsid today. I was very impressed with the Armsid. I would of guessed that A was Armsid. I was wrong but it was so close. Look forward to your future videos!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks very much! And hope you enjoy your ArmSID :)

[@proxxima038]

Everyone would be stunned when the outcome would be: A = SwinSID B = ARMSID

[@TheRetroShack]

Haha - Nope - absolutely, definitely one of them is an original 8580R5 :)

[@josuearesav]

It seems to me that there's a huge difference in their filters. I can hear a resonance change every time the chip flips. Especially notable on the snare.

[@TheRetroShack]

You've got better hearing than me :) Personally can't tell the difference :) :)

[@Rick_Todd]

The 2 Sid tunes you chose was made for / on the 6581. I heard the Exploding Fist SFX don't sound so good on a 8580.

[@TheRetroShack]

That's why I chose them :) They're both 'off' so does it matter how 'off' they are ;)

[@Rick_Todd]

@@TheRetroShack Can you not set the Armsid to be a 6581 in a C64-C ? like the FPGASID.

[@TheRetroShack]

@@Rick_Todd Yep - you can emulate any SID in any machine :)

[@Rick_Todd]

@@TheRetroShack Cool , Thank You

[@ianmcass]

I don't know which is which, but A sounds better. It's brighter, crisper whilst still maintaining the depth.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@DaPutz]

You did sth wrong when recording, there's a "reverb" on both a and b on the Commando tune. For Crazy Comets, I'd say b is the real SID as I think I heard timing bugs.

[@TheRetroShack]

Sorry, you were incorrect this time round - think of it as coming in second :)

[@DaPutz]

@@TheRetroShack I'd even say the emulation isn't too bad if they thought of the SID-bug. If you ever do a SID-comparison again, please also use a tune not from the Stone age of SID-compositions. I suggest Jeroen Tel's masterpieces which do a lot with filtering.

[@krnlg]

I don't have a C64 so have no idea which is the real and which is the replacement, but I just want to say how awesome it is that people are still making replacement parts and upgrades for these much loved computers :)

[@TheRetroShack]

Couldn't agree more :)

[@bogeytron]

SID B, SID A sounds exactly like my early 80's Breadbin, and C64C's with the 8580 have always sounded muddier, so SID B is the original, SID A sounds awesome though!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@Vince2018]

Wow, I can tell there is a difference between the two but they both sound good, thats an amazing piece of emulation. Chip A sounds clearer than B, which sounds slightly muffled. If I had to guess I would say A is the ArmSID as its new and improved but I really would be guessing.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@snoeg]

SID B. Sounds a bit more muffled - like the 80's portable telly my C64 was connected to :)

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@JoedeLange]

Bit late to the party but I'm a huge SID geek, so here's my 2c: I have been playing with the ARMSID for a couple of months now and I agree that it sounds so close to the 8580 that I'd fail the blindfold test 9 times out of 10. On the other hand, when it comes to the more unpredictable 6510, I think I can mostly tell the difference on those tracks that utilize funky filter distortions and other quirks.

[@TheRetroShack]

You’re a better man than me Joe :) I can’t tell the difference 99.9% of the time, but that’s probably down to my hearing more than anything else :)

[@svensubunitnillson1568]

How does it stack up to the FPGASID, we surely need a battle

[@TheRetroShack]

I'll see if I can arrange something :)

[@MarcoMazziniYT]

SID B is the original one to me, the slight muffle is how I remember it. The new one sounds almost identical though, I am genuinely impressed. Oh, and you gained a new sub!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck! - And thanks for the sub!

[@notoriusmaximus783]

"B" is the original, I would say. However, I haven't been listening to the original sound of SID as I was used to from my old CRT TV (mixed with some video amplifier leakage artifacts) since 1992. But I would prefer some different music style for the second example - like Wizball instead of Crazy Comets.

[@TheRetroShack]

Sorry, you were incorrect this time round - think of it as coming in second :)

[@homestar92]

I have an ARMsid because I had a machine with a bad SID and I didn't want to buy another one that could just go bad. I particularly like the ARMsid because if you prefer one variant over the other, you can change which variant you emulate through the settings app. I have a breadbin with a real 6581 and a longboard 64C which is where the ARMsid is. I really wanted my 64c to have the 8580 sound, but on a longboard I obviously can't do that with a real one, so the ARMsid is great because it allows me to have the sound I want with the motherboard that I have.

[@TheRetroShack]

Yep - that's a good solid argument for flexibility over being a stalwart over which version is best. If you can enjoy both sounds, great - if not, just enjoy the one you have :). It's all amazing really!

[@blower1]

SID B is the original SID, with all its delightful flaws and less clean sound.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@RayTheVideoGuy]

A sounds brighter, and B a bit muted in lower frequencies... but couldn't tell you which is which.

[@TheRetroShack]

A was the real Sid :)

[@SimonZerafa]

SID A (guess but there is a subtle difference). Without listening to Donkey Kong and having an 8-bit dance party Adrian Black style it's difficult to be certain 😏🤷‍♂️

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@tomypower4898]

earthly idea which is which. I mean, I can tell the difference between A and B. One of them sounds like it has a filter on it compared to the other. But as to which one is the authentic version? Yes idea!

[@TheRetroShack]

Hope you watched the reveal video to find out :)

[@BillBates1]

SID B is the authentic one. the two clearly sound different, however - they are staggeringly close! I guess I wont bother hunting down a SID for my one C64 with a dead SID! ARMSID, here I come!

[@TheRetroShack]

Sorry, you were incorrect this time round - think of it as coming in second :)

[@thomassmith4999]

The answer to which is better is easy if you install the ARM2SID version.. in that case it's a huge upgrade from the original SID.

[@TheRetroShack]

Think I might just get one of those to try :)

[@thomassmith4999]

@@TheRetroShack Yeah if you wire it up for 3 SIDs and the configurable 1 SID + Yamaha FM. It's pretty fancy.

[@simonm7848]

SID B : Ive never heard a real SID so I've no idea - I've got 3 c64s and non of the SIDs work 🙂 but I'll be buying an armsid now I reckon!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@Pedro8k]

Very good replacement and needed as they are very rare now

[@TheRetroShack]

I've had absolutely no issues whatsoever since installing this :)

[@WILFRED1184]

SID A. SID B sounds like it has more Bass tones.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@sidder74]

I'd say that B is the original SID chip. There are pretty obvious differences when hearing both like this but both sound very good and had I only heard the Armsid and not have been told beforehand I doubt I would question whether it was a chip from MOS or not. :)

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@nicholasmason8302]

SID B - SID A is too clean and not gritty enough!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@PaulRoneClarke]

Sid B B is a slightly muddier sound. Sounds deeper, but at the expense of a little bit of clarity. A is sharper, less bass but notably clearer.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@retrowaynie7193]

SID A defo sounds brighter.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@dantootill7644]

SID A is the original SID. You can tell SID B is the ARMSID because the 'snare' drum on Crazy Comets sounds different, i.e. the filter is cutting the high frequencies. I've noticed it on a few tunes since the v2.11 firmware update, it used to sound spot on. I'm not complaining though as this update fixed a major issue with playing back 8-bit samples. ARMSID is superb otherwise.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@AftercastGames]

SID B is the real SID. The other one sounds “too” good, if you get my meaning. If I win, I’ll build a brand new C64 around it.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@drwho8052]

There is a SID A (the ARMSID) error in the background at (9:02) in the lower voice on the short (music) bit. I can not explain it clearly but it is exactly at 9:02. Software update needed?:)

[@TheRetroShack]

The ARMSID is up to date with the latest firmware - whether it was SID A or SID B :) :) Thanks for watching :)

[@Voyager_2]

Sid A is the arm sid B the real one. (I like A more)

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@danaeckel5523]

This is cool that this is in the Commodore scene. The Atari has a PokeyMax chip that can emulate 4 Pokey's and COVOX with the newest revision is going to add a SID. I hope someday we could see a stereo sid version of this, and maybe add something such as DigiMax. Pretty cool stuff going on with retro computers, and at prices that don't break the bank.

[@TheRetroShack]

Couldn't agree more!

[@1SMHARRIS]

The ARM2SID states it does stereo SID or 9 channels mono or single SID + OPL FM.

[@TheDimentoGraven]

Nah, to me B sounds a lot... muddier than A. A is 'crisp'.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@hogshouse]

Not sure which one is the ARMSID but 'A' definitely sounds crisper/brighter/better...

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@hogshouse]

@@TheRetroShack Am looking forward to it.. Notifications are firmly 'on'. :-)

[@gibgezr]

SID B. A sounds nicer, but I think B is the original analog sound. Wonderful that there are replacements for the SID that are so nice sounding, with a lot of care put into them.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@indiocolifa]

SID was not analog.

[@michaelkaercher]

For those of you in the UK. Dont forget that you need to import the Chip from the EU - now after Brexit. Best would be to try a local online store to import them in larger quantities and offer them in the UK domestically. That will still be more expensive but you save a lot of those excessive shipping costs caused by the new customs procedures.

[@TheRetroShack]

Worth shopping around for sure!

[@AmaroqStarwind]

...I think SID B is the authentic one, because it has a little bit of excess filtering, and somebody developing a chip for retro audiophiles would make the default filtering as nonexistent as possible. So... Which other chips can you upgrade? I'd love to see something like a swap from DRAM to SRAM and some performance comparisons... Particularly with C64 demos.

[@TheRetroShack]

Sorry, you were incorrect this time round - think of it as coming in second :) Also, you can replace the PLA chip and some clever so-and-so is working on a replacement VIC-II :)

[@AmaroqStarwind]

@@TheRetroShack What's the PLA chip again?

[@MariaEngstrom]

I think it's SID B, but only guessing because it seems the filters are more crude on B. Otherwise, both, despite the echo, sounds like perfectly fine SID chips to me.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@Polydeukes68]

To me they both sound equally great. 😳 That is amazing. So, I ordered the Armsid right away! Thanks! It will be replacing my xSID, which did replace the Swinsid Nano earlier. 😎

[@TheRetroShack]

Glad you enjoyed the video, and hope you enjoy the new Armsid :)

[@victorborges6552]

I'm guessing that A is the Armsid, and B is the original. Great video

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@pedech]

Sid B is the original one in both Commando and Crazy Comets. It would be more evident if the compaired Sids were 6581’s - which have more ‘analog warmth’ ( a combination of filters and envelopes). I use a C64 with FPGASid to compose some tracks and I am happy with the results. For gaming, ARM2SID or other replacement chips are all good - unless you are a purist.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@frankschmied3637]

SID B - A sounds brighter, crisper, and has less floor . A has more headroom, which may stem from the superior ADC inside the ARM with it's 12bit resolution. In the 80ties, the technology wasn't that advanced. So I go for B as the original, but ARMSID does a good job. Would be nice to hear something, that really lets the filters crunch.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@meetoo594]

A seems brighter and cleaner plus slightly louder. B sounds more filtered. No idea which ones which, the armsid does its job really well.

[@robcfg]

I'll go for SID B as the original SID, the other sounds too clear, but I have to say that both sound fantastic!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@Sultaneous]

SID A is the real SID. But they both sound great. Its almost as if they are both the ArmSID which I would have made my guess except the rules say one is real. Thanks for introducing the ArmSID, what an amazingly well done product. I bought a C64 on ebay that came with the SID pulled; and ArmSID might be the fix for this!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@RobinElvin]

SID B. It sounds a bit more analogue to me and the bass is a bit more 'muddy'. I'd think the ARM emulation would sound the brightest of the two. In any case now I know what to buy for my broken C64 as they are very close. Thanks for the video!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@zarkeh3013]

If there are differences in SID chips, shouldn't there be different firmwares to emulate those specific revisions?

[@TheRetroShack]

There are settings in the ARMSID to emulate the different SID chips :)

[@zarkeh3013]

@@TheRetroShack ohwel...thereIgothen!

[@androskris]

I would say SID A but only as a wild ass guess. Interesting video and I await the results. I've actually owned an ARMSID for about 3-4 months but haven't used it in a month or two since I've been away for work.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@horusfalcon]

Heck if I know the difference. Chip A, maybe? (Too many years playing bass guitar next to a kick drum for my ears to be worth jack-spit.) Glad to see a viable SID replacement out there.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@aki_128]

I've made a detailed comparison article some time ago where I compare selected songs that I consider critical. Recorded directly from the 6581, 8580 and ARMSID in both modes. I can't put the link here, so please pm me. However, it's been compared with ARMSID firmware version 2.8, which seems to be outdated now.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for watching! I've been looking at a load of comparison videos recently and there are definitely 'levels of accuracy' shall we say? :) :)

[@thesynaesthesiac1839]

Going for SID A as the original. B seems to hit some lower frequencies and sounds very very slightly more "manufactured" - if that's a very valid way of saying it!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@robertkilbourne323]

B almost sounds like it's running through Dolby noise reduction. Less high frequency, a little lower volume, a bit of a 'muddy' sound. That SID could have a different filter cutoff setting.

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@DJKav]

Can you do an exposé on the BBC Master. We had about 30 of those 128k machines in my high school in the 1980s. I think 12 of them were on the Econet.

[@TheRetroShack]

I'm on the lookout for one at the moment :) I do intend to cover all of the Acorn machines in due course :) (Well, as many as I can get hold of... )

[@michaelblair5566]

This is a fine SID replacement! Amazing!

[@TheRetroShack]

Yep - no complaints from me about it yet :)

[@morphshag]

I don’t pretend to know which is the original but I preferred the sound from A in every instance so my guess would be A is genuine?

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@crmccluskey]

Wow your SID sounds really good. ;) Both have a pretty good bass response, but there is a difference in noise generation, but I'm gonna go with SID B as the original.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@lionelguichard6714]

From my point of view, i will vote for the sid B. The sound seems to me deeper despite of the output filter.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@TrevinAdams]

I'm going to go with SID A. The good news is that we all have a 50% chance of being right, haha! Great video once again!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@patrickdeunhouwer5926]

replacing is easy when your original SID is not soldered to the board (that is also doable but not for everyone).. but it is a great replacement indeed ...

[@TheRetroShack]

Couldn't agree more :)

[@kke]

8:17 the commando credits list Computers UK LTD for "japan capsule", what's that? :D

[@TheRetroShack]

That's a good spot! ...Sleuth mode ACTIVATED :)

[@damonsach3347]

@@TheRetroShack Hi both, Japan Capsule Computers, otherwise known as CAPCOM I believe :)

[@lennertbruin5513]

I think SiD B. It sounds muffled, which is how I remember it. However, that could also be my stereo setup at the time. In any case, thanx for the reminder of the good old days. 😀

[@TheRetroShack]

Sorry, you were incorrect this time round - think of it as coming in second :)

[@Walkera22e]

Cool :) I can hear a difference, but when it comes to which is which it's more of a guess from me but right off the bat I'd say that SID A is the ArmSID

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@MrDintheD]

I think SID A is the original, but I'd be happily surprised if it wasn't!

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@jeremybiggs8413]

A is brighter than B and more clearly defined, but it sounds more like an emulation on higher quality D/A conversion than the 12 bit original. I think B is the 8580 and A is the armsid.

[@TheRetroShack]

Sorry, you were incorrect this time round - think of it as coming in second :)

[@georgemaragos2378]

Hi - cool video The "commando" test is great - but i also prefer to hear the game ending theme just because i like it B- sounds more hollow, but i cant tell which is genuine and which is aftermarket repalcement, which means the replacement is over 95% the same as the original SID which is good :) Regards George

[@TheRetroShack]

All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! :)

[@akira808state4]

SID A. I have an ARMSID installed in my breadbin Commodore 64. It sounds more cleaner than SID B. SID A is the ARMSID and SID B is an 8580 SID. I can hear differences. On SID B, it sounds a little muffled, due to how the filters were implemented. On SID A, it’s more clearer and better defined which is why I chose SID A.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@pseydtonne]

My guess is that the real SID chip is B. The extra high end that you can hear in the cymbals is above 4 kHz, which was the SID's upper limit.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@TheBurk1989]

I have an ARMSid as well and I'm very happy with it except for one tiny thing, and that's the noise waveform doesn't sound right. It sounds like it's a pitch or two too low which can clearly be heard on the "snares" in these music tracks. I hope there will be an update soon that fixes that, because that's my only gripe with it. I compared my ARMSid to a 6581 R4AR which I have in my C64. So based on my personal experience with the ARMSid, my guess is SID A is the original 8580 sid in this quiz. But since I don't have a C64C I would have no use of a 8580 if the stars and planets would align correctly and I should somehow win so it would be better to give it a home where it will be used and loved.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@phaikyouser9499]

The best test for Sid chips is the game BMX Kids, only some of the Sid chips can do the sound synthesis on the title screen.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for that - I'll check it out on the ARMSID :) :)

[@antoniosavona172]

It would be nice to hear the difference on modern, 8bit Digi. For instance Fix it Felix Jr.

[@TheRetroShack]

Wow - just watched the long play of the C64 Fix-It Felix Jr. - didn't even know this version existed!! It's even better than the Megadrive/Genesis version :). Thanks for that!

[@antoniosavona172]

@@TheRetroShack thanks! And sorry for the shameless plug ;-). It would be nice to check the intro speech, the "I'm gonna wreck it" on the loading bitmap. I once had an armsid and it didn't sound good at all, (but still better than swinsid or ultisid). But probably things have improved in the meantime brokenbytes.itch.io/fix-it-felix-jr

[@danielmantione]

A: ARMSID B: MOS 8580R5 A sounds a bit sharp,, in a way that I'm not used to, so this is why I think it must be the ARMSID.

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!

[@gamecat666]

SID B - I'd be interested to know how they were recorded as both sound like they have been recorded in a bathroom, a little bit too much reverb/echo . Did you apply any post FX? I noticed it in the early 'demo' but thought it was a clever part of the sid tune. Anyway, I thought sid B was more accurate to my memory of the tunes. (even though my memory is of 6581 and not 8580)

[@TheRetroShack]

Lol - nope, not in a bathroom :) All audio (and video) was taken straight from the C64>RGB OUT>SCART>HDMI>OBS Studio, no filtering or FX added at all :)

[@TheRetroShack]

Thanks for voting - All will be revealed weekend of the 13th March! Good Luck!