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Forums > CSDb Entries > Event id #3157 : Unofficial Tiny SID Compo 2022

2022-02-05 00:20

Karmic

Registered: Apr 2015
Posts: 66

Event id #3157 : Unofficial Tiny SID Compo 2022

Welcome to the Unofficial Tiny SID Compo 2022.

Rationale
Now, as you may be aware, recently in the scene there has been an uptick in people using so-called "tiny" SIDs, mostly thanks to Didi & Richard's series of Intro Creation Compos, where the intros are only allowed to use a certain block of RAM. The problem with this is that there is a severe lack of decent tiny SIDs out there- all it takes is a little bit of browsing through the comments of ICC2021 entries to see some discontentment over the same old GRG tunes being reused over and over again. Now unfortunately this compo comes a little too late to rectify that particular situation, but I believe that even outside of the ICC2021 context, coders will appreciate having a wider library of tiny SIDs to choose from for their killer RAM-eating effects.

This compo idea does have precedent- Stefano Tognon (Ice00) has previously hosted some Tiny SID Compos 15 or so years ago, which got a decent amount of entries. My rules are fairly different from his, though.

Rules
The goal of this compo is to produce a self-contained tune, where, with the exception of the zeropage and stack, the entire RAM area used by the tune is contained in one 512b/1kb/2kb (depending on the category) block.

The exact technical rules by which your tunes will be judged are as follows:
- All code, data, and non-zeropage variables that are required for your tune to play should fit in one continuous block of the size specified by the category. Your music code is not allowed to access any non-zeropage RAM outside of this range.
- Your music code should not rely on the initial state of any zeropage location.
- Stack area ($01xx) must only be accessed conventionally, as a stack. That is, only use JSR, RTS, PHA, PLA, PHP, and PLP. Most stack tricks hurt the self-contained-ness of your code.
- Your music code cannot access any I/O registers outside of $D400-$D41B.
- Your music code cannot access any of the ROMs (kernal, basic, chargen).
- Your music code cannot access $00-$01. A coder certainly won't like it if his SID interferes with the bank configuration.
- To give tunes some zeropage "breathing room", your music code cannot access $02-$07.
- Your music code cannot access $0200-$033B, $D000-$DFFF (the RAM under I/O), or $FFFA-$FFFF. Again, a coder won't like it if you mess with these.
- Your music code cannot change the I bit in the CPU status register. So, no SEI, no CLI, and any PLP should be accompanied by a corresponding PHP.
- If you find a use for the decimal mode, you must make sure you turn it off before your music code exits. You can safely assume decimal mode is off at the entry points of your music code.
- Your music routines should be accessible like a PSID file, with an init entry point that exits with an RTS, and a play entry point that executes once per frame, and exits with an RTS.

Be aware that none of the above rules apply to any code that presents your music. As per CSDb rules, you must provide an executable. A good way to think about it is: if we in HVSC had to rip your tune as a SID, which code and data would we have to include?

To make up for the extreme technical restrictions, I am giving you very little creative restrictions:
- Covers and tiny adaptations of other SID tunes ARE allowed.
- It IS allowed to use a player made by someone else, but your tune must be wholly new and not just a cheap edit of the original.
- One composer can enter a maximum of 2 tunes per category.
- Your tune must last for at least 10 seconds before it loops.
- Your tune's presentation must be fairly minimal. Some text, a logo, and an equalizer is okay, but you can't submit a whole demopart and call it a "music entry".

When adding your entries to CSDb, please use the "512b/1K/2K Game" compos. This looks odd but at the end of the day gives the best at-a-glance look at the categories.

The entry period lasts from right now until May 7th, 11:59 PM CSDb time (CET). Depending on the amount of entries, I will either use an external votesheet or you will vote right on CSDb. We'll see.

Tips
If you are a musician who is not a coder, you probably know someone who is and would be willing to help you. If you really don't, you can at least enter the 2k category with a tune in a slim player such as GoatTracker or NinjaTracker.

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2022-02-11 15:12

Steel

Registered: May 2006
Posts: 6

Quote: Quoting Steel
as a non coder. what would it require for packing options in GT?

If you don't use certain features like filtering or pwm, compiler will remove that code to save on size. Still, you're running in 1kb category at least, even with very short tune ;)

so i will have do a song without filter and pwm in GT? did i copy that right?

2022-02-11 15:14

chatGPZ

Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 11357

Not specifically. You might want to start with a tune that uses barely any features at all, and pack that and see how big it comes out. And then add certain features and try again. Etc

2022-02-12 01:16

Karmic

Registered: Apr 2015
Posts: 66

Quoting Karmic

That does work, until the user has extra SIDs installed... or maybe it's not a big deal. Before I actually allow it I'd like to hear from people who actually have this stuff installed on their real machine, if it makes life inconvenient for them that SIDs go writing willy-nilly into the mirrors.

Nobody said anything, and there are already two entries (by Hermit and Chabee) using the mirrors, so I'm allowing it.

2022-02-12 01:54

iAN CooG

Registered: May 2002
Posts: 3187

Quote: Quoting Karmic
That does work, until the user has extra SIDs installed... or maybe it's not a big deal. Before I actually allow it I'd like to hear from people who actually have this stuff installed on their real machine, if it makes life inconvenient for them that SIDs go writing willy-nilly into the mirrors.

Nobody said anything, and there are already two entries (by Hermit and Chabee) using the mirrors, so I'm allowing it.

To be precise they don't "use" the sid regs mirrors, the init at $1000 only clears $3f bytes from $d400, only because it reuses the loop index to clear the ZP vars and save some bytes. The actual play call at $1010 only uses regular $d400-$d418 writes.
Besides, the posted .sid files in their entries lack the init address set to $1000, they have $0000 and it's invalid. Just saying. /me looks at Hermit

2022-02-12 13:23

TheRyk

Registered: Mar 2009
Posts: 2219

@Steel: Also be aware, there is a 2k category, I don't see how it's impossible to use any filters in GT within a 2k tune.

2022-02-16 13:15

Conrad

Registered: Nov 2006
Posts: 847

When it comes to calling the init routine, are you allowed to set the accumulator (as well as X/Y) before doing the JSR? If not, then I would assume that the accumulator should be #$00, simply because a PSID has it set to that as well? (unless it's a set of subtunes)

e.g.

JSR $1000

and not:

LDA #$00
JSR $1000

2022-02-16 13:58

Karmic

Registered: Apr 2015
Posts: 66

Quoting Conrad

When it comes to calling the init routine, are you allowed to set the accumulator (as well as X/Y) before doing the JSR? If not, then I would assume that the accumulator should be #$00, simply because a PSID has it set to that as well? (unless it's a set of subtunes)

e.g.

JSR $1000

and not:

LDA #$00
JSR $1000

PSID environment, so your init routine can safely rely on A being $00 on entry, but nothing else.

2022-02-16 14:01

iAN CooG

Registered: May 2002
Posts: 3187

IMHO you don't have to assume anything if you want to use a tune on an actual C64 program, initialize everything you need.
Or is this compo for .sid files only? I don't think so.

2022-02-16 14:10

Karmic

Registered: Apr 2015
Posts: 66

Quoting iAN CooG

IMHO you don't have to assume anything if you want to use a tune on an actual C64 program, initialize everything you need.
Or is this compo for .sid files only? I don't think so.

OK, on second thought, I have to agree with this... please ignore the previous message, your init/play entry points should not rely on the registers' states.

2022-02-18 21:16

Jammer

Registered: Nov 2002
Posts: 1335

Any chance for 256b category as well? ;)

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