The 6581 Sound Interface Device (SID) is a single-chip, 3-voice electronic music synthesizer/soundeffects generator compatible with the 65XX and similar microprocessor families. SID provideswide-range, high-resolution control of pitch (frequency), tone color (harmonic content), and dynamics (volume). Specialized control circuitry minimizes software overhead, facilitating use in arcade/home videogames and low-cost musical instruments.

What is SID:
Creation of SID chip
Creator of the SID chip (Interview with Bob Yannes)
General information about SID chip

Technical information:
Sid Control registers
Pin configuration
Patent document

Music makers and editors:
"I do my music in pure machine code using an assembler. I tested those programs, but their possibilities are limited. "Electrosound" is the only one that I like." - Rob Hubbard in Happy Computer issue 7/86
Interviews with Rob Hubbard

"When i have an idea for a song, i enter every single note into the computer. This can take pretty long, if you consider a twelve minute song with three voices. To try musical ideas, i use a Seiko DS202/DS310 and a Yamaha CX5M synthesizer. O ur development system at Ocean is more than top secret, because it's the best! I will only tell, that i enter the music on a C128D and play it on another C128D." - Martin Galway in Happy Computer issue 11/86
Interviews with Martin Galway

How to work with trackers
SID editors:
Lot of C64 editors from ftp.funet.fi
MJK: C64 Music

SID music:
HVSC's Top 100 SIDs (HVSC=High Voltage SID Collection)
The Def Guide to C64 remakes

SID search engine:
SIDfind by C64.org

Our demo with Aleksi Eeben's great John Player Music editor for C64

What now?
SIDstation
Rikos records