Loading a program to my Minstrel 3

[8008guy]

Hi,

I cannot load a file to my Minstrel 3. I am playing them from my iPad. I verified that the audio cable is good by connecting a speaker to the end of the cable.

The original .p file and .wav file are here:

http://isdi.com/ZX81/

I used a copy of p2wav.c, I had to do some fixes to get it to compile under linux.

So here are my questions...

1. Can anyone try and load the converted .wav file into a real ZX81 or Minstrel 3? If so my p2wav works, otherwise I need another tool.

2. Should playing the file from an iPad work? It does so on an Apple 1 (clone)

I have also breadboarded up a TZXDuino. When I play a .p file I can hear the audio, though it does not load on the Minstrel either.

Is anyone else using a TZXDuino to play .p files?

Cheers,

len

[Lardo Boffin]

I have a TZXDuino which I can use to load .p files. I got a pre-made one from eBay which works great. Although I have not quite figured out how to load some games that come on multiple .p files, e.g. Rock Crush.

[TMAOne]

Hi 8008guy,

Regarding question 1:

I could NOT load it with the Eighty-One emulator. (Other .wav's I have do load successfully.) Two things jump out at me when I look at your .wav file with a sound editor.

A) I'm not familiar with p2wav, but this file looks as if it was recorded from analog equipment, i.e. not the "clean" waveform normally associated with mechanized construction. Any chance there was a mix up in file versions and origins?

B) It looks possibly cut off at the start and/or end, as if a mis-cue took place in capturing the sound as it was played by an analog source. Again, could it be the wrong file entirely?

Question 2:

In general, playing a .wav file from a modern computing device does work. As always, the correct volume setting can be tricky, but the principle is fine.

Ian

[8008guy]

Thanks for the replies.

Is there a known working .wav file that someone can point me to to test?

Last night I pulled out my data cassette recorder. I recorded a short basic program and tried to reload it back to the Minstrel without success. I tried several different volume levels.

Does anyone with a Minstrel have any hints?

len

[mrtinb]

It looks like this game has both at .P and a .WAV file for download:

https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/viewtop ... 140#p34700

[Moggy]

It's not often I disagree with Mark but as audio is my bag I would say this WAV is very mechanised ,lacking as it does the usual aural artefacts that analogue kit adds to the WAV file and lacking the beginning and end "silence" noises that also comes with said kit. I have used a command line version of P2WAV in the past and it does produce these trimmed wave forms.

P2WAV doesn't stream the P file to a recording device, it instantly creates it

One thing to add is the file is clipping badly, it goes off the scale all the way through so by nature is very distorted if memory serves the old "DOS"version of this converter used certain perimeters to define it's out put.

I use a program called WINTZX which converts spectrum TZX's to WAV and I'm fairly certain it converts ZX81 TZX files to WAV also but alas I cannot find it anywhere on the web unless someone else knows different.

[mrtinb]

I use this program to create.WAV files.

http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/zx81/tapeut ... rview.html

[8008guy]

It looks like this game has both at .P and a .WAV file for download:

https://www.sinclairzxworld.com/viewtop ... 140#p34700

Thanks Martin, will give that one a try right now.

len

[Moggy]

Here is a very short file I saved from Eighty One which loads both on emulator and real ZX81.
I kept it short so you don't waste time if it is a bad loader.

All it does is print a screen full of letter "P" , It takes a few seconds to list I have noticed so perhaps that could be a quirk of how Eighty One saves/loads ?

I tried WinTzx and whilst it produces files which are excellent for the spectrum they don't seem to want to play on the 81.

[XavSnap]

Two problems on your wav…
1/ the wav form is wrong:

2/ the wav was dump in a 22k sample, and saved in a 44k file…
The sound was compressed and the 'p' file sound as a FastLoad, not a standard wav !
You had to expend the file to a 44k regular wav to launch it to EO/Wav decoder.

queen.p

(941 Bytes) Downloaded 141 times

queen.wav

(296.98 KiB) Downloaded 135 times

Don't forget to add a header and a little footer.
>Wav center/expended on ZxSpectape.
>Wav expend on GoldWav (sample speed reduction)