AYe AYe...

[siggi]

@siggi not sure about the value of a basic program that lowers ramtop and relocates code automatically, you still nedd to get the PT3 files in the memory somehow.

Indeed, that's true. And this is the reason, why somebody asked in this thread for a program to convert .PT3 to .P files to load them by tape ....

Siggi

[Andy Rea]

@SirMorris....

I'm thinking why re0invent the wheel, would i be wrong in thinking that tape scrape loaded the inccoming file from tape into memory at 32K upwards ? and if so could it be adapted to allow loding PT3 files from tape ?

if we renamed the PT3 file to a .P and played it with a p to Wav converter or whatever we'd just have the raw bytes in ZX81 tape format, only problem i then see is detecting how long the file is on the zeddy... suppose we could just add a time-out or something so once the signal stops it hinks that the end ?

Hmmm the possibilities.

Andy

[Moggy]

Thought I would have mess around today and make a simple stereo output for My Zonx.
got as far just l/r channels (before even considering mixing the third)just to hear the stereo effect which sounds so good in the emulator, only to find that the player seems to be sending the same note/channel information to all three output pins of the chip.
I have tried all combinations a-b a-c etc etc yet the effect is the same, no two pins interconnected both separate to their own res/cap yet no matter how many files I tried all were in mono.
Even tried one single output connected at a time and it still summed all the sound output for three channels rather than just say a the b then c.
Can anyone with a working ay board (Charlie Andy) confirm this, or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance.
Moggy

[Andy Rea]

i get stereo here, but then i made this board myself....

could it be that the zon-x circuitry is getting in the way ? is the AY chip soldered in or socketed ? if it's socketed you could gently bend the output pins away from the socket and try again.

Andy

[Moggy]

Thanks for that Andy
As luck would have it; it is socketed and I went for pin bending straight away so I agree with You the "front end" is getting in the way.
The fact that it works for You means that the player is sound.
I have returned My ancient bleep and hiss box back to it's rightful state and will wait for Lord Morris to build His boards.

Thanks again for prompt reply Andy I know You are a very busy man at the moment

Regards
Moggy

[sirmorris]

would i be wrong in thinking that tape scrape loaded the inccoming file from tape into memory at 32K upwards ? and if so could it be adapted to allow loding PT3 files from tape ?

That's right. I don't think converting the files to P is necessary, just convert the code to load the data raw. There'd need to be some kind of length indicator though. Is the length of the data stored in the file anywhere?

[siggi]

Thought I would have mess around today and make a simple stereo output for My Zonx.
got as far just l/r channels (before even considering mixing the third)just to hear the stereo effect which sounds so good in the emulator

Hi Moggy
is there any "standard" given by the sound files, which channel (A,B,C) is used for stereo left/right? Does that mixer (upper right corner) fulfill this "standard":
http://hw.speccy.cz/pics/ay-interface.png

Siggi

[siggi]

@SirMorris....

I'm thinking why re0invent the wheel, would i be wrong in thinking that tape scrape loaded the inccoming file from tape into memory at 32K upwards ? and if so could it be adapted to allow loding PT3 files from tape ?

if we renamed the PT3 file to a .P and played it with a p to Wav converter or whatever we'd just have the raw bytes in ZX81 tape format, only problem i then see is detecting how long the file is on the zeddy... suppose we could just add a time-out or something so once the signal stops it hinks that the end ?

Hmmm the possibilities.

Andy

Maybe the easiest way would be: write a PC program, which inserts the sound file as additional REM line into the "REM 0 LINE"-player's .P file and also do the POKEs to tell the player the location of the sound in the sound-REM-line ...
Then the sound+player is within on .P file, ready for standard LOAD from tape.

Siggi

[Andy Rea]

Well this is novel... a 16K ZX81 loading from tape (well windows media player...)

OK guys if you don't have ZXpand or other mean of loading blocks of binary data into your Zeddy fear not PT3TAPE version is here

I used WinTZX to make wave files, for the PT3 modules first change the extenstion from .PT3 to .P then WinTZX will know it's supposed to be a Zeddy file.

fire up WinTZX and select advanced mode (picture of einstein) click the briefcase to open your module, you can now click the left most button (.wav) it will ask if you want to change the filename. keep names reasonable short <32 char (they end up in the printer buffer on loading). you now have a .wav ready for loading into the Zeddy.

if you have only 16K then lower ramtop before loading, i suggest down too 22000, POKE 16388,240 n/l POKE 16389,85 n/l NEW n/l

then load up PT3TAPE.wav

when it's loaded you'll be asked for an address to load the PT3 module, any address (with sufficient free memory upwards is fine) but for this example if you have lowered ramtop as above just enter 22000, you'll then be asked to get your tape ready, this is your cue to get the module .wav file ready for playing. there a a few included in the zip.

when your ready with the module press a key and then start the tape, after loading you'll be told the filename and how many bytes where loaded, there is no check in the loader routine for a file lenght, it just keeps loading bytes (after the filename) until the tape signal ends.

you should now be able to enjoy the delights of you Zon-X

Regards Andy

Hmmm the forum won't allow me to attach the file, says quota has been reached.. oh hum you can download here then

PT3TAPE.wav - the program, load after lowering ramtop (if necessary)
GIFT.wav - PT3 module
POPCORN.wav - PT3 module
WRIGGLE.wav - PT3 module
5THCHAN.wav - PT3 module

[Moggy]

Thought I would have mess around today and make a simple stereo output for My Zonx.
got as far just l/r channels (before even considering mixing the third)just to hear the stereo effect which sounds so good in the emulator

Hi Moggy
is there any "standard" given by the sound files, which channel (A,B,C) is used for stereo left/right? Does that mixer (upper right corner) fulfill this "standard":
http://hw.speccy.cz/pics/ay-interface.png

Siggi

Hi Siggi

I used output found on this link from the German Forum ...

http://www.michael-george-hart.com/arti ... erator.pdf

I duplicated the output suggested to make right and left channel.

I used Ay_Emul v2.9 beta 1 on PC which allows emulation of combinations of outputs IE a-b-c a-c-b b-c-a ETC ETC and the stereo effect was always obvious with all pin combinations.

If I used say just the A pin out of the Zonx all three channels sound was present likewise B or C pin on their own no separation.

As the Zonx was designed as a mono device I can only assume that it somehow "mixes" the INPUT from the zeddy and sends the same information to all three pins.

The only other person I know with a Zonx Is ZX81Jens so maybe He has experience with it?

Regards
Moggy

EDIT I also made a pt3 file that played to all three channels in turn IE A then B then C , using say pin A as output, only channel A should play , B and C ignored but lo and behold pin A played all three channels note information in succession leading Me to believe the Zonx somehow takes the input and makes it mono before output but I am not clever enough to understand what is going on