C64 - Not playing games :(

[demolition]

Originally Posted by Neil79

Awesome, will that work via a tapdancer app tape? Don't have any ways of recording direct to a normal tape

It should work fine with the tape adapter, and I'd recommend using that for the calibration since the azimuth might have to be adjusted slightly different compared to using regular tapes. Recording the TAP to a tape would also require an already calibrated casette deck or it would just carry over any misadjustment.

[Neil79]

Cheers

[Neil79]

I'll try again but this is what happens, doesn't even get to that menu!

Press Play on Tape
Presses Play
Screen goes light blue
Tape goes around
and it's back to that ^

Starting to get really f'd off with it now, The Amstrad was so much easier

[Neil79]

Got success through Tapdancer, FINALLY!! 1) Clean tape connectors, they were BLACK - 2) Clean tape heads 3) Adjust azimuth screw until Rastan tape plays 4) Adjust Azimuth screw until all tapedancer taps play 5) Make sure all autopause on silence are on, with level between 10 and 12.







EDIT : Still very fussy though, sometimes working : sometimes not!

[demolition]

Originally Posted by Neil79

EDIT : Still very fussy though, sometimes working : sometimes not!

So did you try the tool as I recommended? You should be able to load it using tapdancer. Simply adjusting the screw until something loads will never yield a good result (unless you're very lucky).

[Neil79]

Originally Posted by demolition

So did you try the tool as I recommended? You should be able to load it using tapdancer. Simply adjusting the screw until something loads will never yield a good result (unless you're very lucky).

It never worked bud, loaded up the tool in tapdancer and it just kept on playing with a light blue screen. I think only the once it went back to the command screen with an error.

How do I adjust something that can't even load up heh

[demolition]

Originally Posted by Neil79

How do I adjust something that can't even load up heh

Seeing as you managed to load up some other stuff, it should be possible.

How did you convert the program to TAP before trying to load it?
Try loading the program from the attached TAP file.

[Neil79]

I use this
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ancer&hl=en_GB

[demolition]

Originally Posted by Neil79

I use this
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ancer&hl=en_GB

I don't see anything regarding whether it can handle .d64 files like there was in the link I gave, so I wanted to be sure the conversion to TAP was not the issue. The last tap file I attached runs fine in VICE here.

[Neil79]

Will give it a go tomorrow on c64-tap

[Neil79]

Originally Posted by demolition

I can recommend using this software:
http://csdb.dk/release/?id=49944
The idea is to adjust the azimuth until the two lines are as thin and distinct as possible.

No go, I got the app working with all three tapes but it doesn't matter how far I screw it in or out it ends up looking something like this..



Bad drawing I know, but there are no visible straight lines on any of my tape decks, they all look like a child splashing paint on the screen. I ended up screwing it out so far once it nearly fell out

[demolition]

Originally Posted by Neil79

Bad drawing I know, but there are no visible straight lines on any of my tape decks, they all look like a child splashing paint on the screen. I ended up screwing it out so far once it nearly fell out

Does it visibly change when you turn the screwdriver?
Maybe your casette adapter is simply not suitable for this kind of thing. If the location of the head in the adapter is wrong, you might never get a decent signal. Also, it is not put in the wrong way round? Not sure if it is possible as I've never tried any of those.

[Neil79]

Originally Posted by demolition

Does it visibly change when you turn the screwdriver?

Barely, but it was the same on the Rastan tape too

I should be getting BubbleDizzy on the C64 soon which is another proper tape, I'll try again then

[Retrofan]

I've just found some info in this thread about how to use a poke to listen the sound and adjust the azimut. I don't know if it will help you http://sleepingelephant.com/ipw-web/...opic.php?t=303

[Neil79]

Tried that last week, strange thing is it doesn't give me any sound at all when the tape is played. Really odd, did they get the poke command right?

Enter poke54296,15

[hansel75]

When i was younger i actually soldered a small lead to the heads of my c24 datasette, i then modded the c2n with an rca out plug built into the casing which was connected to the wires from the heads.

This made it easier if i ever needed to align the heads, all i had to do was plug a single rca cable into the c2n and run it out to the stereo's input we had next to it.

I could then hear the tape signal through the stereo making it really easy to adjust the heads for the strongest signal, it wasn't very loud through the stereo's speakers but it could be heard enough to be able to align a tape ok.

But i would have to unplug the lead when actually trying to load stuff though as it didn't like it when plugged in, with the lead unplugged the c2n worked fine even with the wires soldered to the heads.

Also Neil this might be off topic, but since you have a C64c with the 8580 sid chip in you might want to consider doing a small mod to it so any sampled sounds will play at normal volumes.

Try a game on you C64c like Impossible mission, or Turbo outrun and you will know what i am talking about, as the samples in those games can hardly be heard there so quite.

If interested check out the info in here-

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=66973

And the actual mod info is here-

http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~schepers/MJ...talvolume.html

It's to do with the refinements they made to the 8580 over the old 6581 sid, samples that play fine on the old 6581 play much quieter on the 8580.

It's really easy to do as i have done it to my own C64c with good results.

Edit- With the tape alignment, have u tried turning the screw a 1/4 turn each time, even maybe 1/8th turn each time, retesting in between each turn, that would normally end up working back in the day!
It would take a while but eventually we would have luck in finding the sweet spot!

[Neil79]

Cheers for your advice, will see what I can do

[gazj82]

I haven't read the whole thread, but this has never failed me when aligning datasettes

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Small-Cass...item5d4f014c80

[Neil79]

Interesting, how does that one work?

[Neil79]

Loadmaster: A head alignment program for the Datassette (Utility)

Ahhh