C64 - Not playing games :(

[Neil79]

Having just purchased a C64 the other day, I'm having trouble getting any games to load via the CD-Cassette-TapDancer adapter. I had no trouble with my Amstrad but that was direct to the mobile from the Amstrad whereas this is going through the tape deck.

When I load a game, the screen goes light blue then it goes straight back to the command screen with either

" Load Error "
" Out of Memory "

or the game name is garbled because it doesn't understand it. Anyone else had this problem?

[s2325]

You need to test various equalizer settings if you are using car tape adapter. Press and hold space to avoid pause.

[Neil79]

Don't have any on this mobile, just a volume control which I've tried at all different levels

[s2325]

Try with space key at first few seconds of loading (~15), I've edited my previous post.

[Neil79]

Just says

Searching
Found
Loading

or

Searching

Again nothing happens after that, I should be able to get two c64 games tomorrow for test, proper tapes

[s2325]

Try loading .wav files not .mp3 which have removed some bits which may be data.

[dlfrsilver]

Amstrad CPC games are so easy to load with the tape car adaptator. In the other way, doing the same on C64 is pure crap.

Because you need to know this :

1) the c64 hangs right after loading the first block. This means pausing the tape WAV file playing, then once it restart, release pause and let it continue loading
2) you need a perfect WAV containing the game (not easy and not as convenient to get as on CPC, which holds more complex tape protection systems.
3) the game needs to be splitting which each parts to loads seperated. Much more convenient with a tape car adaptator.

PS : MP3 are not "good" for the CPC, never mind the c64.....

[john1979]

TapDancer looks like it needs your datasette heads to be clean, properly aligned and demagnetised. Look into the alignment first. It may take some trial and error to find the correct alignment and volume level but it should work eventually.

edit:

1) the c64 hangs right after loading the first block. This means pausing the tape WAV file playing, then once it restart, release pause and let it continue loading
2) you need a perfect WAV containing the game (not easy and not as convenient to get as on CPC, which holds more complex tape protection systems.
3) the game needs to be splitting which each parts to loads seperated. Much more convenient with a tape car adaptator.

PS : MP3 are not "good" for the CPC, never mind the c64.....

I'm guessing Tapdancer is programmed to take care of all this? Or maybe not? I've never used it. http://tapdancer.info/?page_id=2

[Neil79]

Thanks guys, looks to be a royal pain in the ****

I think it's best I get these two free tapes tomorrow and test those, if those don't work it's what John says, if they work it's an audio conversion issue

[gunni]

I'm pretty sure I had to change the signal polarity settings when I went from using tapdancer with the CPC to my C64, maybe give that a whirl in the tapdancer settings neil

[Neil79]

Nope no go, thinking it's still this tape deck

[john1979]

Because you sometimes get garbled characters in the FOUND output. Or even that the C64 prints FOUND at all then we know it's hearing something from the deck. You just need it to hear it "right". Which is what leads me to think you'll get there eventually once you've messed around with the heads and volume enough.

There is some good tips on alignment here:
http://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=371573

You should also use a bit of alcohol and a cotton bud to clean the read head too.

[Neil79]

Bookmarked, cheers

[Amiga1992]

Are you sure the machine is 100% working? Have you tested it with a cartridge or floppy disc drive?

have you tried going to setting and changing the output signal worked for me using a nexus 5 as the player

[Neil79]

Originally Posted by Akira

Are you sure the machine is 100% working? Have you tested it with a cartridge or floppy disc drive?

Uhh that's not something that must people have laying about

[Neil79]

Originally Posted by markie

have you tried going to setting and changing the output signal worked for me using a nexus 5 as the player

Is that the same as "Signal Polarity" ?

[hansel75]

Before i got my SD infinity i had success using a car tape adapter in the datasette, and outputting wav playback from my netbooks headphone out simply using winamp!

It worked perfectly fine, and in multiload games it was tricky as i would have to pause the wav playback and restart it again at the correct times, but that method worked for me.

I remember playing through the first few stages of The last ninja 2 using multiload with this method, it's clumsy but it worked.

Obviously single load games were preferable to use.

Also i think i was using tap2wav for the conversions!

In the end i just got the SD Infinity as it's so much easier to use!

Edit- I think u need to be careful with the ouput volume of the wav's to a cassette adapter, if you go to high and it distorts it won't work, if to low in volume then it's unreliable. Also disable all audio equalizers etc!

[Neil79]

I would very much like a SD interface however having just purchased a £70+ HxC device for the Amstrad, I'm less inclined.

Shame there doesn't seem to be any way of using the HxC with the C64, yet it works with the Amiga

[Amiga1992]

Why would you buy something expensive anyway when you can't even confirm your machine is 100% working?

I suggest you take the necessary steps to test the machine is fully working. An "out of memory" error could come from further problems.

You live in Kent and there was an Amibay/EAB meeting not long ago. Some people live nearby. Perhaps you can get someone's help, someone can lend you a floppy drive or something to further diagnose your C64. You'd be surprised at the good will, generosity and all round coolness of most of the forum people here.

If you can't borrow accessories from someone else, start with the cheap: a cartridge or another C2N device would quickly dismiss some problems. But just don't buy stuff unnecessarily.