Load64
General Category => 1530USB Datasette to PC Adapter => Topic started by: scyllinice on November 06, 2022, 03:48:12 AM
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Hello,
My 1530 USB adapter came in a couple of days ago (thanks!) and I've spent my Saturday trying to get a tape to successfully record.
My datasette is in good shape. It can load tapes recorded on a Eiki tape recorder just fine.
I've tried different volumes (from 75 to 80 as directed). I've even tried 100 and upping the recording frequency to 96000.
What happens is that every time I try to load the tape, I either get a load error, the loading crashes the machine or the loading freezes.
The same TAP file can be recorded using the aforementioned Eiki tape recorder and it loads up just fine.
Any ideas on what else I can try?
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I guess you have the version 2.
Give it another try with these instructions (http://www.load64.com/smf/index.php?topic=91.0)
Don't use your PC while recording.Even browsing the web might cause interference.
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I'll give it a shot. The slip of paper included pointed to the instructions that said not to tick the inverted waveform box.
It can't get any worse than not working I guess :)
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Inverting the waveform just made it so nothing is detected at all. It's got to be something else.
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In that case it is version 1.
Are you using a USB hub or extension cord any chance?It has to be connected directly to a USB 2 port.
Record this program (https://csdb.dk/release/?id=120955) to tape and back it up.See if it runs on emulator.
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Thanks for the off forum troubleshooting.
I think at this point, the program I was trying to get working just isn't going to work.
I recorded a copy of Crystal Caverns and I was able to load it pretty consistently.
I'm going to try others to confirm it's just the one I was trying before that didn't work. If that's the case, then I'll just record that one on the tape deck I used before and move on with life :D
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In my tests so far, anything with Novaload just does not record properly.
Anything that doesn't have Novaload appears to work fine.
I don't know why that is. Is that expected? if so, did I miss it somewhere?
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It is either record head is dirty/worn out or azimuth is way off.
You need to calibrate your datasette with an original copy game.
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I've got a copy of Excaliba coming my way (cheapest cassette I could find) and I'll see if that changes anything.
Worst case at this point is that I record Novaload games via my external tape deck.
Thanks for all the help!
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(https://i.ibb.co/vcbr3qJ/img-1073.jpg) (https://ibb.co/vcbr3qJ)
Do you have a PET style datasette any chance?
These are very rare over here,never had the chance the test it out with the adaptor.
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I have a bog standard 1530, which is why I didn't expect any hardship. I'll adjust the datasette when the commercial tape arrives.
Additionally, I have a new old stock Data-Master datasette coming in that I'm going to try with your adapter just to see if it will work. For funsies.
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Unfortunately, the supposed new old stock datasette was no such thing. The seller just thought it was because it was wrapped in plastic in the box. The read/write head is completely dead. Oh well.
I did try a shorter tape (the dead datasette actually had a C10 tape in it), but the same problem occurs with Novaload games.
So I'll be waiting on that commercial tape to get here to adjust the azimuth so I can try again.
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Hello,
The commercial tape came in finally. I've adjusted the azimuth as best as I could tell.
The tape loads just fine. However, no novaload recorded tapes with the adapter work still.
I guess it's time to give up on making that work since I've spent way too much time trying different things :).
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We can try one more thing.
Go to advanced options on audiotap and change the output frequency to 96000Hz.
Also increase the speaker volume to 90%
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That didn't help. Nothing loads on that tape if I do that unfortunately.
It's time to call it as unsuccessful for me. I hope everyone else has a better overall experience and this is just my problem :)
Edit: Just to confirm that everything should be working just fine, I did the following:
1. Loaded my copy of Excaliba that I got from eBay. It's the commercially recorded tape. It loaded and booted up fine. No issues.
2. I erased the same tape I have been using with a electric tape eraser from Realistic.
3. Using my Eiki tape recorder with the same PC, tape image, and version of Audiotap, I recorded another copy of Impossible Mission. It loaded up fine.
I can't say if it's the adapter, but it's the only thing that isn't consistently working.
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If you think adaptor is faulty,please open a dispute case through ebay.
I'm more than happy to give you a full refund.
I think your datasette is either picking up some noise from fridge,freezer or a power tool while recording or it can't do higher baud rates due to bad capacitor or something.
If you have a disk drive,copy a game to tape using Copy 235 (https://csdb.dk/release/?id=32229).
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No need for a refund. I'd rather support your efforts even if it didn't work out for me. It clearly works for others.
I'll keep it around and maybe try a different datasette in the future.
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Thanks.Can you post that non working game WAV file?
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Here is the wav of the TAP file that works when recorded outside of the datasette and does not work when recorded with the datasette.
https://www.mediafire.com/file/t6j4zk679zxonw5/impossible.zip/file
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If you record this game to tape and back it up after,I might be able to find the culprit with that raw WAV file.
Otherwise I will pass it on to the experts.
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Here is a copy of the tap recorded to tape with my datasette through the adapter and then read back in Audacity.
Apologies for the extra at the beginning and end. I forgot how long the playtime was supposed to be.
https://www.mediafire.com/file/9b0hyj7vyeu4llz/recorded_impossible.zip/file
Edit:
The fun part of this is that this copy fails at different points sometimes. I just got it to get to roughly 50 blocks left to load and it crashed. Rewinding and trying again, it fails to get past the Novaload screen. It's wildly inconsistent.
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I also did the same.Here is my backup file (http://www.load64.com/up/mission.wav).
Yours has so much noise at the begining at the end,in between.
It can be the datasette,creased tape or your PC.For example if you run winvice while recording,it creates noise.
One thing I couldn't understand,yours is 4 minutes and 28 seconds long,the one you posted before is 4.20.Did you clean that TAP?
Can you post the TAP file you used so I can try recording that.
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I used the same tap file that produced the wav that I posted before. Maybe that's a clue. There has been a couple of times that my datasette has slowed or stopped when rewinding while powered by the adapter, but it doesn't happen consistently (and not at all when powered by my Commodore 128)
I do have another datasette (that hopefully works this time) that I'm going to try. If it does, I'll use that one for recording and the one I'm using now for playback since that part seems to work just fine.
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If the datasette had slow downs during the recording,outcome should be shorter than the original.
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The NOS datasette came in.
So far so good. It loads my Excaliba copy just fine.
Doing test runs with some of the tap images I have been using seem to be working fine as well.
Oddly enough, the tape that I recorded using my Eiki recorder didn't actually work in the NOS datasette, so this one must be way more sensitive than the Commodore one.
At least I can confirm that your adapter does work just fine with a Data-Master model 5500.
Edit:
I readjusted my 1530 to be able to read the NOS datasette recorded tape. It appears to be working ok, so I think I have my solution.
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That's great news mate.I can mark this topic as solved.
Let me give a warning to the future readers.
If you buy a New Old Stock datasette,don't ever touch the azimuth setting!!!