Amstrad 6128: Are there any external cassette drives ?

[CPCraft]

I bought myself an Amstrad CPC 6128, but as I found out that you mostly find programms and games on cassettes and mine has a disk drive, I thought it must be possible to run cassettes on it.
But how?

[LambdaMikel]

Unlike other retro 8bit computers, AFAIK the CPC does not have a motor control. Hence, you can either just use a standard cassette recorder with DIN plug, or, get yourself a cable such as this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMSTRAD-CPC-6128-CASSETTE-TAPE-RECORDER-CABLE-LEADS-/321775070299

and a nice data corder
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-DATA-CORDER-TCM-3000D-JAPAN-Game-1657/311446095715?hash=item4883a24763:g:ryEAAOSwEetV-QtB

Or, one of these Arduino-based tape emulators (but then, no real cassettes) - Casduino, etc.
I sometimes just use a digital voice recorder

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVT4000-00-Digital-Recorder/dp/B00LHW18KG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527348479&sr=1-1&keywords=transcription+recorder
and use the PC and a tool such as CDT2WAV. With the cable above, you can also play that directly into the CPC, without a need for a real recorder.

[Shaun M. Neary]

Welcome to the forum!

The CPC 6128 (the original one), has a DIN connector tape port at the back of the unit (beside the disk drive port), and you need to get a cable to connect it to a tape player/recorder.
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/AMSTRAD-CPC-6128-CASSETTE-TAPE-RECORDER-CABLE-LEADS-/321775070299

The lead will fit pretty much any tape player, although you'll also need one with an input socket too in the (unlikely) event you wish to save to tape too.

If you've a 6128+ however, you're out of luck unless you perform a mod.

[CPCraft]

Thanks very much.
I`ll try it. [size=78%] [/size]

[blackdalek]

My CPC6128 has the tape DIN port on the side (next to the joystick port).Also motor control IS possible on the CPC6128 through the REM (remote) plug of a suitable data cassette recorder cable, so get a tape player with motor control if you can find one.Lots of data cassette decks with this capability show up on ebay but they're almost always in the USA.

[Bryce]

Unlike other retro 8bit computers, AFAIK the CPC does not have a motor control. Hence, you can either just use a standard cassette recorder with DIN plug, or, get yourself a cable such as this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMSTRAD-CPC-6128-CASSETTE-TAPE-RECORDER-CABLE-LEADS-/321775070299

and a nice data corder
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-DATA-CORDER-TCM-3000D-JAPAN-Game-1657/311446095715?hash=item4883a24763:g:ryEAAOSwEetV-QtB

Or, one of these Arduino-based tape emulators (but then, no real cassettes) - Casduino, etc.
I sometimes just use a digital voice recorder

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVT4000-00-Digital-Recorder/dp/B00LHW18KG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527348479&sr=1-1&keywords=transcription+recorder
and use the PC and a tool such as CDT2WAV. With the cable above, you can also play that directly into the CPC, without a need for a real recorder.

The CPC does have motor control, that's what the relay on the 6128 PCB does. Pins 1 and 3 of the cassette port are connected to the contacts of the relay to give a potential-free (isolated) switch.
Bryce.

[LambdaMikel]

The CPC does have motor control, that's what the relay on the 6128 PCB does. Pins 1 and 3 of the cassette port are connected to the contacts of the relay to give a potential-free (isolated) switch.
Bryce.

I guess this is what the "REM" lead is for on the cable above then, right?
REM = Remote (Motor Control)

[Cholo]

Yes, importent to get a "data recorder" that supports Rem(ote) as quite a lot of commercial cassette software/games takes control of the motor in some way (like "protected" games usually pauses the motor). Sure you can play without the Rem port by manually pressing stop/play but it can quickliy get confusing in multiload/level games, and many protected games crash if you are more than 2-3 seconds off.


Trouble is most "modern" cassette players is missing the Rem port. Easiest is to search for a "data recorder" on ebay, usually always a couple there at a reasonable 10-20 bucks. Alternatively you can try searching you local "tools for the disabled" for advanced tape recorders (even thou this usually has a high price). Worst case you can search in the "toys" section, it may not look "professionally" but who cares if you find a old "sing-a-long"-system as long as it has a Rem port 


EDIT: oh and to actually launch the cassette software on your 6128 you need to type: |tape (enter) & then simply type: run" (enter)

[Bryce]

I use an ALF03 (Acorn Electron tapedeck) for my machines that don't need a special tape protocol. For "the special ones" (Commodore / Atari XL/XE) I own the original tapedecks. The AFL03 loads CPC games reliably too, but you'll have to make up your own adapter cable.

Bryce.

[dragon]

Buy a cassette drive with rem new is easy, buy a cassette drive new with tape counter no.




http://www.gporetro.com/products/category/rewind-range-cassette-players/gpo-162b-portable-cassette-recorder/

http://retrocables.es/tienda/index.php?id_product=939&controller=product&id_lang=1


But living in usa? In amazon.com is easy view it there is in amazon.com a strange models with usb i don't know if rem works in usb mode.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000CBR4XS/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1527496895&sr=8-17&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=cassette+player&dpPl=1&dpID=51nucpFq5uL&ref=plSrch


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00529QB0W/ref=mp_s_a_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1527496550&sr=8-25&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Cassette+remote+player#immersive-view_1527496583309

[chinnyhill10]

Trouble is most "modern" cassette players is missing the Rem port. Easiest is to search for a "data recorder" on ebay, usually always a couple there at a reasonable 10-20 bucks. A

This coming Friday's ChinnyVision features a brand new tape recorder with a REM socket that is available in the high street in the UK for just £15. Just finishing the review off now.

[Bryce]

ebay is full of suitable data recorders, it's not like we're looking for something that was rare. Every house had at least two of them back then: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/71574/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=tape+recorder&_sop=15   

@chinnyhill10: looking forward to the video. Will you be tearing it down and comparing the modern "not going to last very long" plastic mechanics compared to the old metal devices? 

Bryce.

[chinnyhill10]

ebay is full of suitable data recorders, it's not like we're looking for something that was rare. Every house had at least two of them back then: https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/71574/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=tape+recorder&_sop=15   

@chinnyhill10: looking forward to the video. Will you be tearing it down and comparing the modern "not going to last very long" plastic mechanics compared to the old metal devices? 

Bryce.

Ebay does have lots. However you'll want to be fairly confident it's a decent model. We all had good and bad ones back in the day. For me nothing beat a particular Sony model I had at once stage that sadly got dropped and the mechanism became unreliable. On the other hand I had a Realistic computer cassette recorder that was very plasticy and fell to bits in about a year. The power connector developed a dry joint on a nearly new unit!


Sadly however tape recorders of this vintage now suffer from drive belt problems and other issues that the average users may not wish to tackle. To be able to walk into a UK supermarket and get a tape recorder with remote that loads reliably straight out of the box has an appeal even if the unit is a bit cheap in places.


Think of it like this. A 30 year old Golf GTI is very nice but it will probably spill oil all over your driveway, a brand new Dacia may be cheap and nasty but least it should be maintenance free for a few years.

[tjohnson]

Changing the direction slightly, when making a cable for the rem port I presume that each contact on the 2.5mm plug goes to the two pins on the DIN plug?

[Arag0n]

Look at the following link (I bought an equal one a few months ago, they are new): https://www.ebay.es/itm/Cassette-Computone-Para-Ordenadores-Amstrad-Spectrum-Msx-Nuevo-A-Estrenar/173295693947?hash=item28593a707b:g:aMwAAOSwBoZZcknI

[Bryce]

Changing the direction slightly, when making a cable for the rem port I presume that each contact on the 2.5mm plug goes to the two pins on the DIN plug?

Yes, and it doesn't matter which way around.

Bryce.

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTAC 8000x mit Tapatalk

[Shaun M. Neary]

Look at the following link (I bought an equal one a few months ago, they are new): https://www.ebay.es/itm/Cassette-Computone-Para-Ordenadores-Amstrad-Spectrum-Msx-Nuevo-A-Estrenar/173295693947?hash=item28593a707b:g:aMwAAOSwBoZZcknI

70 Euro shipping to Ireland?! It better arrive within 30 bloody minutes!
Serious notions there...

[khaz]

Motor control is start and stop, or just stop?

[freemac]

"Fruity Frank" game does pause tape during the loading animation, and then continue. So for "Fruity Frank" you need to play the tape two times in order to launch the game correctly without the motor stop/start feature.

[Bryce]

Motor control is start and stop, or just stop?

Motor control means that the computer can start and stop the motor when the play button is pressed. It doesn't change the physical position of the play button.

Bryce.

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTAC 8000x mit Tapatalk

[chinnyhill10]

These are now in Asda Superstores (i.e the big shops) in the UK, currently 15 quid:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eL2yQUafGM


Not perfect by any means and no tape counter (which I don't find an issue really) but it loads and saves without issues and is cheap especially when you consider there is no postage.


Did not test it with a CPC as I have a 464's for tape software but did use a fussy Spectrum, an MSX and a BBC Micro and all seemed fine. Even the poorly duplicated tape by Alternative loaded on the second attempt!

[Bryce]

If it can load a game on an Oric 1 it has my blessing

Bryce.

[Cholo]

"lazer radiation" lol, perhaps the manual was written back in the 80'ies by someone who predicted what a manual would need in the future year 2018. Aka in the year 2018 people flying home from the moon in their own personal spaceship would clearly have to worry about lazer radiation.

[CPCraft]

I bought the din plug which Shaun M. Neary and LambdaMikel told me, now I am waiting for a cassette game. I tried to run cdt files, which I downloaded, with an app called tapdancer but it doesn t seem to work. Maybe Im using the wrong command.

[Bryce]

"lazer radiation" lol, perhaps the manual was written back in the 80'ies by someone who predicted what a manual would need in the future year 2018. Aka in the year 2018 people flying home from the moon in their own personal spaceship would clearly have to worry about lazer radiation.

That would be Laser, not lazer. And lasers don't radiate anything other than light.

Bryce.

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTAC 8000x mit Tapatalk