Align the tape deck on a 464 Plus

[chinnyhill10]

Aligning a tape deck on a standard CPC is fairly easy if you have good hearing. But how on earth do you do it on a 464 Plus?


There's no internal speaker and you can't hear any (faint) audio to pick the sweet spot.


The later Spectrums have a routine built into ROM for adjusting the alignment. So does such a thing exist as a Plus Rom image that I can load into my C4CPC to get the thing aligned? It's only slightly out. Most stuff works but some tapes play up that are fine on my standard (and perfectly aligned) 464.


Any ideas? Cheers.

[TFM]

There is lots of head-alignment software for regular CPC 464, that should work on the 464 Plus too. See CPC-Power maybe. I'm not an user of tapes, so I got not idea of details. 

[chinnyhill10]

But to align a tape you need to be able to load it to begin with. Hence why a cart image would make sense

[TFM]

But to align a tape you need to be able to load it to begin with. Hence why a cart image would make sense

That's very true. So how can we get a Cart Image?

1. You will choose your favorite program
2. We rename it to the tile of some cool game
3. We ask @Phantomz to do a Cart Conversion (he is famous in that)
4. Well, get your screw driver
5. Good luck!
6. Get back into your spare-time trousers
7. Enjoy Halloween weekend

[chinnyhill10]

Wonder if the diagnostics already on the cart includes this? Will take a look later.

[Bryce]

You don't need software to align a tapedeck. An alignment tape, a screwdriver and a good ear is all that's needed.

Bryce.

[chinnyhill10]

You don't need software to align a tapedeck. An alignment tape, a screwdriver and a good ear is all that's needed.

Bryce.

And how do you do this on a 464 Plus that has no internal speaker and gives no audio output at all? Tried via the monitor socket and the headphone jack on the side? No faint audio that you'd hear on the speaker of a 464, 664 or 6128.


The original CPC's give a very very faint output via the internal speaker. The 464 Plus has no internal speaker and like the original CPC gives no output at all via its audio out.


So like the C64 and Atari 8 bit there seems to be no way to align the tape deck by ear alone unless you pull the machine apart and find an internal audio feed.


So again, what is needed is a bit of software, just like the Spectrum ROM, that can do it.

[chinnyhill10]

Good news is the Arnold 5 diagnostics have a very similar bit of software that is built into the Spectrum on them so I'll give that a play.

[Metralla]

Hello if you get C4CPC cartridge from Gerald you get a SD card with GX4000 converted games, demos and other stuff, included arn5diag (Arnold 5 Diagnostic ROM Version 1.3) that includes Datacorder Test to Azimut adjustment and many other test programs, audio, video, sprites, colors, etc.....

C4CPC is a beast, thankyou Mr. Gerald.

[chinnyhill10]

Hello if you get C4CPC cartridge from Gerald you get a SD card with GX4000 converted games, demos and other stuff, included arn5diag (Arnold 5 Diagnostic ROM Version 1.3) that includes Datacorder Test to Azimut adjustment and many other test programs, audio, video, sprites, colors, etc.....

C4CPC is a beast, thankyou Mr. Gerald.

Yep, got that and I mentioned it the post before last. Been using it just now in fact and it seems similar to the Speccy app except of course with the Speccy you can also clearly hear the audio when adjusting.

[Metralla]

Yep, got that and I mentioned it the post before last. Been using it just now in fact and it seems similar to the Speccy app except of course with the Speccy you can also clearly hear the audio when adjusting.

Sorry for that, I was writing answer when you post yours,Forum give me the alert but I sent without reading 2 last post

[Bryce]

To be honest, when I fix a tape deck I don't have it connected to a computer at all. I power it with a lab PSU, short the appropriate control lines, feed the input with a function generator and read the output with a scope. That way I know exactly what's going in and what should be coming out.

Bryce.

[chinnyhill10]

Software suggest audio levels are fine but still can't get my new copy of Dr Scrimes Spook School to load. Bah!


Thing is I remember buying it circa 1987 and taking it back because it would't load. Would Read Error B very early on which is exactly the same as the new tape does.


Hopefully I haven't bought the tape I returned in 1987 

[dragon]

I view trade in post sell "Amstrad 464 tape head alignment kit.......................£ 9.99".


Anyway its normal tapes fail. My 464 refuse to load my own tape games even in 1987. So now in 2015....

[chinnyhill10]

Got my 464 out to test the tapes that were problematic on the 464 Plus. All of them load.


So despite the diagnostics claiming the deck is fine, there's something amiss. Not sure what the next step is now without expensive test equipment.

[Bryce]

Got my 464 out to test the tapes that were problematic on the 464 Plus. All of them load.


So despite the diagnostics claiming the deck is fine, there's something amiss. Not sure what the next step is now without expensive test equipment.

A box with my address on it and a postage stamp?

Bryce.

[CraigsBar]

Got my 464 out to test the tapes that were problematic on the 464 Plus. All of them load.


So despite the diagnostics claiming the deck is fine, there's something amiss. Not sure what the next step is now without expensive test equipment.

I've got 2 464plus machines here and both are far fussier than the cpc machines when it comes to tapes I find. Neither of them will load breaking baud for example but it works fine on the CPC 6128 from a shoebox tape recorder (and 6128plus tape modded machine when played from an android phone directly into the tape port)

I think its just a plus thing. The musical tape loaders, a'la Harvey Headbanger, also fail to load on either 464plus.