[SOLVED] Cassette adaptor for a CPC 464

[John_Vella]

Hello!


I've just got a CPC 464 and am looking into options for loading some games. I would rather not go down the rabbit hole that is buying cassettes from the internet because I don't have the room to store them and also the wife would kill me if I started hoarding more retro-stuff!


I was wondering if this would work... Do you guys remember those cassette adaptors that you plugged into the tape player in your car, and they had a lead which plugged into an mp3 player or mobile phone to allow you to plat music through your car speakers?


What if I used one of them in the CPC? Here's a link, in case I'm not explaining it properly...


Thanks in advance, for any opinions / suggestions.


[size=78%]https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-Car-Truck-3-5mm-AUX-Audio-Adapter-MD-MP3-mp4-CD-Player-Cassette-Casette-Tape/333581309538?fits=Model%3AC15&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item4daafed662%3Ag%3AmDcAAOSwfShen9-h&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACYBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%252Fn%252BzU5L90Z278x5ickkCrLl8erj3ATP5raQxjc%252F%252BySw570vv7VlUaFvN3slauNH3HX6Id%252BWRw1wdrPxJACLQFiWIgWEQ5rjDPQLF%252FxhsZhggMnL6DZvWOQDTedMyHn2tkmoLgl6vVDxaqzmWl60lZM7r%252FgCItRCy34s14Ai1nfiUeKK5tRTeNxk7nAXiFtSZHQQSHzqC74fGyx1gBJCBlgTZJGbBU%252F3crU7HyQcsWg2hrQP3aH0piMzTyPYfZGW44ZXg9wtSdLKzoQqead%252BhBsflmzkzB5YnXR5mwlLWTMG32xwOCJsJSwUify7QjyUkBmZxb4tANjkQqB5Fnjnge0wpa8JGuURj5XQWUWrYuD0NBshFT5vNS%252Foel5a5%252FlajYvqmy4qu2I9VyxbinYZvIluB%252Fu%252F0s8badDWbGl4FE8RYwNNdOQ%252BaRtWSIzwOqP2Jfr9%252Bxtl1vTKDPXrjB5flUYWMXihXuoG%252BmITnrWHOgEc%252BA0OVp5dd8t33V72xwvhI0F60mTng8%252B%252BNJWTAvrUlBMAdQ2LvQKHZmLqh1fc%252FIajzrqDvNrfjY2%252BYEbOSdUi20kXoNTTH3R2c%252FA%252F1r6sWJWZ6cyT1X1hnmOCbqi3b%252FPn6eNGcoFzAndmiulrIB8rY0jndeBCiWVDVDft6YoB%252F5HjncJF5UepZHSQigNNKWW6yS1Ft%252BEjGz5luer3VlS2umTeHCJoQbWIfiDHuR7fIE4ay4JuTiPwMXOdU7MWMzp6%252FbYOgPMqvEBFR%252B6kHBn%252FGVAhKqhWikx8S8q%252BK0MP%7Ccksum%3A33358130953800b7291ad5f1496d91f1100a8019d457%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2334524&LH_BIN=1[/size]

[protek]

I'm currently waiting for this one to arrive: https://www.ebay.com/itm/223521700677

[John_Vella]

I've ordered this to be delivered tomorrow: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07QRPJ7MS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I got that as it means I can use my old mobile, rather than getting rid of it.

[VintageAdvantage]

Guys, this has been discussed a one hundred million times, can you please use the search function for this? Thanks. Nobody wants to discuss this issue again.

@moderator @gryzor can we have a sub-forum for topics like this labeled "The Hall of I don't know how to use the search function, and I am too ignorant to learn it, and I don't care if I am wasting other's CPC users time with irrelevant questions"

[protek]

Oh, lighten up! That's no way to make new members to feel welcome. If you feel some question is irrelevant, feel free to ignore it and let others offer their helping hand.

[John_Vella]

Guys, this has been discussed a one hundred million times, can you please use the search function for this? Thanks. Nobody wants to discuss this issue again.

@moderator @gryzor can we have a sub-forum for topics like this labeled "The Hall of I don't know how to use the search function, and I am too ignorant to learn it, and I don't care if I am wasting other's CPC users time with irrelevant questions"

Well, I guess that told me...!

[John_Vella]

Thanks, guys. I've ordered an adaptor, and we'll see how it goes.


For the record, I did try and search the forum, but, as is the case with these things, sometimes new products are released, and I wanted to know if anybody had some new information.


Anyway, I have changed the thread title accordingly. Do we do that on this forum?

[VintageAdvantage]

If anything, it would be more interesting to hear about your experiences with a Bluetooth based adapter, because they are fairly new, and not a lot of users tried it - obviously, the adapter cable is a pain in the *** elsewise:

https://www.amazon.com/Receiver-Bluetooth-Cassette-Adapter-Player/dp/B083BX9FPT/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=Q80NMMKYXQ81&dchild=1&keywords=bluetooth+cassette+adapter&qid=1598409315&sprefix=bluetooth+casette+%2Caps%2C225&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFJNERMTEs0WE0zTUcmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA4Nzk4NzUyTVFFVUhRNlNQREo4JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5MTg2MjUyVUlUNDhFQUFKTENXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[pelrun]

Well, I guess that told me...!

That was a horrible way to be greeted, please don't take that as a common occurrence around here. Most of us really are happy to hear more people are rediscovering their old machines. Welcome!

Sometimes a question is just as useful as an icebreaker as it is a means for gathering information, and VintageAdvantage would do well to contemplate that. Excuse us while we return him to the factory for re-education.

[Gryzor]

Don't worry about it, and welcome here. I think you'll find that normally it's one of the friendliest places you have visited, so have fun!

[Gryzor]

Don't worry about it, and welcome here. I think you'll find that normally it's one of the friendliest places you have visited, so have fun!

[VintageAdvantage]

Indeed. And to Pelrun's point - the introduction forum is here:

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/general-discussion/
For more "ice breaker" chit chat.

[Skunkfish]

The search function is indeed useful! When I search 'cassette adapter' the only thread it finds is this one! 

[Bryce]

Unfortunately we have no control over how good/bad the search function is, it's part of the forum software. As with many forums, I find it useless. If you want to find something in this (or another) forum, go to Google and do a search using the site command - ie: search for   Cassette adapter site:www.cpcwiki.eu and you'll find what you need.


Oh, and welcome to the forum John.


Bryce.

[John_Vella]

Thanks everyone, and please let's not make a big deal about someone getting uppity with me.


I'm planning on being here for a long time and as you get to know me you'll realise that I'm as easy going as they come, but I also have a sarcastic, (but always friendly) side!


Have a great day, everyone.

[pelrun]

Nah, this isn't a big deal. It's just important to be explicit when some people forget their manners, so they're less likely to do it next time. 

[Shaun M. Neary]

There is no problem at all with the Search Function. You need to spell "Cassette Adapter" correctly, and you need to be logged in, and you get 3 pages of results with previous discussions.

Mate, give it a rest. This place is a peaceful forum. We'd like for it to remain that way.
Last person who posted in an "I know everything" manner, got banned for his efforts.

Just drop it?

[John_Vella]

Mate, give it a rest. This place is a peaceful forum. We'd like for it to remain that way.
Last person who posted in an "I know everything" manner, got banned for his efforts.

Just drop it?

Being British, I spell adaptor with an o, not an e. I forgot that this is an international forum and should have tried both spellings. My mistake.


I was going to ask if anybody had tried an Android app called tapdancer. Is it worth doing that here, or am I better to ask a mod to lock this and I'll start a new thread.

[VintageAdvantage]

I haven't, but I'd be interested in learning what you find. It seems it can play TZX and CDT, so you should be  good.

There is a huge collection floating around somewhere:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VABTW0u18yNI06MD77RIAo5ERk9mjWAE/view

[Shaun M. Neary]

Being British, I spell adaptor with an o, not an e. I forgot that this is an international forum and should have tried both spellings. My mistake.


I was going to ask if anybody had tried an Android app called tapdancer. Is it worth doing that here, or am I better to ask a mod to lock this and I'll start a new thread.

John, most of us couldn't care less about spelling. The grammar nazis don't fall down here so you have nothing to apologise for.


To answer your question, I've tried tapdancer but didn't get great results however it was on an older phone and the app crashed out quite a bit. Others have had better results though. I still convert cdt files to wav and then copy them to tapes. I've a stack of the things for nostalgia purposes. 

[John_Vella]

I don't know if I'm allowed to post links to external sites, so if it's not allowed I'll apologise now and ask that a mod delete the link. https://cloudapks.com/download/148950/181/


I've managed to get a few games running, (using the run "" command, as load "" game me memory full errors) and it hasn't crashed on my old Sony Xperia XZ Ultra yet.


Thanks for the link, @VintageAdvantage I'm downloading it now.

[Shaun M. Neary]

I don't know if I'm allowed to post links to external sites, so if it's not allowed I'll apologise now and ask that a mod delete the link. https://cloudapks.com/download/148950/181/


I've managed to get a few games running, (using the run "" command, as load "" game me memory full errors) and it hasn't crashed on my old Sony Xperia XZ Ultra yet.


Thanks for the link, @VintageAdvantage I'm downloading it now.

It's run" and enter for the Amstrad, load"" is for other systems. 😊 On the Amstrad load"" loads basic programs without running them. 😊

[John_Vella]

It's run" and enter for the Amstrad, load"" is for other systems. 😊 On the Amstrad load"" loads basic programs without running them. 😊

Thanks for that. I think this information is going to come in really useful in the near future.



I'm beginning to suspect that, in the last thirty something years since I last used an Amstrad, I may well have forgotten more than I knew about them!

[pelrun]

I had no end of trouble with TapDancer and basically consigned it to the bin.
So I added CDT/TZX support to PlayUEF, which is a webapp that worked pretty well just in Chrome on my phone:
https://pelrun.github.io/PlayUEF/PlayUEF.html
Doesn't have nearly as "cute" an interface as TapDancer, but then I consider that a feature 

[John_Vella]

I had no end of trouble with TapDancer and basically consigned it to the bin.
So I added CDT/TZX support to PlayUEF, which is a webapp that worked pretty well just in Chrome on my phone:
https://pelrun.github.io/PlayUEF/PlayUEF.html
Doesn't have nearly as "cute" an interface as TapDancer, but then I consider that a feature 

I hadn't seen this before. Looks good! I'll try it out next time I fire up the CPC.


One of the things I do like about TapDancer is the countdown timer, since that lets me know if I have time to make a cuppa while a game is loaded, (and the answer is always yes!)