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General Category => Amstrad CPC hardware => Topic started by: Beaps on 00:04, 19 June 12

Title: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Beaps on 00:04, 19 June 12
Been tinkering with the Speccy +3 only to find you can load games from MP3 (using Audio & Ear)
Can this be done on my 6129, I have the same Audio & Ear cable?
Ta
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 08:34, 19 June 12
Yes, works exactly the same. You need a different cable though.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: trocoloco on 09:28, 19 June 12
the lead you would need to load tape games is like this one Amstrad CPC 6128 High Quality Cassette Tape Leads Cable | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amstrad-CPC-6128-High-Quality-Cassette-Tape-Leads-Cable-/250903444573?pt=UK_Video_Games_Cables_and_Adaptors&hash=item3a6b02bc5d)

unless u have a datacorder you don't need remote for example. It's not too hard make it, if u want to do it yourself.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Beaps on 11:23, 19 June 12
Hey, I made that cable last night.

What program do I use to convert the files to MP3?
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 12:43, 19 June 12
Markus' CDT2WAV is the best choice. It's also embedded into JavaCPC, but I haven't tried this out. Then use any decent converter to convert the WAV to MP3. I use Audacity.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Beaps on 13:53, 19 June 12
Bryce you indeed a book of knowledge fella - THANKS!!!  :-* :laugh:
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: MacDeath on 14:18, 19 June 12
QuoteCan this be done on my 6129
wow, you upgraded your 6128 with +1K RAM chip ? ;D

(must be a spanish variant due to obscure legislation)

those MP3 are working well but I never know were to find them.
Got any link to site with them ?
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 14:42, 19 June 12
Are there MP3s available online? I created my own fron CDTs because I wasn't aware of any online source.

....eh, the 6129, with 1K for Sprites?

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Devlin on 14:48, 19 June 12
Quote from: Bryce on 14:42, 19 June 12
Are there MP3s available online? I created my own fron CDTs because I wasn't aware of any online source.

....eh, the 6129, with 1K for Sprites?

Bryce.


Nope, you gotta convert them yourself. My process involves usually converting to WAV then recording to cassette using a spectrum tape lead, and vice-versa.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 14:51, 19 June 12
That's what I thought. So my conversion work wasn't for nothing.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: MacDeath on 17:33, 19 June 12
Amstrad TODAY (http://www.amstradtoday.com/)

there (in french) you may have some bitz of explanation on the tape emulation with modern stuff.

I remember vaguely a french blog/site with some available .wave or .mp3 files, gotta search for it I guess...

Post edit : ok, found it :

as usual you have to go the french way.

Amstradeus have a selection of pre-mp3ed games.

right there :

http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/article.php?sid=31 (http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/article.php?sid=31)

just click on letters on the CPc keyboard picture to have the games lists (sorted by letters)
then clic on the game picture to download it.

the full list is there :
http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/article.php?sid=240 (http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/article.php?sid=240)

haven't tried it because I have no more my CPC464... also I don't have the cable for my CPC6128s And I simply prefer to use 3"1/2 Disks.

Those guys are also asking for other "mp3/sound file" converted games to add to their own list.
So bryce... if you feel like it, give them a call perhaps.


Aren't those MP3 games supposed to be cracked so there is no more need for motor control or whatever ?

Would it be possible to produce easily a custom MP3 reader with the same functions as those old Tape drives... for cheap ?

meaning you could more easily copy non cracked games as the motor control emulation would be implemented ?


for you 464 users, get your hands on this :
(http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/images/articles/k7.jpg)

anyway i hope those links would help you.
IMO we should ask for such sort of convertions to be more easily/widely available at CPCpower, CPCwiki or TACCR (is it correct spelling ?)

Good point is that many games are not really 128k users, and husing disks or floppy emulator can be uneasy or not that cheap.
while a simple cable and any modern MP3 players are easily available.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 21:18, 19 June 12
You could make a small circuit that would activate the pause button of the MP3 player when the remote signal turned off, but you'd have to hack open the MP3 player to do it. So it's not something you'd want to do to your brand new MP3 Player. More a hack for the 10 year old budget player most people have lying in a drawer somewhere.

I think I only ever converted 2 games. I don't normally use that method, all my games are on the HxC. I only did it to try it out (I was working on a possible CPC project ;) ).

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Beaps on 22:57, 19 June 12
Just tried Cauldron.....and it worked!
I wanna get all the MP3's now  :P

Just found this site.
Index of /amstrad/mp3 (http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/amstrad/mp3/)
No bloody Head over Heels or Get Dexter !  :o
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Carnivius on 23:41, 19 June 12
Quote from: MacDeath on 17:33, 19 June 12
(http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/images/articles/k7.jpg)


What the hackensack is that?  Looks useful. 
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Terje_Norway on 00:36, 20 June 12
Hi,


Have a look at Ebay, and search for AUDIO CASSETTE ADAPTOR   ;)


You should be able to buy them from China for less than 1 GBP (Free Postage)


Yours


Terje Grind
NORWAY
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: trocoloco on 06:35, 20 June 12
Quote from: Carnivac on 23:41, 19 June 12
What the hackensack is that?  Looks useful.

i did buy 1 of those at HMV years ago, it's easy to find tho
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: ivarf on 08:20, 20 June 12
Quote from: Beaps on 22:57, 19 June 12
Just tried Cauldron.....and it worked!
I wanna get all the MP3's now  :P

Just found this site.
Index of /amstrad/mp3 (http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/amstrad/mp3/)
No bloody Head over Heels or Get Dexter !  :o


looks like a dead link to me
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 08:55, 20 June 12
Quote from: Carnivac on 23:41, 19 June 12
What the hackensack is that?  Looks useful.

It a cassette with an Audio-In flylead. Whatever you connect to the flylead will get played into the tape deck that the tape is in. They are very useful.

@ivarf: The link works fine for me.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Carnivius on 09:50, 20 June 12
So I would put the tape bit into the CPC, and the audio bit into anything that plays mp3's and it'll load a game that's an mp3, into my actual CPC?

Sounds like some kinda sorcery...
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 10:00, 20 June 12
That's how it works. Of course you have to summon up the deamons from the dark side and sacrifice a goats soul before it works.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Carnivius on 10:10, 20 June 12
Cool.  That'll be a much cheaper alternative for my failing cassette tapes til I can afford one of them HxC smart card thingies.   :D

*goes off to find a goat
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: ralferoo on 12:18, 20 June 12
Quote from: Bryce on 10:00, 20 June 12
That's how it works. Of course you have to summon up the deamons from the dark side and sacrifice a goats soul before it works.
A little known fact is that the high pitched leader tone at the start of each tape recording is actually a goat bleating its last bleat...
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Cholo on 18:38, 20 June 12
Anyone knows if there is a "fireproof" way of making MP3 from Wav/cdt? Like a program that does a "lossless" conversion (without making a silly large file the size of a wav)?


Here is my small collection of CDT files (includes Get Dexter):
http://filemates.com/2srv324idaec/AllInOne.zip (http://filemates.com/2srv324idaec/AllInOne.zip)
or
AllInOne.zip - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download (http://www.4shared.com/zip/roMyXweO/AllInOne.html)
(note: these are cheapo filesharing sites, so please dont pay anything to download, just select to download the file for free "slow" as its just a 5mb file).

Anyways, you can quickly convert any CDT to WAV by simply renaming the CDT to TZX and open it in Tapir and then choose "play back to Wav" (and it will prompt you for a filename to save the Wav to).
Tapir:
TZX and Tapir homepage (http://newton.sunderland.ac.uk/~mikie/)

Hopefully most mp3 players will play back a Wav :)
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Carnivius on 19:43, 20 June 12
I've grabbed those thank you and ordered one of those cheap cassette adaptor thingies off the ebayness.   :)
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 21:19, 20 June 12
Any luck with sourcing a Goat? :D

Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Gryzor on 10:12, 21 June 12
Think I've seen a few to the north of Attica. I wonder what sound setup the goat guy has got.


@Cholo: you know you can upload them here, no? Either as an attachment or in the downloads section :)
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: Bryce on 10:26, 21 June 12
Quote from: Gryzor on 10:12, 21 June 12
Think I've seen a few to the north of Attica. I wonder what sound setup the goat guy has got.

Probably Hay-Fi ....

Sorry,
Bryce.
Title: Re: Loading games from MP3?
Post by: MacDeath on 18:18, 27 June 12
sorry but it may not work, because you don't have to sacrifice a goat but a chicken...

Goat is for Speccy.

Bryce, once more you screwed it all ! :D
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