Author Topic: MP3 player for the Amstrad CPC (Read 5076 times)

Prodatron · « **on:** 01:27, 14 October 17 »

I was dreaming about this for more than 10 years and now it's finally possible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xEyNQA6Weg

The CPC is now able to stream MP3 files of any size from a mass storage device in SymbOS, and it still has a lot of CPU time left.
After testing the AMSDAP (Amstrad MSx aDAPter) prototype two days ago I was able to connect it to the Mother4X board today. SymAmp for SymbOS, which got its MP3 plugin for the MSX in 2007, has been modified for the 16bit CPC port addresses and was directly working fine with the SE-ONE/MP3MSX hardware.

The video also shows the CPU time consumption, which as about 17% for a 96kbps MP3 file - not much more than exactly 1 IRQ. This includes loading the data from the SD-Card (M4Board) or CF-card/harddisc (SYMBiFACE II, X-MASS, CPC-IDE) and sending it to the MP3 decoder hardware, which all still has to be done by the Z80.

The MP3 decoder hardware itself contains an 8KB FIFO-buffer, which makes it possible to use 4KB for the actual playback and the other 4KB for receiving new data from the Z80 in the meantime. In contrast to playing digi samples via the AY/Amdrum/Digiblaster/etc. the Z80 doesn't need to do this job uninterrupted but has some time left (depending on the bitrate), until the MP3 buffer runs out of data and has to be refilled again.

In the video I am using both the MP3MSX hardware (made by Sunrise but not produced anymore) as well as the compatible SE-ONE cartridge (currently produced by TMT Logic and still available). The actual SE-ONE firmware is not providing the data for the VU meter, so I used both to show that in SymAmp as well.

Joseman · « **Reply #1 on:** 03:46, 14 October 17 »

Oh!! i was waiting for this too since years!!

This adapter is incredible!! i want it!!

there is opl sound boards too for msx??

what other interesting boards the msx has?

Enviado desde mi GT-N7100 mediante Tapatalk

mr_lou · « **Reply #2 on:** 08:29, 14 October 17 »

Looks like we need to put our CPC's into a tower soon, considering the growing list of expansions.

msmthng · « **Reply #3 on:** 09:35, 14 October 17 »

Cool, waiting for this devices!

shock__ · « **Reply #4 on:** 19:48, 15 October 17 »

Playing all the electro-goth classics from the early 2000s

Bryce · « **Reply #5 on:** 09:52, 16 October 17 »

Cool, but the CPC isn't really doing anything other than shovelling the data from A to B. It's not involved in the decoding at all.

Bryce.

Sykobee (Briggsy) · « **Reply #6 on:** 19:23, 16 October 17 »

Still, shovelling 12KB a second from storage to external hardware in 4KB lumps at 17% load and still having all the other stuff in Symbos running is pretty neat.

Can it do 320kbps MP3s? That's 40KB a second, so around 50% CPU?

Prodatron · « **Reply #7 on:** 22:43, 16 October 17 »

I didn't test 320kbps MP3s so far, but at least one with 256kbps. Task Manager showed 53% in total,
...which is 42% additional CPU time...
(idle + Task Manager running is about 11% - Task Manager itself with display uses about 3%).

TBH, I am quite happy with these values

256kbps is already A LOT. But even a 32kbps MP3 would still sound much better than any AY-/DigiBlaster- etc sample...

Bryce · « **Reply #8 on:** 23:27, 16 October 17 »

Quote from: Sykobee (Briggsy) on 19:23, 16 October 17

Still, shovelling 12KB a second from storage to external hardware in 4KB lumps at 17% load and still having all the other stuff in Symbos running is pretty neat.

Can it do 320kbps MP3s? That's 40KB a second, so around 50% CPU?

I didn't say it's not impressive at what it does. It certainly is impressive, especially considering all the other tasks SymbOS has to do at the same time! I was just commenting on the fact that the Z80 isn't doing the decoding, which I know isn't possible, but still a shame.

Bryce.

ced64k · « **Reply #9 on:** 00:09, 17 October 17 »

I remember that back in the 90s at school early Pentium couldn't play mp3 without skipping.

Edoz(MSX) · « **Reply #10 on:** 10:11, 17 October 17 »

Very cool new feature! I like to see such a development on hardware and software! It's just nice to have things like this.
Next thing is to use the M4 to listen to radio streams on the internet!

Gryzor · « **Reply #11 on:** 11:43, 21 January 18 »

Yeah, I know the Z80 is just a small tool in this chain, but still it's so impressive!

Munchausen · « **Reply #12 on:** 12:38, 21 January 18 »

Could you now synchronise sym video files with an mp3 sound track so you can really watch films on your CPC?

If so, perhaps an online service could be made to convert youtube links to CPC format, then you can watch youtube on your CPC

Shaun M. Neary · « **Reply #13 on:** 13:30, 21 January 18 »

Holy shit... I want one!
I don't know why, but I want one!

TMTLOGIC · « **Reply #14 on:** 21:27, 28 April 18 »

New ... SE-ONE CPC card

Has been tested by SymbOS !

- Music file player MP3 OGG MID (format 0) etc
- Plays stand alone files from USB stick (program SEPLAYER.BAS)
- Simply FM tuner
- configurable with AT commands (program AT.BAS)
for example the radio frequention: AT+FREQ=100.3 or volume level AT+DSPVOLL=50
- Software example to emulation the SP0256 Speech systhesizer
- SymbOS software available for music files (symamp) and FM radio by Edo

Hardware is equal to the SE-ONE (MSX), however the address is change:
MSX : &h20- &h27
CPC: & FF20- & FF27
Enterprise &20-&27

For information about the SE-ONE Music player , can you go to the website : http://www.tmtlogic.com
Or ask Prodatron

https://youtu.be/Qck64N7hwlY

XeNoMoRPH · « **Reply #15 on:** 23:05, 28 April 18 »

I am impressed at the highest level

LambdaMikel · « **Reply #16 on:** 16:52, 29 April 18 »

Quite nice!
With the SPO256 emulation, can you make it emulate DK'tronics / SSA-1 as well?
It would be cool if it had "authentic" SSA-1 and DK'tronics emulation. LambdaSpeak's
emulation is not authentic (it sounds too good). I know that some of the emulators
are doing that. I was thinking of adding SPO 256 samples to LambdaSpeak as well,
but probably won't, because I own the originals.

GUNHED · « **Reply #17 on:** 18:57, 29 April 18 »

It's ok if it sounds too good, the other way around it would be bad.

GUNHED · « **Reply #18 on:** 19:09, 29 April 18 »

Quote from: TMTLOGIC on 21:27, 28 April 18

For information about the SE-ONE Music player , can you go to the website : http://www.tmtlogic.com

Very nice homepage, but let me please ask two quick questions.

1. Is the SE-ONE card directly for the CPC (with MX4 connector or Centonics?) or does it need the AMSDAP card to run with the CPC?

2. Can you tell something about the Symbiface 3 I have seen on your homepage. Some technical specs would be very nice to have.

Thanks in advance!

TMTLOGIC · « **Reply #19 on:** 19:50, 29 April 18 »

About the SP0256

I do not have technical data from the DK'tronics / SSA-1
but if I'm interested, I want to investigate it.

The example software play in sequence the sounds of the sp0256, that are stored in mp3 format on a USB stick.

About the SE-ONE:

SE-ONE (MSX) can be used on the CPC with an AMSDAP slotexpander
SE-ONE (CPC) (see photo above) is made for the CPC and can be used whit the Mother X4 board or AMSDAP (CPC slot)

GUNHED · « **Reply #20 on:** 19:52, 29 April 18 »

Thanks!

Any information about the Symbiface 3. What does it provide?

TMTLOGIC · « **Reply #21 on:** 20:13, 29 April 18 »

about the Symbiface III

We are working on the development.

At this moment there is:

- driver for the USB stick (FAT32) for SymbOS
- RTC
- Wireless USB Mouse
- 512 KB memory
- oled display

Bryce · « **Reply #22 on:** 09:37, 30 April 18 »

Top marks... Just for the old-school antenna!

Bryce.

SOS · « **Reply #23 on:** 09:47, 30 April 18 »

Quote from: TMTLOGIC on 20:13, 29 April 18

about the Symbiface III

...
- 512 KB memory
...

RAM and ROM?

rpalmer · « **Reply #24 on:** 13:02, 30 April 18 »

The SymbiFace-II only had 512K RAM, as for the III, i suspect it did not have a flash rom (it would be quite difficult have it given that the board has so much on it). I could be wrong as I have not seen a III and only a II.

rpalmer

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Author Topic: MP3 player for the Amstrad CPC (Read 5076 times)

LambdaMikel