WILLY - Soundcard adapter (MIDI and OPL3)

[genesis8]

Does WILLY stand for anything?

WILL You like MIDI and OPL3 on Amstrad CPC ? Just a proposal !
By the way, you dont mention the Covox4 also by Serdashop, but it should also be used with WILLY, except using more CPU to send the data ?

[VintageAdvantage]

WILL You like MIDI and OPL3 on Amstrad CPC ? Just a proposal !
By the way, you dont mention the Covox4 also by Serdashop, but it should also be used with WILLY, except using more CPU to send the data ?

Is there anything different in a Covox4 than a DigiBlaster? I thought we had all this "poor mans" parallel-port->DAC conversion stuff for the CPC already...

[genesis8]

Is there anything different in a Covox4 than a DigiBlaster? I thought we had all this "poor mans" parallel-port->DAC conversion stuff for the CPC already...

Directly quoted from Serdashop page for the Covox 4 (https://www.serdashop.com/CVX4) : CVX4 uses very high precision 0.1% all same value resistors, and a reverse engineered schematic (based on a real original covox) for excellent 8 bit sound. Other DIY clones use 1% or 5% resistors, different schematic, ...you can compare... CVX4 sounds way better...For an example of the Covox 4 sound card, look the video I did of it on my Amstrad PPC 640 :
https://youtu.be/vPtikDYTh5E Beware I think I was using old PC speakers in this video and it is taken with my phone, so quality with good speakers and captured directly should be even better.

[VintageAdvantage]

Thanks, and it does have a reasonable price.
Seems they went to great lengths to hand select the precision resistors... I am wondering if a real DAC chip would have also been an option here, like in the Amdrum.

[PulkoMandy]

Does WILLY stand for anything?

Not exactly. There is a very silly naming system for my interfaces and I guess it makes sense only to me.


FlashGordon is inspired by Silver Surfer
Albireo is inspired by Deneb
And now Willy is named after Flipper


Well, now you know, but I guess it isn't particularly helpful.

[PulkoMandy]

WILL You like MIDI and OPL3 on Amstrad CPC ? Just a proposal !
By the way, you dont mention the Covox4 also by Serdashop, but it should also be used with WILLY, except using more CPU to send the data ?

No, the Covox one won't work with this interface, it would need one more chip. It is indeed similar to the digiblaster, and if you get the SoundPlayer NG from Futurs', it has an integrated resistor network which should give quite good quality (unlike the previous versions using separate resistors). I think there is no need for a more complex interface here?


I think the TND2LPT will work, and the CMS2LPT will partially work (only one of the two SAA1099 chips can be addressed, it would also need an extra chip). But I don't own these to test and check, and I think they are not extremely useful (quite similar to what the CPC can already do)

[PulkoMandy]

I have now put an information page on Shinra website with better pictures of the board, programming information, and other details. I will continue updating it as software becomes available.

[PulkoMandy]

Hi!


No one wanted to do something with this hardware. So, finally I wrote some code myself.


Here is a player for uncompressed VGM files: https://framagit.org/shinra/vgmplay


It can play files using the OPL2 and OPL3 chips for now (so mostly PC and some Arcade games). It can only play uncompressed files, so the memory is rather quickly filled up with sound data (these are like YM files, register dumps to write to the chip). Timings in VGM files are at 44100Hz resolution but I'm converting them to 50Hz or 300Hz and it seems to sound similar enough to the original music.


Here is a little demo: https://twitter.com/pulkomandy/status/1401634143881121798


I think this means the interface is now ready for buying since it is actually useful. So let me know if you want one

[XeNoMoRPH]

I would love a unit.

[kawickboy]

All CPC/CPC+ compatible ?

[PulkoMandy]

Yes (except the GX4000 because there is no expansion port, of course)

[genesis8]

Doh, I thought I had already wrote about willy on my web site, and in fact not really.
There are so many things in my queue of things to be written...
Well in a few minutes.

[hsimpson]

I think this means the interface is now ready for buying since it is actually useful. So let me know if you want one

I would love to buy one . What would it cost with shipping (Poland)?

[PulkoMandy]

The cost is 10€ and it includes shipping.

[hsimpson]

In that case, one piece, please .

[Nitro]

I would be interested in one as well. Could you count me in?

[PulkoMandy]

Yes.


Last one for this first batch.


I will take preorders from now on for a second batch (I will wait a few days to know how many boards I should order).

[genesis8]

One for me on the next batch if possible, and dont say to me that you didnt think about Arnold and Willy !

[kawickboy]

2 for the new batch please. Is it possible to choose between edge or centronics plug ?

[PulkoMandy]

The connector is "Mother X4 compatible" HE10. I do not provide any cable or Mother X4 board currently, you have to get one separately.

[GUNHED]

The cost is 10€ and it includes shipping.

Awesome price!!! Please two for me too (next batch).
Would be nice if I can support them with some software, even if I'm having much to do at the moment.

[SkulleateR]

Would the M4 (or other Mass Storage Solution) be fast enough to deliver the data fast enough for streaming so bigger files than 64k "could" be played as well??

[PulkoMandy]

Probably. I could make some tests with UniDOS which provides an API for loading data from files in a modern and efficient way.


But the files should also compress very well and that's the typical thing to do (for example with YM / AYC files). This works because the data is very repetitive. There is also some CPU usage and size gains possible by optimizing the files before even compressing them. The files I'm testing with were generated from running games in emulators and capturing the register writes, and they tend to have very precise timing matching exactly what the game did. I don't really use this timing so I could remove most of the "wait" instructions (in some files that will be 25 to 50% of the data...). It would also simplify the player if all timings are expressed in 50Hz frames, and that would also probably help with the compression strategy.


About the price: an important reminder that this is only an adapter board. You need to buy the OPL3 or MIDI module separately from Serdaco. This is why this interface is cheap: there is only some address decoding logic and some connectors on it.

[RockRiver]

Here is a player for uncompressed VGM files: https://framagit.org/shinra/vgmplay

Hi PulkoMandy !!!
Do you think that VGMplay would works with AMSDAP ? (msx cartridge adaptor for cpc) and MoonSound (OPL3)

[PulkoMandy]

It could be adjusted to use different IO ports to work there, I think