Using a USB tape deck to create tape images

[Maniac]

I've been sorting through my Amstrad tapes over the last couple of weeks. I finally dug out and connected a 464 tape deck that I plug directly in to my modified 6128 plus motherboard to try out a few of them to check they work. Most work as expected and it got me looking at what was in ADATE and I have some stuff not there like Nightshade and Livingstone I Presume.

After finding some documentation regarding creation of tape images I'm looking to see if I can submit some images. I've got a USB tape deck which seems to capture audio pretty well. Will this do the job or do I need to dig out my tape deck from the loft please? An initial test seemed to capture ok to a WAV file from which the standard Amstrad files loaded but when it moved to the proprietary loader it doesn't load in WinAPE.

[Bryce]

It should work fine. What sample rate did you use and does the recording software have any filtering turned on?

Bryce.

[Maniac]

Set it to mono at 44100K and then saved as a WAV at 8 bit resolution. Pretty sure I switch off filtering. Used Audacity so if anyone has any tips gladly take them onboard.

[Bryce]

Possibly the levels are too low? Try amplifying it so that the waves are using the full range.

Bryce.

[Maniac]

Possibly the levels are too low? Try amplifying it so that the waves are using the full range.

Bryce.

That was my thought too. The standard loader bits are just fine and fill almost the full height of the wave but the proprietary bits seem much smaller. Will boosting that in software be ok? Silly question maybe.

[robcfg]

Yes, you can try amplifying the volume.


If it doesn't work, then please upload it somewhere so we can take a look.


Maybe your tape is a bit wobbly, but as I said, we'd need to see it to be able to help you.

[Bryce]

Yeah, you can do it directly in Audacity. There's a amplify command in the effects menu. There's also a normalise effect which might be useful to try.

Bryce.

[dlfrsilver]

I'm the guy you want to talk to about the tape dumping.


You need to have the sound level on the tape recorder higher than the recording sound level on the recording tool on your PC.


If the noise level is too high, then there is a problem with setting above.


One done, let me tell you this : no tool publicly available allows to make CDTs of Livingstone i presume.


It uses the first scheme used by operasoft and has no CRC. Only the future CSW2CDT tool allows to pass it But it's not yet available because cngsoft has to correct the support for the gremlin loader 2 (impossamole, saint and greavsie), and Gremlin loader 3 (Mask).


Those 2 are damn bitches......


About the tape recorder, the best model i came thru is the Sony TCM 939. It makes dumps where the sound is not bleeding like i've seen with many others.

[dlfrsilver]

check

[Maniac]

Thanks for the advice I'll try some things out when I next have time.

Re Livingstone I Presume; it's a horrid loader full stop - very sensitive to tape setup I've found on real kit alone!

[dlfrsilver]

Thanks for the advice I'll try some things out when I next have time.

Re Livingstone I Presume; it's a horrid loader full stop - very sensitive to tape setup I've found on real kit alone!

Yes. But the CDT and WAV made with CSW2CDT works like a charm just try them !