Search found 729 matches
- Sat Jun 06, 2020 10:11 am
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Cheetah Specdrum
- Replies: 21
- Views: 3029
Re: Cheetah Specdrum
I found a couple of posts claiming that two versions of the software existed, the updated version being more compatible with later Spectrum models. I suppose it's possible that your version could be different from the one in the archive. Edit: https://archive.org/stream/crash-magazine-33/Crash_33_Oc...
- Sat Jun 06, 2020 8:16 am
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Cheetah Specdrum
- Replies: 21
- Views: 3029
Re: Cheetah Specdrum
Is this the same program as the one you were using? I can get it to load OK in an emulator without the keyboard becoming unresponsive. It resets if loaded in 128K mode, as the de-obfuscation routine relies on the printer buffer being empty (and subsequently corrupts the code if it isn't).
- Sun May 31, 2020 11:18 am
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: The Definitive Programmer’s Guide to Using the Floating Bus Trick on the ZX Spectrum
- Replies: 59
- Views: 13213
Re: The Definitive Programmer’s Guide to Using the Floating Bus Trick on the ZX Spectrum
A relatively simple method I use to distinguish a 128/+2 machine from a +2A/+3 is checking for the existence of port $3ffd. On the 128/+2 this port controls memory paging, so you can write to it and test known memory values in the $c000-$ffff range to see if they change. If they don't, then trying p...
- Sat May 16, 2020 8:19 am
- Forum: Website
- Topic: Looking for bandit and warmtoffee...
- Replies: 29
- Views: 4261
Re: Looking for bandit and warmtoffee...
Hi Bandit! I think you must have got me mixed up with someone else.
- Thu May 14, 2020 2:40 pm
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: What's the greatest ORIGINAL Speccy homebrew of all time?
- Replies: 38
- Views: 6098
Re: What's the greatest ORIGINAL Speccy homebrew of all time?
You may already be aware of it, but I would also nominate El Stompo as a great original game.
- Thu May 14, 2020 5:58 am
- Forum: Showcase your work!
- Topic: Digital AY synth
- Replies: 38
- Views: 6336
Re: Digital AY synth
Hmm. I'm a little busy right now, but let me see if I can come up with some better explanations later. Although I'm not completely familiar with all those tools you listed, I think the difference is that the sample-based trackers operate on samples (as the name would suggest), while this program ope...
- Thu May 14, 2020 3:23 am
- Forum: Showcase your work!
- Topic: Digital AY synth
- Replies: 38
- Views: 6336
Re: Digital AY synth
I've now added a scrolling (well, paging) tracker display synchronised with the music. You can try it here: synth-v0.1.0-0-g2bd8639_128.tap The problem is, the rendering speed is not great (even when the code is placed in uncontended memory) and this causes noticeable gaps in the song playback. Is ...
- Wed May 13, 2020 5:59 am
- Forum: Showcase your work!
- Topic: Digital AY synth
- Replies: 38
- Views: 6336
Re: Digital AY synth
Very nice project :) I'm keen on trying it out on my real Spectrum. The scripts seem to be for Unix. Any idea of how I can build it on Windows? Or an already compiled version? The build scripts are designed to work on Windows as well. I should probably add some kind of README with build instruction...
- Sun May 10, 2020 3:27 am
- Forum: Music
- Topic: Re: Classical music in Spectrum games and demos
- Replies: 18
- Views: 16522
Re: Classical music in Spectrum games and demos
Not on the Spectrum, but when I was looking at old episodes of '4 Computer Buffs', I found this original performance from around 1985 using Commie 64s.PeterJ wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 1:02 pm This is quite an interesting read:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/04/3 ... um_manual/
- Sat May 02, 2020 10:34 am
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: Rooster Run - Samurai Software
- Replies: 4
- Views: 757
Re: Rooster Run - Samurai Software
Seems like it's a MIA title. So yes, preserve it if you can!
You could either produce a .tzx file of the tape, or upload a .wav recording and someone can make a .tzx from that.
You could either produce a .tzx file of the tape, or upload a .wav recording and someone can make a .tzx from that.
- Sat May 02, 2020 2:41 am
- Forum: ZXDB Discussion
- Topic: Help Needed - The Type Fantastic
- Replies: 86
- Views: 39963
Re: Help Needed - The Type Fantastic
In the printout, listing 3 (or what the magazine claims to be listing 2) contains line 30, which skips over 368 bytes of data starting at address 64062. I loaded up 'The White Door', exported those bytes, and re-imported them into the magazine version of 'Crisis At Christmas'. After doing this the a...
- Sat May 02, 2020 12:45 am
- Forum: ZXDB Discussion
- Topic: Help Needed - The Type Fantastic
- Replies: 86
- Views: 39963
Re: Help Needed - The Type Fantastic
The problem occurs in lines 9958 onwards. Those variables are supposed to set up the addresses of various machine code routines, but for some reason the memory containing the addresses is initialised to zero. As a result, attempting to call the routines will cause a crash.
- Fri May 01, 2020 10:52 am
- Forum: Emulators
- Topic: Port logging
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2124
Re: Port logging
I just downloaded ZXSEC and it seems nice, but I don't think it does quite what I was looking for. I wanted to examine port writes in order to fix an issue I was having with a sample playback routine (individual samples were being output in the wrong order). Now those bugs have hopefully been fixed,...
- Fri May 01, 2020 9:48 am
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: SC Friday Quiz (TM): Skylines
- Replies: 37
- Views: 3803
Re: SC Friday Quiz (TM): Skylines
4. Out Run
- Fri May 01, 2020 8:41 am
- Forum: Emulators
- Topic: Testing emulators using z80test-1.0. Quick results
- Replies: 134
- Views: 58648
Re: Testing emulators using z80test-1.0. Quick results
In my case, it's almost surely the CPU. I'm currently using a laptop that is about 8 years old, and due to severe thermal problems I have to clock the CPU down below 1.5GHz if I don't want the fans spinning constantly. Disassembling it in an attempt to remove dust from the case didn't fix the proble...
- Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:52 pm
- Forum: Emulators
- Topic: Testing emulators using z80test-1.0. Quick results
- Replies: 134
- Views: 58648
Re: Testing emulators using z80test-1.0. Quick results
I've tried SpecIde in the past, and it works well, but its accuracy comes at a price. On my machine, it uses a lot of CPU and runs too slowly to be really usable. I don't know if that aspect has been improved since then, but maybe it runs better on other people's computers anyway. Last few versions...
- Thu Apr 30, 2020 11:23 pm
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: SC Friday Quiz (TM): Skylines
- Replies: 37
- Views: 3803
Re: SC Friday Quiz (TM): Skylines
24. Hysteria
- Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:55 pm
- Forum: Emulators
- Topic: Testing emulators using z80test-1.0. Quick results
- Replies: 134
- Views: 58648
Re: Testing emulators using z80test-1.0. Quick results
I've tried SpecIde in the past, and it works well, but its accuracy comes at a price. On my machine, it uses a lot of CPU and runs too slowly to be really usable. I don't know if that aspect has been improved since then, but maybe it runs better on other people's computers anyway.
- Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:26 am
- Forum: ZXDB Fixes
- Topic: Little bugs in the database 3
- Replies: 265
- Views: 59722
Re: Little bugs in the database 3
From what this article seems to say, this should be the page for Megus. Roman Petrov is not Megus, but someone who shares the same name as him. Also, they are apparently both from Russia (rather than Ukraine). Edit: if this is the case, the credit for Chopper Duel should be changed to refer to Megus...
- Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:01 am
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: Question about Dk'tronics Minder
- Replies: 1
- Views: 668
Re: Question about Dk'tronics Minder
I'm not really familiar with this game, but from what I can tell, the face drawing routine starts at $dd4e and calls a subroutine at $dc91 to draw the different facial features. They are drawn in this order: forehead, ears, chin, eyes + nose, mouth, with things like sunglasses and beards added after...
- Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:41 am
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: "Undocumented" Z80 index register instructions
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2013
Re: "Undocumented" Z80 index register instructions
I used one of those instructions to save a byte in a 64-column print routine. Since I was only operating on temporary strings, it didn't matter that the character byte in memory was corrupted.
- Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:54 am
- Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
- Topic: Phone wallpapers/screensavers
- Replies: 105
- Views: 46085
Re: Phone wallpapers/screensavers
Good idea! What do you think of these, Juan?
- Sun Apr 26, 2020 2:04 am
- Forum: ZX Spectrum Next
- Topic: Games behaving differently on the Next
- Replies: 263
- Views: 41143
Re: Games behaving differently on the Next
Yes, I would call 75 pages of text 'extensive'. But even if it wasn't, it only takes a few seconds to add someone's name to the credits if you use their work. That includes Penny Vickers and Robin Bradbeer, who contributed to the original manual as well.
- Sun Apr 26, 2020 12:54 am
- Forum: ZX Spectrum Next
- Topic: Games behaving differently on the Next
- Replies: 263
- Views: 41143
Re: Games behaving differently on the Next
Originally (and if you recall the early texts) it was going to be his name up there with all of ours; then the text diverged so much from the original and it ended up being written basically from scratch (not everywhere; why change a good thing?) That doesn't really make sense. The manual clearly c...
- Sat Apr 25, 2020 5:27 am
- Forum: ZX Spectrum Next
- Topic: Games behaving differently on the Next
- Replies: 263
- Views: 41143
Re: Games behaving differently on the Next
Is it possible to use the Next with a widescreen TV/monitor while having it display at the correct aspect ratio? Every photo I have seen so far shows stretched pixels.