Spectrum Computing

Hi all

Does anybody have any experience with loading games via PlayZX - or an equivalent app - on Android? I can't even get to the point where the name of the game appears! I had more success 35 years ago with a cheap tape player

I am using the original mono audio lead that presumably came with the machine.

Is it about finding the correct volume on the phone?

Thanks

Hi [mention]Sanxion[/mention]

I went into settings on PlayZX and found by default the volume is set at 70% I increased it up to 100% and that sorted it for me in the majority of cases. There are other useful setting there too.

You can get a stereo 3.5mm plug to a pair of mono 3.5mm plugs for a few pounds on eBay like this one:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 0729306414

Hi Peter

Should I be using a stereo to mono audio cable?

I got better results with using one.

Fine...my next purchase.

What would you recommend in relation to SD card readers in order to avoid having to load games this way?

This is the most popular choice:

https://www.bytedelight.com/?product=di ... ck-edition

The also do a mini version without the joystick port. This is the version I have.

Tapir produces the waveform that is closest to what the Spectrum would generate, so try that instead. Also, the Spectrum was designed to work with tape recorders of the day, which could produce a much, much louder signal than most modern-day devices.

The Speccy’s input jack takes a mono plug. You can use a stereo plug, though, but you’ll have to connect the ground wire to the ring terminal, not the sleeve.

Sanxion wrote: ↑Sat Feb 09, 2019 5:48 pm Hi all

Does anybody have any experience with loading games via PlayZX - or an equivalent app - on Android? I can't even get to the point where the name of the game appears! I had more success 35 years ago with a cheap tape player

I am using the original mono audio lead that presumably came with the machine.

Is it about finding the correct volume on the phone?

Thanks

I use it with, but I connect my phone in a speaker and then the speaker in the Spectrum (in my case, a clone - TK90X). Both connections using a stereo cables. I can load the majority of games.

As [mention]Ast A. Moore[/mention] says some modern devices can't produce the required volume even with them.set to 100%. You can find headphone amplifiers on Aliexpress of similar. My Amazon Fire seems to produce the highest volume.

Mono 3.5mm jack connectors and stereo 3.5mm jack connectors have their contacts in different positions, so a stereo 3.5mm jack plug will not work very well (if at all) in a mono socket, and a mono 3.5mm jack plug will not work very well (if at all) in a stereo socket.

So yes, you need a lead with a stereo jack plug to go into your “modern” playback device and a mono jack plug to go into the “ear” socket on the ZX Spectrum.

Mark

Edit the captured sound in Audacity on your PC (Or any decent DAW).
Try to record your cassettes in wav or ogg vorbis.
Import into Audacity. Put all your audio into the right channel.
Make sure you are using mono NOT phone jack cables.
Remove ALL bass from the signal via EQ and normalisation.
Remove ALL sound from left channel.
Speed up the file by 75%.
Save in your folder.
I dont buy roms/sim cards/expansion buses for it, just run it through your mp3 player or PC direct into speccy.
That money spent on sd card expansion busses can be better spent on things like light pens!
Works 95% of the time, if you want 98%, add a high pass filter.
Then use winamp or your phone/tab to load it!