Tapdancer not working :(

Neil79

Neil79

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Apparently this app can play tapes via your smartphone, however I'm having no luck what so ever :(

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.kica.tapdancer

I type |tape, then run" and the Amstrad says I need to press play and then hit any key. I do that via pressing play on the tapdancer app and nothing happens on the Amstrad, no loading screen!

I've tried both the EAR and MIC cable, still not working
 
Hi.

I use this app for my Commodore 64 and it usually works OK but occasionally fails depending on the .tap or c64 prg file. However it always shows the loading screen and if it fails it's usually at the end of the loading.

I use it via a mp3 cassette adapter but don't see why it wouldn't work via the direct method.

I use a Galaxy S4 and have to set the volume to 7 for consistent loads. Try setting the volume just above middle. Can you see the counter on TapDancer counting down when you press play?

Also are you using the correct tape files and are they definately supported in tapdancer? (Sorry I know very little about Amstrads!).

Finally if you play the tape on TapDancer without the cable connected are you able to hear the cassette sounds?

Hope you get it working. I made a (poor quality) video of the C64 process here:

[m]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MTnqn15u1s[/m]

Regards
 
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I've had lots of success with this using my Android phone (Galaxy S3). You do have to make sure that the volume of the phone is quite high.

What you should get is a click from the Amstrad once you've pressed any key. It is here that I would press play on the tapdancer panel.

Is the volume on the rear of the Amstrad turned up? You should be able to hear some loading noises through that if all is wired up correctly.

With my phone, I had to put the music volume to max, then the tapdancer volume to about 90%. It should be the ear connector you use. Also, what they say about putting your phone into flight mode is very good advise.

The first thing you should get with all tape loaders is a standard Amstrad loader, and this will say "Loading xxxx Block 1". Some tapes did have a long silence at the beginning, but never more than 20 seconds from memory.
 
The volume is at 12 on tap dancer and it says "playing" but the amstrad remains on Press PLAY then any key:

I pressed a key, pressed play on tap and tap plays and counts down but that's it. These are CDT files from gamebase

---------- Post added at 13:06 ---------- Previous post was at 13:00 ----------

Got it working!!!

Needed to be via the red EAR cable :D

---------- Post added at 13:24 ---------- Previous post was at 13:06 ----------

Hmm complete Green Screen at end :mad:
 
Chinners said:
Neil79 said:
Hmm complete Green Screen at end :mad:
Click to expand...
Adjust volume, try again... just like the good ole days :)
Click to expand...

It was on 13-Max

Will try again, cheers guys (y)

---------- Post added at 13:53 ---------- Previous post was at 13:34 ----------

EDIT : Nope, I hear a click and I'm back at the data entry screen

---------- Post added at 14:09 ---------- Previous post was at 13:53 ----------

Ghostbusters works!
cool.gif
 
Occasionally on some of the C64 games, when loading is finished the C64 waits on a blank screen - pressing play on tapdancer again sometimes starts the game, almost like the c64 is waiting for a final sound from the tape.

Try it and let us know!

Regards
 
Xevious and the other Dizzy's work, seems I may have an issue with buggy CTD files :oops:
 
Some phones struggle to output the volume necessary for the computer to pickup... A while back htc updated my phone to the new Jellybean OS and obviously tweaked the max volume settings in the process meaning Tapdance no longer worked... Fortunately, after another major OS update the max volume was increased again and TapDancer worked again :) I should note that the max volume shows signs to waveform clipping when hooked up to my oscilloscope but this doesn't really matter for a data squarewave (y)
 
ptp170 said:
Some phones struggle to output the volume necessary for the computer to pickup... A while back htc updated my phone to the new Jellybean OS and obviously tweaked the max volume settings in the process meaning Tapdance no longer worked... Fortunately, after another major OS update the max volume was increased again and TapDancer worked again :) I should note that the max volume shows signs to waveform clipping when hooked up to my oscilloscope but this doesn't really matter for a data squarewave (y)
Click to expand...

I think that is what is going on via my Phone

Most of the Dizzy's work but it doesn't matter which version I get, all Dizzy 1's don't. You get the loading on the side, then it's a complete green screen with loading tape noise still going on. It will only detect tapes at 12 or 13 and that's maxed out.

Bloody annoying :mad:

Atleast most work :D
 
That's why I only tend to use SD/CF options like a HxC (y)
You can use it on several computers, put all the games on an SD card, anything new that comes out can be added in minutes and it loads perfectly first time, every time.

I love old machines but I can't stand the cassette and floppy formats they used to use (y)

A few months ago I tried to load cassette software on an Acorn Electron. My new laptop was hopeless but my old HP XP machine worked perfectly :roll: I still ended up getting a disk interface and used the HxC :LOL:
 
You might have some luck with using a Volume EQ app from the Playstore to increase the midrange to higher end frequencies. My phone seems to balance out the output over all of the frequency ranges... so for instance if I boost the bassier frequencies the midrange to high end are slightly quieter... so try an app like 'Music Volume EQ', knock the bass right down and whop up the mid to high :)
 
ptp170 said:
You might have some luck with using a Volume EQ app from the Playstore to increase the midrange to higher end frequencies. My phone seems to balance out the output over all of the frequency ranges... so for instance if I boost the bassier frequencies the midrange to high end are slightly quieter... so try an app like 'Music Volume EQ', knock the bass right down and whop up the mid to high :)
Click to expand...

Oh, that's a good tip! (y)

sir_beaker I'd love to have one of those HxC options but the cost is ridiculous, at least at the moment :whistle:
 
Neil79 said:
ptp170 said:
You might have some luck with using a Volume EQ app from the Playstore to increase the midrange to higher end frequencies. My phone seems to balance out the output over all of the frequency ranges... so for instance if I boost the bassier frequencies the midrange to high end are slightly quieter... so try an app like 'Music Volume EQ', knock the bass right down and whop up the mid to high :)
Click to expand...

Oh, that's a good tip! (y)

sir_beaker I'd love to have one of those HxC options but the cost is ridiculous, at least at the moment :whistle:
Click to expand...

You may get more success using a tzx to wav converter and writing to CD and getting an el-cheapo CD player... or building up a 3.5" drive...
 
Chinners said:
You may get more success using a tzx to wav converter and writing to CD and getting an el-cheapo CD player... or building up a 3.5" drive...
Click to expand...

You obviously still need Tapdancer with the CD player?

This is all new to me, the Amstrad isn't :dry:
 
Success I got Dizzy 1 working (y)(y)

By using a Speaker Booster on my Android phone, then dropping the volume by one. Worked fine and I played it, took the Speaker Booster off as a test and sure enough it wont load at all :)

It was a WAV file that I used this time
 
(y)
 
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Pretty much all my games work now either through Tapdancer or playing the MP3/Wav version! It's great that if one doesn't work via one version it does via another
cool.gif
cool.gif
 
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