Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

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robcook
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Thank you so much. The lappy I'm using now is a new one with W10 but my spare machines are old-ish Acer lappies with XP installed so it seems we have similar set-ups.

I am going to give this a try very soon and report back. I don't mind paying for software if need be.

Back asap. Got lots of work to sort today but I will try to squeeze this in.
robcook
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Btw, you're spot on re. new machines. The W10 lappy I'm using does have only one sound port so it's a good thing I kept my old machines.

Had a quick look at both Audacity (free) and the paid equivalent which now seems to be named WavePad. There are two versions - Master's and Standard with different prices. Do you think there is any benefit from choosing the Master's edition over the Standard?

https://secure.nch.com.au/cgi-bin/regis ... re=wavepad

ETA: To add to the above, is there any benefit of using the paid WavePad software over the free Audacity software?
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Symoon
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by Symoon »

I honestly Don't know. I'm using a version from… 1996!
Then a simple program.

I'd say try Audacity 1st, or google for any free equivalent (I'm not familiar at all with Audacity so can't tell its + or - )
IMHO it's not worth spending zillions in a professional program just to record/playback/save and maybe amplify, edit, ...
robcook
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Okey dokey. Will do as recommended. Looking forward to it. As promised, I'll report back when attempted, hopefully with spiffing news.
robcook
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Didn't get to this today. Mega-buried with work. Mañana mañana.
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Steve M
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by Steve M »

I think Baz had some cassette recorders. You might find him via the World of Oric pages.
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Steve M wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 3:45 pm I think Baz had some cassette recorders. You might find him via the World of Oric pages.
He's got loads of 'em but doesn't want to sell them - can't say I blame him! Gonna really try to get to this today - have booted up an XP machine so hope to be back with good news.
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Well, I have an update. I've made some progress but we're not 100% there yet. I am using Audacity to successfully record files from my Atmos to my XP laptop, as WAV files. Playing these files on the laptop (in Audacity), it's lovely to hear the Oric's loading noise.

I can open these files on my laptop via Oricutron - no problem. However, so far I have been unable to CLOAD the files back from the laptop to my real Atmos. CLOADing just leaves the Atmos 'Searching' and nothing is found. It is probably due to volume settings or something similar. I'm doing everything in mono as far as I can see, and have tried setting my laptop and Audacity to various different recording/playback volumes but no joy yet.

It's getting late and I'm getting tired so I will be back at this tomorrow, but it's definitely a step towards the end goal, I believe.
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Dbug
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by Dbug »

Also remember to not have any "system sound" or "email client" or anything else doing "bleeps" and "plops" when you try to load, because they will also reach the Oric.
robcook
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Dbug wrote: Sat Apr 04, 2020 9:23 pm Also remember to not have any "system sound" or "email client" or anything else doing "bleeps" and "plops" when you try to load, because they will also reach the Oric.
There shouldn't be any interference from the laptop, I was sure not to have any other programs running and it's not even connected to the internet :/
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Symoon
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by Symoon »

Depending on Atmos models, il can require a low volume, or sometimes a (very) high one.
From memory, the CSAVE recording was sometimes low on my computer.

Once you saved your WAV file, you could try amplifying it (a lot, who cares, it's saved) before playing back.
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

I will be having another crack at this today - loading files from the XP laptop to the Atmos. I realise there are record and playback volume settings in the Audacity software. Do you think I should be doing anything specific to help by changing the laptop's own sound settings? ie. the settings for Master Volume, Wave, SW Synth and and Mic Volume? Or altering their left/right balance settings (they are all set in the middle at the moment)?

I have already muted the CD Player and PC Beep volume settings.

Thanks :)

ETA: I've also tried playing the files using Windows Media Player but still the Atmos doesn't detect the file.

ETA2: The Audacity software has a setting for Project Rate (Hz) with options ranging from 8000 to 96,000. It is default set to 44,100. I don't know if this would make any difference. I'm still quite clueless at the moment but I guess it's still early days.
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Dbug
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by Dbug »

There are a lot of things that can impact the audio, like for example the volume is different if you select "headphones" vs "line out", you also want to disable any form of bass control, reverb, equalizer, etc... and obviously, on your Oric cable, one of the jack connects to the microphone input, while the other connects to the output, and you generally want that to be balanced: If you recorded on microphone, then replay on headphones, if you recorded on line-in, then replay on line-out, else you need to compensate for the volume difference-

As long as the Oric is showing "Searching..." you can just let it do that while you press play on the sample again and again with different volumes level.

The idea is to find the minimum level on which the signal is detected, the maximum level, and then select something somewhere in-between.

Regarding the frequency, that should not have much of an impact, by Symoon has more experience than me on that :)

Personally, I would start from a WAV file generated by TAP2WAV, TAP2CD or equivalent, because then you know it's a binary perfect file, not the result of something that was sampled.
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Symoon
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by Symoon »

Apart from being sure no external sound will be heared (incoming email, whatever), only volume settings you should care about are WAV and master volume. Try setting the at the maximum, then half if it doesn't work.

The frequency is not really important. You might even try to lower it (recording at 11 or 22kHz), because sometimes a too high sample rate, giving more details in sampling, can reproduce signal imprefect shapes.

BTW do you hear the file playing through your Atmos speaker? When working fine, on all machines I suppose, it can be heared if you're close enough and paying attention.

Last option: could you post one of your WAV files somewhere, so I can download it and try loading it on my machines? ;)
Last edited by Symoon on Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
robcook
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Re: Sell me a data recorder! Price no object!

Post by robcook »

Dbug wrote: Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:51 pm Personally, I would start from a WAV file generated by TAP2WAV, TAP2CD or equivalent, because then you know it's a binary perfect file, not the result of something that was sampled.
Thanks for the suggestions, much of which I've tried but will continue plugging away. Regarding converting from .tap to WAV, I don't see in Audacity any way to create a .tap file, only WAV (and other) formats.
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