PROPHET64 & MSSIAH Userforum

You can save on tape via datasette in the "small" programms, that means, except in sequencer and wave-player. For this limitating reason, and also generally, i recommend a floppy drive (1541, 1581, SD2IEC) or a link cable to pc + software (see: 64HDD, 1541EMU). Perhaps an 1541 is cheaper or needs less prearrangements as pc linking. There's no way to save your projects on the mssiah cartridge.

Of course, the sound is supported by the tv cable (remember the difference to the monitor cable). BUT: (i) It doesn't provide a second SID, if you want to use a SID2SID. Monitor cable the same. (ii) You can't connect audio equipment (directly). (iii) Loss of audio quality. - IMO, for one SID a good isolated and preferably short cable for the video out port is sufficient for recording and monitoring linkage. (Probably you need an extension cable: cinch female.) But I use a self build in connector for my own, cause of the second SID. THEN you can use an "audio cable". (?)

Enjoy!

many thanks will get everything sorted and see how the c64 will work with the mssiah
just too bad you're not able to save projects on datassete  


another question is : one Sid has 3 voices , in most old tunes i can hear :
-beat
-bass
-arpeggios
-lead


that counts as 4 voices or the samples dont count for polyphony? is 1 sid capable of doing all this?
thanks again

Last edited by masterblaster (2011-12-17 16:34:16)

You won't get anything like 1.2MB on them! But when they're formatted, you can safely save as much on them as you like.

Have a look here for all the info on the 1541:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_1541

BTW, where are you located? I could send some floppies over to you.

Floppy drives are the ultimate in cool.

Since 1990, I use disks on 1541. Most of them are much older. Partly, there are ones I saved programs on only once, partly, I deleted, saved, deleted... They still work! I use two disks to save every MSSIAH arrangment twice, after another: an original and "backup" disk. After several time, I make "highlights" disks, too. I save frequently without wasting disk storage. That's my way of saving safely. Still now I had no loss of data.

Main problems could be:

(i) that the read/save head of the 1541 is used up, so that save and load procedures can produce errors (--> check your "new" drive first, use only a reliable drive),
(ii) or that your storage dates back ten years or more, so that the "natural" demagnetization of the disk increased critically (--> therefore every "new" MSSIAH project disk should be formatted first (*); read the following in ten years or so again: then refresh magnetization through copying the data again (no need for a new disk)),
(iii) or obviously, i.e. mechanically, damaged disks (especially the inner magnetic disk) through neglectfull use (--> preselect disks in terms of optical condition; if you are excessively fearful, make test storages).

(*) Format a disk through C64 starting without MSSIAH cartdridge in. Then insert the disk and type:

 OPEN1,drive no.,15,"N:diskname,id":CLOSE1         example: OPEN1,8,15,"N:MSSIAH ARRS 2012,D1":CLOSE1

Disc name can be up to 16 characters with some possible special characters. It'll take few minutes. I dare say the id of the drive is 8. Else you must test 8 to 11.

Last edited by CassandraX (2011-12-22 04:57:44)