VOGONS


Reply 23620 of 27168, by Baleog

User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie
Ozzuneoj wrote on 2023-01-28, 08:39:
These pages explain it pretty well... https://soundprogramming.net/synthesizers/rol … /roland-cm-32p/ https://soundprogramming.n […]
Show full quote

These pages explain it pretty well...
https://soundprogramming.net/synthesizers/rol … /roland-cm-32p/
https://soundprogramming.net/synthesizers/rol … d/roland-u-110/

The CM64 is a combination of a CM-32L (LA Synthesis like the MT-32) and the CM-32P (PCM synthesis). Think of the PCM synth as early wavetable, but without being General MIDI or LA compatible. Compared to LA synth, the instruments can be much more realistic, but they are only useful for production and recording. I don't believe any games make use of PCM synths like this.

To be honest, and I'm not sure if you can really even find MIDI tracks that utilize them, and if you did you'd have to have the correct card to make them sound right. I think they only make sense if you compose and record your own music, and in that area they probably are outpaced by a Sound Canvas most of the time.

That makes sense - just like the better synthesizers used. My first guess would have been for recording midi like with the Roland sound brush.

Mixed PCs - Midi racks - Micros and more

Reply 23621 of 27168, by H3nrik V!

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

A couple of days ago, I opened up the 386DX40, I got from work, to see that it had a Varta battery. Albeit looking fine at first sight, today a did a what proved to be last responsible moment Vartectomy (or PPS - Preventive Plague Surgery) on it. I'm happy to find it had an external battery connector. Any idea of the pinout - and is there "something standard" to buy and plug in.

Further inspection showed that it is actually a DX33 on board - I'm pretty sure POST screen said 40, though ... The crystal being an 80 MHz pretty much confirms that this computer has been running overclocked since the early 90's 🤣

Gonna dig out my SX33 one of the days to check for Varta ...

Attachments

  • 2023-01-28 22.28.16.jpg
    Filename
    2023-01-28 22.28.16.jpg
    File size
    968.59 KiB
    Views
    1372 views
    File comment
    80 MHz XTal, i.e. CPU running at 40
    File license
    Public domain
  • 2023-01-28 22.28.56.jpg
    Filename
    2023-01-28 22.28.56.jpg
    File size
    1.83 MiB
    Views
    1372 views
    File comment
    Apparently a DX33
    File license
    Public domain
  • 2023-01-28 22.23.23.jpg
    Filename
    2023-01-28 22.23.23.jpg
    File size
    1.1 MiB
    Views
    1372 views
    File comment
    Pretty much last responsible moment :o
    File license
    Public domain

Please use the "quote" option if asking questions to what I write - it will really up the chances of me noticing 😀

Reply 23622 of 27168, by Brawndo

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Fully disassembled, thoroughly cleaned and reassembled the AT keyboard I recently found at the thrift store for I think $3. It's rare enough to find PS2 keyboards at the thrift, but when I saw this AT one I was super stoked. Hopefully it works!

20230129-142944.jpg

Reply 23623 of 27168, by chrismeyer6

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Brawndo wrote on 2023-01-29, 22:13:
Fully disassembled, thoroughly cleaned and reassembled the AT keyboard I recently found at the thrift store for I think $3. It's […]
Show full quote

Fully disassembled, thoroughly cleaned and reassembled the AT keyboard I recently found at the thrift store for I think $3. It's rare enough to find PS2 keyboards at the thrift, but when I saw this AT one I was super stoked. Hopefully it works!

20230129-142944.jpg

That keyboard really cleaned up great it looks like new. Judging by the windows key it's a relatively late model AT keyboard.

Reply 23624 of 27168, by AppleSauce

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
Ozzuneoj wrote on 2023-01-28, 08:39:
These pages explain it pretty well... https://soundprogramming.net/synthesizers/rol … /roland-cm-32p/ https://soundprogramming.n […]
Show full quote
Baleog wrote on 2023-01-28, 08:12:
Shponglefan wrote on 2023-01-27, 17:59:

Fixed this Roland CM-64 today.

It was only outputting sound on one channel. Took it apart and didn't see anything immediately obviously wrong.

I cleaned the audio connectors with some DeoxIT and reflowed the solder joints on them for good measure. That appears to have done the trick as it now is working perfectly.

What is the purpose of the memory card?

These pages explain it pretty well...
https://soundprogramming.net/synthesizers/rol … /roland-cm-32p/
https://soundprogramming.net/synthesizers/rol … d/roland-u-110/

The CM64 is a combination of a CM-32L (LA Synthesis like the MT-32) and the CM-32P (PCM synthesis). Think of the PCM synth as early wavetable, but without being General MIDI or LA compatible. Compared to LA synth, the instruments can be much more realistic, but they are only useful for production and recording. I don't believe any games make use of PCM synths like this.

To be honest, and I'm not sure if you can really even find MIDI tracks that utilize them, and if you did you'd have to have the correct card to make them sound right. I think they only make sense if you compose and record your own music, and in that area they probably are outpaced by a Sound Canvas most of the time.

EDIT: Wow, these PCM samples are so cool.
https://www.synthmania.com/u-110.htm
The "wide piano" that pans from right to left depending on key pitch is fantastic for the late 1980s... very impressive!

I think there were some japanese PC98 and some x68000 games that actually might have made use of the pcm cards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FBR4ktmhMo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4jq3ql8etY

This guy found 2 but there might be others?

Reply 23625 of 27168, by Nexxen

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Started to write and update doc file of my cpus.
I have quite some and it's tiring.
I wonder how ppl with thousands can manage a desaster with loss of data 😄

PC#1 Pentium 233 MMX - 98SE
PC#2 PIII-1Ghz - 98SE/W2K

Reply 23626 of 27168, by pentiumspeed

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Revived the SBC board Adventech PCA-6157 rev A2 finally when I had time to do a hot swap flash to create a new bios firmware on another motherboard. I contacted Adventach for the manual and bios firmware successfully.

When received, board was totally stripped of socketed parts. Had to replace keyboard AMIKEY-2, async cache, and bios flash IC which is NOS part, and usual things: processor and memory. Set up the jumpers correctly. Now starts up fine and boot from floppy.
I got the parts from a scrap board that had all the needed parts and some more too for other projects.

The board is FX intel chipset, SMC super i/o, diagnostic 8 LEDs in a row in red, supports up to 200MHz pentium, and rarest feature for of this vintage, buck converter DC to DC VRM for generating 3.3V means less heat.

Will post these goodies on the vintage hardware, I already got permission from Adventech's.

Cheers,

Great Northern aka Canada.

Reply 23627 of 27168, by Shponglefan

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Did some organizing of my 'current projects' shelves as I figure out what I'm going to tackle next.

Thinking of working on that Packard Bell Legend I system, especially since I know my IBM Blue Lightning 486 upgrade processor works in it. Might be fun to turn it into an upgraded system.

Attachments

Pentium 4 Multi-OS Build
486 DX4-100 with 6 sound cards
486 DX-33 with 5 sound cards

Reply 23628 of 27168, by Nexxen

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Formatted and reinstalled OS (2K and Xp) on some laptops.
IBM T22 (P III 900 - 256MB) 98 (lack of drivers made me kill it)/2K
Packard Bell iGo 2000 (Duron 1200 - 384MB) 2k + XP
Acer Aspire 5630 (T5500 - 2GB) XP32

I'd like to find original drivers CDs but can't find them at all.
Made my folders with what I have, praising Snappy origin 😀

PC#1 Pentium 233 MMX - 98SE
PC#2 PIII-1Ghz - 98SE/W2K

Reply 23629 of 27168, by Kahenraz

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Shponglefan wrote on 2023-01-31, 03:33:

Did some organizing of my 'current projects' shelves as I figure out what I'm going to tackle next.

It's that a pair of Altec Lansing speakers and subwoofer I spot on the bottom shelf?

Reply 23630 of 27168, by TheMobRules

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Not PC related, but still retro-ish: my trusty fat XBox 360 died with a RROD today after replacing the thermal paste, and it's the dreaded 0022 error, which usually means CPU failure. I also assume it's something I did since it's a Jasper model, which does not have the problems of the earlier models. Probably I stressed the BGA joints of the CPU too much either when removing or reinstalling the x-clamp. Oh well, at least it had a few good years of service since I bought it in 2009.

Fuck BGA chips, lead-free solder and whoever designed those x-clamps!

Reply 23631 of 27168, by Shponglefan

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Kahenraz wrote on 2023-02-01, 05:17:
Shponglefan wrote on 2023-01-31, 03:33:

Did some organizing of my 'current projects' shelves as I figure out what I'm going to tackle next.

It's that a pair of Altec Lansing speakers and subwoofer I spot on the bottom shelf?

It is indeed. 😀

Though they are in need of some cleaning and cosmetic repairs.

Pentium 4 Multi-OS Build
486 DX4-100 with 6 sound cards
486 DX-33 with 5 sound cards

Reply 23633 of 27168, by matze79

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Shponglefan wrote on 2023-01-31, 03:33:

Did some organizing of my 'current projects' shelves as I figure out what I'm going to tackle next.

Thinking of working on that Packard Bell Legend I system, especially since I know my IBM Blue Lightning 486 upgrade processor works in it. Might be fun to turn it into an upgraded system.

Bend a Shelf 😁

https://www.retrokits.de - blog, retro projects, hdd clicker, diy soundcards etc
https://www.retroianer.de - german retro computer board

Reply 23634 of 27168, by pentiumspeed

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
TheMobRules wrote on 2023-02-01, 21:39:

Not PC related, but still retro-ish: my trusty fat XBox 360 died with a RROD today after replacing the thermal paste, and it's the dreaded 0022 error, which usually means CPU failure. I also assume it's something I did since it's a Jasper model, which does not have the problems of the earlier models. Probably I stressed the BGA joints of the CPU too much either when removing or reinstalling the x-clamp. Oh well, at least it had a few good years of service since I bought it in 2009.

Fuck BGA chips, lead-free solder and whoever designed those x-clamps!

Long text be patient with me:

X-clamps is not the issue and are used unchanged in all of generations of Xboxes including Xbox Series. The board free floats up and down direction where CPU and GPU are and metal shell is precision positioned so that heatsink and the steel shell does not bend the board when that two is assembled. This is best mechanical clamp I ever seen, works well. PS4 used same way but clamp cannot be bent more as steel Sony used is softer and bend very easily, and please *do not mod the heat clamp at all*. You want a sprung member that applies steady pressure on the silicon die against heatsink. Washers or bolts mods transfers from the clamp to the metal shell which means *LESS* pressure. Not recommended! If you imagine how this worked, you will finally understand.

Now, the *major* biggest ISSUES is TIM used *is* terrible in normal application especially Microsoft's! Main issue is excessive PCM-TIM. Microsoft used TIM made of phase-change material that melts when heated to specific temp (around 60C or more),, and squeezes out excess under pressure of x-clamp. As you know a smart engineer in thermal design in ideal world quantity is ideally pasted to the heatsink pre-assembly just enough to fill the entire die area and not overfill around the die between proccessor package and the heatsink during first use when on.

Well,
No, no, oh no. I never ever seen this happen. The issue is excessive PCM-TIM overfilled around the silicon die *wedging* the CPU's package and the heatsink on first cycle. What happens is TIM now is a thin layer between silicon die and the heatsink's surface. Keep in mind, microsoft designed heatsinks very well and didn't get hot enough to exceed PCM melting termp anymore, (I know, not the ones in 360), now that PCM-TIM wedge is holding the processor and heatsink apart and not hot enough to remelt anymore. Thermal cycles later, in that layer between heatsink and silicon die and air bubbles forms and clear PCM waxy carrier stays behind, while TIM particles forced out of the gap, stayed cold in the wedge area. Overheating results stressing the silicon die prematurely.

I see this happen all the time even 1 year old microsoft consoles under repair. Fix is remove all the PCM-TIM, little remaining is fine, and use regular quality thermal paste like Thermal Grizzely Kyroanaut or Hydronaut, Noctua NT-H2 or any quality paste that is more than 8w/mk. Very carefully if you use Arctic Silver 5 as it is electronically conductive.

All PS4 series used just right paste amount and stayed soft. But particle size is too large. Ideally lap heatsink lightly and use aftermentioned paste above instead.

This is from over 50 consoles of all types mostly PS4 and Microsoft in 4 and half years of repair. None came back for the overheating issues, few that did came back had good layer of thermal paste staying there because customer broke the HDMI port again.
My mods for microsoft's consoles including Xbox Series S, is bend the X clamp stronger and use aftermentioned paste above. Lap the heatsink lightly also. Xbox Series X x-clamp is very strong already and no mods to this clamp except light lap the heatsink's, just replace the PCM-TIM with these paste I use and kread all the green paste, this one is reuseable, into ball on their ram chips and reform them on other SSD and power mosfets so they will squeeze out when reassembled.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_interface_material

Anyone with xbox one models and Xbox series, get these done ASAP now at good console repair shop, provide them with aftermentioned thermal paste. I always disassemble, clean and redo the thermal paste for any reasons including HDMI port repair and hard drive replacements.

Regarding the right to repair is still not possible on replacing SSD with caveats.

PS: If you find out SSD failed on any of these latest consoles, ship them back to Sony or Microsoft is only way at this moment currently. At this moment shops cannot replace these. On PS5, main SSD is soldered down. On both Xbox Series X and S, SSD is in a M.2 2230 SSD. Which is non-standard 30mm length and not directly replaceable using any SSD from a computer store. That SSD is tied to the motherboard serial, Currently only way is if data is recoverable has to cloned to donor working SSD from another xbox series. Unfortunately. In other words on this microsoft, if SSD completely failed, and cannot clone that data, the console is bricked. Only option is ship it back to Microsoft.

For Microsoft, each of you, write a demand to send out a system software update so SSD can be unbinded from the cosnole so you can upgrade that SSD to 2TB, 4TB whatever and reinstall system software.
For Sony, demand a PS5 redesign so SSD can be replaced as separate part in form of a standasrd 2280 M.2 NVME SSD and is replaceable or upgrade at will and reinstall system software as usual like old days is.

PS5 liquid metal TIM is not working properly even with their patented seal system, I still see dry spot of any size every time I open up PS5 for repair.

Cheers,

Last edited by pentiumspeed on 2023-02-02, 00:04. Edited 1 time in total.

Great Northern aka Canada.

Reply 23636 of 27168, by Shponglefan

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
matze79 wrote on 2023-02-01, 22:44:
Shponglefan wrote on 2023-01-31, 03:33:

Did some organizing of my 'current projects' shelves as I figure out what I'm going to tackle next.

Thinking of working on that Packard Bell Legend I system, especially since I know my IBM Blue Lightning 486 upgrade processor works in it. Might be fun to turn it into an upgraded system.

Bend a Shelf 😁

They may bend, just so long as they don't break. 😁

Pentium 4 Multi-OS Build
486 DX4-100 with 6 sound cards
486 DX-33 with 5 sound cards

Reply 23637 of 27168, by Shponglefan

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Cloudschatze wrote on 2023-02-01, 22:34:
https://www.symphoniae.com/misc/vogons/20230201_s.jpg Got around to shelving a couple of new titles related to RS-232 MIDI and O […]
Show full quote

20230201_s.jpg
Got around to shelving a couple of new titles related to RS-232 MIDI and OPLxLPT patching efforts. Oh, boy.

Needs more MT-32's. 😉

Pentium 4 Multi-OS Build
486 DX4-100 with 6 sound cards
486 DX-33 with 5 sound cards

Reply 23638 of 27168, by Kahenraz

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

That's some epic MT-32 trophies. I have just the one, and it's not in very good condition, but it works. Now they're expensive enough that it doesn't seem worth it to me to get another one just for the cosmetics.

Mad respect.

Reply 23639 of 27168, by Joseph_Joestar

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Finally decided to set up a dedicated LAN for all of my retro rigs. No internet access, just network shares.

I should have done this earlier, it's so much better than dealing with crappy USB 1.1 speeds, or the system slowdowns and IRQ conflicts caused by some USB 2.0 cards. Currently, I have everything hooked up to an old TP-Link TL-WR740N router that I had left over from a previous ISP. Transfer speeds are averaging around 9-10 MB/s on my faster machines and 2-3 MB/s on my DOS system. I'm ok with that, though I imagine it might be possible to reach slightly higher speeds with better gear. For now, I'm just happy that everything works. 😀

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi