Looking for ALF AM ][ disks images

[Antony Mauget]

Hi to All,

I'm looking for the software provided with the Apple Music ][ card from ALF
products Inc., a.k.a. Music Card MC1. There is also the reference 10-5-1 on
the card.

You will find a picture of the card at
https://picasaweb.google.com/amauget/ALFAM?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCJ7d9dO71tesmgE
and even the schematic ;-)

I've already taken a look at both The Apple II Documentation Project and
Asimov, no luck. The first offers images for another ALF music card...

Thanks in advance !

--
Antony
Apple II forever

[David Schmidt]

On 5/2/2012 4:52 PM, Antony Mauget wrote:
> Hi to All,
>
> I'm looking for the software provided with the Apple Music ][ card from ALF
> products Inc., a.k.a. Music Card MC1. There is also the reference 10-5-1 on
> the card.

Are the ALF-songs.*.shk files on asimov under images/sound any use?
There seem to be a couple of executables on there (play.system,
squirt.system).

[Ralph]

ENTRY and PLAY are the old (DOS 3.2 or 3.3) programs that apparently
were used with the initial
ALF 3-voice cards - I'd expect these to be very different than the
ProDOS PLAY.SYSTEM.

There are two different ALF music synthesis cards, one is a three-
voice based on discrete logic plus
a 74LS624 VCO, an 8253 timer chip, four CD4723 chips, and 3 8227DP
chips
(I actually don't have a datasheet for the 8227DP- does anyone know
what function it performs?)

The nine-voice card uses the SN76489, a programmable sound generator
and a kind of a cousin to the AY-3-8910.

It would be an extreme coincidence if both synthesizers could use the
same software, since latches and registers
and a programmable time wouldn't present the same bus interface as the
SN76489

(I remember seeing an demo of the ALF card running on an Apple II at
"The Future Now", a computer store in Cincinnati.)

[Antony Mauget]

> ENTRY and PLAY are the old (DOS 3.2 or 3.3) programs that apparently
> were used with the initial

This is exactly what I'm looking for. The manual also mentions DISCO and
PERFORM.
The programs were available on both disk and tape. They were written in
Integer BASIC.

[Marc S Ressl]

Hello Antony:

Do you mind if I add your pictures to the documentation project. If you were
able to get your hands on these programs, could you send me a copy so I can
place it in the project? If you do have the manual, would it be possible for
you to scan it?

Thanks a lot for all the trouble,
and with the best wishes,

Mar.c-

[Antony Mauget]

Hello Marc,

Adding my pictures into the Documentation project ? Of course ! It's a honor
for me.
I will make better pictures and scans of the documentation.

I'm still waiting to get my hands on software. I received a disk image for
the MC16 card (thanks Paul !) but it doesn't work with the MC1.

Can you tell me where I can upload the files I will produce ?
Thanks.

Regards,

P.S. : your email address doesn't work ?

--
Antony
Apple II forever

"Marc S Ressl" <mre...@macgui.com> a écrit dans le message de
news:mressl-1...@macgui.com...

[Antoine Vignau]

this manual is dedicated to the Cybernetic Empire ;-)

[Antoine Vignau]

View more at https://picasaweb.google.com/104707687928913128396/AppleIIALFProducts
antoine

[Phil Tubb]

On Wednesday, May 2, 2012 8:16:59 PM UTC-7, Ralph wrote:
> ENTRY and PLAY are the old (DOS 3.2 or 3.3) programs that apparently
>
> were used with the initial
>
> ALF 3-voice cards - I'd expect these to be very different than the
>
> ProDOS PLAY.SYSTEM.
>
>
>
> There are two different ALF music synthesis cards, one is a three-
>
> voice based on discrete logic plus
>
> a 74LS624 VCO, an 8253 timer chip, four CD4723 chips, and 3 8227DP
>
> chips
>
> (I actually don't have a datasheet for the 8227DP- does anyone know
>
> what function it performs?)
>
>
>
> The nine-voice card uses the SN76489, a programmable sound generator
>
> and a kind of a cousin to the AY-3-8910.
>
>
>
> It would be an extreme coincidence if both synthesizers could use the
>
> same software, since latches and registers
>
> and a programmable time wouldn't present the same bus interface as the
>
> SN76489
>
>
>
> (I remember seeing an demo of the ALF card running on an Apple II at
>
> "The Future Now", a computer store in Cincinnati.)

There are no 8227DP chips on the 3-channel ALF synthesizer (originally "Apple Music Synthesizer" and later "Music Card MC16"). There are three PMI DAC-76 chips http://www.chipsetc.com/pmi-precision-monolithics.html which are exponential D to A converters.

Phil

[Phil Tubb]

Did you ever find a copy of this software? "Entry" and "Play" are not really Integer BASIC... they were written in 6502 Assembly Language and appeared on disk as if a BASIC program.

Phil

[Phil Tubb]

On Thursday, May 3, 2012 8:58:13 AM UTC-7, Marc S Ressl wrote:
> Hello Antony:
>
>
>
> Do you mind if I add your pictures to the documentation project. If you were
>
> able to get your hands on these programs, could you send me a copy so I can
>
> place it in the project? If you do have the manual, would it be possible for
>
> you to scan it?
>
>
>
> Thanks a lot for all the trouble,
>
> and with the best wishes,
>
>
>
> Mar.c-

I have most the ALF manuals if you are still interested in them.

Phil

[Antoine Vignau]

Phil,
Disks are still *wanted* but manuals can be found at:
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20Apple%20Music%20II/

...or...

http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20Music%20Synthesizer/

Antoine

[Phil Tubb]

On that second link, in the Photos folder, the photos named "ALF Music II Owner's Manual - Page 1.jpg" and also the one named Page 2, are not anything to do with ALF. The "Page 1" one, for example, says "Vista Music Machine"... Vista being a different company than ALF Products.

I don't think I have any disks, but I will check. I know the guy who wrote the software (I wrote the manuals), I can ask him if he has anything.

To clear up the chips mentioned earlier in this thread, the Apple Music Synthesizer (aka Music Card MC16) was the first music card for the Apple II, and a pretty big seller. Texas Instruments cloned that entire card into a single IC, the SN76489, reducing the number of bits in the frequency control and the exponential volume control, and adding a white-noise source. ALF's Apple Music II (aka Music Card MC1) used three of the TI chips, and was also a large seller, and was cloned and copied by several companies (often illegally). This is why the MC16 sounds better than the MC1... because it has better tuning accuracy and better resolution on the envelopes (crucial to doing additive square-wave synthesis) and volume.

General Instruments tried to clone the TI part, producing the AY-3-8910, but they messed up the waveform. A square wave at one volume might be at 2V for half the cycle and -2V for the other half, then a square wave at a lower volume might be a 1.8V for half and -1.8V for the other half. General Instruments had the lower half of the square wave at the same voltage no matter what the volume was... only the upper half changed. This resulting in annoying clicks at every volume change. Which might not seem so bad, but the volume changes rapidly during each note to create the "envelope" of the note, so the result was horrible.

Phil

[Steve Nickolas]

On Thu, 11 Oct 2012, Phil Tubb wrote:

> To clear up the chips mentioned earlier in this thread, the Apple Music
> Synthesizer (aka Music Card MC16) was the first music card for the Apple
> II, and a pretty big seller. Texas Instruments cloned that entire card
> into a single IC, the SN76489, reducing the number of bits in the
> frequency control and the exponential volume control, and adding a
> white-noise source. ALF's Apple Music II (aka Music Card MC1) used
> three of the TI chips, and was also a large seller, and was cloned and
> copied by several companies (often illegally). This is why the MC16
> sounds better than the MC1... because it has better tuning accuracy and
> better resolution on the envelopes (crucial to doing additive
> square-wave synthesis) and volume.

The Tandy 1000 used a clone of the SN76489, if I recall.

-uso.

[Phil Tubb]

On Thursday, October 11, 2012 1:07:27 PM UTC-7, Antoine Vignau wrote:

The guy who wrote the software says he has all the software disks and probably also a copy on a hard drive. They are all in storage so it may be a while before I can get a copy. Being new to this group, could someone explain to me what the preferred method is for taking, say, an Apple II floppy disk and turning that into a file that could be uploaded and subsequently downloaded by the members here for use?

Phil

[Kevin]

ADTpro

http://adtpro.sourceforge.net/

sends and receives floppy disk images over serial or worst case audio using the tape interface

[D Finnigan]

Additionally, if you have the equipment, which is generally a pre-1998
series Macintosh and an Apple IIgs, you can use ShrinkIt to compress disks
and disk files, then use AppleTalk to send the files to the Macintosh.

Use a Mac with Ethernet ports then you can get these files to an even newer
machine.

--
]DF$
Apple II Book: http://macgui.com/newa2guide/
Mac GUI Vault: http://macgui.com/vault/
Usenet Archive: http://macgui.com/usenet/

[Phil Tubb]

For anyone else looking for the software for the "ALF Apple Music II" or "ALF Music Card MC1" card, Antoine Vignau has added the disk image for the "A" version of the software to the Apple II Documentation project!
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/
I'm still trying to find the "C" version (from 1983) which has more features (like the ability to play songs without needing game paddles to control the tempo).

[STYNX]

On Wednesday, May 1, 2013 12:25:09 AM UTC+2, Phil Tubb wrote:
>....

> I'm still trying to find the "C" version (from 1983) which has more features (like the ability to play songs without needing game paddles to control the tempo).

I'm still looking for the MC16 Software. It should be called 13-3-1B (13-3-8A is for the MC1). I tried the MC1 Software with the MC16, but only clicks and some random noises leave the speaker. Even the Tape-Version (13-2-1B) would be ok.

-Jonas

[jri...@masque.com]

Hi All,

I actually have a copy of the 13-3-1C version of the MC16 software and also the 13-3-8C version of the MC1 software (the last release of both). I also have the box sets of Songs for the MC16 (parts 1 and 2) and Songs for the MC1 (parts 1 and 2).

I plan to send these to Antoine Vignau (if you're out there, let me know how to get these to you) for archival as soon as I can make some backup copies. If anyone else would like them faster, let me know and maybe I can get a copy to you.

BTW, I pulled these out of storage where they've been sitting for the past 30+ years at the urging of by friend Phil Tubb. I'm actually the designer of the MC16 and MC1 cards, and the author of the ENTRY and PERFORM programs, so if anyone has any questions about them, I'd be happy to answer them.

Also, while the MC16 originally used 3 PMI DAC-76 chips, they were later replaced by the equivalent AM6072 chips (which I think are still available).

Cheers,
John Ridges

[STYNX]

Hi John,

it's really cool to hear from you. Since the MC16 is getting as rare as unobtainium i am going (some time in the next 2 years :-P) to make a few cards for myself and some other people. I have encountered the AM6072 as a good replacement several Months ago. Sadly these chips are still somewhat expensive. But i can get 10 AM6072 for the same price as one DAC-76. The 4723 are another story. I have fond some replacements, but i might have to redesign the board. The 1782khz Quartz is impossible to find. I will have to order some to be made for me.

Since the MC16 closely resembles the first stage (tone-generator) of a synthesizer, i was thinking of modifying the layout to generate 2 more Waveforms (Sawtooth and Sinus). But who knows if i find the time to do that. Even though i have found some nice Curtis IC to easily do that, there is more to be done than just replacing some ICs.

I would very much like to have a copy of your MC16 Software+Songs, please.

-Jonas

[Antoine Vignau]

Yeepee, John. Thank you very much (and also thanks to Phil) and happy new year.

Can you send an email to antoine (at) brutaldeluxe (dot) fr(ance) and I will reply with my postal address. As usual, I pay shipping both ways.

Thank you again.
Antoine

[Phil]

Antoine,

The "Disk Images" folder (and its contents) in
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20MC1%20MC16/
should actually be in
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20Apple%20Music%20II/
since all those disks are for the MC1 (Apple Music II) only. The "Songs
for the MC1 Part 2" disks, when John sends them to you, would also
belong in the (new)
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20Apple%20Music%20II/Disk%20Images/
folder, as would the "ALF MC1 13-3-8C" disk John is sending (along with
the existing file for the 13-3-8A version).

The "Songs for the MC16 Part 1", "Songs for the MC16 Part 2", and "ALF
MC16 13-3-1C" disks John is sending would go in a Disk Images folder
under
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20Music%20Synthesizer/
since they are all only for the MC16 (Apple Music Synthesizer).

Note that the manual for the 13-3-8C and 13-3-1C software is already on
the website as "ALF MC1 MC16 Manual 1983.pdf" and "ALF MC1 MC16 Manual
1983 update.jpg" under
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20MC1%20MC16/Manuals/
which is the appropriate folder since the manual covers both the MC1 and
the MC16.

PS: sorry for splitting this topic accidentally into two separate
topics. Still trying to figure out how to post to comp.sys.apple2
without Google Groups (which isn't working).

Phil

[Antoine Vignau]

Thanks Phil,
I'll correct during the week. To be seen next Sunday!
Av

[Phil]

Antoine,

Oh, and the .jpg photos of the "Songs for the MC1" disks should move
from "ALF MC1 MC16" to "ALF Apple Music II" as well.

Thanks!

Phil

[Antoine Vignau]

Phil,
all files moved to the right place.
site sync OK
av

[Phil Tubb]

Looks good, Antoine. Thanks!

Phi

[Ralph]

I was wondering, did the new MC16 cards get made?

I saw some cards from Europe on ebay a few months ago, but don't remember if they
were MC1 or MC16 clones.

On Thursday, January 2, 2014 at 8:07:03 AM UTC-5, STYNX wrote:
> On Thursday, January 2, 2014 5:14:36 AM UTC+1, jri...@masque.com wrote:
> > Hi All,

> > BTW, I pulled these out of storage where they've been sitting for the past 30+ years at the urging of by friend Phil Tubb. I'm actually the designer of the MC16 and MC1 cards, and the author of the ENTRY and PERFORM programs, so if anyone has any questions about them, I'd be happy to answer them.

> Also, while the MC16 originally used 3 PMI DAC-76 chips, they were later replaced by the equivalent AM6072 chips (which I think are still available).

> Since the MC16 closely resembles the first stage (tone-generator) of a synthesizer, i was
>thinking of modifying the layout to generate 2 more Waveforms (Sawtooth and Sinus).
>But who knows if i find the time to do that. Even though i have found some nice Curtis IC to
> easily do that, there is more to be done than just replacing some ICs.

I'm hoping to wire-wrap a card as KansasFest this year.

I was looking for an alternative dual 4-bit latch chip, the 4723 is only available surplus now, from places like Unicorn Electronics in Pennsylvania.

Will the 74ls256 be an acceptable substitute?

[Antony Mauget]

Hello Ralph !

> I was wondering, did the new MC16 cards get made?

Sure. You can find information on the A2DP
http://mirrors.apple2.org.za/Apple%20II%20Documentation%20Project/Interface%20Cards/Audio/ALF%20MC1%20MC16/

> I saw some cards from Europe on ebay a few months ago, but don't remember
> if they
> were MC1 or MC16 clones.

You're probably tlaking about Plamen's MC1 clone
http://a2heaven.com/webshop/index.php?rt=product/product&path=74&product_id=130

> I'm hoping to wire-wrap a card as KansasFest this year.

Cool !

> I was looking for an alternative dual 4-bit latch chip, the 4723 is only
> available surplus now, from places like Unicorn Electronics in
> Pennsylvania.
>
> Will the 74ls256 be an acceptable substitute?

Sorry, I have no clue about this. Perhaps Stynx will reply.



--
________________
Antony
Apple II forever