introducing minisound GS

[Steven Wallace]

minisound GS is a 16.5 mm x 82 mm daughterboard which plugs directly
into the sound port on the Apple IIGS motherboard. A jumper cable brings
12V power from the fan connector to the board. A daisy header on the
board allows power to continue to a fan if needed. A headphone jack at
the rear of the board provides the stereo output.

A voltage regulator provide +5V and a charge pump -5V.

If you email a request for a board, I will mail you one. Please provide
your name and mailing address. If you like it, please send a donation.
Otherwise, please return the board within 30 days. If not enough people
donate, then another batch of boards will not be made.

visit http://minisoundgs.sdwmail.org

email request to minisoundgs at minisoundgs.sdwmail.org

Enjoy!

[Steven Wallace]

On 5/10/23 17:46, Steven Wallace wrote:
>
> minisound GS is a 16.5 mm x 82 mm daughterboard which plugs directly
> into the sound port on the Apple IIGS motherboard. A jumper cable brings
> 12V power from the fan connector to the board. A daisy header on the
> board allows power to continue to a fan if needed. A headphone jack at
> the rear of the board provides the stereo output.
>

minisound GS replaces the functionality of a stereo sound card, except
it isn't a card, it is a board and therefore saves a slot. In addition,
because it is local to the sound socket, it eliminates crosstalk and
resistance a cable would produce, resulting in a cleaner signal. It
only produces line level stereo sound output and does not have the power
to directly amplify an 8 Ohm speaker.

> If you email a request for a board, I will mail you one. Please provide

> your name and mailing address. If you like it, please send a donation.Please wait after you email your request for donation instructions as
these email addresses won't work for electronic transfers.

> visit http://minisoundgs.sdwmail.org
also http://minisoundgs.swallace.org should take one to the same place

>
> email request to minisoundgs at minisoundgs.sdwmail.org

IMPORTANT, the above email address conflicts with the website, so use
minisoundgs at minisoundgs.m.swallace.org
OR the email address on the website, which should be up to date
regardless of age of this message.

[magnusfalkirk]

I sent you an email request via the website, but not sure if you got it. Should I use the newest email address you just provided?

[Dirk Froehling]

Am 11.05.23 um 18:54 schrieb Steven Wallace:

> On 5/10/23 17:46, Steven Wallace wrote:
>>
>> minisound GS is a 16.5 mm x 82 mm daughterboard which plugs directly
>> into the sound port on the Apple IIGS motherboard. A jumper cable
>> brings 12V power from the fan connector to the board. A daisy header
>> on the board allows power to continue to a fan if needed. A headphone
>> jack at the rear of the board provides the stereo output.
>>
> minisound GS replaces the functionality of a stereo sound card, except
> it isn't a card, it is a board and therefore saves a slot.  In addition,
> because it is local to the sound socket, it eliminates crosstalk and
> resistance a cable would produce, resulting in a cleaner signal.  It
> only produces line level stereo sound output and does not have the power
> to directly amplify an 8 Ohm speaker.
>
>> If you email a request for a board, I will mail you one. Please
>> provide your name and mailing address. If you like it, please send a
>> donation.Please wait after you email your request for donation
>> instructions as
> these email addresses won't work for electronic transfers.

Nice! Where in the world are you? Would you ship a board to Germany (if
I pay shipping first)?

Also, if I look at the pictures, you should definitely vacuum your GS
sometime... ;)

Dirk

[Andrew Roughan]

On Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 11:56:44 AM UTC-5, Steven Wallace wrote:
> If you email a request for a board, I will mail you one.

Did anyone receive one yet?

[magnusfalkirk]

Not yet. Been two months since I emailed him that i was interested.

magnus

[martindo...@gmail.com]

Yes. I emailed a request to Steven on 11-May-23, and the unit arrived at my home in Pittsburgh PA USA on 20-Jun-23.
It is now 20-Jul and I am tonight attempting to install the board (yes I procrastinated) but am not having any luck bringing up Steven's website to find the instructions. I tried http://minisoundgs.sdwmail.org and also http://minisoundgs.swallace.org, which both resolve to minisoundgs.000webhostapp.com but I am getting "minisoundgs.000webhostapp.com’s server IP address could not be found.", does the URL work for anyone else, or do you also get the same error? I just emailed him to ask for help (Man, I wish I'd saved the web page as a PDF!).
Martin

[Charlie]

All three addresses work for me with Firefox version 115.0.2 64 bit.

Charlie

[fadden]

On Friday, July 21, 2023 at 6:36:06 AM UTC-7, Charlie wrote:
> All three addresses work for me with Firefox version 115.0.2 64 bit.

I got:

"This site can’t be reached
minisoundgs.000webhostapp.com took too long to respond"

Chrome auto-retried a couple of times and eventually the 000webhostapp.com link went through.

"Installation
Insert the daughterboard by aliging the 7 pin female header with the sound connector located at the front right of the Apple IIGS. Press down from the top of the board (SV1) so as not to torque the board (use thumb pressing at right edge to avoid discomfort from soldered pins). Make sure the 7 pin female socket is aligned with the seven pins of the IIGS's sound connector, as there is no protection to prevent an offet. Connect the provided jumper wire with the red wire on the left to the fan connector. Connect the jumper wire with black to the left (indicated GND) on JP4 at rear of board. If polarity reversed will not cause harm and just wont work. Connect your fan making sure power is closest to the front edge of the board at JP3 (+12V and GND indicated). Connect your headphone jack at the rear of the board."

[martindo...@gmail.com]

On Friday, July 21, 2023 at 10:00:14 AM UTC-5, fadden wrote:
> On Friday, July 21, 2023 at 6:36:06 AM UTC-7, Charlie wrote:
> > All three addresses work for me with Firefox version 115.0.2 64 bit.

> "Installation
> Insert the daughterboard by aligning the 7 pin female header with the sound connector located at the front right of the Apple IIGS. Press down from the top of the board (SV1) so as not to torque the board (use thumb pressing at right edge to avoid discomfort from soldered pins). Make sure the 7 pin female socket is aligned with the seven pins of the IIGS's sound connector, as there is no protection to prevent an offset. Connect the provided jumper wire with the red wire on the left to the fan connector. Connect the jumper wire with black to the left (indicated GND) on JP4 at rear of board. If polarity reversed will not cause harm and just wont work. Connect your fan making sure power is closest to the front edge of the board at JP3 (+12V and GND indicated). Connect your headphone jack at the rear of the board."

Thanks Andy & Charlie! I think it was just my paranoid work computer blocking the domain name, I was able to open the page straight away on my phone. Installation went well, and the board is working now in my ROM03.

I believe the stereo output is working as expected, but I only have some earbuds with me so it's not exactly a proper test. I'm running the game 'Silpheed' which I've read provides a good test sample of stereo music. Comparing the minisound GS to the built-in mono headphone jack, my impression was that the music sounded a bit more brassy / treble via the minisound. I also could hear a quiet high-pitched whine when there was no sound being generated, which I could not hear via the mono jack. I need to link up a pair of decent speakers when I get home from Kansasfest in a few days, before I form my final impression.

The power pass-through to the fan works just fine.

Martin

[magnusfalkirk]

So somebody finally got one? I emailed him on the 12th of May, just a day after you dod and haven't heard or gotten anything from him. I was starting to wonder if it was vaporware. Should I email him again? Would that do any good?

[Dirk Froehling]

Am 23.07.23 um 03:52 schrieb magnusfalkirk:

I got an email from him on May 13th, wrote back on May 14th that I want
one. Then I emailed him again on June 8th, but no reply (and no card) yet.

Maybe further emails will finally move him to act (or talk) :-)

It would be a pity if this card just disappeared.

[magnusfalkirk]

Just sent another email. Will be interested if I get a response.

magnus

[martindo...@gmail.com]

Update: I'm definitely keeping the board, so I sent a USD $25 Paypal donation on 22-Jul. Last communication from Steven to me was on 11-Jul, to ask how my testing was going. I've written to him 3 times since that date - firstly apologising for not having tested yet, then asking for help when my computer could not access the installation web page, thirdly to say that I found the instructions, installed the board, tried it with earbuds but need to test more back at home through powered speakers. I also described how I'd been showing and talking about the board at Kansasfest, and saw a good degree of interest.

Andrew, you were in touch with Steven to request some boards for the Ozzies, any success or progress?

Steven, if you're reading this, a message from you in this forum would be appreciated, to let interested folks know what to expect.

Martin

[magnusfalkirk]

I contacted Steven and did get a response. He said he already has a mailing label printed out for me but I'll have to wait until Sep to get the board, that's when he'll have naother batch ready to go.

magnus

[martindo...@gmail.com]

Need to correct the record a bit here ... I received a long email with photos from Steven on 21-Jul in response to my ask for help installing, but I only just found that message yesterday in my !@#$%*& spam folder.

[Andrew Roughan]

martin....@undisclosed.com <martindo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Andrew, you were in touch with Steven to request some boards for the
> Ozzies, any success or progress?

I received an email from Steven on 12/7 saying he was planning to send me
“five boards rev 0.80 tomorrow”.
Nothing further.

Regards
Andrew

[Andrew Roughan]

I have received 5 mjnisound GS v0.8 boards today and will pass them on to
locals and get into testing.

Regards
Andrew

[Andrew Roughan]

martin....@undisclosed.com <martindo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm running the game 'Silpheed' which I've read provides a good test
> sample of stereo music.

I tried Silpheed, but while there is definitely channel separation, the
music is not a good stereo example IMHO.
Instead, I suggest Bards Tale 1 title music.

> Comparing the minisound GS to the built-in mono headphone jack, my
> impression was that the music sounded a bit more brassy / treble via the minisound.

I need to setup a test rig that allows easy comparison of this.

> I also could hear a quiet high-pitched whine when there was no sound
> being generated, which I could not hear via the mono jack.

I will investigate this further. I think I hear a hiss. The output level is
too loud for my headset so I need some way of turning it down.

> I need to link up a pair of decent speakers when I get home from
> Kansasfest in a few days, before I form my final impression.

Have you done any more testing? Steven mentioned there were jumpers that
could affect the output. Has he explained their use to you?

Regards,
Andrew

[Andrew Roughan]

I pulled out two ROM1 onto the bench and installed a MDIdeas stereo card in
one and the MinisoundGS in the other. I hooked both up to a mixer and then
out to headphones. I also hooked up the IIgs 3.5” jack (mono) to the mixer
as well to see what the difference would be.
The mixer was set to not introduce any variation into the channels so in
theory it allows me to compare outputs quickly with push of buttons. The
MinisoundGS is working very well, however I do hear a slight hiss in the
left channel. However, I also can hear that the MDIdeas has a slight hiss
in the right channel. I’d like to be able to visualise this better and am
thinking about what gear to use.
The whine coming from my original PSU is way louder than the hiss I can
hear so this slight hiss not an issue that should cause anyone concern.
The position of the 3.5” jack could cause the stereo cable plug to
interfere with a card in the memory slot or slot 7 that uses the space next
to the card edge. Ie the RAM-GS
You can work around this by choosing a stereo cable with a thin plug, or
using another RAM card if you have a choice.
I next tried two ROM3 and compared outputs again. I heard the hiss from
both cards on the same channels as before.
Both sound cards sound brighter than the built-in jack and they are
comparable to each other at the same level on the mixer.
Regards
Andrew

[Oliver Schmidt]

Hi Andrew,

> [...] TheMinisoundGS is working very well, however I do hear a slight hiss in the
> left channel. [...]

Thanks for the comprehensive report :-) Hopefully I'll receive mine anytime
soon...

Regards,
Oliver