Picasso IV help needed

[X-ray]

Alright, dudes, here is the story: I bought this PIV second-hand and it came with a Paloma and Concierto already attached. I wasn't terribly interested in the Paloma and Concierto and wanted the PIV mainly for its FF/SD. That works fine, I have no problems there.

But...today I decided to check out the Paloma and Concierto.

Paloma: if you use it on an A4000T you have to grind some of the case away so that the aerial adapter can fit. Jose says you can bend the connector on the module instead. I am not keen on grinding or bending anything so I am currently running the setup out of the A4000T case, just bare on my desk.
I have confirmed that the Paloma works. I get a colour TV image that doesn't roll. It's just fuzzy because I only have an indoor antenna and the Amiga is generating a lot of interference out of its case. But there is one issue: I can only run it maximum screen size. If I deselect maximum, it says "Can't open video screen."
Does anybody know why? I don't have a manual for the Paloma, but the PDF manual I downloaded doesn't tell me why.

Concierto: I am still checking out. I've never used it. It seems quite complicated with all the mixing and input selections. I've got good PDFs for that.

But now for my main question: in the Concierto and Paloma manuals there is reference to a boot menu for the PIV. They say you can hold either shift key down and access a boot menu that configures how your flicker fixer is used, amongst other options.
However, I don't get that menu if I hold shift at boot. The computer boots normally. I checked which PIV ROM version I have: it is 7.4

Any advice?

[alexh]

You tried the other shift key? Or repeatedly tapping shift rather than holding it?

[X-ray]

Tried both keys, tapping and holding.
I have managed to get the menu up twice, both times it was holding the left shift key down, but that is out of more than 20 attempts. It is not being consistent.

Concierto: I have audio out of the I/O module, but I can't record. Also the audio is low. I've checked all the levels in the Concierto Mixer and they are all up.
So I don't know what gives with that.
I've tried several Concierto options in AHI, but no change.
 Can the Concierto affect the audio levels coming out of the Amiga's ordinary RCA jacks? Because that's also low.

Sound is really not my bag.

[X-ray]

Hmmm just tried without PIV. Sound is low, maybe that's how it always was with the M1438s speakers.

[X-ray]

Okay, if anyone has successfully recorded with their Concierto can they tell me their settings please.

[Jose]

Can't believe you kept it all that time without trying it!
The manual says to hold down either shift key, so I don't know what the problem is, maybe test if both shift keys are working ?
As for the "Can't open video screen", I think it might mean that your current screen isn't compatible. I remember being able to deselect maximum and getting it to open on a window, but that message would appear on some screens.
BTW, if you have a VCR or DVD player with SVHS output you can connect it to the Paloma's SVHS input. If it has a tuner better you won't need to use the aerial then.

I can't use mine now as I tried to move it to an A4000D and it didn't work there, and I've meanwhile took off the HD on the 4000T to upgrade it but really haven't had the time to finish it yet...

[X-ray]

"...Can't believe you kept it all that time without trying it!..."
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Ja, it just didn't interest me at all, not like the flickerfixer. But I got a Subway card recently and that got me tinkering again.
I'll try your suggestion about the screenmode and get back to you.

[Jose]

Havent' tried my Concierto yet but I remember sound on my A4000T was very low too, at least compared to the A1200. Maybe there's some dead capacitors in there... Good thing is that we can just take off the module to fix/substitute and continue to use it, even AGA through the PIV's flicker fixer, on the 4000D you'd have to take off the motherboard..
I doubt it, but maybe all 4000T's sound is lower, can someone confirm it ?

[X-ray]

Okay I tried another screen mode and the reduced window works. Quite cool to see TV in a window on the Amiga.
Thanks for the tip, Jose.
I don't think the sound issue is to do with capacitors, because the Concierto sound is also low.
We will have to get another Concierto user's opinion.

[Jose]

Cool, you got it working. BTW I think the only way of getting rid of those interlaced artefacts (did you notice that ?) is to use a 50Hz interlaced screen (haven't tried that yet, only remembered this after I got the HD out...). Maybe 100Hz interlaced will do the trick too.. :-)

[keropi]

concierto eh?
I seem to be only able to have mono-input on the pIV, anyone else has that? I loop the audio from an ISA soundcard (operated by goldengate486slc) and only get mono sound... the sound card outputs stereo... maybe the jack is dead...

[X-ray]

Keropi do you have a Concierto?
If so, can you tell me what AHI settings and mixer settings you use to record from microphone.

[PaSha]

Hi X-ray, nice to hear that you're finally using tha concierto and paloma.

Audio:
The Amiga audio has a very clever feature: It senses if you only plug one RCA jack into the outputs, and automatically goes mono. With a lower volume because of the mixing.

Now, the P-IV gets the Amiga audio from the Video slot, hence the output connectors are left unused.
For some reason, Paula does'nt like this, and goes mono.

Solution: Chop off the RCA jacks from a spare cable and plug them on the output connectors. This tricks Paula into believing there's something there, and she goes Stereo!

Regarding the Paloma, IIRC there's a 'fullscreen' option somehwere in the RMB dropdown menu that can be deselected.
This will give you the TV picture in a window, (Picture-In-Picture Overlay on the workbench). Requires at least a 16-bit screenmode IIRC).
It's been a while, so I'm not quite sure, though. But play around, I know it works.

-Paul

[PaSha]

Oh, and btw:

With a concierto, you use the Line-in on the actual P-IV board (next to the VGA connector), the small separate board with the two mini-jacks has the Line-Out and microphone connectors on it.

[Jose]

@Pasha
"The Amiga audio has a very clever feature: It ..."

You never stop learning.. :-)I never heard of this. I'll have to check that out, maybe that's why the sound on mine was so low too...