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Author Topic: New A-EON Music Card for Classic Amigas  (Read 93116 times)

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Offline skolman

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Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #134 on: January 09, 2014, 10:40:16 PM »
@amigakit

I would buy this card but that could also connect it to a USB port for Efika and Mac mini.

Sound by AHI is a poor sound quality.

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« Last Edit: January 10, 2014, 10:24:02 PM by skolman »
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Offline NovaCoder

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #135 on: January 10, 2014, 12:12:35 AM »
Hiya,

How's the AHI driver progressing?   Can you tell us anything about it yet the max sample rate or if it will support 16bit?

I just wondering if passing 16bit stereo sound to this card will take up less of the CPU cycles than using AHI with Paula.   In theory a real 16bit card would skip the conversion (down to 8/14 bit) which may give it a slight edge.

Some of my ports like ScummVM produce 16bit stereo sound and so I use AHI to deal with the conversion.
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Offline klx300r

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Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #136 on: January 10, 2014, 06:12:21 AM »
Quote from: XDelusion;753209
Fingers crossed for AHI and Digibooster support as well. :)


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Offline spirantho

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #137 on: January 10, 2014, 08:47:42 AM »
Quote from: NovaCoder;756733
Hiya,

How's the AHI driver progressing?   Can you tell us anything about it yet the max sample rate or if it will support 16bit?

I just wondering if passing 16bit stereo sound to this card will take up less of the CPU cycles than using AHI with Paula.   In theory a real 16bit card would skip the conversion (down to 8/14 bit) which may give it a slight edge.

Some of my ports like ScummVM produce 16bit stereo sound and so I use AHI to deal with the conversion.


The AHI driver will always be limited compared to a dedicated sound card like the Prelude. The Prisma is, after all, primarily a music card - it just so happens that it's a music card that supports uncompressed audio :) It does mean that it only supports two channels - left and right. There may yet be problems with the AHI driver as we're kind of fitting a square peg into a round hole so we're concentrating on the music functionality first.

AHI does, I believe, support software mixing itself, so only having two channels shouldn't be a problem, but using Paula may well still be useful for spot effects. Also, you won't be able to play AHI samples at the same time as decoding another compressed stream (as there's only one decoder!). For something like ScummVM I'd recommend using the Prisma for the background music, and Paula for the sound effects.

If your background music is WAV, of course, you could use AHI for that and the sound effects at the same time.

Quality is always up to 16-bit 44KHz ("CD qaulity").
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Offline Hanzu

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Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #138 on: March 06, 2014, 09:48:00 AM »
Sorry for noticing the card so late. Hopefully it is not too late to contribute:

Questions:

Will this card have drivers for both OS3.9 and OS4.1 Classic? I ask this because I have Solo-1 in Mediator for them and Terratec 512i for better sound for OS3.9 only. So I would be happy to buy this to replace them both.

Is that connector on top left this: HD Audio connector (F - Audio) which helps those who build their Amiga to modern PC cases could use the audipanels included. I just built a adapter cable to connect A4000 and Solo-1 sound card with 3.5mm plugs to LIAN LI PC-D 600 F- AUDIO cable.

How much address space will this card consume? I have A4000 + Mediator and Radeon 256MB+ZorRAM 256MB+X-Surf 100+Solo-1+Terratec 512i consumes so much address space that I can't use Picasso IV and Elbox FastATA4000 VI with them at all.


Comments:

Changing that white connector to 90 degree one would help those who have many Zorro cards and this goes under some other card.

Would be a good idea to have silkscreen saying "AMIGA FRONT SIDE or AMIGA REAR SIDE" and pointing to their directions to avoid plugging the card to Zorro in a wrong way. This would also help with MEDIATOR 4000D MK-II where "THIS SIDE UP or THIS SIDE DOWN" might give wrong impression if Mediator is installed to customized case with card brackets pointing down like it is for me.

For those who speculate on the price, I'm pretty sure that it will be more expensive than ZorRAM 256MB made by same authors, which did not require any driver coding. Depending on the price, I will buy 1-3 for my own use.

For the one who said his is only for A2000/A3000/A4000, you forgot that many A1200 users have tower cases and bus expansions to be able to use Zorro cards and even PCI cards. I think there is a great market it compated to many other Amiga hadware.

After this I would like to see some new graphics card for Amiga Zorro and some A3000/A4000 CPU card that would make Cyberstorm PPCs less must for OS4.1 Classic users. There are already enough new acceletator cards for A500/A600/A1200.
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Offline NovaCoder

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #139 on: March 06, 2014, 11:02:50 AM »
[youtube]Vup29ZUhMwA[/youtube]

:)
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Offline spirantho

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #140 on: March 06, 2014, 11:12:47 AM »
Quote from: Hanzu;760265
Sorry for noticing the card so late. Hopefully it is not too late to contribute:

Questions:

Will this card have drivers for both OS3.9 and OS4.1 Classic? I ask this because I have Solo-1 in Mediator for them and Terratec 512i for better sound for OS3.9 only. So I would be happy to buy this to replace them both.


OS 4.1 for the Classic will be supported, yes. I got a CS-PPC specially for my A4000 at work so now it has to be done :)

Quote

Is that connector on top left this: HD Audio connector (F - Audio) which helps those who build their Amiga to modern PC cases could use the audipanels included. I just built a adapter cable to connect A4000 and Solo-1 sound card with 3.5mm plugs to LIAN LI PC-D 600 F- AUDIO cable.


No, that's the JTAG connector, sorry! If you have a front panel connector which comes out as separate plugs rather than a block, though, you can still connect it that way.

Quote

How much address space will this card consume? I have A4000 + Mediator and Radeon 256MB+ZorRAM 256MB+X-Surf 100+Solo-1+Terratec 512i consumes so much address space that I can't use Picasso IV and Elbox FastATA4000 VI with them at all.



I think from memory it's 64KB. It's not a lot.

Quote

Comments:

Changing that white connector to 90 degree one would help those who have many Zorro cards and this goes under some other card.


I use a ribbon cable, which just about fits, but yes. Maybe Matthew can comment (I'm only the software guy :) )

Quote

Would be a good idea to have silkscreen saying "AMIGA FRONT SIDE or AMIGA REAR SIDE" and pointing to their directions to avoid plugging the card to Zorro in a wrong way. This would also help with MEDIATOR 4000D MK-II where "THIS SIDE UP or THIS SIDE DOWN" might give wrong impression if Mediator is installed to customized case with card brackets pointing down like it is for me.

I think the board is already screened, but maybe in the next version? Need to ask Matthew.

Quote

For those who speculate on the price, I'm pretty sure that it will be more expensive than ZorRAM 256MB made by same authors, which did not require any driver coding. Depending on the price, I will buy 1-3 for my own use.


The ZorRAM retails at about £150 from memory - the Prisma should be much less than that.

Quote

For the one who said his is only for A2000/A3000/A4000, you forgot that many A1200 users have tower cases and bus expansions to be able to use Zorro cards and even PCI cards. I think there is a great market it compated to many other Amiga hadware.


I think this board will usually be used in a desktop or tower too (not a "wedge" Amiga), but it'll be interesting to see.

Quote

After this I would like to see some new graphics card for Amiga Zorro and some A3000/A4000 CPU card that would make Cyberstorm PPCs less must for OS4.1 Classic users. There are already enough new accelerator cards for A500/A600/A1200.


An Amiga Zorro graphics card is possible but drivers will be difficult so it won't be cheap. I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.
I'm afraid you should forget about a PPC card for the A3000/A4000 (or A1200 for that matter) - it's not going to happen, as they're just SO complicated. The market is too small for that kind of financial outlay.
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Offline Hanzu

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Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #141 on: March 06, 2014, 12:49:30 PM »
Nice video NovaCoder! Seeing that already answered something I asked too. I wonder why your oscillator is socketed. Testing different clocks or it came late after the sample card arrival maybe?

Quote from: spirantho;760267
OS 4.1 for the Classic will be supported, yes. I got a CS-PPC specially for my A4000 at work so now it has to be done :)

Good, but is this a promise to code driver suitable for OS3.9 too? Support for both OS3.9 (for gaming) and support for OS4.1 Classic (for some utilty) is needed to enlargen the market. Just like it is done with X-Surf 100.

Quote
No, that's the JTAG connector, sorry! If you have a front panel connector which comes out as separate plugs rather than a block, though, you can still connect it that way.

Yes, but F-AUDIO connector is already more common in new computer cases. There are no adapters for F-AUDIO to 3.5. I have searched ebay a lot for this one and ended up ordering some cheap heaset adapter, chopping other end off and soldering 10-pin male pin header to make adapter. This is an adapter AmigaKit should make too and sell it.  

Quote
I think from memory it's 64KB. It's not a lot.

I have a table somewhere where I have collected how much my Zorro and PCI cards consume. I want to link it here when I find it.

Quote
I use a ribbon cable, which just about fits, but yes. Maybe Matthew can comment (I'm only the software guy :) )
Indivision AGA 4000 MK II has 90 degree flat cable connector. 90 degree connector is not much more expensive, but if using soldering wave machine techology for bottom side solders it has to be guaranteed that the PCB will not "drink" from the solder wave and get solder inside plastic frame, but this is only the concern of electronic factory where you produce them.

Quote
I think the board is already screened, but maybe in the next version? Need to ask Matthew.
Silkscreen always increases the price and both sides silkscreened is even more expensive, but it always gives more professional look and useful instruction and the most important componets numbers. ZorRAM is silkscreened so I believe the final version will have AmigaKit texts as usual, so adding some more text costs nothing.


Quote
The ZorRAM retails at about £150 from memory - the Prisma should be much less than that.
If it will be cheaper, I'm amazed but won't complain. :)


Quote
An Amiga Zorro graphics card is possible but drivers will be difficult so it won't be cheap. I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.
I'm afraid you should forget about a PPC card for the A3000/A4000 (or A1200 for that matter) - it's not going to happen, as they're just SO complicated. The market is too small for that kind of financial outlay.
Maybe then Zorro graphics card using some old chip that already has basic routines in kernel.

Now that you mention it, I realized one Amiga accessory I would like to have professionally produced: Cyberstorm PPC heatsink and cooler that has same block for both CPUs leveled in a way that 80-120mm fan would cool both. Also maybe on option of attacking a metal cradle to the heatsink to put 120mm cooler over SIMM sockets.
Previously I have used a hinge where a fast PAPST 120mm cooler is attached, but that will not get a surface touch of PPC heating with is lower than 060 heatsing, so PPC CPU will not cool as much as it would with a surface touch fan. See this.
I'm sure all those who own a very valuable Cyberstorm PPC would like to pay quite much for such a thing. The original PPC heatink and cooler are very weak and unreliable.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2014, 12:52:53 PM by Hanzu »
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Online amigakitTopic starter

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #142 on: March 06, 2014, 10:43:10 PM »
We will be producing the various audio panels for A1200 desktop/towers and big box Amigas.
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Offline vox

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Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #143 on: March 07, 2014, 01:15:20 AM »
Quote from: TCMSLP;750580
Any news on what Steven Solie's speech covered?

Still a bunch of empty promises
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Offline NovaCoder

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #144 on: March 08, 2014, 11:33:52 PM »
Managed to get it to play a compressed music file OK, still some work to do of course.

I'll try and add OGG support to one of my ports next by using the libraries API.

[youtube]LOHj5Y9_zK4[/youtube]
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Online amigakitTopic starter

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #145 on: March 09, 2014, 11:16:02 PM »
Nice video, thanks!

Just a note- the music pause in SysInfo is not a bug, it is simply SysInfo disabling multitasking whilst it calculates MIPs.
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Offline Akiko

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Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #146 on: March 16, 2014, 12:37:04 PM »
@amigakit

Can you do some tests and see if the Prisma Megamix is compatible with those 4-way clockport expanders that were released few years back?

I think there will be plenty of A1200 users that will be interested in your Prisma Megamix sound card but won't necessarily be prepared to sacrifice their Subway USB card for. As those 4-way clockport expanders are no longer being produced will you please consider a new production run for your customers, I believe the blueprints are freely available on the internet.
 

Online amigakitTopic starter

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #147 on: March 16, 2014, 03:55:52 PM »
@akiko

Duly noted- I will make some inquiries.  I have a Spider USB in my A1200 at the moment, so I take you point.  Also remember that the Prisma will work in a Zorro slot if you have a big box Amiga.
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Online amigakitTopic starter

Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #148 on: April 20, 2014, 01:33:41 AM »
A-EON Technology delivers :)



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Offline XDelusion

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Re: New A-EON Sound Card for Classic Amigas
« Reply #149 from previous page: April 20, 2014, 01:35:15 AM »
Want badly!
Earth has a lot of things other folks might want... like the whole planet. And maybe these folks would like a few changes made, like more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and room for their way of life. - William S. Burroughs