The Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next - How To Use It With Cassettes

In this video I show how to load cassette based games into the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next as well as the best way to take files found on the internet, and get them back on to cassettes.
If you're into vintage video games, please check out my channel dedicated to them, RetroViGa:
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[@S7EVE_P]

That loading sound is so evocative, really takes me back, as did LOAD "", is it just me or was life much simpler back then?! Loving these retro videos, please do more!

[@CassetteComeback]

Check my other channel, RetroViGa out 😀

[@S7EVE_P]

@@CassetteComeback I've been over there today Tony, I like seeing the retro games. StarQuake is a good game if you get chance to try it 🎮🕹️

[@erwintimmerman6466]

I'm not sure you could say life was simpler in this regard. Typing commands or using function keys while hooking up a device using cables (cables? what are these, anyway) isn't as simple as touching an icon on a touch screen 😁. The reason it looks simple is because it's so engrained in our memories, and while we might reach the age of forgetfulness, we'll always remember how to do these things in a heartbeat. Probably until the day we die.

[@robertmiles9942]

Life was much simpler back when the tapes were new. I'd say about half of my old tapes won't load anymore on one or both sides.. new tapes are fine

[@markphilpot4981]

Hey Toni, the Radio Shack computer from back then used a cassette deck. I remember, but these were not cheap back in the day. Now, you might find them in the recycle stores like Goodwill over here in the colonies. Yanks were using floppies back then. There were 8” and 5 1/2”. They were replaced by 3 1/2” floppies later. The history on them is fun. I remember when a 4Gig drive was an ocean hard drive. Take care and have a lovely time at home!😊👍🏻🤣🤣

[@teletronikoforever]

Nice, we have the same Sony TCM-939 shoebox cassette recorder 😉 cheap but good enough to fit the purpose of loading programs on old computers

[@JamesE707]

I recall the Spectrum very well, the one with the rubber keys. I could not afford one when they were out, I 'only' had a ZX81! But what fun, and great programming learning experience too. Happy days.

[@dougbergen8157]

Yes takes me back to my tape loading days. I however used a c64 with a dedicated cassette drive. Still have it to this day. Oh I did use a Timex Sinclair with a nice shoebox recorder like that. Memorys. Thanks keep up the good work.

[@vitorjunior2023]

Nice video! I had a Speecy (Here in Brasil, called TK90X), and i used to record in an Aiko Tape Deck (Wonderful Machine), using a mono cable with a plug p2 (to Speecy) and a P10 (Tape Deck, left channel). The player I used sometimes was a National Panasonic RQ-2106, with some basf extra 1 tape. Rarely or practically never the "reading error" appears. Those were good times.

[@TheDeeplyCynical]

Loved the homage to the Ocean Loader in the intro music

[@CassetteComeback]

I did a full track. Favourite C64 tune of them all.

[@wisteela]

Great stuff. I really hope they start selling these as a normal commercial product.

[@CassetteComeback]

There's going to be a second Kickstarter.

[@wisteela]

@@CassetteComeback Indeedy, but I hope that then leads to just being able to buy one.

[@SFtheGreat]

PAL 576@50Hz for the win! Somehow i imagined it would use a C64 cassete drive, only later i realized it's not a commodore.

[@nand3kudasai]

this is pretty awesome. thanks a lot. about the problem in your 21:30 i think you also might have some issue with the more advanced features of those decks. like equalization (which can mess with the frequencies) as well as dolby stuff. and then the volume might be compensating.

[@colonelbasic9736]

I don't think there is a better or more nostalgic sound than a speccy loading

[@CassetteComeback]

Agreed

[@_Taenia_Saginata]

Atari loading sound ;).

[@621pw]

Great vid and just as relevant on here as on RetroViGa. Wish I'd been on the Spectrum Next boat when it sailed now :-( It'd always be a shoebox recorder for me for nostalgia purposes. I remember borrowing my Dad's Phillips screwy - day in day out - to adjust the azimuth and get those (ahem) 'acquired' games to load. An interesting 'compare and contrast' here, though..I wondered how the walkmans of the day, and even the professional recorders like the wmd6c or the tc-d5 might fare. Presumably they would also need a headphone amp?

[@theaylesburycyclist8756]

And it gets an automatic like...👍

[@nazb33]

Me too👍🏾😊

[@theinternetseekers2436]

God, total childhood flashbacks!

[@theinternetseekers2436]

OMG JETPAC!!! I fucking LOVE you man!!! What a game!!!

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, loved all the Ultimate stuff. Chose Jetpac as it was a quick loader.

[@jasejj]

My experience was that the Speccy wasn't all that bothered about tape speed either. It could be 20% fast or slow and while that might make loading a bit less reliable it would still work.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, the built in deck in my +2 is fast, but works. But I figured I'd you're gonna do it, do it as well as you can.

[@cubdukat]

My very first computer was a Timex-Sinclair 1000 (ZX81), and I almost bought the 2000 (Spectrum), but Timex got out of the computer business really fast.

[@erwintimmerman6466]

If you're using a 2-head HiFi deck to record and play, you could try to record both channels and sum to mono to get some extra output level. Azimuth is always identical on a 2-head deck 😁. If the tape itself doesn't wobble over the head during play, that is. That said, if you're going for the full nostalgia thing, it won't be complete without a shoebox recorder anyway. Funny though how after the original Spectrums became collector's items, the emulator has now become one as well 😆.

[@CassetteComeback]

Until the next kickstarter, that will be a big success for them.

[@JamesE707]

I have one theory why some tapes record/playback 'louder' on one channel - two things (1) more (and slight) head wear (in the centre?), and (2) tape stiffness. Cheapy tapes don't always 'wrap' well in my opinion. There are obvious ways around this of course. ;o)

[@jcw.7774]

I had that Joystick on my Amstrad 1512..... good memories!!!

[@CassetteComeback]

Wish they'd remake the Konix Speedking with a USB connector. This is an original survivor of mine, had it for over 30 years. I've had modern joypads die before their warranty ran out...

[@jcw.7774]

@@CassetteComeback it was a great piece of kit... it followed me through 3 computers. Unfortunately I don't remember what happened to it after. I might have replaced it with the MS Sidewinder and tossed it😔. I'd love to have it back.... unfortunately nothing has that serial game port anymore. So yeah, USB would be nice.... and the same build quality too. 😉. Doubt we will get there again.... without a massive price tag to match. Great to see yours is still kicking!!!!

[@Rick_Todd]

You would have to go the WAV file Tablet route i'm guessing for Multi Loaders , Unless you could complete the game from start to finish on the Spectrum Next that is ? , lol , Great Video as always

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, convert them to wavs and recorded them mono at +4 dB on my HiFi deck.

[@BarnacleButtock]

Wow, a Next and a Minilogue in the background there?

[@Ale.K7]

Leaving my like here as well :-)

[@Dolphination]

Worth telling potentially interested people that there will be a second kickstarter.

[@CassetteComeback]

There's a segment on it in the video

[@fhwolthuis]

Don't you need a REM port as well in the shoebox recorder?

[@lloydgarland4667]

Tony, headphone output doesn't work well because the Spectrum needs a good signal level. Okay, that sounds obvious, but the thing is, if you put the level the Sectrum requiers into a set of headphones, you'll probably damage your hearing - hence maximum headphone level output is set during the design stage to be low. A simple little amplifier that uses a small 8 pin IC (TBA 820M) and not much else can easily be built for less than a tenner, and most hobbiests will have all the bits needed in their spares box anyway. It is very easy and will take only a little effort. Question is, how interested are you?

[@CassetteComeback]

Not very to be honest as my shoebox Sony works brill for my needs and is a lot smaller than a HiFi deck.

[@lloydgarland4667]

@@CassetteComeback Exactly, which is why I don't actually produce them :)

[@dean6816]

Hey. I had a Technics RS BX646 and I thought it's was a really good deck!

[@DaXande135]

Have a 606, and it's pretty good, but i miss a calibration test tone

[@dean6816]

@@DaXande135 mine had that feature but I never used it??

[@casualretrocollector]

Great video Tony, by any chance do you know if there is there any emulator available that allows direct loading from cassettes?

[@CassetteComeback]

Yes. There's one called Klive that allows it.

[@casualretrocollector]

@@CassetteComeback you ledge! Thanks :D been looking for one for years

[@jitmancanth6698]

I don't think I could go through that keruffle any more, even though I still have my 128k+ and all my games stashed away somewhere. The speccy probably needs re-capping and a refurb. It's so much easier to use an emulator on my laptop. From what I remember, with the data just being ones and zeroes, the speccy was quite forgiving when it came to tape audio. It wasn't too bothered with the speed of playback, or a little bit of wow and flutter, it just needed consistency of sound and volume. I don't know how forgiving the Next is though. Loading schemes like Speedlock and that Codemasters CD (Speccy games loaded from CD!) actually increased the baud rate through software so games would load faster. Most games I had/have loaded from a Saisho shoebox recorder, but for the stubborn ones, I made use of a mid-range late eighties Sony Walkman (no AVLS of course), a Hitachi radio cassette, and a Hitachi boombox, and when it came to backing up my previously purchased software, ahem, I used a twin tape midi system or the boombox.

[@CassetteComeback]

To be honest, I'm happier loading them off an SD card, but people in the Next Facebook group were asking so I obliged. Yeah, twin deck with high speed dubbing was the way.

[@dlarge6502]

I prefer to load my C64 games as close to original speed as needed to get me the original loader music. If that means I have to wait like I did, so be it lol. You spend longer with a game if it takes a while to load ;)

[@mikeyb987]

I use an app called PlayZX on my Android phone. It has links to the files on World of Spectrum and somehow has enough output direct from the headphone socket on my phone to load directly into my 48K Speccy and also to record to tape.

[@CassetteComeback]

Oh yeah, that's one way to do it, but on the next, you can just load from SD card. There are some though who want to full nostalgia experience 😀

[@mikeyb987]

@@CassetteComeback I have a TDK FE90 with lots of Speccy games on it that Ioad from a WHSmith player

[@alcoholisfreedrink]

I don't actually have a vintage computer. Is there any emulators of old computers available for windows? I would like to try loading a program from a cassette. I have mono cassette recorder.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, get one called Klive. You can load spectrum games in to that via your sound card.

[@alcoholisfreedrink]

@@CassetteComeback thank's

[@MihaiGradin]

I think that Sony portable recorders are also suited for this application.

[@CassetteComeback]

Oh, I'm sure a Walkman pro would be fantastic, but I'm trying to do this as cheaply as possible.

[@t8757]

Can the next create tap files and put them on the SD for the old homebrew stuff that I have on tape?

[@CassetteComeback]

I don't think so. Best way is to play the tape into Audacity. Save it as a wav file, then convert it from a wav to tap or TZX. I forget which software program does that conversion off the top of my head.

[@SwainyAtRetroAsylum]

It can create .sna files of tape files on the Next.

[@t8757]

@@CassetteComeback Oh ok that'll work, I'll search around for the software. I'll be sure to get the tap to wav software you mentioned too, that might come in handy. Thanks!

[@t8757]

@@SwainyAtRetroAsylum Cool, snapshots are better than nothing. Thanks.

[@jokingpants]

I like this video - it ties in two strands of my 80's history - the tapes and the Spectrum. Also, this video will surely grant me access to more pussy.

[@CassetteComeback]

Oh yeah, cats love to walk on nice looking keyboards 😂

[@hansu-nihon]

Besides volume level being important, some cassette decks deviate from the correct running speed, they run too slow or fast, this gives also loading problems. The speed of the portable cassette player (piece of crap) is too fast as the red bars are not stable on the screen, but lucky it still loads. By the first recording the red bars are very stable, because it is recorded on that cassette player.

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, luckily in the case of the spectrum the tape implementation was very robust and the baud rate was low as they knew people would use cheap cassettes in cheap decks... unlike with the C64.

[@dlarge6502]

Most machines that load off tape are pretty tolerant of a speed issue as long as its not variable speed. The long tones you hear on the tape are not tones but sequences of bytes used for sync. As long as the loader routine and decoding hardware can detect these bytes it can sync with the speed of the tape. The C64 tapes are much the same and just as robust but they have issues with noisy recordings. The C64 tape is not an analogue signal like on a speccy one, its actually a digital one. The C64 does not detect tones like other machines, it detects the change from positive to negative in the waveform and uses the time between each change to encode the data. If you have a noisy tape that timing can get screwed up.

[@shaun9107]

I would say , tape is more reliable than playstation decks . If the playstation lens our mirror is fogged up its over . Tape decks stil work after all these years

[@CassetteComeback]

And also the cassettes aren't rotting like my PS1 backups are...

[@shaun9107]

@@CassetteComeback Same here .

[@wrestletube1]

Channel does not exist anymore unless you are merging content because it's a cassette system. lol

[@MikeBracewell]

Hi Tony, couldn't figure out how to send this link directly to you, so placed it in this comment. Nothing dodgy, just a vid that Techmoan uploaded a few hours ago on Prison tech, including special cassettes which, for decades were the only means for inmates to listen to recorded music. Might not sound it, but it's bloody fascinating &, I'm guessing, right up your street. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWSzl6akmdicnrs

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, I watch his videos. Thanks for the heads up.

[@hirelingful]

getting a "channel does not exist" on retroViGa; gone forever?

[@CassetteComeback]

Yeah, it didn't work out.

[@hirelingful]

@@CassetteComeback ach, OK. liked what i saw of it . . .

[@pancudowny]

Watching Jet Pack play reminds me of the Commodore-64 game Mr. Robot. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH-uZKOeab-LnKc