C64 Datasette – you remember it. The Datasette embodies Commodore cheapskatery from start to finish: it was a cheapo alternative to a proper disk drive, it’s got a crudely thrown-together connector with wires hanging out and it’s even got a skinflint mono drive head apparatus. All expenses spared, so that Jack could keep the costs down!

So it turns out they last pretty well. And in this age of 1541 emulators, MMC64 interfaces and the like, it’s sad to see a Datasette sitting unused and unloved. So I decided to lavish about four quid on mine and turn it into a block-rocking pimp star supreme with:




# an internal speaker

# internal 9v battery power

# an external in (for when I eventually get the recording head to work)

# a line/headphone output

# a switch/knob for power and drive motor speed control (though this doesn’t really work yet)

# an unfeasible amount of mystery line noise, which I’m going to pretend is intentional and adds ‘character’.

As usual, my half-arsed attempts to document the process fell flat since I’ve lost the proprietary charger for my proper camera (damn you, Samsung) but I caught a few snaps on my phone cam and some of them aren’t too dreadful. Eventually I’ll get some video of absolute junglist techno dub rave spaz horror madness being perpetrated with this tremendous device.

Table full of crap - Datasette innards, a copy of Firelord, an op-amp circuit and some other bits.

Closeup - motor on the left, counter above it, now-redundant LED (used to signify data writing), Firelord again!

Squeaker! Louder than it looks, but the biggest that'll fit in the case snugly.

Ghetto-style Dremel speaker grille.

...and that's where that goes

Everything cut, drilled, inserted, etc.

Hells yeaowh

Finished product. Sort of.

So does it work? Well… Yes. Basically. The speed control isn’t right yet – possibly because Commodore put a regulated motor in that stops dead below a certain input voltage. Although it’s supposed to take 5v and I’m giving it 9ish… and it falls off below 90% of the pot. Oh well.

Some other stuff isn’t spot-on yet, either. I couldn’t be bothered with the LED, but that’s a possibility. Oh, and like I said, the recording isn’t working perfectly.

The final shame? I don’t actually have any audio on tape to test in this! I’ve only got data cassettes, so I’ve been chilling to the blissful binary of Revenge of The Mutant Camels, Arkanoid and Firelord all night. I’m reasonably satisfied that I’m getting what’s on the tape out through the speaker/line, so that’s fine. Oh, and my speaker cut-out for when something’s plugged in isn’t working very well either – probably dodgy soldering on my part. Twill be fixed.

Updates will come…

Tags: cool shit, irrelevance, music, tech

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