Help archiving MIDI software

[courseddent]

I've got a copy of EMR MIDI Track Performer v2 on 5.25" floppy. I'd like to get it archived, and access to it as an .ssd - there are archived versions of this around but they are all pre-v2 as far as I can tell. I can't do this as my floppy drive has broken, so was wondering if there was anyone that could help me with this? I'm in Bristol so even better if there's anyone around here. Happy to contribute towards any costs.

Thanks!

[flaxcottage]

I could do this if you wish. I have already worked out the EMR disc protection.

No cost for cracking the disc - just P&P.

billcarr2005 here can also archive the discs so between us there should be no problem making a working SSD file.

Do you have the documentation as well?

[courseddent]

That's brilliant! Yes have all documentation etc. Can you PM me the address etc?

[billcarr2005]

Has this been sent / received / archived yet?

[flaxcottage]

The MIDI Tracker Performer has just been archived and can be downloaded from the educational archive website below.

The protection was interesting and a variant on a previous EMR title I had archived. The smallest change necessary was made to allow the title to be archived and this is documented on the website.

Although the SSD seems to work correctly I cannot fully confirm this without access to a working MIDI interface and MIDI instrument.

It is interesting that EMR does not use Shift-Break to start its titles. They use a command *EMR instead to run a file from disk.

[CMcDougall]

so it's here : http://www.flaxcottage.com/Educational/ ... wnload.zip

EMR does not use Shift-Break to start its titles. They use a command *EMR instead to run a file from disC

so, just rename file EMR to !BOOT , then *OPT 4 2

John, the other new one : Nuclear Reactor Simulation -longman1985
does not have a SSD within DL , just pics & manual....

[flaxcottage]

Of course one could rename but then the copy would not be 'authentic'.

It just seemed strange that they did it that way.

Thanks for the heads up about the Nuclear Simulation. I've added the SSD now. No idea what happened there. Maybe I am getting old.

[danielj]

if we want to stay authentic we should be distributing HFEv3 files that keep the copy protection intact (and run on the gotek). Actually, facetiousness aside, I think from a preservation perspective this would be a really good thing (especially as many people are using goteks now, and greaseweazle can help make the files at a very low price).

[flaxcottage]

Oh, no! Not another standard for me understand. I have only just got used to SSD.

[danielj]

the beauty of HFE is that there is no need to understand it! Consider it a photocopy of the disk surface

[billcarr2005]

the beauty of HFE is that there is no need to understand it! Consider it a photocopy of the disk surface

The "problem" with any low level files is that they strive to make disk images *seem* more complicated than they genuinely are

The MIDI Tracker Performer has just been archived and can be downloaded from the educational archive website below.

The protection was interesting and a variant on a previous EMR title I had archived. The smallest change necessary was made to allow the title to be archived and this is documented on the website.

I'm not sure that the protection was removed, ie where memory location &95 was set to &1A

Code: Select all

9EE OSW7F 9DA		Check protection
9F2 LDA #7F ; STA 95
9F9 LDA #0 ; CMP 9E4 ; BNE A04
A00 LDA #1A ; STA 95
A04 LDA #16 ; JSR OSWRCH

When the loading is finished, &95 currently contains &7F, which will trip up the code here

Code: Select all

7309 LDA 95
730B CMP #1A
730D BNE 7309

I've removed the reliance on OSWORD&7F to load the data directly and saved off the necessary files
The only difference I can see between the v1.25 on a disk I have and v2.00 is the added functionality of setting up for other flavours of BBC machines (in PERFORM) which changes the locations for the primary interrupt vector.

[flaxcottage]

I'm not sure that the protection was removed, ie where memory location &95 was set to &1A

Code: Select all

9EE OSW7F 9DA		Check protection
9F2 LDA #7F ; STA 95
9F9 LDA #0 ; CMP 9E4 ; BNE A04
A00 LDA #1A ; STA 95
A04 LDA #16 ; JSR OSWRCH

When the loading is finished, &95 currently contains &7F, which will trip up the code here

Code: Select all

7309 LDA 95
730B CMP #1A
730D BNE 7309

Aaargh! You are quite correct. I HAD edited the code at &9EE to contain JMP &A00 which bypassed the protection checking and left &1A in location &95 but I forgot to save the changes.

When I checked the SSD version the code ran up to the MIDI Tracker screen and I could get no further since, I assume, the hardware was missing. With the change made the software runs just as it did before, which is weird.

Thanks for the other work done on the title. It was on my 'to-do' list but that is very long these days.

[billcarr2005]

When I checked the SSD version the code ran up to the MIDI Tracker screen and I could get no further since, I assume, the hardware was missing. With the change made the software runs just as it did before, which is weird.

If the program is run and DEMO1 loaded up, then P to PLAY, you'll find that the SPACE BAR will never allow you to exit.
It's a more subtle, passive protection that might only be discovered after creating your magnum opus

[jgharston]

The only difference I can see between the v1.25 on a disk I have and v2.00 is the added functionality of setting up for other flavours of BBC machines (in PERFORM) which changes the locations for the primary interrupt vector.

Which is broken as it throws essentially random numbers around instead of reading the actual default vector from the actual default vector table pointed to by the actual default vector table vector.

[billcarr2005]

Which is broken as it throws essentially random numbers around instead of reading the actual default vector from the actual default vector table pointed to by the actual default vector table vector.

If the "essentially random numbers" happily coincide with the actual numbers, then I suppose it would work as the original authors had intended, in as far as they had originally tested it, when producing the software package?
(Also, the BASIC program doesn't PRINT "Setting up for the " when MASTER COMPACT is selected either - this appears to be the incorrect one, should be &E618 - or whatever would be read at the time, obviously? Master 128 presumably just caters for MOS3.20)