[comp.sys.amiga.audio] Gender Changer for Perfect Sound

hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu (Harold Ravlin) (06/04/91)

I just received a Perfect Sound digitizer I'd like to hang off my 1000.
However, the manual says I can't use a standard gender changer but must
use theirs. Any idea why?

What would I have to do to convert a standard gender changer to work with
the Perfect Sound? My guess is that at most I'd have to hack off some leads
that carry voltage on the 1000 but not on the later models. Did any of
the other pinout assignments change?


Also,
	SunRize is advertising a program that they compare to AudioMaster III.
Does anyone have experience with it yet?

Thanks,
hr

--
Harold Ravlin, hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu
U. of Illinois, Dept of Astronomy

tony@ais.org (Tony Poole) (06/04/91)

hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu (Harold Ravlin) writes:

>I just received a Perfect Sound digitizer I'd like to hang off my 1000.
>However, the manual says I can't use a standard gender changer but must
>use theirs. Any idea why?

>What would I have to do to convert a standard gender changer to work with
>the Perfect Sound? My guess is that at most I'd have to hack off some leads
>that carry voltage on the 1000 but not on the later models. Did any of
>the other pinout assignments change?

Heh.  I have a Perfect Sound digitizer, and I use a standard gender changer,
and have no problems.  However, mine is a somewhat older model, bought
about two years ago...maybe they have changed since then?

I currently use the AudioMaster program with my Perfect Sound, and I
feel it is much nicer to use, and produces better sounding samples.
However, here too, I don't have the updated PSound program, so it may
be better now.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Poole           Traverse City, MI USA           EMail:tony@irie.ais.org
____________________________________________________________________________

billsey@agora.UUCP (Bill Seymour) (06/06/91)

In article <1991Jun3.194221.17605@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>, Harold Ravlin writes:

> I just received a Perfect Sound digitizer I'd like to hang off my 1000.
> However, the manual says I can't use a standard gender changer but must
> use theirs. Any idea why?

	Probably because they want to make *sure* you're not getting the
wiring differences between the 1000 and 500/2000 parallel ports wrong.

> What would I have to do to convert a standard gender changer to work with
> the Perfect Sound? My guess is that at most I'd have to hack off some leads
> that carry voltage on the 1000 but not on the later models. Did any of
> the other pinout assignments change?

	If that is the case, you will need to swap 14,15,16 with 23,24,25. In
that order. That gives you as close of an exact match to the 500/2000 as
you can get.

> Thanks,
> --
> Harold Ravlin, hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu
> U. of Illinois, Dept of Astronomy

  -Bill Seymour     nesbbx!billsey@agora.uucp or nesbbx!billsey@agora.rain.com
*****   American People/Link  Amiga Zone Hardware Specialist   NES*BILL  *****
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aaron@stat.tamu.edu (Aaron Hightower) (06/07/91)

In article <tony.675996479@ais.org> tony@ais.org (Tony Poole) writes:
>hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu (Harold Ravlin) writes:
>
>>I just received a Perfect Sound digitizer I'd like to hang off my 1000.
>>However, the manual says I can't use a standard gender changer but must
>>use theirs. Any idea why?
>
>>What would I have to do to convert a standard gender changer to work with
>>the Perfect Sound? My guess is that at most I'd have to hack off some leads
>>that carry voltage on the 1000 but not on the later models. Did any of
>>the other pinout assignments change?
>
>Heh.  I have a Perfect Sound digitizer, and I use a standard gender changer,
>and have no problems.  However, mine is a somewhat older model, bought
>about two years ago...maybe they have changed since then?

Maybe you didn't look at his words.  He wants to use it on an Amiga 1000!
I doubt you are using a standard gender changer with a 1000 - this could
really foul things up since the power is relocated from the 1000 to the
2000.  What Harold is talking about is a "converter" not a (simple)
gender changer.  Sure a gender changer will work if you are using some
type of extension cable or something like a multiplexer (switchbox) and
you just need to change genders on an Amiga 2000/3000.

The only way anyone should ever use a perfect sound on an Amiga 1000 is
with the proper converter.  Changing gender is only the obvious function,
but there are others.

To make a converter:

Output/Amiga    Input/Perfect Sound
-----------------------------------
(1 thru 13)  -> (1 thru 13) /* No change - normal */
(14)         -> (Do not connect)
(15)         -> (15) /* Normal */
(16)         -> (Do not connect)
(17 thru 22) -> (17 thru 22) /* Normal */
(23)         -> (14) /* This remaps power supply */
(24)         -> (24) /* Normal */
(25)         -> (Do not connect)

Check RKM Manual Page 297 for details of what this is doing.
The source for the above pin assignments are per my Perfect Sound 3.0
hardware.  I will note assume any responsibilities for hardware frying
or the like .. :-)

>I currently use the AudioMaster program with my Perfect Sound, and I
>feel it is much nicer to use, and produces better sounding samples.
>However, here too, I don't have the updated PSound program, so it may
>be better now.

Updated perfect sound is not worth the update.  I wish had never updated.
I can't use AudioMaster III on my Amiga 3000 with Perfect Sound V3.0 hardware,
so I don't even use my digitizer any more.

>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Tony Poole           Traverse City, MI USA           EMail:tony@irie.ais.org
>____________________________________________________________________________


//
// Check out "yatc.lzh" on ab20.larc.nasa.gov - /amiga/games or /incoming/amiga
// It's a self-playing 3D-look tetris game that plays itself with lotsa extras
// like giving you "hints" of where to put a piece!  :-)  Have fun!

tony@ais.org (Tony Poole) (06/08/91)

aaron@stat.tamu.edu (Aaron Hightower) writes:

>In article <tony.675996479@ais.org> tony@ais.org (Tony Poole) writes:
>>hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu (Harold Ravlin) writes:
>>
>>>I just received a Perfect Sound digitizer I'd like to hang off my 1000.
>>>However, the manual says I can't use a standard gender changer but must
>>>use theirs. Any idea why?
>>
>>Heh.  I have a Perfect Sound digitizer, and I use a standard gender changer,
>>and have no problems.  However, mine is a somewhat older model, bought
>>about two years ago...maybe they have changed since then?

>Maybe you didn't look at his words.  He wants to use it on an Amiga 1000!
>I doubt you are using a standard gender changer with a 1000 - this could
>really foul things up since the power is relocated from the 1000 to the

Maybe you didn't look at MY words.  I do in fact use a *standard* gender
changer with my Perfect Sounds on my *A1000*.  If you would have read
my response however, you would have seen that I stated that I had a
"somewhat older model, bought about two years ago...maybe they have changed
since then?".

There is no doubt in my mind that my gender changer is standard, as I have 
replaced it one time with an off the shelf packaged one.

Either SunRize has changed the design since I bought mine, or they are trying
to get you to buy the gender changer from them.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Poole           Traverse City, MI USA           EMail:tony@irie.ais.org
____________________________________________________________________________

aaron@stat.tamu.edu (Aaron Hightower) (06/08/91)

In article <tony.676335933@ais.org> tony@ais.org (Tony Poole) writes:
>aaron@stat.tamu.edu (Aaron Hightower) writes:
>
>>In article <tony.675996479@ais.org> tony@ais.org (Tony Poole) writes:
>>>hr@spica.astro.uiuc.edu (Harold Ravlin) writes:
>>>
>>>>I just received a Perfect Sound digitizer I'd like to hang off my 1000.
>>>>However, the manual says I can't use a standard gender changer but must
>>>>use theirs. Any idea why?
>>>
>>>Heh.  I have a Perfect Sound digitizer, and I use a standard gender changer,
>>>and have no problems.  However, mine is a somewhat older model, bought
>>>about two years ago...maybe they have changed since then?
>
>>Maybe you didn't look at his words.  He wants to use it on an Amiga 1000!
>>I doubt you are using a standard gender changer with a 1000 - this could
>>really foul things up since the power is relocated from the 1000 to the
>
>Maybe you didn't look at MY words.  I do in fact use a *standard* gender
>changer with my Perfect Sounds on my *A1000*.  If you would have read
>my response however, you would have seen that I stated that I had a
>"somewhat older model, bought about two years ago...maybe they have changed
>since then?".

It is possible that this configuration works, but it certainly isn't
a good idea to hook something up that is directly warned against.
I did read your response, and you did not mention that you were using an
"*A1000*".

>There is no doubt in my mind that my gender changer is standard, as I have 
>replaced it one time with an off the shelf packaged one.

And how, sir, are you certain that your parallel port still works with other
things?  How do you know that you have not already damaged your machine?
I have known people to have connected things in improper ways only to find
that while the device improperly used is not affected, but other devices
are no longer operational (such as ParNet or a printer).

>Either SunRize has changed the design since I bought mine, or they are trying
>to get you to buy the gender changer from them.

I'm not sure that SunRize even charges for the adapter.  Maybe you should
check that out if you are interested.  I didn't have to pay extra for mine...

>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Tony Poole           Traverse City, MI USA           EMail:tony@irie.ais.org
>____________________________________________________________________________

Tony, if you want to risk ruining your hardware, I think most will agree that
this is your right.  Do not risk other's hardware.  Please do not.  You
don't have the right to suggest that what you have done to your machine
will not harm someone elses machine just because it seems to work okay for
you.

Aaron Hightower

Disclaimer:

    Maybe I am wrong.  Maybe SunRize is just trying to make a fast buck for
those who don't have gender changers.  But, still, this is a bad practice
to say "I hooked it up and it works, why don't you try it...?"  Sheeesh!
//
// Check out "yatc.lzh" on ab20.larc.nasa.gov - /amiga/games or /incoming/amiga
// It's a self-playing 3D-look tetris game that plays itself with lotsa extras
// like giving you "hints" of where to put a piece!  :-)  Have fun!

tony@ais.org (Tony Poole) (06/09/91)

aaron@stat.tamu.edu (Aaron Hightower) writes:


>>There is no doubt in my mind that my gender changer is standard, as I have 
>>replaced it one time with an off the shelf packaged one.

>And how, sir, are you certain that your parallel port still works with other
>things?  How do you know that you have not already damaged your machine?
>I have known people to have connected things in improper ways only to find
>that while the device improperly used is not affected, but other devices
>are no longer operational (such as ParNet or a printer).

Gee, maybe because I have used other things on the parallel port besides
my Perfect Sound?  Everything seems to work completely normal.  Or maybe
there is something wrong and I don't know about it?  Yeah, right.

>>Either SunRize has changed the design since I bought mine, or they are trying
>>to get you to buy the gender changer from them.

>I'm not sure that SunRize even charges for the adapter.  Maybe you should
>check that out if you are interested.  I didn't have to pay extra for mine...

I'm not interested, I just stated what I was doing.

>Tony, if you want to risk ruining your hardware, I think most will agree that
>this is your right.  Do not risk other's hardware.  Please do not.  You
>don't have the right to suggest that what you have done to your machine
>will not harm someone elses machine just because it seems to work okay for
>you.

I'm not ruining my own hardware.  I know other people that connect a standard
gender changer between their Perfect Sound and their Amiga *1000*, so it's
not just me.  I tried to locate the instructions I recieved with my Perfect
Sound, but I couldn't find them.  Regardless, I always read through instructionsthouroughly before connecting anything to my Amiga, and I am certain that I 
would not have connected it improperly.  As a matter of fact, I believe the
dealer that I bought it from also sold me the gender changer, so I doubt
that he would have recomended hooking it up wrong.

I'm not risking anybody's hardware, just stating what I am doing (and other
people).

I have the right to suggest anything I want to suggest, and other people have
the right to ignore what I say...I wish you would.


>Aaron Hightower

>Disclaimer:

>    Maybe I am wrong.  Maybe SunRize is just trying to make a fast buck for
>those who don't have gender changers.  But, still, this is a bad practice
>to say "I hooked it up and it works, why don't you try it...?"  Sheeesh!


Again, I *always* read instructions.  If it is hooked up with a standard
gender changer, I would bet my life that that is the way the instructions
indicated to do it.  

This doesn't mean there haven't been any design changes in the cable of
the *new* Perfect Sound's.  OK?


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Poole           Traverse City, MI USA           EMail:tony@irie.ais.org
____________________________________________________________________________