Amdrum
A drumkit by the British company Cheetah.
The drumkit was able to play 8bit sound samples.
Quality of the playback was nice, considering the time and price.
The samples were read from the suplied tapes.
There were serveral tapes with different themes!.
Along with the Amdrum came a sequencing program.
It was possible to copy the samples to disc, but the sequencing program had to be patched!
Amdrum was probably Cheetahs version of the SpecDrum (As revealed on the PCB "AMSTRAD SPECDRUM")
No CPC emulator supports the Amdrum. To hear 'Amdrum' in action the Spectrum emulator Spectaculator emulates the SpecDrum.
No other software than Cheetahs own sequencer is know to use the Amdrum.
Contents
Technical Specifications
- Uses I/O Port FFxxh (Write only), ie. only /IORQ, /WR, A15-A8 are decoded. A7..A0 are not decoded, and /RD isn't used, too.
- Port usage: Write 8bit unsigned sample data to Port FFxxh. The D/A converter is mono and has only one channel (mixing multiple channels is to be done by software).
- The Amdrum software uses port FFxxh. Where "xx" is garbage coming from the Amdrums keyboard scanning routine (see disassembly below).
The five chips on the single-sided PCB are:
| 74LS30N | Single 8-input NAND | Port decoding, /ADDR_MATCH=LOW when A8..A15 all HIGH |
| 74LS32N | Quad 2-input OR | Port decoding, /DAC_WRITE when /ADDR_MATCH, /IORQ, /WR all LOW |
| SN74LS04N | Hex Inverters | purpose unknown? (used in the analog part, not for Port decoding) |
| TL064CDP | Quad Amplifier | no info how the 4 amplifier stages are used? |
| Ferranti ZN428E-8 | 8bit DAC | mono one-channel 8bit D/A converter (unsigned samples) |
- ZN428 Datasheet - 8bit D/A Converter
- TL064 Datasheet - Quad Amplifier
Partial dissassembly of player
exx ld a,(bc) add a,(hl) ex de,hl add a,(hl) inc hl ex de,hl inc bc add a,80h inc hl exx out (c),a ld b,0f6h in a,(c) ld c,a ;C=PIO Port C (keyb row, tape, psg control) xor 05h ;five ??? out (c),a ld a,0f4h in a,(66h) ld (404eh),a out (c),c
ld b,0ffh nop nop nop exx ld a,(bc) add a,(hl) ex de,hl add a,(hl) inc hl ex de,hl inc bc add a,80h inc hl exx out (c),a ;out [FFxxh] with xx=garbage (above PIO Port C value)
Kits
Afro Kit Covertape
- Afro Kit Covertape - Instructions
Afro Kit Covertape
Afro Kit Instructions
Afro Kit Errata
Electro Kit Covertape
- Electro Kit Covertape - Instructions
Electro Kit Covertape
Electro Kit Instructions
Latin Kit Covertape
- Latin Kit Covertape - Instructions
Latin Kit Covertape
Latin Kit Instructions
Tapes
Amdrum Tape
- Amdrum Tape
Amdrum Tape side A
Amdrum Tape side B
Afro Kit Tape
- Afro Kit Tape
Afro Kit Tape side A
Afro Kit Tape side B
Electro Kit Tape
- Electro Kit Tape
Electro Kit Tape side A
Electro Kit Tape side B
Latin Kit Tape
- Latin Kit Tape
Latin Kit Tape side A
Latin Kit Tape side B
Pictures
- AMDRUM
Component side
"AMSTRAD SPECDRUM"
Screen shot
Screen shot
Box
Amdrum inside box
Manual
- Amdrum Manual (pdf)
Reviews / Commercials
- Commercials for the Amdrum
Commercial for Amdrum
Review of the Amdrum in Amstrad Computer User
Weblinks
Review of the Spectrum version
Other playback devices
- Digiblaster (DIY) (8bit DAC on printer port)
- Music Machine
Videos
AmDrum on Amstrad CPC (emulated with JavaCPC)
{{#ev:youtube|0z-jGDOzwGQ|400}}
A presentation(from around 1985) of the ZX Spectrum version of the Amdrum(Specdrum), also mention of the upcomming Amstrad CPC version
{{#ev:youtube|m6R_W9CZWGU|400}}
Download
- Amdrum.zip (CDT for Emulators)
- Amdrum Afro Kit.zip (CDT for Emulators)
- Amdrum Electro Kit.zip (CDT for Emulators)
- Amdrum Latin Kit.zip (CDT for Emulators)
