Choosing a computer for my DIY Classic 'Cassette based' Audio Streamer

[roog]

@somebodyelse thank you for the tips on tutorials and gaming interfaces i will do some research
"
I can imagine a 'screensaver' showing revolving spools and maybe indicating track or album progress with the thickness of tape on the spools." Neat idea.

I did consider a smaller screen and agree with you that it would keep the aspect ratio about right, but much pressure was put on me to go with the official Rpi 7" screen.

 

[Vict0r]

I use Waveshare or Elecrow screens in most of my builds. They come in many different sizes and variations (2.4" up to 15", I mostly use 5" 800x480, capacitive/resistive touchscreen or without, oled or lcd), are powered by USB and use HDMI for input. https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/lcd-oled/lcd-oled-1.htm

Brightness can be controlled either through a switch on the screen's pcb or through software. Colour accuracy is decent. They're little IPS panels, so viewing angles are decent as well.

 

[roog]

I use Waveshare or Elecrow screens in most of my builds. They come in many different sizes and variations (2.4" up to 15", I mostly use 5" 800x480, touschreen or not, oled or lcd), are powered by USB and use HDMI for input. https://www.waveshare.com/product/displays/lcd-oled/lcd-oled-1.htm

Many thanks @Vict0r I will check them out

 

[Vict0r]

Many thanks @Vict0r I will check them out

You're welcome. Here's a 5" in action. I had a custom frame 3d printed based on a Thingiverse STL file I found.

 

[Berwhale]

Second hand "dell optiplex 3070 micro" (has 9gen cpu)
Depending on budget 3060 or 3050 might also be ok. they can be had cheaper then an PI.

small an cute.

but you can get the same from HP called "Elitedesk sff " don’t uses below gen2
or from Lenovo or Fujitsu...

I recently paid £179 for an 'A grade' Dell Optiplex 3070 Micro i3-9100T, which although a bargain, is considerably more than a RaspberryPi.

I bought a 7060 Micro with an i3-8100T at Christmas for £135, but i've not seen anything available at close to that price since. Of course, both of these boxes offer considerably more computing power than an RPi.

ServerTheHome reviews lots of these 1 litre chassis micro PCs are part of their "Tiny Mini Micro" project...

Introducing Project TinyMiniMicro Home Lab Revolution

STH Project TinyMiniMicro is set to revolutionize the home lab segment with clusters of high-quality, quiet, low power, and inexpensive nodes

www.servethehome.com

My 7060 is my new Vmware ESXi host and replaces a rather lager T20 server.

 

[roog]

You're welcome. Here's a 5" in action. I had a custom frame 3d printed based on a Thingiverse STL file I found.

View attachment 198284

Very smart, I hope I can make as good a job of mine as you have.

 

[roog]

Finally closed the lid on my up cycled Sony TC-209 SD, RPi plus Allo digione hat installed and running Picoreplayer.
The original cassette ‘piano keys’ now operate microswitches and operate functions comparable to those for the cassette deck. I use a digital output from the digione to drive a low cost DAC to operate the VU meters via their original circuitry and the line level knobs to adjust the VU level to keep the needles dancing.

Edit: I recently replaced the old cassette player VU meter drivers, which were embedded in the main signal PCB, this allowed me to remove a large PCB and a lot of redundant cabling too making room for a more modern VU driver board, (generic ebay purchase). The original drivers were all over the place, giving inconsistent readings, but having calibrated the new one it behaves much better and I no longer need to pass the signal through the line level knobs/pots to adjust the levels to keep the needles on the move!

 

[roog]

I am now looking for a new challenge, ideas anyone? I would like to keep it classical, perhaps ‘supercharge‘ a popular low cost vintage amp with one of the latest class D designs?

 

[MCH]

Looks awesome! My only suggestion would be to work on the looks of the info shown on the screen so the it fits better with the rest of the setup. I have no suggestions on how though, maybe start with something more green to match the VU meters?

 

[roog]

Looks awesome! My only suggestion would be to work on the looks of the info shown on the screen so the it fits better with the rest of the setup. I have no suggestions on how though, maybe start with something more green to match the VU meters?

Yes I agree i am no expert on Picoreplayer but I noticed something in the menu system about scenes, perhaps there is something that might be a better match.

I have only just found the screen brightness control, that had been bugging me since I first powered it up.

 

[somebodyelse]

Yes I agree i am no expert on Picoreplayer but I noticed something in the menu system about scenes, perhaps there is something that might be a better match.

I have only just found the screen brightness control, that had been bugging me since I first powered it up.

I gather the skins for Jivelite are written in LUA and that it's not structured as nicely as you might hope for easy modification, but can be done.

 

[roog]

I gather the skins for Jivelite are written in LUA and that it's not structured as nicely as you might hope for easy modification, but can be done.

Thanks for the suggestion, apathy has got the better of me recently, although I am taking a 'learn it from a book' course in programming Rpi in Python, so who knowns I might pluck up the courage/enthusiasm to tinker further in the coming year.

 

[mhardy6647]

Wouldn't a period-correct computer be the way to go?
Maybe a nice Atari or a Commodore PET?



EDIT: I mean, a DEC microVAX would probably have enough oompf to keep up...

 

[roog]

Wouldn't a period-correct computer be the way to go?
Maybe a nice Atari or a Commodore PET?



EDIT: I mean, a DEC microVAX would probably have enough oompf to keep up...

Ha, I recently sold a bunch of retro microcomputer gear, not that Mrs Roog would have been happy with any of it in the living room whatever function it claimed to perform!
A Commodore PET would be a lumpy o'l thing on a HiFi rack. :0)

Its been a long time since I saw a DEC microVAX I recall we used rack mounted units as supervisor computers in industrial control systems. We had the 'spare one' in our office running dungeons and dragons amongst other more useful things! Our R&D group used to run a whole bunch of well guarded computing resources including, Intel emulators and DEC machines PDP-8 and 11's. back in the day when microcomputers were fairly simple 8 & 16 bit affairs.

 

[mhardy6647]

We used a data acquisition system based around a DEC PRO 350 PC when I was in grad school. DEC had given my alma mater a bunch of 'em free for whatever reason and the university was thrilled that we had a use for one of them. The DEC PC operating system was - memorably - called P/OS.

We also wrote a grant to acquire and install a microVAX (don't press me on details of the model; this was mid '80s) and a (then) super-high-res color graphics terminal. The computer was used via a brand-new (!) Ethernet installation on campus to interface with the Chem Dept's high-res (400 MHz, if memory serves) NMR instrument, so we could run the instrument or (more to the point) process data from the comfort of our own lab (actually, the office of the person who would soon be my post-doc advisor).

Fun times those were.

 

[roog]

We used a data acquisition system based around a DEC PRO 350 PC when I was in grad school. DEC had given my alma mater a bunch of 'em free for whatever reason and the university was thrilled that we had a use for one of them. The DEC PC operating system was - memorably - called P/OS.

We also wrote a grant to acquire and install a microVAX (don't press me on details of the model; this was mid '80s) and a (then) super-high-res color graphics terminal. The computer was used via a brand-new (!) Ethernet installation on campus to interface with the Chem Dept's high-res (400 MHz, if memory serves) NMR instrument, so we could run the instrument or (more to the point) process data from the comfort of our own lab (actually, the office of the person who would soon be my post-doc advisor).

Fun times those were.

Yes indeed, I actually understood a fair bit of what was going on in those days.