Never owned a Spectrum before. As a teenager I had Commodore 64, like pretty much all my friends. This one boots and works, but as of now I have no way of loading programs. I think I need a DivMMC or something.
this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2023
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To get started you can load tape files from a computer (or phone or tablet even) with some tape loader software and and an audio cable. Connect your device headphone/audio out to the ear port on the Spectrum and run the software. Some tape loader software can run at much faster speeds than original tapes too.
Or if you want a period authentic experience, you can try typing in code manually! There’s plenty of archived Spectrum magazines online with interesting code listings. There’s no better way to experience that fantastic rubber keyboard 🤣
Maybe I could convert some .tap files to .wav and play them out on a computer without even using a dedicated tape loader software? That might even work using my old mp3 player, which would be kind of cool. Not really sure if it plays .wav, though, and I suppose mp3 compression would be a problem. I'd just need to find a mono cable to try that, and they seem to be somewhat hard to find.
Yes, you can play back the “sound” of a data tape via a .wav file. I have seen audio compression used before I don’t it think it would be as reliable.
There are tape loading cables available online, avoid using stereo cables.