How to decode an audio file which contains an MSX BASIC program?

Question

I have an audio file in WAV format, which supposedly comes from a cassette sound file. Moreover, it contains a BASIC program, but I don't know how to decode it. I have tried to convert the wav file to a tap file, but then I don't know how to convert it to a BASIC file or a text file and I have spent hours searching on the Internet.

If someone could help me I would really appreciate it.

How did you convert it to a TAP file? Which computer is this file from? — wizzwizz4, Nov 05 '19 at 18:32
Did you try to run an emulator and load it there? How do you know that the conversion into a TAP file was successful? — the busybee, Nov 05 '19 at 20:55
Is this a different question from the original? If so, please create a new question. This is very confusing as currently written — "I have a tzx file ... I have tried to convert the wav to a tap", then answers on the wav issue. — Tommy, Nov 06 '19 at 18:24
You have modified the question in a way that invalidates the existing answers by changing the premise. I am reverting your edit. As Tommy has said, please ask a new question instead. Here is the version of your question before my rollback. — wizzwizz4, Nov 07 '19 at 21:21
@Eloy Pripan See the screenshot below, the listing there is the contents of the program on the tape. — Alan B, Nov 08 '19 at 13:56
Looks like this was a clue to an online competition (see El Enigma, derived from original data link) which has now been completed/closed. — scruss, Nov 13 '19 at 18:21

score 18 · Answer 1 · edited Nov 13 '19 at 18:23

18

You need to use OpenMSX, and get the system ROMs for the machine in question. Then run OpenMSX, set the machine to the FS-A1WSX. There's a little menu button at the top left of the OpenMSX window. In there, set your tape to the WAV file. Then:

10 M$ = "E4E8O3G16G32R32G2G4R4O4C8D8E8F8G2G8F8E8F4E8D8E4D8C4"
20 PLAY M$+M$

The listing above is the content of the WAV you linked to, so to be honest you'd be quicker typing it back in.

edited Nov 13 '19 at 18:23

scruss

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answered Nov 06 '19 at 09:48

Alan B

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that's the content of that .wav file? – Antonio Gamiz Delgado Nov 06 '19 at 14:38
That's the content of that .wav file, unless there's more that one program contained in it, that I don't know. – Alan B Nov 06 '19 at 15:15
No, that's definitely it. – Alan B Nov 06 '19 at 16:41

score 8 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 05 '19 at 21:25

8

The good news is the next few steps are easy.

Most (all?) of the MSX emulators include a "virtual tape" that can open a WAV file. openMSX does for sure. It's right in the instructions for the emulator.

I don't know enough about MSX to know if it stored programs as text or in tokenized format, but in either case, once it is loaded you can use the "virtual printer" to LIST the program to a text file and you're off to the races.

answered Nov 05 '19 at 21:25

Maury Markowitz

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I've installed the emulator, but how do I load the .wav file? – Josemi Nov 05 '19 at 22:07
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I actually think openMSX might be in the minority in handling WAV files — CocoaMSX, which is a Mac-native version of BlueMSX doesn't, and neither does my emulator (but I'm lazy, so don't count that as a major data point). Which is a shame as I have absolutely no idea offhand how to set up openMSX as a real machine. C-BIOS, which it boots by default, can't read tapes. – Tommy Nov 06 '19 at 03:17
@Josemi Did you read the instructions for the emulator as the answerer suggested? – the busybee Nov 06 '19 at 07:24
@Josemi - read this part: https://openmsx.org/manual/user.html#tapewav – Maury Markowitz Nov 06 '19 at 15:48

How to decode an audio file which contains an MSX BASIC program?

2 Answers2