Harpseal
Offline
UK

Hi,
I've been listening to chip music for about two years now, and I've also tried my hand at writing it on tools such as Milkytracker, Famitracker and Open MPT to name a few, but what I've been trying to do for a while is set up LSDJ on my Gameboy Advance SP.
After many months of searching, I've found two cartridges that look to me to be what I'm after, but I haven't been able to find any side-by-side comparisons of them, especially not relating specifically to music.
I'm looking for advice, preferably from people who've used either, or are quite familiar with chipmusic and more or less know what they're looking at smile.

First up is the EZ Flash IV:
It seems to me to be a good option because it's quite modern and it gets good reviews, despite the fact that it doesn't support GB/GBC ROMs, and so I would have to use Goomba - which doesn't support LSDJ after version 2 or something, although after experimenting with various implementations of Goomba and LSDJ, I have found a few combinations of versions that almost work quite smoothly on VBA.
I know people use the EZFlash IV with LSDJ after searching Youtube, although it doesn't appear to be a perfect situation because of the battery.
According to a few accounts, the battery in the EZ Flash (especially the new ones) is very difficult to replace, and I'm no electrician and I certainly don't have the time or skill to do soldering.
At first, I was going to get oen of these, but then I discovered what appeared to me to be a second option.

The 64M USB Smart Card gets very good reviews, and If I can get the ROM on there at all, it would seem to be the perfect option, especially seeing as the battery is meant to be quite easy to replace.
My only problem is that I now have Windows 10. I've been through the motions already and I have signed the necessary patched system files, although with Microsoft's increadingly dedicated outlook of driving all creative programming to destruction, I've no idea if they'll work.

So my questions to you, if you happen to be reading are:
-Which one would you choose and why?
-What battery does the 64M USB Smart Card use, how often does it run out, how easy to replace is it really and how easy is it to find new ones?
-Pretty much the same question(s) as above, just for the EZ Flash IV?

Thanks,
Harpseal

egr
Offline
Abandoned on Fire

Do you have an android device? There's an app that makes ems64 use totally simple.

Edit: for lsdj you definitely want the ems. Batteries last for years and replacing them is extremely easy.

Last edited by egr (Oct 18, 2015 3:42 pm)

Harpseal
Offline
UK

Brilliant. Thank you so much. I don't have an android device, no. I've got all the signed driver files sitting on my desktop, so hopefully I can just set up the driver upon first use of the cartridge and everything'll be easy from there on out.
What sort of battery do they use, and where do you find them? I'm guessing it's no normal battery (like a watch battery or anything), right?
Thanks again,
Harpseal

egr
Offline
Abandoned on Fire

They're very common watch/hearing aid type batteries.  Here's a recent thread about it: http://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/16069 … y-is-dead/

jefftheworld
Offline
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

On Windows 10 an easier way of working with EMS carts is to install a virtual machine running Windows XP. No messing with driver incompatibilities.

DropMontage
Offline
Connecticut

Yo! I've got a couple EMS 64M carts, I currently use Windows 10, you can upload the same way as 8. I recently made a quick post http://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/17108 … indows-10/ That will get you there, I'm sorry I have no experience with the EZ Flash IV, but for now I do enjoy the EMS carts.

Ledfyr
Offline
Sweden

There is a command line tool for the EMS cart made for Linux and Mac. I got it working on Windows, but there is no official installer or .exe file.
I think the easiest way to go is a virtual machine with XP as suggested by jefftheworld, but check this thread if you're interested in the command line tool:

http://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/17128 … ows-howto/

Harpseal
Offline
UK

Hi,
Thanks for all your help - I got the EMS 64M Flash Cartridge in the end - I'm really loving it. I got the drivers to work using the 'disable driver signature enforcment' start-up mode in Windows 10 (thanks DropMontage). For anyone trying to do the same, sometimes you need to be in that mode for the drivers to actually work (once they're installed) and sometimes you don't (I don't quite get it).
Anyway, I'm having great fun covering all sorts of old 4 channel Dubmood mods.
Two last questions (hopefully):
Is it possible to expand the save capacity of LSDJ on the cartridge in any way, either by having multiple instances of the ROM on there (many on each page, or on one page etc.) or by some other means?
It's not necessary, it's just the 1.0.8 version of the writing software says it should be capable of having more than one save on the cartridge.
And:
I've just discovered Pixelh8's Music Tech program, and I've found it really useful/intuitive etc. for jamming/messing around etc., on an emulator anyway, and I've found a 'flash card friendly' copy of the free version, only it doesn't work: It displays the splash screen for about half a second and then either the screen goes white, or it returns to the game menu (if there was more than one game on the cartridge). Any thoughts?

I haven't read around these matters much and this thread is sort of sliding away from the original topic now, but if anyone has any suggestions...
Thanks again,
Harpseal