Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

(Modding and other series related projects)

Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby BlueMue » Wed Dec 10, 2014 5:03 pm

I'll put this in here as it's kinda related to modding and such. Not strictly Shenmue but hey, that's the main reason we're here for right?

For those who don't know what the GDEMU is: https://gdemu.wordpress.com/about/

I just received mine and didn't hestitate to record some Shenmue footage showing the most important aspect of the device: the load times. The video shows exactly just how much faster it is then the regular drive. I can already tell you that it's quite impressive!

phpBB [video]
Last edited by BlueMue on Wed Dec 10, 2014 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

BlueMue has received 3 thanks from: _StreetSonic_, Giorgio, masterchan777
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby ReeceKun » Wed Dec 10, 2014 5:16 pm

Pricing:
The price of one unit is 100 Euro !!

If you know how to use a soudering iron This can be done for much less , theres tons of tutorials on swapping the GD drive for an SD reader

this has a better description of what GDEMU is/does
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtOC9_Nq-s8
User avatar
ReeceKun
Man Mo Acolyte
Man Mo Acolyte
 
Joined: November 2009
Location: North Wales (UK)
Favorite title: Shenmue
Currently playing: Skyrim

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby BlueMue » Thu Dec 11, 2014 6:00 pm

Can those around here that have a GDEMU do some testing vs the regular drive?
I noticed something and I want to check if other people will notice it aswell. I already asked the guy who makes them about this, he doesn't know how it's happening yet.

With the GDEMU the sound is noticeably muffled compared to the regular drive. This has nothing to do with the image files, because even in the system menu the sound is like that.

I would appreciate if some of you could check this out.
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby Ziming » Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:03 pm

So you're saying the audio quality changes after the GDEMU is installed onto the console? So when you put the original drive back into that same console the muffled audio is gone?

Join the assembler game forums. There is a active topic with many GDEMU owners who discuss issues with the device.

http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/sh ... up/page114
User avatar
Ziming
Banned
Banned
 
Joined: November 2003

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby BlueMue » Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:17 am

I made a quick recording of the Shenmue II menu to show the difference between them.
Both were recorded from the same Dreamcast with no unplugging of any of the cables. Sound is coming through a VGA box and the recordings are both done at the same input level and unaltered.

From the regular GD-Rom drive:
http://www.filedropper.com/s2drive

From the GDEMU:
http://www.filedropper.com/s2gdemu

I'll look into posting this on that topic on assemblergames. I should have an account there.
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby shengoro86 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:57 am

Have you guys seen this newer one? It has USB support.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/dreamcast-u ... on.373014/

phpBB [video]
User avatar
shengoro86
Admin - Shenmue500K
Shenmue 500K Staff
 
Joined: August 2004
Location: New Jersey, USA
PSN: Shengoro86
XBL: Rock Is Sponge
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: Shenmue III (PC)

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby Ziming » Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:21 am

BlueMue wrote:

From the regular GD-Rom drive:
http://www.filedropper.com/s2drive

From the GDEMU:
http://www.filedropper.com/s2gdemu



I definitely notice a difference between the two. The music recorded using the gd-rom drive does sound better.
User avatar
Ziming
Banned
Banned
 
Joined: November 2003

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby shengoro86 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 11:55 am

I wonder if the music gets downsampled to save space in the GDEMU buffers.
User avatar
shengoro86
Admin - Shenmue500K
Shenmue 500K Staff
 
Joined: August 2004
Location: New Jersey, USA
PSN: Shengoro86
XBL: Rock Is Sponge
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: Shenmue III (PC)

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby BlueMue » Fri Dec 12, 2014 1:20 pm

Deunan told me that the GDEMU shouldn't have any influence on the audio as it only transfers data and from the card into the AICA digitally. He suspects that it might be because the GDEMU draws less power then the drive and it could affect the opamps. But this is purely speculation. I hope he digs deeper into this and that there is a simple solution somehow by some setting in the firmware.

I think it's still very handy for recordings. You can easily apply some treble boost on the audio so it sounds just like it normally does for playback. But using it to really just play games you're limited by what your sound system can do.
I have a real equalizer portion in my stereo and treble is already turned up to about 85%. So I cannot compensate anymore.

In any case this tradeoff leaves a bitter taste and it really shouldn't ruin the experience. If it isn't easily fixable in time then I'm thinking about returning mine for now and wait until an improved version is ready to hit the scene.

Posted about this on assemblergames now. I really don't want to spread bad things about the GDEMU or ruin other peoples experience but I think it worth to this discuss this on a wide audience, because that way it's more likely that the issue get's resolved wich makes everyone happy.

BlueMue has received a thanks from: Ziming
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby BlueMue » Wed Dec 17, 2014 5:10 pm

So I'm still waiting for the good news from Deunan and I got annoyed by the broken fan in the Dreamcast I have the GDEMU in. So I made some mods to get rid of it and went the extra mile to reduce the heat inside the console.

Image

I replaced the old PSU with a more efficent picoPSU that generates much less heat and hooks up to an external 12V power brick. To get rid of the fan I built a little rpm signal generator and to dissapate the heat better I stuck a little heatsink on the main plate with thermal grease. I admit it's not done very clean but it does work perfectly.
It's a completely silent Dreamcast now without any moving parts. \:D/

BlueMue has received 4 thanks from: Anthony817, Nahovil, shengoro86, Ziming
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby Ziming » Wed Dec 17, 2014 6:39 pm

That's a very cool modification! I wouldn't mind having a silent Dreamcast. You should share this at the assembler games topic.
User avatar
Ziming
Banned
Banned
 
Joined: November 2003

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby BlueMue » Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:33 am

They already have a topic about replacing the PSU over there. That's where I got the idea from. :D
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/sh ... the-DC-PSU

And I copied the 555 timer thing from here: http://randomprojectman.blogspot.de/200 ... tem-i.html
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby BlueMue » Fri Dec 19, 2014 4:36 am

I have good news! Deunan gave me a new firmware yesterday for testing and I can tell you that the audio issue is gone. The GDEMU now sounds just as clean as the drive does, no difference at all. Perfect!

The firmware is up on his site now: https://gdemu.wordpress.com/firmware/

BlueMue has received 2 thanks from: shengoro86, Ziming
User avatar
BlueMue
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: August 2008
Location: Germany
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby shengoro86 » Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:21 am

Bump:

StoneAgeGamer responded to me here saying that the USB Loader is still in the works.

I wonder how this will do compared to the GDEMU.

Image
User avatar
shengoro86
Admin - Shenmue500K
Shenmue 500K Staff
 
Joined: August 2004
Location: New Jersey, USA
PSN: Shengoro86
XBL: Rock Is Sponge
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: Shenmue III (PC)

Re: Dreamcast GDEMU SD card reader

Postby mrslig100 » Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:39 am

>110 euro's
>Stonage gamer


Image

Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and wonder who the real goy is...
User avatar
mrslig100
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: May 2012
Location: Land of teh lulz
Steam: mrslig100
Currently playing: shenmue 3 fandom

Next

Return to Community Projects

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

Powered by phpBB © 2000-
ShenmueDojo.net