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Ivory Tower Collections - Tech, Game and More Videos!


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Though I've posted about my channel and videos before, I figured keeping a central place in one thread would make more since. While I have done more videos than I will likely ever post in here, I thought it would be good to start off with my 40th official video for my channel and to start off April right. I present my unboxing and game play review for the Neo Games home-brew release of the limited boxed edition of Spies in the Night for the Atari 2600! Enjoy and thank you for watching!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Video #41 has been released! In this video I go over the box contents and game play for the excellent home-brew game for the Atari Lynx titled "Weltenschlächter". It has been said quite a lot before that this game compares to Yar's Revenge and that is somewhat true, but then YAR didn't have a bunch of eneyships coming at him all at once at high speed where some require more than one hit to take them out either! It is really fun game and my first purchase (Hopefully not my last) of a Luch Soft title.

 

Enjoy!

 

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Video # 42 is released. This one is a mix of both my passion for midi and classic games. This video is a compilation of midi files I've found for mostly Sega Saturn games that have been sequenced. Here I play them back in really old school style using the old DOS midi playback program known as Mega Mid. This audio and video was captured in real time through my PC from my Roland MT-200 with all audio unfiltered and unedited other than normalizing the audio for consistent volume as many midi files can have their volumes set all over the place between songs. These are some wonderful sounding compositions through my MT-200 sound module. I'm working on a vol2 to this that will have mostly Genesis game music sequenced and arranged as midi music as well.

 

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Video #43 was uploaded a few days ago, but thought I would show something pretty cool. I recently received a VecFever cart to my collection and it has a cool Jukebox that contains over 3 hours of veccy chip tune music! So, I did what any chip tune, veccy, loving retro guy did and captured the whole set list in real time on video! My Vectrex in this video features the Buzz Off! kit from and V.A.T. (Vectrex Audio Tap) that allows for clean audio output from the vectrex. Both of these are available from Obtanium-Gaming who sells his products via Ebay. This is my longest video to date and took quite a while to create the track listing in the video description as most of these tunes have only a second or less of space between them.

 

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Videos #44 and #45 have been uploaded to my channel. They are more midi music compilations mainly from the Sega Genesis era of games. These last two will likely be the last of any midi or MT-200 related videos I do for awhile as there isn't much more to discuss that hasn't been covered in more detail or demonstrated on other equipment. And I mainly did these MT-200 videos because there isn't much to be found on them and I find them to be very capable general midi sound modules that are pretty much equal to the SC-55 sound canvas units but at a much cheaper cost to obtain.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

ITC# 46 is posted! - Come with me on a journey of discovery as I diagnose and make a few quick repairs on a junk Atari 7800 and make it live once again! Unfortunately, due to camera angles used in this video, my ugly mug is also shown in this video...

 

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ITC# 47 focuses on a strange pong clone I picked received in this week. Haven't been able to find anything about it so I cover what I could figure out here. I like this clone for its looks and the fact that it has some odd quirks in the game play. Let me know if you have any additional information about this particular unit besides it being from the 70s and sold and branded by JCPenney hehe.

 

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ITC# 48 is available to view. It has been a while since I last released a video and that is only because I've been busy with other projects that took priority. In this video I show you in depth game play on the newly released home brew for the vectrex - Stramash Zone. It is the port of Atari's Battlezone we never got and should have. Worth noting that my camera has trouble with the vectrex and so it appears to flicker much more than it actually does. Not sure the best way to combat that as I figured shooting at 60fps (Fastest my camera can film) would help with that.

 

Enjoy!

 

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This is small series of videos I took freehand with my camcorder during a complete audio/video upgrade of the game room. It is in three parts and doesn't have any real editing, title cards or anything. Still I thought it might interest some people to know how I have everything connected up in my game room and how it all operates and what it looks like.

 

Here is part 1 where I go over the equipment that will be used for everything.

 

 

 

Part 2 goes into more detail about the cabling I will need to use the Extron 7SC for various connection types.

 

 

 

And with part 3 I show everything in place and how it all works and looks.

 

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Posted Today, 10:38 PM

ITC#49 has been published....

 

In this video I demonstrate the difference in audio between a stock Sega Genesis model 1 va3 and the same Genesis with Firebrandx's new audio bypass amplifier mod board. In a nutshell this board replaces the internal audio amplifier Sony chip with a new one. It provides much more rich audio and increases the volume to properly line level audio output.

 

This mod is really designed for those who like myself, have RCA audio output jacks installed on their genesis for line level audio to AV receivers. The only editing done on these audio tracks in the video was that all audio samples were normalized for similar volume levels and 5 sec fade outs added to each sample. YT hoses up the sound quite a bit but even through their compression system, you can still hear the difference this new audio amp board makes.

 

There are a few issues with it as has recently been discovered originally by me while making this video that have been replicated on others. So the purchase of these boards might go on pause for a bit until those minor issues are figured out. In the meantime...if you thought the model 1 Genesis already had excellent sound (And it does compared to the other later models), then you are in for a treat.

 

Enjoy !

 

Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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I have now published video #50 under the ITC branding! I also finally reached 200subs recently as well so that really cool!

 

In ITC#50 I go over the installation of FirebrandX's new audio amp bypass board in one of my later va6.5 model 1 Genesis systems. This particular one especially suffered from very low audio output from my RCA jacks attached off the original 1034 amp chip itself so this new bypass amp was something I had been waiting for and was very happy to test it on this low volume model 1! Still likely way too detailed of a video for most, but you get the idea on how to install this simple add-on replacement for the original amplifier circuits in the Genesis with FirebrandX's solution.

 

Enjoy!

 

https://youtu.be/xw_hthYBUvw

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Posted Today, 11:30 PM

ITC# 51 is now online and documents the process to installing a very interesting new mod PCB that has been developed and hopefully will soon be released to the masses. It is called the M1 Double Mega. It is a plug in pcb board specifically designed for the model 1 HDG genesis systems that have separate YM2612 synth ICs in them (Most model 1s do as only the va7 doesn't have one). It allows you to use both the stock YM2612 and CMOS improved pin compatible YM3438 with the ability to switch between them. The YM3438 improves upon the 2612's stereo separation field and has an improved DAC circuit to provide cleaner PCM samples from the Genesis/Megadrive. There are some small audio comparisons at the end where I switch between the two chips on the fly.

 

Enjoy!

 

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If you were ever curious to see the process a modder goes through to install the McWill LCD upgrade into an Atari Lynx II or perhaps curious to try it your self, here is ITC#52 to help guide your the process. While it does look quite easy to do this mod in this video, it actually can be a challenge to remove all the components needed unless you have the right tools. But if one takes their time and is careful, the results are amazing! After this video, I will be focusing on some gaming stuff again to keep the variety there.

 

Enjoy!

 

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  • 2 months later...

In ITC# 53 I go over the long known and dreaded compatbility issues that plague many 7800s. Especially those of the later made years. This video demonstrates some of the compatibility issues and one simple quick fix I use to correct most of them.

 

Enjoy and thanks again for watching!

 

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  • 1 month later...

ITC#54 has you join me to see the process of replacing the capacitors on a model 1 Sega Genesis. The video is sped up through most of it but was originally shot in real time so that you can get an idea on the amount of time involved with a project like this. Features a few midi tunes as captured from my Roland MT-200. So sit back, relax, and see what is takes to replace the capacitors in a classic console such as the Sega Genesis featured in this video:

 

 

 

 

Thank you for watching!

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ITC # 50 - has been replaced with a new video. This was done because I had comments (Mostly be email) advising me to remove the video since the original board featured in that earlier video was no longer available and had been replaced with a different board set. This new ITC # 50 episode details the installation of this new board now known as the M1 Mini Mega. It is both an amplifier and mixer replacement board for use with the model 1 Genesis systems va0 - va6 only. There are a lot of odd edits in this one and that is because originally it was shot with the intention of showing both the M1 Mini Mega installation alongside an M1 Double Mega board installation. However, the M1 DBL Mega isn't available currently and I already have a separate video detailing the installation of that board.

 

Thanks for watching as always and comments are always welcome!

 

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ITC # 55 is now released. In this short video I show you my collection of unique Music albums for the Sega Genesis that have been released over the past couple of years. These albums aren't normal albums in that they are on actual cartridges or in the case of one of them on Sega CD. As such they are designed to be listened to on the actual Sega Genesis or Megadrive itself. There is some amazing sounding music on these cartridges and really shows what the original synthesis chip on the Genesis was capable of. This video doesn't show any specific music graphics from these carts but there are links throughout the video and in the video description where you can view the carts in action. While these aren't games, they are a very unique part of my collection and one I'm always happy to add too as more of these get released. Thanks for watching and enjoy!

 

 

 

Got a new camera about a month back and this is the first video shot with it. Still doesn't handle low light as well as I had hoped but still has more clarity with less graininess compared to the older camera I was using. Done in 4K as well, though not sure how many videos I will actually shoot in that mode as my nearly decade old computer had a heck of a time with it during the editing process even with GPU acceleration enabled.

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  • 3 weeks later...

ITC# 56 went live this morning. This will likely be the last hardware tech video I do for a while as it seems that is all I've been doing for the last several months. Truth is, I've been so busy doing commissioned modification work on other retro gamer enthusiasts consoles, that I haven't really had any time to play any actual games as late. So it was easiest to just make videos of the consoles I was modifying at the time and well...there you go.



With that, here in ITC# 56 I go through the process and give you some tips should you ever need or decided to replace the capacitors in your Roland MT-32 sound module. It is pretty retro game related as this module, along with the original Adlib is what really started the sound card boom of the late 80s and early 90s. Therefore if you were a PC gamer in that era, you likely had or knew someone with an Adlib or Sound Blaster card, but all of you were drooling for one of these MT-32 modules like I was!



Video features some new custom music composed for my channel and music from some well known PC games that really pushed the MT-32.


Thanks for watching and enjoy!




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ITC# 57 went live ahead of schedule and finally has me taking that needed break from hardware work and videos and getting back to playing some video games! Join me as I go through a complete long play of the unreleased game for the Atari 5200, The Last Starfighter! I give you information about how the game is played and some interesting tips I've found to help make playing the game easier. In all honesty, this being an unreleased prototype and only thought to be the final completed game, could be me exploiting some bugs that remained in the game not yet polished out. But who cares, as it is a lot of fun to play!

 

Features a new intro provided by AA's very own Gorfcadet!

 

Enjoy!

 

Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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It has been a year since I started posting my videos in this thread and as of this morning ITC# 58 is released. This is a video I've wanted to do for a while but just hadn't gotten around to it or keep forgetting to do it. Last week I had a need to purchase some items from mouser and it jogged my memory to get this one done. In this video, I go through the process I use to replace game save batteries in most cartridges. Specifically the modification and installation of a battery holder to make battery replacement easier in the future. But I also demonstrate how I do this without the loss of current potential save game data. Hopefully this is of use for other collectors and retro game players now and in the future to come.

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

ITC# 59 is finally done and published. In this video I Finally go into greater detail in the process I use when installing a UAV (Ultimate Atari Video) board into an Atari 7800. The most critical parts of this video compared to the overview of the installation I did previously, is that I show the most likely way you might want to install one of these into a 7800 without removal of any components at all and also show my current method for filtering and routing the audio that keeps the TIA and POKEY/External audio volume in balance and doesn't kill the audio from the RF modulator as my previous video would have shown.


Links are provided in the video description for my UAV installation instructions and on where you can order UAV boards for your own Atari console and computer needs. As always, thank you for watching and for any comments left that help me improve the channel and its content.




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  • 2 months later...

ITC#60 shows you the awesome AgaCart designed and sold by Rafal Jankowski for your Atari Lynx! The AgaCart is pretty feature packed micro SD flash cartridge that initially comes preloaded with lots of roms and programs to play on your Atari Lynx. I show you the cartridge up close so you can see the 3D printing on it and how it looks when in use. I also go into some details on the different operation modes the AgaCart supports. Enjoy!

 

 

Edited by -^Cro§Bow^-
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  • 1 month later...

ITC#60 is now available for public viewing. It has been long overdue, but I finally put together my game play review on the wonderful little homebrew game for the Genesis known as Miniplanets! It is a fun overhead platformer with some great visual tricks to simulate rotating play fields. Originally programmed by Sik whom is well known at the Sega-16 forums back in 2016 and released in physical form back in 2017/2018. Hope you enjoy and thank you again for watching!

 

 

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ITC # 62 is online this morning. In this video, I go through the process I use for installing the new BennVenn LCD upgrade kit on a Lynx model II. I hope to create a set of installation instructions similar to those I did on the s-video installs for the 7800 soon. Thank you for watching and I hope these videos are of benefit to others now and in the future!

 

 

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ITC# 63 is published and available for view. In this non tech video, I go over in detail, the New Wave Toys 1/6 scale replica arcade cabinet of Atari's classic game Tempest. The New Wave Toys replicade series are very detail accurate mini arcades with full playable controls that play the actual arcade version of the games. They are emulated though I do not know the full details of what exactly is running inside to make the magic happen. Still, they are perhaps the most detailed of these mini arcades I've seen and they have another one on the horizon that I plan to get as well in the future. Enjoy this look at this wonderful adult toy for retro gamers and thank you for watching!

 

 

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