Date   : Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:01:27 -0000
From   : profpep@... (Mike)
Subject: Music 500 to Music 5000 hardware mod

  Does anyone know how I can upgrade my Music 500 to a 5000 so that it will
work with a Master? 

  I've been offered the Music 5000 software and, from reading old posts on
the the list, understand that the 5000 hardware is identical except for an
extra capacitor on underside of the board. 

  Does anyone have details of the capacitor used and where it needs to be
soldered?


  I have used an un-modified Music 500 for a long time, it has always worked 
fine. From speaking to Hybrid, back in the day, I suspect that it was a 
ploy to sell more hardware. The girl I spoke to told me  "Well some work 
and some sound wonky". Acorn effectively 'dumped' a large number of Music 
500's, due to low sales, and Peartree were selling them for a fraction of 
Hybrid's price. Peartree tried to make a new software version too, though 
it wasn't successful, (and I think Hybrid sued them over use of the name). 
Hybrid were more into the educational market, with corresponding prices. 
I felt the cost of their 'upgrade' was very unfair, though I later got a 
second hand system, with a keyboard. The mod I would really be interested 
in, is the one that allowed 2 music 500/5000's to run on one Master 128.
I'm not sure what addresses they used - it had to be an address hack, and
I don't think I've ever seen the software on line anywhere

  If the capacitor mod is actually used, then I think it will be to do with
the timing of the 1MHz bus. I believe there are subtle differences between
the 1MHz implementation on the BBC B and the Master 128. 

  I'd give it a try, for a start. 

  HTH

  ||\/||ike