dreamcast to awsd via vga sound question

hey there, im trying to hook my dreamcast up to my awsd cabinte with vga cord. i have no problem getting the visual to display and for the controls i plan to go with a pad hack.

my question is how do i get the audio to play out of my cabs speakers?

my vga cord has an audio out. its a headphone jack. but even if i could hook it directly to the speakers i still wouldnt have volume control. ive also heard that the sound would be faint. i read somewhere else that i would need a seperate amp.

can anybody offer any suggestions?

ps i think the atomiswave may have a stereo connector near the jamma edge but there are several terminals there so im not sure which one it would be.

i can post pics if it helps.
thanks justin

I think nether egret or atomiswave cab. shown on your pics has no sound amplifer, so you need to get one to hook it up. Atomiswave cab. may be easier since it has +120v plugs inside.

Do you have any naomi universal cab.? That has amp in it.
Or just grab off any amp off of junk cab. you may have and connect it, altough you need to add some mod. like wiring RCA jacks for input.

There is a stereo connector near the JAMMA harness , but as the poster above stated, there is no amplifier already in the cab

Maybe I will undertake the same project soon, let me know how it goes.

I believe you can mod a DC VGA box for 15k output too, so SF3 etc and non hi-rez games might look better.

kernow said:

Maybe I will undertake the same project soon, let me know how it goes.

I believe you can mod a DC VGA box for 15k output too, so SF3 etc and non hi-rez games might look better.

Click to expand...

I have had mixed results....

I often recommend using a sync splitter/cleaner on either the sync out or the cv out.

Ultimarc also sells an cable/amp combo...

Seems to work better that way.

thanks for the help guys. im gonna check out the cable/amp combo thing from ultimarc. can anyone provide a link in case i cant find it?

Maybe I will undertake the same project soon, let me know how it goes.

Click to expand...

hey kernow, ill let you know how it turns out.

later j

is this what i need? i think its the one at the bottom of the page. http://www.ultimarc.com/dreamcast.html

and what exactly is the difference between this cable and the vga cord i already have? does this have a sound amp built in?

thanks for the help

Sorry for long text.
I'm afraid, but they don't have sound amp built in, so you'll be needing amp. anyway. Just get any, and add RCA female(or stereo-mini) jack to input port.That's all.

I have hooked up PSX or DC before. Could help you more, if you give us more info.
The best cab. compatible to this mod. will be Atomiswave cab. since it has good monitor, has jamma and jamma+(separate vga 15pin d-sub(d type) female connector), lots of useful separate ex. connectors.

There are two ways to do this dc-mod. You could ether buy complete set from Ultimarc. except sound amp. in expensive way, or mod. it just as you mentioned by hacking pad + sound amp.(+ vga with d type connector from Ultimarc)
Adding control converters may cause signal delay in some cases, so it's much safe just hacking pads and connect directly. Could you show a pic. of vga cord you have?

Please note that SEGA didn't make DC's vga output to correspond 15khz. officially.
It's only vga, but not 15khz.rgb so some display may match, some don't. Also, software should have ability to output vga, too. Many games are programmed to output in vga mode,but some don't. It's kinda tricky, but you must atleast have a software that outputs in vga mode to begin everything correctly. If you use some game that doesn't, it may not show any,or shows but will have blurred pics displayed than vga pics shown, so you might be confused as if it's some kind of monitor or wiring, converting ploblem. Some after-market manufacutres has made vga adapter before, but you need to modify to get 15khz. rgb in good pic. I'm not sure if all DC and software sold worldwide even go with those adaptors, due to regional difference. Signal range differs between NTSC/PAL, and software manufacture may even have not added vga output to U.S. version or Euro ver. You need to check that for avalability in each title by youself.

Anyway, you need to check and solve display wiring issue first.

>If you have one with D-sub15pin connector, then try hooking up on atmis cab's D-sub female and see if you get right sync.

>If o.k.,then see if you can gain enough contrast from DC by adjusting monitor OSD. If not, you'll need video amp. This depends on monitor ability, but most of time, you'll be needing it.

>If not, then you need sync separator, so ether make one and add it to your vga cord, or buy one with d type connector from Ultimarc and hook it up.

Although you have choice of using jamma rgb or d-sub vga on that cab., you'll get better picture by using d-sub, 'cause it uses separate sync. and needed GND level.

After you get clear with this issue, all you need to do is to hook sound amp. and controll set.


Good luck.

thanks for the help marshall. i think im going to get some computer speakers with a built in amp and just put em inside the cab. thanks again j

dude, i'll be installing an amp in one of the cabs here pretty soon. i've actually had some chassis trouble come up, so thats gonna take priority. once i get this up though, i'd be glad to help with yours.

how do i go about installing an amp? is there an amp thats remcomended? or is there an amp that doesnt need to be plugged in?

or if i go with the computer speakers with a built in amp, are there any that are recomended?

also, are there any that that dont need to be plugged?

how about this? http://service.globalvr.com/downloa...\040-AMPLC2M-UCT_AMP-LC-2_User_Guide_v02A.pdf

it looks like it would work for what im tryin to do, but im not sure. thanks for the replies

IMO since you'll be haking a pad, perhpas you should make your won jamma interface for the DC, some VGA boxes contain headphone features with volume knobs. That would work ace if you can make an interface consisting of the control inputs and audio, however I would imagine it would remain mono as all standard jamma config, at less the AWSD have setereo through jamma which I doubt.

There is also another way. The AW mobos have a pin out for stereo I would imagine that the cabs would have a harness that goes there and you could interrupt that with a molex of your own whch would interact with said VGA box headphone feature. This is what I would do if I were you.

prosper1ne: How do you expect an amp to work without power?

I guess you prefer to mod. in simple cheap way, right?

Computer sperkers w/amp is the easiest way to hook up, but varys in its ability by each. Some may not have good sound as expected, some may not have enough output level and small sound only. So you never know whitch is best, or recommend. Just have to try, you know...

The ultracade amp will have good performance and compatibility than pc speaker, but costs more, needs lot's of wirings.But I recommend you to use this to get good sounds.It uses good capacitors too for long life and good sound. I don't know if this amp comes with connectors needed, but if not, then you ether get some and connect all, or solder needed wirings directly(easiest way)

All types of connectors needed are listed below the pdf. file you showed us, but just solder them all to save time and labor, money, if you don't mind. You should take amp power directly from cab's power unit,by just wiring +12v/GND, that's all. Taking power directly from power unit will have more stable power and performance and less trouble.

Note:Make sure to wire both GND pins(2&3) on "J5"power connector.

Ether make speaker joint harness to connect "J2" and "F" connector(thanks to kernow's pic), or just cut-off "F" and solder 'em all.

This amp's vol. is so tiny, that may be some trouble...

Since you already have to wire the cab for AC (to get power to the dreamcast), I would just use a computer speaker.....