Below are some useful utilities that can be used in converting files, playing back sound, etc.

Tape Loading

These utilities allow you to get programs off your old audio cassettes and into your computer, or vice-versa. Naturally, this will require a cassette player, a suitably configured sound card and cabling between the two.

Title	Description	Download
Taper	Tool to assist with maintenance of your ZX Spectrum tapes and ZX Spectrum emulator tape files. It can be used as a virtual tape unit in conjunction with a real ZX Spectrum. Supported tape file formats are .TAP, .LTP, .ZXS (readonly), .VOC, .RAW (the `Raw tape sample' format used by emulator Z80Em), .CSW and .TZX (up to v1.12). Supported snapshot file formats are . Z80 and .SNA (readonly). Such files are immediately converted to compressed, turbo loading .TZX files.
VOC2TZX	Converts 8-bit mono .VOC samples of Spectrum tapes to either .TZX or .TAP format. .TAP files should only be used for the non-turbo loading tapes and only the ones with ROM load routines. From version 0.53b on the Amstrad CPC tapes are also totally supported. Use the /cpc command line option to create these tapes (the filename extension is .CDT, otherwise these files are totally compatible with .TZX).
WAV2TAP	Converts 8-bit mono non-compressed .WAV files that have been sampled at least at 11025 Hz/sec into .TAP format files ready for use with a Spectrum emulator.
Spectrum Tape Loader	A Windows utility that loads in Spectrum tapes in through your sound card, and saves as .TZX tape format, or .TAP or .BLK.
MakeTZX	A TZX creation utility that will help you to recover your old Spectrum tapes and preserve them from the damages of time. It reads samples either from .WAV or .VOC, or direct from the soundcard in real time.
PlayTZX	Lets you replay .TZX files directly back into your ZX Spectrum (or to a cassette recorder) using your PC's sound card or if you don't have a SoundBlaster or if your emulator doesn't support .TZX files you can convert them to .VOC files. Also from v0.4b onwards you can show extensive information about ALL blocks in the .TZX file.

 

File Conversion

These utilities convert program files, BASIC program listings or sound files from one file format into another.

Title	Description	Download
BAS2TAP	Converts 'BASIC in an ASCII file' to a TAP tape image file, to be used in a ZX Spectrum emulator. Both 48K and 128K listings are supported.
TAP2TZX	Converts standard .TAP files to .TZX format. This could be usefull if you want to replay .TAP files using the PLAYTZX utility or convert them to .VOC format. A standard pause of 1 second will be put after every converted block.
TZX2TAP	Converts the new format .TZX files to standard .TAP files, which are used by most emulators today. Since .TZX files have more information about speed and other important features these features will be lost during conversion. If the .TZX file only had normal loading blocks then this ofcourse will not matter. All Normal Loading, Custom Loading and Pure Data blocks will be converted into .TAP file... however the blocks which are over 64k long will be skipped. Ofcourse all other information and control blocks will be skipped too.
VOC2TZX	Converts 8-bit mono .VOC samples of Spectrum tapes to either .TZX or .TAP format. .TAP files should only be used for the non-turbo loading tapes and only the ones with ROM load routines. From version 0.53b on the Amstrad CPC tapes are also totally supported. Use the /cpc command line option to create these tapes (the filename extension is .CDT, otherwise these files are totally compatible with .TZX).
WAV2TAP	Converts 8-bit mono non-compressed .WAV files that have been sampled at least at 11025 Hz/sec into .TAP format files ready for use with a Spectrum emulator.
SpecPrint	Allows you to view and/or print BASIC listings from the ZX Spectrum (And since version 0.0.0.2 ZX81). Simply save a snapshot from your favourite emulator and load it into SpecPrint. SpecPrint retains all attributes contained in the listing including foreground colour, background colour, bright, flashing[1], inverse etc. It also uses a font similar to the original machine containing all the block characters and grey blocks of the ZX81.
Sound Tools	Translates sound samples between different file formats, and performs various sound effects on those files. This release understands "raw" files in various binary formats, Sound Blaster .VOC files, IRCAM SoundFile files, SUN Sparcstation .au files, mutant DEC .au files, Apple/SGI AIFF files, Macintosh HCOM files, Sounder files, and Soundtool (DOS) files. The sound effects include changing the sample rate, adding echo delay lines, applying low- and band-pass filtering, and the infamous Fender Vibro effect.
TAPEDISC	TAPEDISC reads cassettes in Spectrum or ZX81 format under Spectrum +3 CP/M , converting to disc files. Only the standard cassette formats can be read (no speed loaders or clicky loaders).

 

Please get in touch if you have any useful utilities that you wish to share, and we'll add them to the list.