Atari Video Music

[Blinddog]

I was working on redrawing the AVM schematic using the blurry scan that was on the Internet and verifying using my old machine. I finished the first draft some time ago and I have had the second draft done for awhile now but haven't done anything with it so I guess I should release what I have. I've gone through and doubled checked the values and I believe they are all correct but there is always a chance I missed something or mistyped but I really tried to be thorough. I never did find the value of the coil L4 I didn't see any values on the one in my machine and I cannot read the numbers on the schematic.

 

Blinddog

Redrawn AVM Schematic.pdf

[Rob Mitchell]

Nicely done .. Thanks for doing this .. I have one AVM which I need to fix and this helps ..

Edited October 28, 2015 by Rob Mitchell

[+Nathan Strum]

There's a company in Austin that sells modded versions of the Atari Video Music:

 

http://videocircuits.blogspot.com/2010/07/modified-atari-video-music.html

 

http://www.switchedonaustin.com/content/modified-atari-video-music

 

http://www.switchedonaustin.com/products/atari-video-music

[+save2600]

There's a company in Austin that sells modded versions of the Atari Video Music:

[Puck Monster]

I have a Atari Video Music system.

Found an interesting called Ben Heck's Atari Video Music Teardown.

 

 

66

Edited January 21, 2016 by Puck Monster

[+Stephen]

Glad to see he fixed it, not hacked one up. That girl with him was pretty cute.

[Lynxpro]

Ben Heck is well-known in some circles. He does love Atari stuff too.

 

Last year at the Davis Atari Party, the ex-president of the SST/STAR Atari [sT] User's Group dropped by. In catching up with him - it's been nearly 20 years since I'd seen him - he mentioned a couple of years ago he picked up an Atari Video Music (AVM) at an old lady's garage sale here in Sacramento for $1. That floored me. He mentioned he might bring it at the next Party [this year].

 

One of our former area Atari computer dealers used to have an AVM in his collection. I think he probably got it from his sister who had worked for the original Atari Inc. It wasn't hooked up and he kept it in the original box. Someone here probably owns it now since he lost it and practically everything else back in the early 00s in the most common way men - especially hobbyists - lose everything...

[+Stephen]

Wow - I sure wish I got mine for $1. It's absolutely mint condition, complete in original box with switchbox, manual, everything. I paid $251.99 for it back in April, 2007. I finally hooked it up for the first time a few months ago.

[Syzygy1]

put the Chevy's Girls single in it (explanation: there was one single released from the SNL cast album and that was of the "Chevy's Girls" song from the Norman Lear episode. a-side was the song in stereo, b-side was the song in mono. I think playing the song on the Atari Video Music would break the thing, though.)

[Mark loves Stella]

I was watching a video published just last month about analog TV stations that are still on the air and noticed what looks like an Atari Video Music still in use. Check out starting 7:37. Someone is still using this 44 years later. Really cool!

 

 

[driph]

On 2/26/2021 at 9:38 PM, Mark loves Stella said:

I was watching a video published just last month about analog TV stations that are still on the air and noticed what looks like an Atari Video Music still in use. Check out starting 7:37. Someone is still using this 44 years later. Really cool!

 

 

Huh, it does! Great find!

 

[nick3092]

On 9/29/2015 at 6:20 PM, Blinddog said:

I was working on redrawing the AVM schematic using the blurry scan that was on the Internet and verifying using my old machine. I finished the first draft some time ago and I have had the second draft done for awhile now but haven't done anything with it so I guess I should release what I have. I've gone through and doubled checked the values and I believe they are all correct but there is always a chance I missed something or mistyped but I really tried to be thorough. I never did find the value of the coil L4 I didn't see any values on the one in my machine and I cannot read the numbers on the schematic.

 

Blinddog

Redrawn AVM Schematic.pdf 40.62 kB · 505 downloads

I've found at least 3 slight errors with this redrawn schematic.  Not sure how often anyone would use this, but thought I would point them out anyway.  Looks like Blinddog hasn't logged in for over a year, so I have no idea if he will even see this.

 

On the CA339 Left/D input section, you can see pins 8 and 9 are in the wrong spots.  On the original schematic, you can see the + input is on the top and pins 8 and 9 are reversed.  Right/C input appears to be correct.  Inputs A and B (not shown) appear to be correct.

 

 

On the CA3401G the + and - for both the C and D sections (and their associated pin numbers) are reversed.

 

Same issue for the A and B sections of the CA3401 as well.  The +/- and the associated pin numbers are reversed compared to the original.

Edited November 1, 2023 by nick3092

[CreeB]

My dad had this in the Eighties..  we'd listen to Greg Kihn and the Talking Heads on it,,  AWESOME IDEA for atari..  don't know if he still has it..