Amstrad MP-1
| Amstrad MP-1 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| MP-1 with its DIN, 5 V DC and aerial leads | |
| Manufacturer | Amstrad Consumer Electronics plc |
| Type | UHF TV modulator and power supply |
| Interface | 6-pin DIN (MONITOR socket), 5 V DC plug, UHF aerial plug |
| Compatible | Amstrad CPC 464 (MP-1); Amstrad 6128 (MP-2) |
| Model | MP-1 (CPC 464); MP-2 (CPC 6128, adds a socket for the computer's 12 V lead) |
| Power | Mains (MP-2: 220–240 V 50 Hz) |
The Amstrad MP-1 is a mains power supply and UHF modulator that lets an Amstrad CPC 464 run without an Amstrad monitor and display on a domestic colour television. It takes the place of the monitor: it powers the computer through the 5 V DC socket and takes the video from the 6-pin DIN socket marked MONITOR. Amstrad offered it to owners who had bought the CPC 464 with the GT64 green-screen monitor and wanted the computer's colours.[1] The MP-2 is the equivalent unit for the Amstrad 6128.[2]
Connections
[edit | edit source]| Lead | Goes to |
|---|---|
| Larger plug, 6-pin DIN | Computer socket marked MONITOR |
| Smaller plug, DC power | Computer socket marked 5V DC |
| Aerial plug | Television aerial socket |
| MP-2 only: socket on the rear of the MP-2 | The computer's own 12 V DC lead |
| Mains lead | Mains supply, with a 5 A fuse in a 13 A plug; the CPC 6128 manual gives 220–240 V 50 Hz for the MP-2 |
Amstrad's manuals ask for the unit to sit to the right of the computer, close to the television and the mains socket.[1][2] The CPC 6128 needs 12 V as well as 5 V for its disc drive; on the computer the 12 V comes in on a lead fixed to the back of the computer, which plugs into the monitor or the MP-2.[2][3] The Amstrad DDI-1 user instructions show the MP-1 between the computer and the disc drive, and ask for drives to be kept 20 cm from the screen.[4]
Use
[edit | edit source]With the computer switched on, the television is tuned to a spare channel; Amstrad gives the signal as approximately channel 36. The CPC 464 manual shows the start-up message, "Amstrad 64K Microcomputer (v1)", in gold or yellow on deep blue, varying with the television's alignment.[1] The CPC 6128 manual gives the same channel for the MP-2.[2]
Amstrad notes two things that are normal with a modulator. The 80-column text of mode 2 may not be clear on a television, and Amstrad suggests mode 1 for text entry. On the CPC 464, which has its own loudspeaker, hiss from the television with its volume turned up is normal.[1]
Background
[edit | edit source]Apart from the GX4000, the CPC range has no RF or composite output, only the RGB DIN socket for the Amstrad monitor, so a modulator was needed for a television. Wikipedia notes that RF television adapters were sold as a first-party accessory, and illustrates the MP-1.[5] The CPC 464 manual's technical appendix lists the MP-1 as an optional power supply and UHF modulator.[1]
The MP3 covered in Amstrad's amendment service manual is a different product: its alignment instructions start with a test signal fed into an aerial socket, and the manual describes a tuner board and a video output stage.[6]
Repair
[edit | edit source]The Amstrad MP-1 / MP-2 Maintenance Guide covers the leads, checks and safety. The MP-1 and MP-2 contain mains voltage. Amstrad's service manuals for the CPC 464 and CPC 6128 cover the computers and their monitors, not these units.[7][3]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Amstrad MP-1 / MP-2 Maintenance Guide
- Amstrad CPC 464 · Amstrad 6128 · Amstrad CTM-640 · Amstrad CTM-644
- Amstrad DDI-1
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Amstrad Consumer Electronics plc, CPC464 Colour Personal Computer user manual, retyped edition. Hosted as File:Amstrad CPC 464 User Manual.pdf, described at Amstrad CPC 464 User Manual. Safety notes (PDF p. 4); Foundations 1, section 1.3, "AMSTRAD MP1 Modulator/Power supply and a domestic (UHF) Colour TV receiver" (PDF pp. 11–12); section 1.1.3 "The MP1 TV Modulator/Power supply"; Appendix IV, section 1.2 (PDF p. 232).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Amstrad, CPC6128 User Instructions (1985), Foundation Course chapter 1, pp. 1–5: fitting a mains plug, connecting to an MP2, switching on with the MP2. Scan at archive.org. Retrieved 2026-10-02.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Amstrad Consumer Electronics plc, CPC6128 Service Manual, circuit diagram, 12 V lead marked inner ground, outer +12 V. Described at Amstrad CPC 6128 Service Manual.
- ↑ Amstrad Consumer Electronics plc (AMSOFT), Disc Drive & Interface DDI-1 user instructions, © 1984, retyped edition, Foundation section F1.4. Hosted as File:Amstrad DDI-1 User Instructions.pdf, described at Amstrad DDI-1 User Instructions.
- ↑ Wikipedia, "Amstrad CPC", section "Video". Retrieved 2026-10-02. The RGB DIN connector, the lack of RF or composite output on the computers, and the external RF adapters.
- ↑ Amstrad plc, CPC464 / CPC6128 / GT65 / CTM644 / MP3 / CT1 Amendment Service Manual, MP3 section pp. 31–34. Described at Amstrad CPC 464 / CPC 6128 / GT65 / CTM644 / MP3 / CT1 Service Manual Amendment.
- ↑ Amstrad Consumer Electronics plc, CPC464 Micro Computer / CTM640 Colour Monitor / GT64 Green Monitor Service Manual. Described at Amstrad CPC 464 Service Manual. Title and contents; fault chart p. 9.