Off-topic re-old samplers

[teesav]

Hi guys. I'm trying to import some old samples into DP5. I have a Triton pro. The samples are on old floppies from an Akai S-900, a Roland S350 or S550 (I don't remember) and maybe an Akai S-1000. My Triton won't read them.

The question(s): Is there some software that can (1) read the old disk and (2) convert them into something readable by my Triton?

I know about Alchemy and Osmosis and I have them. Is there something better/newer or even system 10 compatible?

Thanks for any help.

[Frodo]

I think the first thing that needs to be addressed is the hardware itself. Before you can figure out how to transfer the sounds, it seems that you must first find something that will read the disk headers (at least). I would also think that the data would more easily be dealt with if it were all transferred first to CD or DVD first. From there, getting it into DP/OSX would be a tad easier, imho.

Once the data can be read, MachFive or Kontakt2 *should be able to* import the data. Stylus RMX, CDEXTRACT, Translator Pro or something similar might also be worth looking into to manage different sample formats from Akai, Roland, etc.

But first: do you have any device at all that will read the floppies?

[emulatorloo]

Take a look at

Translator

http://www.chickensys.com/products/sw_i ... slator+Pro

I know some of their translators support floppy disks -- I don't know if the ones you need are supported but their online database will tell you.

Also their Windows and Mac versions differ a little so that is something to be aware of as well.

--

ON edit for the Roland s series samples, worth digging around here:

http://www.generalconcepts.com/sgroup/archive/

--

[Frodo]

e-'loo:

You are the man! I don't know that I've ridden 'shotgun' with anyone else more times than you-- referring to the close proximity of our posts.

[emulatorloo]

close proximity of our posts.

It is uncanny sometimes.

You are especially right re getting a device that will read a floppy.
That could turn out to be a real problem.

-

[jarok]

Hi

I found these:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... ?CatId=287

jarok

[teesav]

e'loo, Frodo and Jarok thanks for the help. I'll try to return the favor sometime.

peace,
T

[HCMarkus]

Kontakt essentially has the Chicken Systems translater built in. I've been using it to import Akai S1000 Samples, flawlessly so far.

[teesav]

Thanks HC. I have Kontakt. However, my Teac USB floppy reader only reads 1.4 disks. I'm not able to get the data into the computer. I wonder if there is a usb floppy reader that reads the smaller floppy disk?

peace,
T

[Frodo]

LINK USB 1.44 FLOPPY DRIVE

You may want to contact http://www.Newegg.com or http://www.macsales.com/ for additional information about other brands of similar drives as well as the availability of Mac OS X drivers for such drives as these devices are more easily found for the PC platform. Then again, even PC formatted drives will mount in OSX-- they'd just need to be reformatted.

The one consideration here would be whether a drive formatted for OSX would read the sample discs. I do recall dealing with Roland discs and OS9 years ago and had great difficulty with what was largely a PC sample format.

[emulatorloo]

The one consideration here would be whether a drive formatted for OSX would read the sample discs. I do recall dealing with Roland discs and OS9 years ago and had great difficulty with what was largely a PC sample format.

Also would OS X be able to read a sampler formated floppy disk? some are PC format (triton, trinity) which would pose no problem, others are proprietary (emu emax, roland s, etc) --

Even with add on utilties it might be tricky.

For example, the Mac Version Chicken Sys Translator enables the Mac to mount sampler formatted CD's and HDs (i.e Roland Format, EMU EOS format, etc).

But I don't know if it would allow you to mount floppies, because Chicken Sys assumes that macs don't have them.

---
So to me it still seem that this could be tricky. And may involve a PC somewhere.

--------

Here's the thing that occurs to me as one possible solution:

-- Find somebody who still has that sampler, load the files
-- then save them to a sampler formatted hard drive or zip disk
-- use a program on PC or Mac to burn that drive to a CD (unless sampler itself can burn CDs, like the Yamaha A series)
-- then use that CD with Kontakt etc.

Not particularly a solution that anybody wants to hear about, I know.



---
p.s. Similar to S-group, I found this site for Akai:

http://www.midicase.com/akai/

Similar utilities (like S-group has for PC and Mac) for reading and writing Akai floppies on the PC

----------------------------------

[Shooshie]

The one consideration here would be whether a drive formatted for OSX would read the sample discs. I do recall dealing with Roland discs and OS9 years ago and had great difficulty with what was largely a PC sample format.

Also would OS X be able to read a sampler formated floppy disk? some are PC format (triton, trinity) which would pose no problem, others are proprietary (emu emax, roland s, etc) --

Even with add on utilties it might be tricky.

For example, the Mac Version Chicken Sys Translator enables the Mac to mount sampler formatted CD's and HDs (i.e Roland Format, EMU EOS format, etc).

But I don't know if it would allow you to mount floppies, because Chicken Sys assumes that macs don't have them.

---
So to me it still seem that this could be tricky. And may involve a PC somewhere.

--------

Here's the thing that occurs to me as one possible solution:

-- Find somebody who still has that sampler, load the files
-- then save them to a sampler formatted hard drive or zip disk
-- use a program on PC or Mac to burn that drive to a CD (unless sampler itself can burn CDs, like the Yamaha A series)
-- then use that CD with Kontakt etc.

Not particularly a solution that anybody wants to hear about, I know.



---
p.s. Similar to S-group, I found this site for Akai:

http://www.midicase.com/akai/

Similar utilities (like S-group has for PC and Mac) for reading and writing Akai floppies on the PC

----------------------------------

There's a utility that comes with MachFive which is derived from a more universal version of the same utility. I'm having trouble thinking of what it's called...

Found it! But it looks kind of dated: CDXtract. I used to use this, and it was excellent. Now, I see they have not kept up with advances in Apple OS releases, nor with the Intel machines. This page promises us that they are working on a CDXtract version 5, which is a ground-up rewrite, and will be ready by "the end of this year," but judging from the website, that could have been written in 2003.

I hope it's current, and I hope they DO release a version 5. If it's as good as the original, it is worth the money. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

This may be what has delayed MachFive. They may have had to write their own conversion engine.

Shooshie

[monkey man]

I've wondered about that Shoosh.

Could it be that they're building it into the plug itself?
It could be included in the menus under "import", no?

Just thinking out 'loud really, assuming that the menu structure and number of options was small to begin with, and could be further optimised.