Akai S950

[5c4r7]

Sorry for the delay. Yes! That image loads. I haven't attempted a save yet as I am currently reconfiguring my studio a bit. Once I am set back up I will make another video of course. This is great! That is my last sampler that requires retrofitting. Thanks for all your help Jeff!

[Liam_79]

Greetings,

I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to this sort of thing so I was hoping the wider hxc community could help me.

I've just abandoned trying to put a rev F emulator in an Akai S3000 after the ever hard-working Jeff must've sent me scores of disk images over the past fortnight, (I'm having to conclude that maybe my 2nd hand S3000 has been internally modded to accept Akai incompatible drives) and have decided to try again, this time in an Akai S950.

I thought what with this thread being 14 pages of mainly success stories and the youtube videos desmonstrating the emulator working well in the S950, I'd stand a better chance of getting it running.

Ok, here's the setup

----Rev F emulator installed in Akai S950 with original, short floppy cable reversed (tried the other way and the sampler freezes so this must be right).

----Jumper setting on ID0 (a), 1 jumper only

---Fat32 formatted class 4, 4gb Sandisk with Akai S950 quick install disk images (from hxc website) copied to root of card. This SD card worked fine booting floppies with an Amiga.

---- The Akai seems to think there is a drive there but displays "unformatted" and flashes leds when trying to save, load or format a disk. Occaisionally Akai says "drive not mounted" at boot-up too. Tried the original drive and it performs these functions ok so at least the sampler works.

After looking through this section of the forum it seems I may need to do a resistor mod but I'm slightly confused as to the different ohm ratings and locations that are mentioned.
Given the diagnostics I've put above, would replacing the R18 resistor on the lower circuit board of the Akai with a 2.2Kohms (1/4 watt?) resistor sort this problem out?

Do excuse the long-windedness of this post but I wanted to make sure I'm doing everything else right before I waste anyone's time.

Many thanks

[Jeff]

2.2K is ok, and you should try this mod with the S3000 too

[Liam_79]

Hi,

Okay, I've installed 4.7kohm, 1kohm and 2.2kohm resistors in R18 and I'm getting the same results. The Akai currently has the 2.2k soldered in as that seemed to be working for most on here.

All disks from the quick install download result in the "disk not formatted" dialogue. Some of the other disk images from here do the same and occasionally bring up the "disk not mounted" display. I've tried creating a blank floppy from scratch using the settings in this forum but the same dialogue. The only one close to working is the Purdy Drums image from the last page. The Akai can see the programs and samples but loading them results in "bad data from disk" at track 001, even individually. I've even noticed the HXC itself is freezing from time to time, power off seems to be the only solution.

Jumpers settings work at both ID0 A and ID3 A, (1 jumper only) all other settings say disk not mounted.

Trouble is I don't have any actual Akai disks to dump and test anymore since I took the drive out. Unless you have any other suggestions I guess my next task will be to reinstall the old floppy drive and start sampling and saving to create some "known to work" images. Is there any way that resistor mod will damage/prevent the original floppy drive from working?

Many thanks and all the best

****edit**** After a bit more fiddling around with the settings I can get the Purdy_Drums image to begin to load. Bad data is displayed at program 4, however the hxc still only displays track 001. Some of the program names are stored in memory but no samples.

[Jeff]

Have you the last firmware ? If yes change the interface mode to AKAI S950 HD mode if you are using HD disk (4MB HFE file) or AKAI S950 DD if you are using DD disk (2MB HFE file).
You can set this with the embedded menu.

[Liam_79]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. I've tried both S950 HD & DD settings. I notice that the disk settings can be saved to the sd card so I've always done that, I've highlighted double step on occasion during tests as well as disabling sound on the hxc. I've tried many combinations of settings though there may be more to try. The firmware is the latest that came with the rev F hxc emulator in the unit- 1.7.1.2

The program part of "Purdy drums" that does load into the memory before crash can then be saved onto the blank disk file "S950 blank floppy.hfe 1.0" that I found on this forum thread. That program can then be loaded from that disk image at reboot- so some success here! What's odd is that the hxc itself never goes past track 001 or 002 on its display.

I think I need to do a bit more experimenting before I get back to you again, I'll try sampling sounds into the machine and saving them to that blank image I mentioned earlier. If I can do that, then I'm virtually a happy customer! I'm just still confused as to how others on this forum have got disk images to work and I haven't considering this is a virtually factory fresh S950- I don't think it had been opened before I put the Hxc in. If you've created quickinstall disk images for the S950 then they must work surely? It is possible I've not done something right with the settings but I'm running out of options.

Thanks again

[Jeff]

I notice that the disk settings can be saved to the sd card so I've always done that, I've highlighted double step on occasion during tests as well as disabling sound on the hxc. I've tried many combinations of settings though there may be more to try. The firmware is the latest that came with the rev F hxc emulator in the unit- 1.7.1.2

The settings are saved into the HFE files and can be changed on the HxC too.

I've highlighted double step

No. Don't try to activate randomly any options. Please go to the embedded menu on the HxC (remove the SD and press the middle button) and recall the factory settings.
after this try to change the interface mode to AKAI S950 DD and try to use the quickinstall images.

If still doens't work : Change the SDCard by another brand & model and retry the quickinstall images !

If still doens't work : Try the HxC on a PC with some quickinstall PC images (don't forget to reset interface mode on the HxC).

[5c4r7]

Jeff, I am not sure how that Purdy Drums image you sent me was made but, it loads fine. Any S950 floppies of my own that I attempt to dump/export to the working SD card then load into the sampler gives me the following errors on my S950: "OOPS! Bad data from disk" and then if I attempt to load again "OOPS! Disk is unprepared, you must FORMAT it". Is there anything special about how to extract S950 disks? I am running Windows XP with an internal floppy. I even re-installed the omniflop driver. I use EMXP all the time and I know that is working fine. Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated.

[5c4r7]

Hey Jeff, I guess what I could really use s the .fpf config file that was used to make the "Purdy Drums" image, as well as any additional instructions that you can offer that would help me extract my Akai s950 floppies.

Thanks,

[Jeff]

Hey Jeff, I guess what I could really use s the .fpf config file that was used to make the "Purdy Drums" image, as well as any additional instructions that you can offer that would help me extract my Akai s950 floppies.

Thanks,

forget the .fpf.

just use the beta version :

https://hxc2001.com/download/floppy_driv ... 2_beta.zip

->"Load raw image" -> Disk Layout : "Akai S950 3"5 HD" -> Load RAW file.

[5c4r7]

Yes! Thanks as always Jeff. And if I haven't told you before, You're awesome!

[Flub]

Hi there,
I ve just got the recent Rev F Version of the emulator to use it with an akai s950. Some things are not clear to me:
do i have to connect it to my computer in order to update the firmware or is it done from sd card?

I read somewhere that there is a footprint on the Rev F version which marks where to add a 2.2k pullup resistor, i cannot find thie footprint on my board.
Is it actually necessary on the newest version?

I got switches instead of jumpers and only the ID0A switch is in ON position. Is there anything to do?

the original cable should work if i just turn the connector so pin 1 is pin 1 or ?

Thank you very much for the helP!

best wishes,
Flo

[Jeff]

do i have to connect it to my computer in order to update the firmware or is it done from sd card?

No its done by sdcard.

I read somewhere that there is a footprint on the Rev F version which marks where to add a 2.2k pullup resistor, i cannot find thie footprint on my board.
Is it actually necessary on the newest version?

If you didn't ask to Lotharek to do the mod, yes.
It's R12, present near the floppy connector.

I got switches instead of jumpers and only the ID0A switch is in ON position. Is there anything to do?

No it's perfect.

the original cable should work if i just turn the connector so pin 1 is pin 1 or ?

Yes.

[Flub]

Thank you very much, the 2.2k for R12 on the rev f board info is the thing!
sorry for all those questions... Good Luck, Fun and Healthiness for 2013 to everyone here and of course to everyone in the world who needs it = )

regards,
Flo

[aaking76]

So I just got my rev F and have installed it in the s950, I have the cfg file on the card with the quick images, and the images on previous pages that are known to work.

I just got mine in the mail a few days ago, I think the firmware is current, 1.7.2 I think...

I am getting the same issues as most people that have not done the 2.2 k ohm mod...

I just went to radio shack, and got a pack of resistors 2.2 kohm 1/2 watt, are these correct?

Also, does someone have a picture of this mod to go off of? From what I am reading you bridge the R12 with the resistor. The points on the board are not through holes, they are filled with solder, so how is it that this is done...?

I have a guy that will do the soldering tomorrow, as I do not want this to be my first attempt...any help would be greatly appreciated..

The errors that I am getting so far are that the disk is unformatted, and I can not write or read any known working images. I have reversed the cable so pin one is right, and the thing powers up, and sees the images the hxc that is, just doesn't work on the 950...

Also, I did go through without a card in the hxc and changed the setting to s950 DD images, I didn't mess with any other settings other than length of time the light stays on, is there a setting for double step, or is that not needed?

Thanks from Austin Texas.....