Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

HxC Floppy Emulator Ensoniq Keyboards/Samplers support
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ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

I was looking through the manuals and site and I saw that the SD1 uses a .evd extension, but the software doesn't seem to convert directly to that format. Somewhere on the site I saw that you had to change the extension. The question is, what format do you start with before changing the extension?

As a second question, how well does this work on the SD1? I love this keyboard, but I had to stop relying on my disk drive due to occasional errors. I would love to install this and get back to writing some tunes. Any advice on where to start?

another_SD1
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:48 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by another_SD1 »

Hi,
If you have some img files which you want to convert to EDV, you can put a special edv file header at the beginning of the image, with a hex editor.
See header_EDV.zip attached.
Then put 1A at the end of the image.
Then change the extension to EDV.

Or load the image as Raw image in HxCFloppyEmulator.exe and either choose the Ensoniq EPS 3"5 DD Floppy Disk, or either fill the format-fields manually, if you know them.

I did the first option and it worked very well for me.
Before that, I think I tried the second version and I had some problems, I don't remember exactly the reason.

The HxC floppy emulator works excellent on my SD1.
It loads patches/sequences quickly.
I have the slim version.

Before having HxC, I tried multiple times to prepare a floppy disk with the sequencer OS.
I had to retry multiple times to write that disk because EDE109 kept on failing writing it.
In the end it wrote the disk until it failed around 50%.
At least I succeeded loading in SD1 the sequencer OS, with that half-written floppy disk.
But loading any sequence from that disk corrupted the SD1 memory and the sequencer OS and user patches were again lost.
I tried then to load sequences via MIDI.
When the MIDI transfer rate was too high, again this corrupted the SD1 memory.
When the MIDI transfer rate was too low, I had to wait several minutes to load it.
So that's how I ended by putting HxC on SD1.
I also organized all the patches from web in only 3 EDV files.
Attachments
header_EDV.zip
(164 Bytes) Downloaded 523 times

ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

Thanks for the info. Can I create the image files using the standard internal floppy drive in my win 98 (yeah, it's old school) computer? Or, do I need to pull the drive out of the SD1 and connect it? I want to try to archive all of my old disks. I'm also guessing that the emulator hardware can mount where the original floppy drive is.

This is definitely a project I need to do. I have tried other software for sequencing, but I can't find anything that is as organic for me as the sequencer features on the SD1. Sad really that the same idea of writing short sequences and arranging them in an editable play list with additional tracks hasn't been implemented in more sequencing software.

Thanks again. Maybe I can finally get back fo writing some music.

another_SD1
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:48 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by another_SD1 »

You should be able to do "Floppy disk dump" with HxCFloppyEmulator.exe right within your existing Win98 PC.
It depends on how good condition is you PC floppy drive.
I guess the SD1 floppy drive won't work with your PC. But I'm not sure.

Yes, the HxC emulator hardware can mount where the original floppy drive is, either PC, either SD1. You just have to configure the jumpers.

I tried once to do such a disk image, I used winimage with a win98 PC too.
It didn't work, I guess it gave some reading error at some point.
Instead the floppy disk worked fine with the SD1 floppy drive.
So I loaded each disk sequence within SD1 and I dumped it via MIDI.

And yes, the SD1 sequencer is very easy to use. The easiest from the HW sequencers, as far as I've read on the web.
Also programming the sounds in it is easy.

ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

Yeah, I've always loved that keyboard and have been terrified of it dying on me.

ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

I was just looking at the slim versus Rev C in the case. The best I can tell the main difference is the slim has only one button (next/home) while the Rev C has three buttons plus the screen. Do you find it difficult to use the one button slim model? I imagine it would remember which disc you were last using and start there. Then it would simply be a matter of going back to disk one and counting the number of licks to get to the right disc. Using smaller SD cards might help make it easier to find the right disk image. What has been you experience with locating information on the slim model? I'm debating kn whether I want to spend the extra money on the screen and forward/backward buttons. My first instinct says yes, it would be easier to find disks.

another_SD1
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:48 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by another_SD1 »

Also the slim version can have a display,with latest beta firmware,but not a case with all together mounted.
The slim version has a slim case,so you'll have a lot of empty space.
Also I noticed the original Sd1 floppy drive is a little bit thicker than an usual pc floppy drive.

I bought the slim version without case and I used the
case of an old pc floppy drive to hold the slim emulator board.

In my opinion,if you expect to use more than 10 virtual images, you should buy RevC. Or buy slim version and use more sd cards. The new slim beta firmware supports hot swap too. And it saves on each used card by itself which is the last image you used before power-off! And there is some "magic" in exchanging sd cards,just like exchanging real floppy disks. :-) At least they aren't micro sd cards, which are harder to handle.

I found cca 3000 Sd1 patches on the web. On a Sd1 disk you can put maximum 156 files,so you would need almost 20 disks/images. But if I group the patches in banks with 60 patches, then you need only 2-3 disk/images. I use a 16MB SD card with the SD1, with 5 images. But you might have more floppy disks to transform to images,since you are a long time user.

So it depends on you what works better: revC or slim.

For me, for SD1, slim is ok. But for ASR10 or EPS, a revC or even scsi2sd is better.

ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

You don't happen to have the link for those 2000 patches do you? That sound awesome.

another_SD1
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:48 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by another_SD1 »

http://rhythm-lab.com/ensoniq-vfx-sd-patches

From the archive from that link I prepared 3 edv files, with approx 3000 patches grouped in banks.
They are not so well grouped, by categories.
They don't contain duplicates, but they have some patches with different name and same/similar sound.
See them attached.

If you have some patches to share too, you're welcome.
Attachments
vfx_all_single23.7z
(234.02 KiB) Downloaded 559 times
vfx_all_single1.7z
(241.45 KiB) Downloaded 553 times

ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

One last question before I order this. How do you create blank disc images for new data? I know the SD1 can format the image, but I don't think it will create a new floppy image on the card. Do I need to do that on a PC first and fill the empty space on the disk with empty disk images? Or, will the Rev F or slim let me create new disk images on it? I'm trying to wade through the manual, but there's a lot of technical details.

Last setup question. How did you set you jumpers/switches? I saw several different configurations by machine types and none that specifically said ensoniq.

another_SD1
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:48 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by another_SD1 »

A blank edv can be found here: http://giebler.com/ ede109.zip
The emulator can't create empty images.

I think I set only the first jumper to ON, the others are off.
I think this is already explained somewhere in this Ensoniq forum.

raidmarji
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 11:41 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by raidmarji »

Hi All

May I ask for the Ensoniq operating system as .edv?

ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

I am still trying to get everything setup and start converting and testing. As soon as I have a functional OS disc in EDV format, I'll post it.

I just discovered that the newer software won't work on my old Windows 98 machine (the only one I have with a floppy drive). I thin the older version 1.6.x will work, but I haven't tried it yet. I may have to dump on one machine and process/edit/load on another.

mondo1976
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2015 3:54 pm

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by mondo1976 »

raidmarji wrote:Hi All

May I ask for the Ensoniq operating system as .edv?
Ensoniq SD-1 OS 4.10 in EDV: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5VDu ... 2JjdWxwZm8
Ensoniq VFX SD OS 2.10 in EDV: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5VDu ... VN6NkxUdjQ
Ensoniq VFX SD OS 2.10 in Omniflow/raw: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5VDu ... 3laMHFqbUk

ddick76@gmail.com
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Converting SD-1 disks to .edv files

Post by ddick76@gmail.com »

Thanks. I will use that image to test the new drive when I get it installed. So, each edv fine will show up on the drive as a separate disc, right? Rev F. Also, if I just make a bunch of renamed copies of the blank disc above will they each act like a floppy that can be written to, formatted, etc.?

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