Technical questions for the MPC2000xl and the MPC2000
By JVC Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:22 am
detter wrote:ok... i'm seriously looking at this - i want hot-swappable , and i do not want to be **** about trying to make brackets/drill holes etc (DIY is not my strong point!)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0732787620

even with shipping to the UK where i live this seems like a great deal - works out around 80 GBP

I don't think you can find cheaper hot-swappable CF readers that are compatible with XL, regardless of condition (used or new.)
I would've ordered it if it wasn't that expensive.
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By nogginj Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:12 pm
USB card readers are a dime a dozen...get whatever you can. They are cheap too. Like $15. I guess try to find one that reads multiple cards.
Really, it doesn't matter.
As for where to find cards, just order a couple when you get the usb card reader. I think that card reader said max 2gb, so keep that in mind.
Also, maybe update your OS before you rip the disk drive out. I think OS 1.14c is a good one to find.
By finnegan Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:34 am
Finally got it all installed etc... today. Easy as pie once I had the cables. The unit I ordered + 1 1GB Sandisk CF card = success. With the mounting bracket it was super easy. Use a needle or other fine point and trace the circle of the hole for the screw so you know where to drill. Measure twice cut once. You don't need to worry about any more than the two front holes that the floppy drive was in. The CF is light and two bolts with lock washers and nuts was more than sufficient.

Easy peasy. Thanks to JD as well.
By SpencerDC Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:56 am
Hi All,

Just bought a 2000XL on Thursday and I'm already jones-ing for a CF Reader but which one should I get? The Addonics drive ( http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_ ... didecf.asp ) or this one from eBay ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0732787620 ) ? I don't mind spending more on a hot swappable drive as long as it works and the general consensus is that it's a good trust worthy drive.

Thanks
Spencer
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By jibber Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:05 pm
jibber wrote:
finnegan wrote:I have this:

http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_ ... didecf.asp


I ordered this one today. Thanks! :)


...and it's not working. :(

What am i doing wrong?

I connected the IDE cable (pins are the right way, i double checked), connected the power (using the power cable that was connected to the floppy drive in the MPC), made sure the jumper setting on the card reader was on "master"... but nothing works. In the loading screen i cannot select ATAPI...

I tried it with and without a card in the reader. Same results...

Any help would be much appreciated.
By JVC Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:25 pm
jibber wrote:
jibber wrote:
finnegan wrote:I have this:

http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_ ... didecf.asp


I ordered this one today. Thanks! :)


...and it's not working. :(

What am i doing wrong?

I connected the IDE cable (pins are the right way, i double checked), connected the power (using the power cable that was connected to the floppy drive in the MPC), made sure the jumper setting on the card reader was on "master"... but nothing works. In the loading screen i cannot select ATAPI...

I tried it with and without a card in the reader. Same results...

Any help would be much appreciated.


I am still waiting for the same CF reader that you ordered,
XL is very picky on compact flash cards; many cheap CF readers won't work with XL. (Sandisk brand cards seems to work best.)
CF card must be inserted before you boot up XL, as it is a non-swappable drive.
Make sure XL OS is the latest one (I think it is 1.20)
Make sure the power connector from XL motherboard is indeed working (often the damage is not obvious.)
By SpartaChris Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:17 pm
jibber wrote:
jibber wrote:
finnegan wrote:I have this:

http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_ ... didecf.asp


I ordered this one today. Thanks! :)


...and it's not working. :(

What am i doing wrong?

I connected the IDE cable (pins are the right way, i double checked), connected the power (using the power cable that was connected to the floppy drive in the MPC), made sure the jumper setting on the card reader was on "master"... but nothing works. In the loading screen i cannot select ATAPI...

I tried it with and without a card in the reader. Same results...

Any help would be much appreciated.


What OS are you running? I'm having the same problem. I have the same reader and 1.20 can't see it. MPCHunter suggested rolling back to 1.14 on my thread. I'm trying that later on today.
By JVC Wed Feb 16, 2011 6:07 am
So, I finally have the CF reader (Addonics ADIDECFB) delivered. I took photos while I was installing CF reader.

First, I made two holes on the bracket (I took out the eject button part, as it was already half broken):
Image

plugged in IDE connector (from old PC) and power extension code that came with the CF reader:
Image

The first two holes and the mounting parts from XL did not match! So drilled the 3rd hole:
Image

It fits fine now:
Image

I plugged in the CF reader:
Image

CF reader is now mounted. cables are tied:
Image

This is how the XL look with the CF reader:
Image

I used Sandisk 2GB Compact Flash card. I formatted the card on XL. It works fine!
It seems that XL actually recognizes as a 2GB card. I was expecting XL to see it as 1GB card.
Image

For testing purpose, I copied WAV sound library from PC (Mac OS X makes hidden files on each folders, which XL doesn't like much...) They show up on XL:
Image
By detter Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:08 pm
detter wrote:ok... i'm seriously looking at this - i want hot-swappable , and i do not want to be **** about trying to make brackets/drill holes etc (DIY is not my strong point!)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0732787620

even with shipping to the UK where i live this seems like a great deal - works out around 80 GBP

any advice before i just go ahead and hit 'buy it now'? i mean, these sound like the ****, does anyone know otherwise?

thanks


ok - i have just installed the above drive. i checked all over the drive itself but could not find a make or model #, sorry.

so, the installation went ok, though the instructions were not particularly clear - one sheet of A4 with no diagrams and no guidelines on certain things - i muddled through with the help of the mpcstuff youtube tutorial.

it shipped with a Kingston Technology 2GB SD card - loaded with sounds/samples/programs etc. this seems to work fine, and the hot-swapping is working - i can take the card out, re-insert it, and then load sounds ok. it also works ok when no card is inserted when the unit is switched on - again i just pop the card in and can access the sounds fine.

so initial reports are good - i need to get some sandisk 1GB cards in a hurry! then start transferring samples from my PC.

can anyone recommend the best place in the UK to get the 1GB cards from? i saw a few reports that there were fakes doing the rounds online - any reputable sellers you guys can recommend. gonna have a hunt around online now but any tips appreciated.

also, with the CF cards, there seem to be different types - ie sandisk 'extreme' , sandisk 'ultra II' etc - what's the story? any that are known to work best?

so, i will try and update when i get some CF cards and see how the hot-swapping works with multiple cards. in the meantime, if anyone has any Q's about this drive then i will try and answer as best i can.

peace
d

EDIT: BAD NEWS - i was just messing around with a chord sample i just took from vinyl, with 16 levels on just beating out some hits, not even recording, and the MPC has crashed.

message up on screen "error at 35B0: 00F2"

never had anything like this happen previously in about 7 months of using the floppy drive.... aaaaarrrgh

MPC is locked up, can't do anything but turn it off... goddam it
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By Life Absolute Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:27 am
http://www.shoppingkoo.com/products/258439/Compact-Flash-Card-To-Ide-Adapter-with-3-5IN-Bay-Enclosure.html

I payed way too damn much for this exact reader! something like $85, i'll post the company later. I was naive. i see it on a lot of sights for $30 or less all the time.

not hot swapable, I dont mind.

I use a sandisk 2gb and it only sees 1gb which is way better than 1.4 mb!

I did have to drill holes in the thing to attach the bracket fyi, very easy set up
By detter Tue Mar 15, 2011 9:12 am
Chris Cassius wrote::shock: That's not good, I ordered the same product, should be getting here any day now...


no problems with it since - hoping it's a freak one-off

have a sandisk 1GB card in the post so will update shortly
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By jibber Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:34 pm
Sorry for the late reply...

JVC wrote:I am still waiting for the same CF reader that you ordered,
XL is very picky on compact flash cards; many cheap CF readers won't work with XL. (Sandisk brand cards seems to work best.)
CF card must be inserted before you boot up XL, as it is a non-swappable drive.
Make sure XL OS is the latest one (I think it is 1.20)
Make sure the power connector from XL motherboard is indeed working (often the damage is not obvious.)


I've used the CF cards i had from my MPC500 and 2500, both 128MB. I'll receive a 1GB card from Sandisk soon that i found on some local online auction site... will see how that goes.

The OS was updated from 1.13 to 1.14 and then to 1.20... didn't help.

I had a floppy drive running fine on the power connector from the motherboard. Nevertheless, i have also tried to power the CF reader with an independent power cord coming from a PC, just to make sure it's not the connector from the MPC that isn't working... made no difference whatsoever.

I really hope it's just the cards i was using that didn't work... i'll report back once i receive the 1GB Sandisk card.

SpartaChris wrote:What OS are you running? I'm having the same problem. I have the same reader and 1.20 can't see it. MPCHunter suggested rolling back to 1.14 on my thread. I'm trying that later on today.


When i first tried the card reader, i was running 1.13. Later on i could borrow a ZIP-drive from somebody and installed 1.14 and a little later 1.20... neither of those versions made a difference... reader not working.
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By jibber Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:26 am
It's working!!! 8) 8) 8)

Was the card apparently. I just received the 1GB SanDisk card and it's working perfectly! :)