Transferring files from 2k classic to 4000?

Peace y'all. This site is awesome!

After almost a year of research and deliberation I built up the courage (& the $$$) to step up to the big leagues. My 4k arrived this week and while the switch HAS been a humbling experience, I'm super excited realizing more and more possibilities of this "beast"!

For 10+ years I've worked on my ancient yet trusty 2k classic. Rhyming has been my main focus so for the most part its done the job. I'm now shifting gears, driven to get my production bars up to the same caliber as my vocal talents. At least that's what my mindset is anyway.

I soon learned the cat I got my 4k from still had the original janky a$$ OS! I was able to update to the 1.71 OS as well as install Ak.sys into my computer (iMac Intel Core Duo/OSX) without a problem. And yes I have the manual...well I downloaded the pdf and I always love to "RTFM" with any piece of gear I purchase.

This is my current snag...I've heard/read conflicting reports as to the 4000's ability/inability to read files from the 2000. I obviously have tons of 250 zips from my 2k. When I try to hook up the zip-drive to the 4k as-is it sees the drive but when I attempt to load anything from it I get "fatal error" msgs and have to restart the whole machine. I'm not as concerned about transferring the songs or programs over as much as my massive sound library of drums/bass sounds/etc. And my mac doesn't have a SCSI port so I can't import them that way in Ak.sys. What are my options if any?

I still have the 2000 as well as 2 separate zip-drives so I can connect 1 per machine if that helps my dilemma at all. I tried to do searches on the topic but most of what I found pertained to the 2000XL and not my plain old 2000. That and most of it was from years ago before the 1.6 OS had even been released. One person stated you can load up the sounds/program from the zip-disk into the 2k. Then on the 4k do a quick format on a new/empty zip disk. Then take the fresh disk from the 4k and put it in the zip-drive connected to the 2k and save it all on the new disk. Then it can be loaded back into the 4k that way.

Any thoughts? I mean between the 80 Gig HD of the 4k and 500 Gig HD on my Mac I can also save to (thanks to Ak.sys) there's no need for me to continue using 250MB disks anymore. So I'd like to know if that even works before I go buying a bunch more blank zip-disks.

I don't care if I gotta make every beat over again just PLEASE tell me I don't have to re-sample/re-edit 1000s of drums all over again 1 by 1.

Thanks in advance for any assistance y'all can give me.

I can't say for sure, but I would think it should be able to load the files of any MPC that came before it, it also loads programs from old S samplers. If not, there is software that can convert between formats. I assume you tried loading sequences, sounds and programs? It is hard to tell what is going on without more info, but if you cannot load ANY files, it makes me think it is not related to the content of the files but possibly the format of the disk or hardware. It is worth trying that process of formatting a disk from the 4k, then saving files to in on the 2k. That might be the easiest but you already know that is going to take some time.

Maybe you have buckups, but consider yourself lucky if you haven't already lost content on those zips, they don't last forever. If the format method doesn't work, I would concentrate on finding a way to get all that content onto your computer. Unfortunately, that might not be an easy task with a modern mac... but once you get them there, it should be easy for you to get them on the 4k. You will prob need to look to the 2k forum for help there. The reason it is not an easy task is that Akai gear before the XL did not have PC compatible file systems (and is likely causing the problems you are having now).

Worrrrrd up. Good lookin' out Smooth.

uhhhh anybody else have any ideas?......






anyone?........






Bueller?.......

Try getting a USB zipdrive
that worked for me, backing up al my mpc2000 zips
still use the 2000 though!

Yeah I used to use a usb zip drive from my 2xl days and use it along with my 4k. The 4k will load your 2xl programs but not your APS as a 4k uses Multis.

My XL APS files load up with no problems. In fact, it turns it into a 4 channel multi for you!

This guy is on a 2k though. It used a different filesystem (not talking about the files themselves) that wasn't so compatible with computers as the MPCs after it are. Suposedly you can read these on a PC, but IT MAKES THE DISKS UNREADABLE by your 2k after you do this. Go to midicase.com to find out more, they have a work around and a program that can fix it (or maybe you don't care if you get the files off). If I were you, I would go that route and find someone with a PC and zip drive (or score a used usb one) to do the work and be done with it.

But... did you try the format route you first mentioned? Those are probably your 2 options, but it is really a 2k question until you can get those files off. Good luck.

Thanks for the input y'all. Appreciate it. I scored a used usb zip-drive w 5 sealed 250 disks for $30 + shipping!!

When it arrives I'll try both options. Got my fingers crossed.

I would slide one of these in the 2k, internal card reader. Then you shouldn't have any problems making transfers.

dabmeister wrote:I would slide one of these in the 2k, internal card reader. Then you shouldn't have any problems making transfers.

He might already be able to do the same thing by saving to 4k formatted zip disks... the problem is, with "tons of 250 zips" this is going to take a long time with 32MB of RAM.

Damn NO DICE!!!

Option 1: When I try and re-save to the new 4000 formatted disks it won't let me. It (the 2k) gives me an "Invalid Format" msg when I hit save.

Option 2: I also picked up the usb zip-drive and that seems to be waste. When any of the disks from the 2k are inserted, my mac won't even see the drive at all...the same as if there's no disk inserted. I tried all ports as well as different cables as a dummy check. When I insert a new blank disk then the drive and its contents appears so I know that computer can see the drive itself just not files I'm trying to transfer to my 4k in the first place.

What a drag!

Have you checked this out yet? http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Audio/MpcPgmMaker.shtml

They say it was written for the mac and the mpc. It might be what you're looking for.

^ That looks promising, worth trying the demo.

Otherwise, my version of option 2 included finding someone with a pc... gotta know somebody with one. People throw away old computers (myself included) that could handle this task.

McSmooth wrote:^ Otherwise, my version of option 2 included finding someone with a pc...that could handle this task.

What does your option 2 consist of? I can borrow a PC from somebody.