Has anybody ever limited themselves to the onboard Flash ram

I like how fast sounds load from the onboard flash ram of the MPC500, which is apparently 5mb. But to use it, the CF card has to be removed. Otherwise it will only load from the CF card, and ignore the flash ram.

So I'm thinking of just using that 5mb of flash ram, and seeing how far I can get with it saving to an autoload on there. 5mb is about a minute of sampling in mono. That would be a few loops in stereo, a few in mono, short drum hits, looped waveform bits for keyboards.. Not much, but I love testing myself with limitations. I remember the Korg M1 keyboard had 4mb of rom sounds, and that included multisampled pianos, organs, drums and all the rest.

Anyone tried just using the onboard flash before?

I can access the onboard Flash RAM with a CF card inserted, if I scroll to the bottom of the File: listing for the CF card files, there is an INTERNAL choice, which is the onboard Flash RAM.

All these years and I didn't know that, thanks Simon.

Although it will still load from the card's autoload when you turn the machine on, unless you take the card out. That's really what I meant.

Pretty sure that if you have an Autoload folder in the internal flash memory, but no Autoload folder on the CF card, it will load the Autoload folder from the internal memory with a CF card inserted when powered on.

Can you just delete, or rename, the Autoload folder on the CF card, if you want to Autoload from the internal memory rather than the CF card?

Yeah, I was thinking that. I'll give it a try.

Update: Yes.. That works. Renamed my autoload folder, and then it autoloaded from the flash ram.

Actually, this probably wasn't a good idea at all (not that it ever was anyway). I was trying to minimise load and save times, as loading from the internal flash memory is a lot quicker. Whilst also seeing if I could work to that 5mb limitation. But as it turns out, just writing some sounds to the internal flash takes longer than saving and loading combined from the CF card.

Avene wrote:Actually, this probably wasn't a good idea at all (not that it ever was anyway). I was trying to minimise load and save times, as loading from the internal flash memory is a lot quicker. Whilst also seeing if I could work to that 5mb limitation.

I think that limiting yourself like that can have advantages, less can sometimes be more.

A friend could do a whole pumpin' tech house set on an SP1200, with a single reload half way through.

At least now you know what the options are, and the limitations/disadvantages.

Avene wrote:But as it turns out, just writing some sounds to the internal flash takes longer than saving and loading combined from the CF card.

You could work on it from CF, while creating the samples, and writing sequences, then save to internal flash once, only when finished.

Could be useful to have it there anyway, ready to go, in case the CF card or slot die when you need it.

Yes, true, I was thinking that also. Keep the 5mb limit and use the internal flash as a back up that I could save to every so often.

How long was your friend's set with the SP1200? And what sort of manipulations could he do live with it? I'm still yet to organise a live set on the 500, but years ago when I had the 4000, I did a few live sets with that, the longest that ran for 2 hours. Although that was with a 20mb bank of sounds which included a number or instrument programs and various q-link assignments. Keen to try something like that with the 500, although it will take a while to organise properly.

Avene wrote:How long was your friend's set with the SP1200? And what sort of manipulations could he do live with it?

Over an hour.

Bringing sounds in and out, build ups/breakdowns, samples recorded fast and pitched down for longer sampling time, etc.

He has done it a lot, for a long time, so has his process well sorted.

Nice one. What's his name, and is he still doing shows? I'd been keen to check that.

I just started using that function,very handy.I took a snails approach with the 500 so I`m still in the honeymoon stage,still in love.......