2kxl OS

hi all. Quick question, what are the differences between the 2kxl operating systems?

I can only speak to the primary difference that I know of and that has to do with using SCSI drives.

With os 1.14, Akai implemented partitioning, which means that a single SCSI media (such as a hard drive or card reader drive) is divided into a number of partitions (A,B,C,etc). Each partition functions like a separate drive and you select the partition you want to use along with the desired operation. Fort instance, if you are about to Save a program, there is a field on the Save page labeled "PART:" and on the field, you select which partition you wish to save into. Same goes for any file operation - you can always select the partition that you are working in. Another feature of this os version that goes hand-in-hand with the partitioning capability is the ability to access large media drives. I don't know exactly how large a drive you can use - my experience is that it seems to top out at about 25GB. Somewhere along the way, a myth sprung up that the MPC2000XL was limited to 2GB or 4.5GB as the largest formattable media capacity and it stuck for a long time. However the myth came into being, it is plain untrue.

On os 1.2, Akai decided to get rid of the partitioning capability. This means that you cannot access a space on any SCSI media larger than 1GB, due to the lack of partitioning. My guess as to why Akai took it out of the 1.2 os is that the first MPC2000XL models to feature 1.2 also came with hot-swappable ATAPI card reader drive built in and they may have figured "heck, since you can swap CF cards to your hearts content, there is little reason to use partioning anymore - just buy a bunch of cheap (at the time) 1GB CF cards and swap away". But once Akai stopped offering built-in card readers and the hot-swappable card readers became harder to find, this plan fell by the wayside and the lack of partitioning became a real drawback. Not to mention the fact that it severely restricted your ability to access files on media you had formatted using 1.14 (which had partioning).

So there it is - the major differences in 1.14 and 1.2. I'm sure there are other operational differences having to do with sampling and sequencing but since my use of the XL is limited to designing and building SCSI drives for it, I do not know very much about those areas. Perhaps someone who has used the XL as a production tool (which is probably most of you!) can tell us more about those differences.

ok.... i just checked my OS and mine is version 1.12 !

i've got a hot-swappable card reader on order (if the damn thing ever shows up!) , i would really appreciate advice on how this OS will integrate with my card reader.... not well i'm guessing

this is the reader i have ordered: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MC-2000XL-SD-CF-M ... 3cb4e29ba4


any advice is appreciated

thanx

thanks a lot for the fast and in depth response, i can appreciate an answer like that. Keep the info comin if anyone knows more

detter, you will have to install 1.2 in order to use that ATAPI card reader drive. ATAPI drives only work with os 1.2, where as SCSI drives will work with either 1.14 (best) or 1.2.

Please let everyone know how that card reader performs for you and especially how well the hot swap capability works.

What about os 1.14c?

I have a very similar, atapi, hot-swappable card reader, and I'm pretty sure I was told to use 1.14c...which has somewhat vanished from the internet now.

I've never heard of 1.14c but, to my knowledge, 1.14 doesn't support ATAPI card readers. It does, however, support ATAPI zip drives and in fact, is the only os I've ever had any luck using an ATAPI zip drive with. Keep in mind that we are talking about ATAPI card readers not working with 1.14; for SCSI card readers I recommend using 1.14 in most cases.

nogginj, I don't claim to be an expert on these oses, so it could be that a 1.14c does exist, although it doesn't seem to be mentioned anywhere that I can find. Have you installed the card reader into your MPC yet? If so, what os are you currently using and how is it working?

Howdy Keyman,
Yea, like I said I can't find much info anymore about 1.14c.

I have had my card reader installed and running just fine since 2005 (maybe 2006?). I bought a hot-swappable multi-card reader direct from the manufacturer for $20...at that time I think it was a new thing and nobody had them on eBay. It looks just like the one I am seeing on ebay these days (the one in the above link), but white.

I KNOW that os 1.14c exists, I just don't know why or form where. If I remember correctly, it was offered on the Vst Service website as a free download.

I don't have my MPC with me right now, but I can say with 90% confidence that I am using 1.14c with my atapi card reader.

Again, if I remember correctly, the only diff between 1.14 and 1.14c was the ability to use card readers...which kind of makes sense with what you have already pointed out.

I will try to find images / zips / more info when I get to my MPC...pretty sure I have the OS install file on my card that is in it.

Edit: found a thread here from 04 confirming my memory:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18810&start=30
Editorial: Funny to see this place has always been as professional and courteous as it is these days ;]

Another edit:
I've looked, and there are absolutely ZERO distinguishing features about this drive...no manufacturer and no model number.

guys, thank you - i will of course report on how well the drive works - i will most likely do this in the 'seriously, can we get a sticky on card readers' thread, where i initially sought advice on this drive

one last Q - where can i cop OS 1.2 ?



i appreciate all the advice and will do my best to contribute back

thanx

one last Q - where can i cop OS 1.2 ?

http://www.mpc-tutor.com/akai-mpc-operating-systems/

google: mpc os 1.2

nogginj, you can easily create an installable version of the os your MPC has installed - just go to Save, scroll all the way to the end and select "Copy Operating System". Insert a formatted diskette, select "Do It" and then the os will load into memory. Once it is done, select the Floppy as the destination (or you can select the card reader if you want to put the installable os image on a CF card) and select "Do It". Bam, you have an installable copy of 1.14c (if that is what your MPC has installed).

According to that thread you linked to, it sounds like VST did some mod (small/large - who knows?) to an os version and called it 1.14c. Does your MPC have the abilioty to create partitions when you format a CF card? Or are you stuck to the single-partition 1GB format that normal 1.2 gives us?

I have always saved myself that headache and am still using 1gb cards ;].

My memory tells me that it DID allow partitioning though, and that's why I 'downgraded' from 1.2 to 1.14c.

I will make a copy of the OS but I'm pretty sure I have the original zip backed up somewhere anyway.

Now I have a question: on drives that DON'T allow hot-swapping, can you still load up different partitions?

Hot swap ability doesn't really have anything to do with partitions. If you use a partitioned media on an XL running 1.2, then you'll only see and be able to access the first partition. That is what I meant above when I said that 1.2 restricts heavily your ability to use media coming from a 1.14 machine.

keyman wrote:Hot swap ability doesn't really have anything to do with partitions. If you use a partitioned media on an XL running 1.2, then you'll only see and be able to access the first partition. That is what I meant above when I said that 1.2 restricts heavily your ability to use media coming from a 1.14 machine.

That's not entirely true, and I've stated it before on these forums. Right now I'm sitting on a XL with the 1.2 OS, looking at a 4GB CF card with 4 partitions on it to which I have access to.

Pray tell more. What brand of reader, what brand of card? And is it SCSI or ATAPI? Cause SCSI can do that right? Or am I getting it more confused?

EDIT

OH

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=134352