MPC 60 - can you help me with the floppy disc nightmare i'm

Ok, so modern macs can't read the MPC60 format discs.

I just bought a cheap windows laptop with XP to try and find a way to back up my projects.

With the MPC 60 stock sounds disc (DD) it can see the file, and it seems to transfer the whole thing, yet the bar doesn't reach the end, it just gets stuck on '25 seconds remaining.' All 770b of the set are there though.

Now I can format a HD disc in the machine, and the MPC 60 can save and load from it. However, once formatted on the MPC, they are no longer readable (putting them into the disc drive, makes the disc drive make a higher pitch noise (about a minor third higher), and then it gives up!

1. Are DD discs the only way?
2. Has anyone had any luck formatting HD discs and then reading them on XP? On the HD discs, the image won't show up in a disc grab thing, the computer just says 'this disc has not been formatted.

Do I just need to buy a load of

DD discs?

Found out some interesting stuff nerding around!

1. i read on Roger Linn's site, you tape over the second hole of a HD disc, you can fool a computer into thinking it's a DD. Means that my xp computer now reads the discs.

2. for some reason 'set' files seem incompatible, it just gets stuck forever. I can move seq files and SND files, by clicking the 'try again' thing when it tells me a disc isnt' formatted.

yes it's time consuming, and it's a pain in the ass, but at least i can back up things in a basic way

would still appreciate any tips and workarounds, cheers.

omni flop... find that program... it will probably help you with those disks.

ahh, unfortunately it's incompatible with usb floppy drives. cheers for trying!

I think akai disk only can do s series samplers... or else maybe that might have been good..

actually the best thing to do is to record everything you make before turning it off... and save the song twice on different floppies if the song is really a good one.

Try Awave Studio or MPC Editor

http://www.fmjsoft.com/awframe.html

http://www.midicase.com/mpceditor/

Thanks guys, yea it's the SET files that seem to be the problem. None of those software links are capable of tackling it, and the MPC editor deals with PROGs which i guess is more modern territory!!
I can't be bothered to do the GOTEK simulator thing and i suspect installing and backing up an SCSI drive would be more hassle than it's worth, so i'll stick to this fairly slow method of exporting individual sounds.

Am I right that the 'parameters' is the MPC60's equivalent of a PROG file? cheers !

faeriepunk23 wrote:
Am I right that the 'parameters' is the MPC60's equivalent of a PROG file? cheers !

no... that is the setting file for stuff in the mpc like if you have 16 levels on tune or velocity... or all the configuration stuff... those things get saved in the mpc when you power off because there is a battery which saves it... problem is each song requires different settings most of the time (or the battery could die) and you would save those settings for each song for next time.

mr_debauch wrote:

faeriepunk23 wrote:
Am I right that the 'parameters' is the MPC60's equivalent of a PROG file? cheers !

no... that is the setting file for stuff in the mpc like if you have 16 levels on tune or velocity... or all the configuration stuff... those things get saved in the mpc when you power off because there is a battery which saves it... problem is each song requires different settings most of the time (or the battery could die) and you would save those settings for each song for next time.

So 'parameters' files hold all the information like drum panning, pitch and all that?

lol. After all my attempts at disc copying on a laptop, it's a waste of time, half the time the laptop can't read the floppy discs, and then corrupts them, leading to file loss/unreadability on the 60. I guess i'm better off just buying loads of floppy discs!

XP can't read the MPC format floppies. Doesn't matter if you use dd or hd with tape over the hole, the "format" is different.
As mentioned ,you need something like Omniflop, that will make an image, but you can't just copy/paste samples or programs.

I'd say backing up to a scsi drive is not more hassle than it's worth and once you get used to a scsi drive you won't want to go back to floppies.

I presume your XP machine is a laptop as your using a USB floppy.
You could pick up a cheap desktop with an internal floppy.
Any one should work, from a Pentium 2 or 3 upwards. These kind of machines can be found super cheap and sometimes for free.

Why can't you be bothered with a floppy emulator ?
They aren't much trouble to install and at least you can back up your data and transfer files with them. Surely that's better than being stuck with floppies you can't back up ?

Yeah.. no computer can read MPC60 floppies without using an intermediary program such as Omniflop with a proper non-USB floppy drive.

Just get a Lotharek floppy drive emulator and save yourself a ton of hassle, with the benefit of storing hundreds of floppies onto a single SD card, saving space, and with easy Mac/PC backup.

Of course I agree with the others on the Lotharek floppy emulator and especially if you don't have SCSI.

I do however believe in keeping a laptop like the IBM T22/T23 around if you are into vintage gear and computers. It's compact and has interchangeable CD/DVD, ZiP, and Floppy Drives. It also has PCMCIA, and Serial Ports. Works well with old school Programs and DOS.

master-ceo wrote:Of course I agree with the others on the Lotharek floppy emulator and especially if you don't have SCSI.

I do however believe in keeping a laptop like the IBM T22/T23 around if you are into vintage gear and computers. It's compact and has interchangeable CD/DVD, ZiP, and Floppy Drives. It also has PCMCIA, and Serial Ports. Works well with old school Programs and DOS.

I have an old desktop for the same reasons, with Win XP on it for Omniflop, plus with a desktop you get the added bonus of being able to have SCSI PCI cards installed, such as the Adaptec 2940U/UW.
I'd love to get rid of it though to save space.

jimmie wrote:Yeah.. no computer can read MPC60 floppies without using an intermediary program such as Omniflop with a proper non-USB floppy drive.

You sure?

I thought that the MPC60 used FAT12 on double sided/double density floppies.

SimonInAustralia wrote:

jimmie wrote:Yeah.. no computer can read MPC60 floppies without using an intermediary program such as Omniflop with a proper non-USB floppy drive.

You sure?

I thought that the MPC60 used FAT12 on double sided/double density floppies.

No I'm not sure.
Guess I just presumed seeing as my S950, S1000 and MPC 3000 floppies needed Omniflop for my computer to see em.
Didn't do extensive testing though tbh as I use CF-SCSI drives in my S1000 and MPC 3000 these days.
I read somewhere that the Akai FAT12 format is modified so your computer can't see it properly... or something. Maybe that explains why MPC 3000 original OS FAT12 partitions can't all be seen by your computer but Vailixi Hybrid partitions (which are still FAT12) can all be seen?

Still... Lotharek floppy emulator would be good.
I want 5, for my mono samplers but damn that'd be expensive.
Wish they were cheaper. The Euro is very strong against the Pound these days which isn't helping.