Share your knowledge on these two classic MPCs
By fobedafied Fri Dec 17, 2004 11:41 am
i am trying to format a zip using the MPC EDITOR software, when i do select the zip drive for formatting it asks me to confirm, then when i confirm the format by clicking OK, it immediately says "drive formatted".. yet it is not getting formatted... shouldnt it take a few minutes to format a zip disk in the mpc3000 format? does the format function work on unregistered versions of the MPC EDITOR? i just installed it yesterday, and this is the second time ive dloaded and installed MPC EDITOR, the first time was a while back when my floppy drive didnt work and i didnt have a zip drive on my comp... im thinking that maybe i wasted my demo/trial period by installing before i used it... does the disk format utility only work with registered versions of the software? ive also been trying floppies(DD/720kb) to transfer .wav files that i have converted to .snd files using WAV2SND, and i cant get that to work perfect either... after converting to .snd i copy the files to the floppy that was formatted in the 60s new disk drive, XP actually is able to copy the files to the mpc60 formatted DD disk BUT it takes an extremely LONG azz time to do so... what should be an almost instantaneous copy of less than 720 kbs of data to a floppy disk on my computer, takes a minute or longer, a couple of minutes probably! after what seems like forever, the disk finishes copying and shows the files on the disk... when i put that disk with the copied files into my mpc60, the 60 can read them perfectly, BUT when i load the .snd files into the 60, it takes extremely long for the files to load, just as long or maybe longer than it took to save the converted files to the floppy disk!!! what should take a few seconds to load a sound, takes like a minute or two, for each sound! all the while its loading the file, which seriously seems like forever, the floppy drive keeps making this nasty clicking noise!!! when loading regular files that were saved on floppy via the 60 itself, it works perfectly, fast loading of files, smooth operation with no audible clicking at all!!! the thing is, after all that, the converted files that were saved to floppy on the computer actually work once they are loaded, it just takes forever and the floppy drive makes that clicking noise that undoubtfully cannot be good for it... keep in mind that this is a brand new floppy drive just installed last week! im not sure if it is a problem with the way im converting the wav files to snd files(WAV2SND is what ive used...), or a problem with how im formatting the floppy>?>?>? so since the floppy route wasnt working(well it is, kinda... but i dont think that it is at all good for my brand new floppy drive), thats when i decided to try MPC EDITOR with zip disks... i installed an IDE zip drive tonite on my computer, and everything seems to work perfect about the zip drive, EXCEPT i cannot get my files transferred from the computer to the mpc60 because i cant format the disk correctly... when i format the disk using the disk format utility in the MPC EDITOR software, it says "formatted" like mentioned at the top of this post... i can add the files to the disk, but when i try to load them, the 60 gives me an error message and says something about, these files were created by a newer version machine than the one i am running!!! i have OS version 3.10e installed in my 60, thats the newest OS, right?!?!? the way that MPC EDITOR formats my zip drive is kinda funny though, it is EXTREMELY QUICK at it... it also adds these dummy files with "CREDIT.TO and *******.R" which i assume is the programmers name (is this you MPC3000?) does this MPC EDITOR always add these files? does MPC EDITOR always format zip drives under XP in this way? or is this some limitation set on unregistered versions of the MPC EDITOR software? id like to at least be able to format a zip drive with the software before paying for registration for software that may or may not do what i need it for... i dont know if its just me doing something wrong, or if i need to get my MPC EDITOR software registered, or some other missing link, but i do know that ive tried a few different approaches using both zips and floppies and i havent found a reliable way to transfer files from my computer to the mpc60... anyone with any info on this please let me know... anyone with XP using the MPC EDITOR to create and transfer MPC3000 programs via zip disk, your info and/or techniques would be greatly appreciated... also, anyone that can transfer .snd files from a computer running XP to an mpc60 via DD/720kb floppy disks, please let me know how you do it...

HELP! :?
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By mikedean Fri Dec 17, 2004 6:59 pm
I am a registered user and my version does the same thing. I think all you need to do now is eject the disk. After you reinsert the disk you should be able to use MPC Editor to Export Programs and samples to the Zip drive. Those dummy files are normal. I suggest using a single disk for transfers and then save using the MPC to your project disk. The problem with loading in the MPC I have not seen before. Can you try another zip disk? When you export do you select MPC3000 format? Make sure you perfrom Export Program and Samples.

By mpc3000 Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:08 pm
" BUT when i load the .snd files into the 60, it takes extremely long for the files to load, just as long or maybe longer than it took to save the converted files to the floppy disk!!! what should take a few seconds to load a sound, takes like a minute or two, for each sound!"

That is becasue the MPC60 has to 'resample' the data when loading to get it into MPC60 format. There are no limitations on the demo version of the MPCEditor. The two files after format are a credit to the person that created that format hack (who happens to be an active member in the MPC community).

By anon_twist Sat Dec 18, 2004 3:05 pm
one thing to remember as well is let the zip drive finish saving all the files. if you have a parallel port zip drive, it'll take longer for things to save, versus a USB zip drive. On my screen when I'm exporting, it usually will go straight back to MPC editor, even while the zip drive is still saving. so wait for the lights to stop blinking before you eject.

initially loading samples into the mpc from pc is slow as mpc3000 explained, but I've noticed that after it's saved from your mpc, it seems to load at a regular speed.

hope that helps.
By mpc3000le Sun Dec 19, 2004 6:58 am
fobedafied wrote:i am trying to format a zip using the MPC EDITOR software, when i do select the zip drive for formatting it asks me to confirm, then when i confirm the format by clicking OK, it immediately says "drive formatted".. yet it is not getting formatted... shouldnt it take a few minutes to format a zip disk in the mpc3000 format?


A FAST format only writes in the "High Level On Disk Structures".

A LONG format writes zeroz to the drive prior to performing the FAST stage.

The editor in my experience goes the FAST route.

Which where initialising of the MBR, PART and FAT is more than sufficient.

It doesn't take long to write this data to disk, a few seconds at most.

fobedafied wrote:does the format function work on unregistered versions of the MPC EDITOR?


Yes.

fobedafied wrote:does the disk format utility only work with registered versions of the software?


No.

fobedafied wrote: ive also been trying floppies(DD/720kb) to transfer .wav files that i have converted to .snd files using WAV2SND, and i cant get that to work perfect either... after converting to .snd i copy the files to the floppy that was formatted in the 60s new disk drive, XP actually is able to copy the files to the mpc60 formatted DD disk BUT it takes an extremely LONG azz time to do so...


MPC60 format DD disks are in an "almost DOS" format and are handled a little slow by XP.

fobedafied wrote:what should be an almost instantaneous copy of less than 720 kbs of data to a floppy disk on my computer, takes a minute or longer, a couple of minutes probably! after what seems like forever, the disk finishes copying and shows the files on the disk...


No such thing as an instant copy of 720k of data to a floppy disk.

fobedafied wrote: when i put that disk with the copied files into my mpc60, the 60 can read them perfectly, BUT when i load the .snd files into the 60, it takes extremely long for the files to load, just as long or maybe longer than it took to save the converted files to the floppy disk!!!


The *.SND files in this instance are in compatible but not native to an MPC60. Hence they are being converted by the MPC60 into the internal format required for operation.

I think the MPC60 3.X manual says some thing about the load processing that can happen when loading compatible *.SND files from an MPC3000.

BTW: The MPC3000 exhibits the same behaviour when loading MPC60 format *.SND files.

fobedafied wrote: i installed an IDE zip drive tonite on my computer, and everything seems to work perfect about the zip drive, EXCEPT i cannot get my files transferred from the computer to the mpc60 because i cant format the disk correctly... when i format the disk using the disk format utility in the MPC EDITOR software, it says "formatted" like mentioned at the top of this post... i can add the files to the disk, but when i try to load them, the 60 gives me an error message and says something about, these files were created by a newer version machine than the one i am running!!! i have OS version 3.10e installed in my 60, thats the newest OS, right?!?!?


If you can add files to the disk then it HAS been formatted. Simple.
As for this error received. That would imply that you have exported the program and sounds from within the MPC editor in the wrong format.


fobedafied wrote:the way that MPC EDITOR formats my zip drive is kinda funny though, it is EXTREMELY QUICK at it...


FAST "High Level" format minus the long winded zeroz to all sectors aspect of this procedure.

fobedafied wrote:it also adds these dummy files with "CREDIT.TO and *******.R" which i assume is the programmers name (is this you MPC3000?) does this MPC EDITOR always add these files?


I think this is called "Credit where credit is due".

Sounds like you're getting there with the process.

Keep at it.

Rohan.

By fobedafied Mon Dec 20, 2004 9:07 am
thanks for the very informative post Rohan,

i think i figured it out, when i was getting the error loading the .snd files to the 60, i think it was because they were 2000(xl) snd files... when i create a PGM using all .wav files, they get converted and load pretty smoothly into the 60, it takes a bit longer than regular files, but you explained that to me perfectly...

now my next task is to figure out if i can convert my .snd files that were sampled by the 60 into .wav files so i can edit them on my computer... im getting there, slowly but surely...

thanks for the help everyone :D
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By derekdikbag Fri Jan 07, 2005 2:58 pm
Does the MPC 60 II have to have thye scsi board attached ito the pc in order to use the mpc editor to format the zip drive a then save and fly sounds to the MPC?.......Right now my MPC is just midied to my Pc

By elmacaco Fri Jan 07, 2005 3:52 pm
Nope, you can't do that, you have a computer zip and an MPC zip, you do the special format on the pc transfer zip after formatting it in the 60, The editor xp zip format isn't a full format, it just makes it readable by both in a few seconds.
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By derekdikbag Sat Jan 08, 2005 3:44 pm
HOW MUCH DOES THE SCSI BOARD FOR THE 6011 COST?WHO ELSE BESIDES MARION SYSTEMS HAVE THEM?
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By mikedean Sat Jan 08, 2005 4:05 pm
$300. Marion is the only show in town. You can get them from several sources. Ramona and RogerLinn have them for $300.

By Terrahertz Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:08 pm
This never worked for me I got sick of it.
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By derekdikbag Sun Jan 09, 2005 12:01 am
What were you tired of?The scsi card for the MP?..If so why?

By Terrahertz Sun Jan 09, 2005 2:16 am
No the MPC editor its garbage on XP

By elmacaco Sun Jan 09, 2005 3:16 am
Nope, it works great on XP, perhaps you are missing something, or you have XP service pack 2 which messes stuff up?