Internal ZIP drive on S3000XL

[Goon]

Hi all,

I'm thinking about replacing the floppy drive on my S3000XL with an
internal ZIP drive, to save things clanking about!

I suppose this working would depend on two things:

1)What sort of connection is on the floppy? I imagine it's IDE, but I
can't find any info on it without opening it up.

2)Can the sampler OS understand the ZIP drive as if it was the floppy?
Again, I don't see any reason why not, but then I can't find out for
sure without going ahead.

I've never seen this one done, which isn't encouraging, but then maybe
no-one's thought of it! Any help or info would be invaluable.

If you want to Email me privately, don't use the above address, but:
rap idp ig@p ostmast er.co.uk (without the spaces!)

Thanky,
--
Jon P. Moran
www.rapidpig.tk

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> I'm thinking about replacing the floppy drive on my S3000XL with an
> internal ZIP drive, to save things clanking about!

> 2)Can the sampler OS understand the ZIP drive as if it was the floppy?
> Again, I don't see any reason why not, but then I can't find out for
> sure without going ahead.

I don't know what an S3000XL is (I would have guessed it's a car) but
I wouldn't count on it. Most of those things use a proprietary
operating system and if it doesn't have a driver for a Zip drive then
it most likely doesn't know how to talk to one. If they made a model
with a Zip drive, then chances are pretty good that it will talk to
it.

But why not contact the manufacturer and ask them? They aren't going
to encourage you to do this because typically hardware manufacturers
don't want customers digging around on the inside - too easy to mess
something up. But at least they can tell you if it's possible or not.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> I'm thinking about replacing the floppy drive on my S3000XL with an
> internal ZIP drive, to save things clanking about!

> 2)Can the sampler OS understand the ZIP drive as if it was the floppy?
> Again, I don't see any reason why not, but then I can't find out for
> sure without going ahead.

I don't know what an S3000XL is (I would have guessed it's a car) but
I wouldn't count on it. Most of those things use a proprietary
operating system and if it doesn't have a driver for a Zip drive then
it most likely doesn't know how to talk to one. If they made a model
with a Zip drive, then chances are pretty good that it will talk to
it.

But why not contact the manufacturer and ask them? They aren't going
to encourage you to do this because typically hardware manufacturers
don't want customers digging around on the inside - too easy to mess
something up. But at least they can tell you if it's possible or not.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Martin Quinn]

> I don't know what an S3000XL is (I would have guessed it's a car) but

Its an AKAI Mike.

If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will use
(unless you use a SCSI type).

As Mike suggests, an email to AKAI is your best bet.

Let me know how you get on as I might do the same with my S2800 sampler.
Also, do you know of anywhere you can get cheap RAM for the above? AKAI
format RAM would cost me more than the actual unit is currently worth!

regards,

Martin

[Martin Quinn]

> I don't know what an S3000XL is (I would have guessed it's a car) but

Its an AKAI Mike.

If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will use
(unless you use a SCSI type).

As Mike suggests, an email to AKAI is your best bet.

Let me know how you get on as I might do the same with my S2800 sampler.
Also, do you know of anywhere you can get cheap RAM for the above? AKAI
format RAM would cost me more than the actual unit is currently worth!

regards,

Martin

[Rob Reedijk]

In rec.audio.pro Goon > wrote:
> Hi all,

> I'm thinking about replacing the floppy drive on my S3000XL with an
> internal ZIP drive, to save things clanking about!

> I suppose this working would depend on two things:

> 1)What sort of connection is on the floppy? I imagine it's IDE, but I
> can't find any info on it without opening it up.

> 2)Can the sampler OS understand the ZIP drive as if it was the floppy?
> Again, I don't see any reason why not, but then I can't find out for
> sure without going ahead.

> I've never seen this one done, which isn't encouraging, but then maybe
> no-one's thought of it! Any help or info would be invaluable.

> If you want to Email me privately, don't use the above address, but:
> rap idp ig@p ostmast er.co.uk (without the spaces!)

I have had an almost impossible time trying to get a Syquest drive to work
with an S3000XL. I contacted Akai and they told me there was a problem
making these work together. Same thing applies to Zip drives, I believe.

It's frustrating, isn't it? Especiallly since they also made it so the
sampler can't use more than the first 540MB of a harddrive.

Rob R.

[Rob Reedijk]

In rec.audio.pro Goon > wrote:
> Hi all,

> I'm thinking about replacing the floppy drive on my S3000XL with an
> internal ZIP drive, to save things clanking about!

> I suppose this working would depend on two things:

> 1)What sort of connection is on the floppy? I imagine it's IDE, but I
> can't find any info on it without opening it up.

> 2)Can the sampler OS understand the ZIP drive as if it was the floppy?
> Again, I don't see any reason why not, but then I can't find out for
> sure without going ahead.

> I've never seen this one done, which isn't encouraging, but then maybe
> no-one's thought of it! Any help or info would be invaluable.

> If you want to Email me privately, don't use the above address, but:
> rap idp ig@p ostmast er.co.uk (without the spaces!)

I have had an almost impossible time trying to get a Syquest drive to work
with an S3000XL. I contacted Akai and they told me there was a problem
making these work together. Same thing applies to Zip drives, I believe.

It's frustrating, isn't it? Especiallly since they also made it so the
sampler can't use more than the first 540MB of a harddrive.

Rob R.

[Gareth Magennis]

> If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
> and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
> may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
> probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will
use
> (unless you use a SCSI type).
>

As far as I remember, the internal SCSI bus is just the same bus as the
external one. If you can find an internal SCSI Zip drive it should work. I
have a vague memory of trying to do this once, but I think there was an
issue with the cabling and/or sourcing an internal drive. It didn't happen
anyway.



Gareth.

[Gareth Magennis]

> If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
> and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
> may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
> probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will
use
> (unless you use a SCSI type).
>

As far as I remember, the internal SCSI bus is just the same bus as the
external one. If you can find an internal SCSI Zip drive it should work. I
have a vague memory of trying to do this once, but I think there was an
issue with the cabling and/or sourcing an internal drive. It didn't happen
anyway.



Gareth.

[Gareth Magennis]

Oh, and I think the chances of using a Zip drive with the floppy controller
is probably less than zero. They are 2 completely different systems.


> As far as I remember, the internal SCSI bus is just the same bus as the
> external one. If you can find an internal SCSI Zip drive it should work.
I
> have a vague memory of trying to do this once, but I think there was an
> issue with the cabling and/or sourcing an internal drive. It didn't
happen
> anyway.
>
>
>

[Gareth Magennis]

Oh, and I think the chances of using a Zip drive with the floppy controller
is probably less than zero. They are 2 completely different systems.


> As far as I remember, the internal SCSI bus is just the same bus as the
> external one. If you can find an internal SCSI Zip drive it should work.
I
> have a vague memory of trying to do this once, but I think there was an
> issue with the cabling and/or sourcing an internal drive. It didn't
happen
> anyway.
>
>
>

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> > I don't know what an S3000XL is (I would have guessed it's a car) but
>
> Its an AKAI Mike.

I guessed that's what it might be, but since I'm reading your message
in rec.audio.pro and haven't been active on rec.music.makers.synth in
years I'm not sure who's what any more.

> If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
> and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
> may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
> probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will use
> (unless you use a SCSI type).

I don't believe I've ever heard of a SCSI floppy or even an IDE floppy
so it wouldn't be a direct replacement, but if there's an external
SDSI port, there's probably an internal one too but you'd have to open
up the case to see. And then you'd have to see if the OS recognizes
it.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> > I don't know what an S3000XL is (I would have guessed it's a car) but
>
> Its an AKAI Mike.

I guessed that's what it might be, but since I'm reading your message
in rec.audio.pro and haven't been active on rec.music.makers.synth in
years I'm not sure who's what any more.

> If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
> and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
> may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
> probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will use
> (unless you use a SCSI type).

I don't believe I've ever heard of a SCSI floppy or even an IDE floppy
so it wouldn't be a direct replacement, but if there's an external
SDSI port, there's probably an internal one too but you'd have to open
up the case to see. And then you'd have to see if the OS recognizes
it.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Goon]

> If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
> and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
> may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
> probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will use
> (unless you use a SCSI type).

Thanks Martin and mike and others who've responded.

I'm relliably informed that floppy drives have their own interface
which is like IDE, but not actually IDE.

I would have thought that my best chance now is to stick the ZIP drive
in the place of the floppy and just connect it via SCSI, as you would
an external drive (shouldn't be hard).

Cheers,
Jon P. Moran
www.rapidpig.tk

[Goon]

> If you connect a ZIP to an S3000 external SCSI port its able to pick it up
> and use it. I don't see why the internal port should be any different. You
> may have to get some sort of Ribbon Connector convertor as the Floppy
> probably uses a different interface than IDE, which is what the ZIP will use
> (unless you use a SCSI type).

Thanks Martin and mike and others who've responded.

I'm relliably informed that floppy drives have their own interface
which is like IDE, but not actually IDE.

I would have thought that my best chance now is to stick the ZIP drive
in the place of the floppy and just connect it via SCSI, as you would
an external drive (shouldn't be hard).

Cheers,
Jon P. Moran
www.rapidpig.tk