USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

HxC Floppy Emulator E-mu SP1200 support
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8324689
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 2:43 pm

USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by 8324689 »

Hi there
Can I buy any old cheap USB powerd floppy disk reader

Like this;
http://goo.gl/BeNuwA


To insert my old 1200 floppy disks transfer them to PC/Mac and then convert them for HxC?

Many thanks
vout
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 11:56 am

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by vout »

It won't work. As far as I know, there are only two ways to do this - using Kryoflux hardware (and an original SP1200 floppy drive I assume), see this post - http://forum.kryoflux.com/viewtopic.php?t=590

or physically connecting the old SP1200 and HxC drive together in the SP1200 using this method - https://hxc2001.com/floppy/forum/viewtopi ... =14&t=1062

Good luck!
8324689
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 2:43 pm

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by 8324689 »

Thanks for the reply!
What a shame that is.
In my naive mind I thought it would be easy enough to trranfer the on to PC and then EXMP them in.
Thats what I did with my Emulator 2 CDROMS

Suppose Ill have to leave it.
Kyroflux isn't insane expensive but I cant justify buying right now. Have way more pressing things.

Would anybody have any of the standard drum machines, 909, 808, 707, Linn etc that I could please have in SDcard format?!

I would be so grateful!!

Many thanks
jazzroom
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:20 pm

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by jazzroom »

Hi to all,

As well looking for a way to convert my Floppy Disks library from SP1200 to HXC images that Gotek can read.

Came across Greaseweazle https://amigastore.eu/894-greaseweazle-v4.html project
as a cheaper alternative to Kryoflux.



Anyone cares to share their workflow in SP1200 Floppys to HXC images conversion ?

thanks in advance for any tips and ideas
Peace
Jazz
SP12 Turbo, SP1200 , AKAI S950, MPC3000LE , MPC2000XL, MPC1000 , SP303 , SP404MKII , Zoom Sampletrak : Jazz-HipHop Instrumental Beats on Souncloud - Jazzroom , Youtube - Jazzroom , Bandcamp - Jazzroom , Insagram (jazzroomsounds)
RubeDKB
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2025 4:47 am

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by RubeDKB »

I have a grease weasel 4.1 too. I can't get it to work with my TEACFD-235hf drive tho. I always get No Index error. Anyone have simiar experience?
RubeDKB
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2025 4:47 am

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by RubeDKB »

I switched in a different drive and am having some success. I say SOME because the results are spotty so far. Only a handful of disk images successfully worked without any corrupted sounds and sequence data. I'm going to try another disk drive and see if the results are the same? It seems not a whole lot of info is out there for using Grease Weasel to extract flux data to.HFE yet. The disk drive that I am using right now is a TEC FD1231T built in 1999.

My workflow-
grease weasel connected to Mac using Intel chip from 2016 and Mojave OS.
TEC floppy drive connected to grease weasel with straight ribbon cable - no twist.
Tech Floppy drive powered by 4 pin connecter directly to 110 outlet
Doing commands from Terminal, when it is set up, the command I am using is:
gw read --dd L --drive=b --tracks="c=0-79:h=0-1" rock.scp::disktype=other-720k --revs=1 --adjust-speed=312

This initiates the Flux read, saves to my "home" directory as a rock.scp file
Then, Drag and drop the file onto HxCFloppy Emulator
Export as .HFE file to whereever you need it. I have been exporting it straight to SD card formatted for my MKSREC1 sampler or Isla S2400 sampler or SP-1200 with floppy emulator installed.
Jeff
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Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:12 am
Location: Paris
Contact:

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by Jeff »

You should have a look to the disk/track viewer before exporting. you can see if all sectors have been read correctly.
Screenshot at 2025-03-19 21-55-36.jpg
Screenshot at 2025-03-19 21-55-36.jpg (187.47 KiB) Viewed 6269 times
jazzroom
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:20 pm

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by jazzroom »

RubeDKB wrote: Mon Mar 17, 2025 11:00 pm I switched in a different drive and am having some success. I say SOME because the results are spotty so far. Only a handful of disk images successfully worked without any corrupted sounds and sequence data. I'm going to try another disk drive and see if the results are the same? It seems not a whole lot of info is out there for using Grease Weasel to extract flux data to.HFE yet. The disk drive that I am using right now is a TEC FD1231T built in 1999.

My workflow-
grease weasel connected to Mac using Intel chip from 2016 and Mojave OS.
TEC floppy drive connected to grease weasel with straight ribbon cable - no twist.
Tech Floppy drive powered by 4 pin connecter directly to 110 outlet
Doing commands from Terminal, when it is set up, the command I am using is:
gw read --dd L --drive=b --tracks="c=0-79:h=0-1" rock.scp::disktype=other-720k --revs=1 --adjust-speed=312

This initiates the Flux read, saves to my "home" directory as a rock.scp file
Then, Drag and drop the file onto HxCFloppy Emulator
Export as .HFE file to whereever you need it. I have been exporting it straight to SD card formatted for my MKSREC1 sampler or Isla S2400 sampler or SP-1200 with floppy emulator installed.
I'm having the same mixed results with different Floppy drives working or giving error with Greaseweazle reading Sp1200 floppy's as raw .scp images

Copying SP1200 floppy's and converting them to .hfe gives mixed results - some work and some are corrupt sounds and sequences.
For verification i am reading them in my SP1200 with gotek and/or in MKSrec1 sampler that reads .HFE files.
I've noticed that if .HFE file was made and saved on the SP1200 itself and than imported to CD card in MKSrec1 - mks reads that .HFE very well. but if that .HFE was coming from a Floppy disk read by greaseweazle and converted with HxC emulator to .HFE ... it's a complete hit and miss and only few out of a bunch converted disks work.

Could it be that Greasewheazle OR HxC Floppy emulator software writes a slighly different .HFE code than the SP1200 Gotek .HFE ... maybe it messes up SP1200 OS on that .HFE file or something...because there is no direct EMU Sp1200 file format read support in Gresewheazle nor in HxC Floppy Emulator yet , just an idea?
SP12 Turbo, SP1200 , AKAI S950, MPC3000LE , MPC2000XL, MPC1000 , SP303 , SP404MKII , Zoom Sampletrak : Jazz-HipHop Instrumental Beats on Souncloud - Jazzroom , Youtube - Jazzroom , Bandcamp - Jazzroom , Insagram (jazzroomsounds)
Jeff
Site Admin
Posts: 8254
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:12 am
Location: Paris
Contact:

Re: USB Floppy drive to transfer SP1200 disks

Post by Jeff »

jazzroom wrote: Wed Aug 27, 2025 12:03 am
RubeDKB wrote: Mon Mar 17, 2025 11:00 pm I switched in a different drive and am having some success. I say SOME because the results are spotty so far. Only a handful of disk images successfully worked without any corrupted sounds and sequence data. I'm going to try another disk drive and see if the results are the same? It seems not a whole lot of info is out there for using Grease Weasel to extract flux data to.HFE yet. The disk drive that I am using right now is a TEC FD1231T built in 1999.

My workflow-
grease weasel connected to Mac using Intel chip from 2016 and Mojave OS.
TEC floppy drive connected to grease weasel with straight ribbon cable - no twist.
Tech Floppy drive powered by 4 pin connecter directly to 110 outlet
Doing commands from Terminal, when it is set up, the command I am using is:
gw read --dd L --drive=b --tracks="c=0-79:h=0-1" rock.scp::disktype=other-720k --revs=1 --adjust-speed=312

This initiates the Flux read, saves to my "home" directory as a rock.scp file
Then, Drag and drop the file onto HxCFloppy Emulator
Export as .HFE file to whereever you need it. I have been exporting it straight to SD card formatted for my MKSREC1 sampler or Isla S2400 sampler or SP-1200 with floppy emulator installed.
I'm having the same mixed results with different Floppy drives working or giving error with Greaseweazle reading Sp1200 floppy's as raw .scp images

Copying SP1200 floppy's and converting them to .hfe gives mixed results - some work and some are corrupt sounds and sequences.
For verification i am reading them in my SP1200 with gotek and/or in MKSrec1 sampler that reads .HFE files.
I've noticed that if .HFE file was made and saved on the SP1200 itself and than imported to CD card in MKSrec1 - mks reads that .HFE very well. but if that .HFE was coming from a Floppy disk read by greaseweazle and converted with HxC emulator to .HFE ... it's a complete hit and miss and only few out of a bunch converted disks work.

Could it be that Greasewheazle OR HxC Floppy emulator software writes a slighly different .HFE code than the SP1200 Gotek .HFE ... maybe it messes up SP1200 OS on that .HFE file or something...because there is no direct EMU Sp1200 file format read support in Gresewheazle nor in HxC Floppy Emulator yet , just an idea?
Check the disk dump in the hxc track viewer window.

The sp1200 raw file in the hxc software is *.sp1200fd
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