2.8" QD Disk Emulation

[mocheez]

UP!

Hi Jeff! I discovered this thread a couple of days ago while searching for some tips and tricks for my newly acquired S-220, which I know nothing about except it is plagued with an abandoned disk drive standard I am in the process of getting some original Roland quick disks but I have yet to discover if my drive is working. If not, all I can rely on is SMDI transfer of sounds, back and forth.
So, yeah, Jeff… I'd also be more than interested in your progress on the SD card replacement. It's the only piece of good news on the S-220/S700 horizon, so far.

[mcSDHXC]

Is anything happening on this front or is QD emulation dead?

[entropismo]

Hello, this is my first and may be my last post here, but I have the same problem related here. I registered here only to tell you the good news , ¡¡¡¡There is a Quick Disk emulator!!!! I've founded in a not so deeper googling, with and automatic traduction of a Japanese site, I didn't found the 'buy here' button, but there is, even with firmware updates.

http://www.2a03.jp/~norix/virtuaqd/

It was designed for MSX but there is posted that an user tryed it on a Korg SQD8, so it should work in any of our machines.

I'm sure you can go deeper and take more info about it, pls if you buy tell me your experience. At the time I'm waiting a belt to revive my Roland S10 drive, but I'll be following this. I'm sure there may be someone with a Japanese friend to complement the automatic traduction of the page and help to buy, they are awesome.

Regards from Spain and sorry for my bad english.

[sesha]

Hi!

Damnit, No buy link on the japanese emulator.

New here as well. Is there any news in this?

Got a Korg SQD-1 I want to bring into the 21st century

[elmegil]

At the risk of giving everyone false hope, I figured I'd ping the thread: any news?

[Jeff]

At the risk of giving everyone false hope, I figured I'd ping the thread: any news?

I still have no QD machine here... Is there a list of the machines using a QD drive somewhere ?

[tedi]

Here's a list of most common devices (has been posted earlier in this post):

Roland S10,
Roland MKS100,
Akai X7000,
Akai S700

I could send my MKS-100 for prototyping, if it's within EU. Shipping to overseas would probably exceed the devices price... Appreciate any update!

[Jeff]

Here's a list of most common devices (has been posted earlier in this post):

Roland S10,
Roland MKS100,
Akai X7000,
Akai S700

I could send my MKS-100 for prototyping, if it's within EU. Shipping to overseas would probably exceed the devices price... Appreciate any update!

I am in France (Paris). Is these machines use the disks for data only or is there some operating system disk too ? I mean : is the floppy disk copy feature needed or not ?

[Rogee]

Me Roger I follow this tread and really interesting if any solution could be find out about this emulator for 2.8 disk.I have a sampler akai s700 and I often repair it.
The sampler only use the disk for data no copy no firmware.
The drive is 5volt and have 10Pin.
I mean if there is no invention for it I would prefer that someone who have time left over or does not spend the whole time in music should look for data logger with a aduino.
This tread is going now almost 5years unbelievable that HxC does not invent those player to get a quick disk 2.8inch out of stuck.
This hardware is pretty nice to use very fast to use not so much configuration needed.
Is 10 pin more difficult as 32 or 16 to handle.
If someone find a better way please let me know

Roger

[Jeff]

Is 10 pin more difficult as 32 or 16 to handle.

No but :
-> Almost each QD drive have a different pinout with different connectors.
-> Each QD machine has a very specific disk & sector format.
-> There is currently no floppy QD image available.
-> I still have no idea how many QD Emulator can be sold. (-> Is it reasonable to make from-scratch/specific board for this ?)
-> It appears that VirtuaQD project was stopped. Why ? No enough people interested ? (www.2a03.jp/~norix/virtuaqd/)

I have a question : When i will release something for the QD emulation, do you think that you will able to make the specific ribbon (wiring,soldering,...) or are you waiting for something "plug & play" ?

But anyway i have some good news:
1 - I have finally a QD machine here.
2 - And the RaspberryPi is there now and this is definitively the board to use for this ! (With wifi support )

[Rogee]

Sorry late reply.

I'm handy with welding and I tried to do it with a tapuino which is actually invented for the c64 c16 or c128.
I was thinking it works. But it didn't. The sampler actually was thinking that he had a disk in it pritty simple I did from the ten wire two to ground it turns disk mounted on and write able too. So finally only 8pins left. Two from them gnd and + so there are only 6 pins left another 5volt plus which I didn't connect so the drive actually only need 5 pins to work. The data by the sampler akai s700 is linear. So far I found out I did pictures and I messure the 5pins what it does by loading and by writing.
I also recorded on mp3 the signal from write and read pin. Now my investigation is so far that I just wanna find out in the drive is a 5 pin cable which goes to the unit which read and write the signal on the disk because it seems that this signal could be recorded on 12 bit something around 22000hz so that I can build a arduino wave recorder and player. In the drive is a chip I do not remember how much pins. Maybe on a breedboard the chip with a arduino wave recorder together connected to the 7pins which are left from the 10pin cable from the sampler inside could be the quick disk emulator for akai s700. The akai 612 had a tape connection like the c64 had.
You are right that every different unit like akai rilland and so on have different wire but for sure they are recording linear. Only the desktop computer from sharp and atari are writing sector and so complicated like a emulator for those does not have to be it for the vintage instruments I mean.
If you want and maybe if u need I can send you pictures from connection the pins on a breedboard to a tapuino which didn't worked out until now and also the mp3 signal recording I did with a example sample in the sampler by writing to disk and read example from disk a sample I can send u. But then I need your email contact.

Of course buying a emulator which work is possible but I also have a bit knowledge and tools and items to can build one with help.

Regards
Roger

[Jeff]

The frequency of QD disk is well above the 22khz (this generally something around 100Kbits/s). i am not sure that the tapuino can deal with this.

Anyway i have now something working to dump/write and simulate QD disk drives (and ANY others kind of floppy disk drives ) without any issue.
This floppy simulator/reader/writer is based on a de10-nano board and a buffers piggy-back board. This one will be sold by Lotharek.

I can right now make some QD disk dumps. Let me know if some of you are interested to send me some disks.

[a12bitproduction]

I have no important samples to dump from QD disks as my drive isn't working on my S700 but thanks for the offer (using MIDI sample dump). When the emulator is released I will definitely get one!

Maybe a stupid question - will you be able to save programs as well as samples?

[Jeff]

Maybe a stupid question - will you be able to save programs as well as samples?

Yes sure ! The drive simulation works at its lowest level possible (at the magnetic level), so all formats/file system/usage are supported.
There is no compromise with this new solution .

[a12bitproduction]

Lol, OK thank you This sounds so great!