Risky Utilization of 2 Gig CF Card...

ghost bazz · Post by **ghost bazz** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:50 am

I just realized that you can keep extra sample sets on a CF card with some unused space on it... or in the case of a 2 G, lots of unused space. It is somewhat risky, and I only know this works on a mac, not sure about pc's.

You can keep extra sets by using your CF reader to create a backup of the 'ROLAND' folder from the CF card to your HD. Rename it. Unmount/eject CF card, put it back in your SP (tried this on a 555), power up SP and format card. Now you have a clean card, and a backup of that card's former contents on your computer. Power off your SP, and put the card back in your CF reader. Now, once it mounts on your desktop, copy the renamed backup set onto the card (you can copy as many backup sets as you have on your computer and your CF card will hold). So now you have your CF card with one folder titled 'ROLAND' which is void of samples since you just formatted your card, and a bunch of renamed folders holding samples, seq. etc....

Here is the risk to this method... now that you have all the copied folders on your card... select them and press command + delete to place them in the trash. Now unmount your card WITHOUT EMPTYING THE TRASH.

Your card will function as normal when you put it back in your SP... all the pads are now empty and ready for samples... and you are storing all your other sample sets on the card for later use. Just be careful not to empty the trash with the card mounted on your desktop or all will be lost!

Like I said, I tried this on a Mac... using an SP-555... and it was all good. Hope this is helpful! I copied a bunch of sets to a 2 Gig card using this method and still have a ton of room on it.

jbl · Post by **jbl** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:14 am

i don't have my manual with me right now but can't you backup all info on the card at one time thus leaving another 96 samplespatterns to be recorded; i.e. 96 banks full but only 1/8th of card used, backup current settings and start again. maybe this can't be done, i goota check.

in any case i don't quite understand the use of what your explaining, then again i'm pretty daft.

ghost bazz · Post by **ghost bazz** » Thu May 15, 2008 4:13 pm

I tried going through the backup process in the manual and all it saves is volume settings, start points, and other data like that. Maybe you can test the manual's method to confirm, but after creating a backup I tried deleting a sample and then reloading the backup that I just made (that I thought would have the sample saved with it) and the sample was still gone.

This method lets you keep multiple sample pad sets on one CF card and switch between them through use of you CF card reader and computer. I think the 606 already has advanced capabilities as far as card use goes, but this is pretty cool for the 404/555 users.

I stumbled on this late last night and at the time it seemed pretty incredible. I could be missing something here... so if anyone sees any holes in the plot please point em out.

PHeMoX · Post by **PHeMoX** » Thu May 15, 2008 8:16 pm

Here is the risk to this method... now that you have all the copied folders on your card... select them and press command + delete to place them in the trash. Now unmount your card WITHOUT EMPTYING THE TRASH.

That does seem risky indeed as sometimes it gets emptied when rebooting.

enossified · Post by **enossified** » Fri May 16, 2008 2:40 pm

I don't see the point. Once backed up on your computer, why would you want to keep all the files on the CF card? After all you have to put it back into the computer to access the files again.

ghost bazz · Post by **ghost bazz** » Fri May 16, 2008 5:09 pm

yeah... that's true. you do need a compute to access the backed up sets, but it can be any computer. You have all your backup sets with you on your card... maybe as an extra backup. you can organize your sample sets on the card... say all the sets apply to a certain project or something, then they are always there on that one card.

plus, you feel better about being able to use a little more of that 2 gig card.

technically, since you still need a computer to switch between sets, it is pretty limited, but hopefully adds a bit of functionality for someone.

PHeMoX · Post by **PHeMoX** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:33 pm

One thing I don't understand is why you don't simply copy and paste the entire CF card content to your PC instead of deleting it into the trash bin and do an undo... or doesn't it work with a simple copy & paste?

ghost bazz · Post by **ghost bazz** » Fri May 16, 2008 11:20 pm

waddup phemox...

you basically would have a backup of the sample set(s) on your computer and also on your CF card. Dragging it into the trash is not for the folder that is on the computer, but the folder that is on the CF card... so it doesn't look like there are a bunch of folders on it the next time you put it in your SP. It then becomes a somewhat redundant backup, since it is also on your computer, but it is a backup that you always have with your SP, or on that card anyway. Although you would still need a computer & card reader to switch between sets.

either way... maybe this is more of an interesting thing to do in your spare time or something... not sure it makes the most sense as a "useful tip"...

but please... if anyone thinks this is interesting, or ridiculous, feel free to share.

koala form · Post by **koala form** » Tue May 27, 2008 1:30 pm

if you have to travel or something and want to carry your extra samples on your card, and be able to switch em around with any computer, then it's useful in that sense. cool in my opinion, though i won't be using it.

jbl · Post by **jbl** » Tue May 27, 2008 2:08 pm

i finally figured something out! i guess this might be old news to everyone but the backups you're allowed could be 24 patterns and 24 samples on banks A and B * 12=288 patterns and 288 samples.

so i was thinking one sample=one backup which is not the case. basically a backup covers all bank a and b info. this is really sweet (but it does take a minute to load and you have to have enough memory on your card which really would bring the 1gig card into it's own). but damn 288+96=384 ( both samps and patterns); thats a lot of sounds and patterns to work with so you might not even need to switch it up on a pc.

ghost bazz · Post by **ghost bazz** » Tue May 27, 2008 5:30 pm

jbl wrote:i finally figured something out! i guess this might be old news to everyone but the backups you're allowed could be 24 patterns and 24 samples on banks A and B * 12=288 patterns and 288 samples.

So creating a backup set will save your A & B samples, creating a backup file on your card? but it won't save your samples from the banks on the card itself... bank C, D, E, etc.?

ColeRockLee · Post by **ColeRockLee** » Tue May 27, 2008 11:44 pm

Count Sierackula wrote:
jbl wrote:i finally figured something out! i guess this might be old news to everyone but the backups you're allowed could be 24 patterns and 24 samples on banks A and B * 12=288 patterns and 288 samples.

So creating a backup set will save your A & B samples, creating a backup file on your card? but it won't save your samples from the banks on the card itself... bank C, D, E, etc.?

Right on. Only banks A + B. I use the backups to save various kits that I tend to use often (808, CR-78, etc.).

ghost bazz · Post by **ghost bazz** » Wed May 28, 2008 12:06 am

that's weird that you can't backup the samples from your banks that are on the card... C - J.

beatifictatter · Post by **beatifictatter** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:12 pm

hematurge wrote:
Count Sierackula wrote:
jbl wrote:i finally figured something out! i guess this might be old news to everyone but the backups you're allowed could be 24 patterns and 24 samples on banks A and B * 12=288 patterns and 288 samples.

So creating a backup set will save your A & B samples, creating a backup file on your card? but it won't save your samples from the banks on the card itself... bank C, D, E, etc.?

Right on. Only banks A + B. I use the backups to save various kits that I tend to use often (808, CR-78, etc.).

i've only had 404 for a few days, can you please explain in detail how to do this? i've looked in the manual in the backup section, isnt very clear and i dont understand where you're getting the '288 samples' figure if only able to backup/re-load a & b? also, wouldnt loading the backup wipe whatever i had on a & b banks at the time? so it wouldnt actually be like having 'more samples' to hand, just the ability to choose another set if need be, wiping the current ones permanantly (until could re-load from pc/card)...or have i got it wrong? cheers

EDIT: i think i've just read the paragrpah that makes sense in manual, 'save up to 12 sets of back up data'....
so i can save 12 sets of a & b to card? sweet...when i load back ups will i be able to choose which of the 12 sets i want to load up? so i could basically have 12 drumkits and 12 bass sounds permanently at fingertips for a and b banks if i dont use them for anything else that i wont want to lose when loading backups?

ghost bazz · Post by **ghost bazz** » Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:43 pm

beatifictatter wrote:...when i load back ups will i be able to choose which of the 12 sets i want to load up? so i could basically have 12 drumkits and 12 bass sounds permanently at fingertips for a and b banks if i dont use them for anything else that i wont want to lose when loading backups?

you got it man. the backup sets are assigned to whichever pad you save them too... so you have to either remember what is on them, or just generally know that there's gonna be some drums & bass on each. You press [cancel + A or B]... then the pads that have backups will light up & you select one... the press [sampling] and it will replace whatever is currently in A & B with the back up set.