Need Help Recovering .SPD Files...

[Rabies Primary Ah!]

Hey there, yesterday i had problems remembering how to import/export files from the spd to a compact flash, (until i red the manual guide again yeah) before that, i found some files that ended .SPD, so i remember (dunno if i was right or wrong but red somewhere u needed to erase the .SPD termination and replace it with .wav; so i did it on few sample files, and i realized that i was wrong later, anyhow, i just saved the majority of my samples on my computer but not the ones i changed the termination to .wav and .mp3, they dont even bother to appear again on the sp404 nor play any sound on Adobe Audition or Winamp, what i did next was format the card, and save all the .SPD files to see if formating the card the sp404 could read em again, but it didnt seemed to work; so my point is this:

Does those changed .SPD files into .WAV and .mp3 could be converted again on to .SPD this way being useful again and now saving and exporting as .wav in the properly way; if so, how can i make that, any converter program useful for that, or did i just screwed and lost my file samples??

Thank You Very Much

[Rabies Primary Ah!]

How to import/export files from the spd to a compact flash ----

Ooopss, i meant from the SP404 to a compact flash card

Thanks!!!

[Jim Y]

Hi
I don't think you can work this.

Hope I'm wrong, but I think all files made on the SP apart from those you have specifically exported (including bank A/B or .wav) need an extra file that works as a kind of index. Without this index, the SP cannot know they are there.
So when you backup a card, you copy all the files into a special new folder on your computer that's just for that cards stuff (and don't mix any other backups in that same folder) - that way all the index files are there too. When you want to restore a backup to the card, you copy all the files in the folder to a blank card that's been formatted by the SP, and let it overwrite the files put on the card by the formatting that have the same name as those in your backup.

Hope that makes sense?

Jim

[Rabies Primary Ah!]

Thanks Jim Y;

I get the point that when u export files as .wav or .aiff they will appear on the root index in those formats on the card, and i noticed these other files that say SPXXXL.spd and SPXXXR.spd numbers wich say L for left and R for Right, those files what im talking about, the .SPD ones, i think those files didnt have to be touched; but i make a mistake by renaming them with .wav or .mp3 when i shouldnt, so what im saying is there a way to recover them or reconverting them to .SPD to be listenable again??


Thanks!

[Jim Y]

If you rename them back they will be as they were, as it should only be the file extension part of the filename that's been altered - but - will the SP notice them if it needs other files that tell it they are there?

You can just try it and see, as I don't think anyone has reported here on how to work this with individual .SPD files.

The point is, we don't know if the SP just scans for the sample SPD files or instead looks for a special index file that tells it about the SPD files. I suspect there is some kind of index file, because there are several more file types on a card than just the samples and patterns. The special index file must hold everything about the samples - what the start & end trim points are, whether set on loop or gate, if they are lo-fi type etc...

You're right that the .SPD files are the samples, but renaming them doesn't create a file that anything else can play.
Firstly, the 404 samples are data compressed using Rolands own system that is similar to, but not the same, as mp3.
Secondly, they don't carry any file information that tells the player what rate it is and how long, all of which is something that .wav and .mp3 files have to have.

You might get it to work if you have a card that already has samples the same name as your old ones, and you overwrite them from the computer, but you might find the trim points and other things are wrong.

Jim