MPC2KPRG documentation ---------------------- - rwilms@kottan.ruhr.de, 23.10.1997 MPC2KPRG is a utility for the Akai MPC2000 sampling drum computer. It runs on Windows NT 4.0 (tested) and should work with Win95 (not tested). Features: --------- - create an MPC2000 program file from a given list of *.snd files - correct the zone in *.snd files created by Awave 4.3 - extract a list of *.snd files from an MPC2000 program file - create partition tables for MPC2000 harddisk format ISO files Intended use: ------------- - support batch conversion of sounds and programs for burning MPC2000 readable CDs - create MPC200 program files (*.pgm) from a list of sounds Files included: SOURCE - sources directory (for Smalltalk programmers) STRTDLL.DLL - runtime DLL MPC2KPRG.EXE - executable program CANONIC.PGM - program with no sounds but pads 1 to 64 corresponding to notes 35 - 98 PROCESS.BAT - example batch file Legal status: ------------- Use these information and program at your own risk. Program description: -------------------- mpc2kprg.exe is a command line executable. Call it from the command line or from a batch file. Make sure strtdll.dll can be found. Tip: several commands use list files instead of i.e. wildcard command lines. You can create such a file using the command 'dir' with the parameter /b (for bare) and redirect the output to the list file to be used, so no need to type in the list files manually. See process.bat for an example. Create an MPC2000 program from a list of files: ----------------------------------------------- mpc2kprg pgm is a valid MPC2000 program file (*.pgm). This file's parameters and assignments will be used for the output *.pgm file, but not its sounds. is a list of sound file names which are to replace those from the template. The format is: one sound file name per line, a maximum of 64 lines, 'off' is indicated by '[off]' (without the quotes). Line 1 is note 35, line 64 is note 98. If less than 64 lines are given, the remaining notes up to 98 will be 'off'. the name of the output program file Extract a list of sounds from a program file: --------------------------------------------- mpc2kprg ext is the file name of the *.pgm from which a list of sounds is to be extracted. is the name of the output file. The output file has the format described above for creating a *.pgm from a list of sounds. Correct the sample zone of a list of *.snd files produced with Awave 4.3: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you load a *.snd file created with Awave 4.3 and load it into the MPC2000, you'll have to adjust the sample zone of the sound manually, before you can hear anything. This command sets the zone in a *.snd file to the full sample size. mpc2kprg snd is the path in which the files in list-file are searched. contains the names of the *.snd files to be corrected, one file per line. Create MPC2000 compatible partition tables in ISO files: -------------------------------------------------------- mpc2kprg partition is a file containing the names of the ISO files for which partition tables are to be created, one file name per line. The names of the files must be in the order the whole set of partitions is later written to a CD-R or hard disk. The ISO files must already be of exact size, because this information is used to build the partiton tables. How to create an MPC2000 readable CD with batch conversion of sounds and programs: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- !Warning! The following requires direct access to your SCSI devices (using disk2file). You can easily destroy the data of whole harddisks if you are not careful. So better create a backup (you've got a CDR, don't you?) before proceeding. Anyway, I warned you, so don't blame me if something goes wrong. This is how it worked for me: Equipment used: --------------- MPC2000, Awave 4.3, disk2file, mpc2prg, a 1 GB Jaz Drive, a PC with WinNT 4.0 and lots of free disk space. (disk2file is by Jean-Philippe CIVADE, www.zicweb.com and zicweb@cge-ol.fr) I don't know if a Jaz is essential, maybe you can use any SCSI hard drive. Win95 will not work because it automatically destroys the MPC2000 signature when accessing MPC2000 formatted hard drives. I had hundred MBs of *.wav files from the internet on my hard disk, as well as several CDs with *.wav files and wanted them (with corresponding *.pgm) on a multi-partitiond CD readable by the MPC2000. The basic trick has been described by the author of disk2file: a hard disk formatted by a sampler (i.e. the MPC2000) can be read in raw mode into one single file (by disk2file), then this raw (or ISO) file can be written to a CD (also in raw mode), et voilá, the MPC can read this CD! The easiest but also very boring way to get my *.wav files on a CD would have been to copy them to the JAZ, read every single file with the MPC and save them grouped into programs. Since I had a lot more than thousand single *.wav files, I decided to create the raw files needed for the CD differently, without touching every single file manually. Here it goes: ------------- 1. Install disk2file and Awave 4.3. 2. Format the 1GB Jaz with partitions A-U using the MPC. 3. Connect the Jaz to the PC. It will recognize it as a 50 MB partition or so. This is the A partition of the Jaz. Lets call it i:\. Take care not to create directories or long filenames on this partition, because this would confuse the MPC. 4. Select a maximum of 64 *.wav files in the explorer. Using drag&drop with the mouse, drag them over the open Awave 4.3 and drop them. Selecting 64 files in Awaves file selection dialog will not work. 5. Save the sounds using 'save all in multiple files' in *.snd format to an empty directory, say \tmp. 6. run a batch like the enclosed process.bat to correct the zone of the *.snd and to generate a *.pgm file for all the sounds. 7. copy the *.snd and *.pgm to the i:\ partition on the Jaz. You should sometimes try to load the *.pgm created this way with sounds to ensure it works. BTW: My MPC does not read or write SCSI reliably when the PC is turned on on the SCSI chain, but usually enough to see the *.pgms work. 8. delete \tmp and repeat the whole process starting at (4), until i:\ is full or is close to 512 files in the root (I allways stopped at 450 or so). 9. Start disk2file, and copy 99573 sectors from i:\ to a file, say akai_a.iso. This then is the A partition of the Jaz in a file. [If you don't use a Jaz formatted with partitions A-U, the number of sectors will be another. Here is how to find out the correct number of sectors then: use disk2file to copy the whole MPC2000 formatted drive to a file, in the file search for the offset of the second ocurrence of the string 'MPC2000' (without quotes), subtract 3 and divide by 512.] 10. Delete all files in i:\ and repeat the process starting at (4), until you have enough partitions. (on a CD there will probably not fit more than 12 of these partitions.) 11. Create a list file (say parts.lst) of all your partition files with one file name per line, i.e. akai_a.iso akai_b.iso akai_c.iso 12. Use mpc2kprg partition parts.lst to create the MPC2000 partition tables within the ISO files. If you decide to rearrange the order of the ISO files or add delete some, just edit parts.lst accordingly and repeat (12). 13. Use copy akai_a.iso + akai_b.iso + akai_c.iso akai.raw to combine the partitions to a single raw file (use the order of the files within parts.lst here). 14. Now you can burn an MPC2000 readable CD using raw mode from the file akai.raw Good luck!