Casio CZ/ VZ/ FZ - Pro Series

Anyone knows if it is possible to write FZ-1 disks (from the archive) with a PC?

I never had an FZ, but I do know over the years there have been some discussions and there is one site that seems to be somewhat authoritative on the FZ.

Here's the start of one discussion:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/CZsynth/message/3444

Here's a link to the site referenced in the discussion:
http://www.buchty.net/casio/index.html

There may be other FZ discussions here. (Search the archives using FZ.)

Let us know if what you find out as others may come along with similar questions.

--Steve



--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "jdcx64" <jdcx64@...> wrote:

>
> Anyone knows if it is possible to write FZ-1 disks (from the archive) with a PC?
>

Some follow-up thoughts based on the FZ disk format listed at: http://www.buchty.net/casio/fz1-diskformat.html

Years ago I wrote asembly language code on a pre-Windows system that used MS-DOS interrupt services to read and pull files from non-MS-DOS disks (an Epson C/PM OS).

Based on what I remember of the project and based on what I saw at the above link, I think someone >>might<< be able to develop code to format, read, and write FZ disks on a PC. To access MS-DOS, you'd need a pre-Windows XP OS. (XP can't boot to MS-DOS. Also, either SP2 or SP3 changed things so to protect the computer.) It might be possible to do in Linux if Linux lets you have control over floppy disk read/write/format services.

With my project, I mined the format from scratch. It is especially nice that the FZ disk format has already been mined.  BTW, I noticed that credit is given to Jeff McClintock for contributing a couple of pieces to the puzzle. If that's the same person who developed Synthedit, you may want to e-mail him in case he can be of any help. 

Let us know what you find out.

--Steve 




--- In CZsynth@...m, "jdcx64" <jdcx64@...> wrote:

>
> Anyone knows if it is possible to write FZ-1 disks (from the archive) with a PC?
>

In an indirect way, yes. You can use some programs to send archived FZ files on a PC to the FZ, and then save them in the FZ to the FZ's floppy disk.

I've just uploaded a whole bunch of PC program resources for doing this into the FILES section here.

The program "FZ_FTU.exe" is an FZ file transfer utility via MIDI port. You can use it to send from a PC an archived sample, bank, full or effects file to the FZ. From there, once inside the FZ, you can save them to the FZ floppy drive.

Also there is a wav file converter there calles "file_ex.exe" that converts a wav file into an archived FZ file, which you can then send to the FZ via MIDI. It can also do the reverse. Remember to have the wav file as a 16 bit, 9, 18 or 36k wav file format, or the FZ may not be able to use it.

Cheers, Graham



--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "jdcx64" <jdcx64@...> wrote:

>
> Anyone knows if it is possible to write FZ-1 disks (from the archive) with a PC?
>

--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "gmeredith1" <gmeredith1@...> wrote:
>awave studio is a program that makes banks and full dumps you can take any sf2 bank and convert it as long as its not to big in size

i do this all the time then you can dump it using the fz-dump utility for windows

> In an indirect way, yes. You can use some programs to send archived FZ files on a PC to the FZ, and then save them in the FZ to the FZ's floppy disk.
> 
> I've just uploaded a whole bunch of PC program resources for doing this into the FILES section here.
> 
> The program "FZ_FTU.exe" is an FZ file transfer utility via MIDI port. You can use it to send from a PC an archived sample, bank, full or effects file to the FZ. From there, once inside the FZ, you can save them to the FZ floppy drive.
> 
> Also there is a wav file converter there calles "file_ex.exe" that converts a wav file into an archived FZ file, which you can then send to the FZ via MIDI. It can also do the reverse. Remember to have the wav file as a 16 bit, 9, 18 or 36k wav file format, or the FZ may not be able to use it.
> 
> Cheers, Graham
> 
> 
> 
> --- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "jdcx64" <jdcx64@> wrote:
> >
> > Anyone knows if it is possible to write FZ-1 disks (from the archive) with a PC?
> >
>

--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "steve_the_composer" <smw-mail@...> wrote:
>we could ask the guy who designed omniflop as he has made it possible to format and write and read various sampler and synth images to disk i use it for my korg dss1 eps/asr10 he does driver adaptions

the program is freeware you just have to be registered

> Some follow-up thoughts based on the FZ disk format listed at: http://www.buchty.net/casio/fz1-diskformat.html
> 
> Years ago I wrote asembly language code on a pre-Windows system that used MS-DOS interrupt services to read and pull files from non-MS-DOS disks (an Epson C/PM OS).
> 
> Based on what I remember of the project and based on what I saw at the above link, I think someone >>might<< be able to develop code to format, read, and write FZ disks on a PC. To access MS-DOS, you'd need a pre-Windows XP OS. (XP can't boot to MS-DOS. Also, either SP2 or SP3 changed things so to protect the computer.) It might be possible to do in Linux if Linux lets you have control over floppy disk read/write/format services.
> 
> With my project, I mined the format from scratch. It is especially nice that the FZ disk format has already been mined.  BTW, I noticed that credit is given to Jeff McClintock for contributing a couple of pieces to the puzzle. If that's the same person who developed Synthedit, you may want to e-mail him in case he can be of any help. 
> 
> Let us know what you find out.
> 
> --Steve 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "jdcx64" <jdcx64@> wrote:
> >
> > Anyone knows if it is possible to write FZ-1 disks (from the archive) with a PC?
> >
>

--- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "gmeredith1" <gmeredith1@...> wrote:
>i have successfully dumped 44.1khz soundfont2 sample instruments to the fz1 via awave studio by saving them as fz-banks then sending them to the fz by fz-dump it plays the sample fine it could only record at

9 18 36khz but there is only 1 problem with th 44khz samples they can only be transposed up 1 octave rather than the 2 octaves as this goes past the upper khz range if transposed 2 octaves

> In an indirect way, yes. You can use some programs to send archived FZ files on a PC to the FZ, and then save them in the FZ to the FZ's floppy disk.
> 
> I've just uploaded a whole bunch of PC program resources for doing this into the FILES section here.
> 
> The program "FZ_FTU.exe" is an FZ file transfer utility via MIDI port. You can use it to send from a PC an archived sample, bank, full or effects file to the FZ. From there, once inside the FZ, you can save them to the FZ floppy drive.
> 
> Also there is a wav file converter there calles "file_ex.exe" that converts a wav file into an archived FZ file, which you can then send to the FZ via MIDI. It can also do the reverse. Remember to have the wav file as a 16 bit, 9, 18 or 36k wav file format, or the FZ may not be able to use it.
> 
> Cheers, Graham
> 
> 
> 
> --- In CZsynth@yahoogroups.com, "jdcx64" <jdcx64@> wrote:
> >
> > Anyone knows if it is possible to write FZ-1 disks (from the archive) with a PC?
> >
>