Patches and discussion for Ensoniq VFX family

Hi-

Yes, I've been quiet since I joined this group 2 years ago and yes, I am an 
original VFX-SD owner.

I bought it in about 1989-90, from Daddy's Junky Music on Mass Ave. Boston 
for I think $1900 ? The SD-1 may have been coming out or was out so  I saved 
a few hundred bucks off list at the time.

I bought it for personal use, home recording, screwing around.  I had done 
bands in High School thru College with a Rhodes 88 & Polysix (which have 
held their value quite niceley unlike ...), but was about to get married, 
kids (slight loss freedom...), and bought it for me. At the time I remember 
liking it more than the Korg M1 due to it's much larger screen, soft keys, 
easier access to everything, which is important in a workstation. Got to use 
it for maybe 3-4 years and then had kids...

I finally decided to get back into recording about a couple years ago, 
dusted everything off, bought digi-delay & Boss distiotion for the guitar & 
bass and just picked up a Roland MP-60 digi-piano, which I midi up to the 
VFX-SD as well as SONAR Cakewalk, which I also just got.

So far I am still using the VFX-SD for recording as it still seems easier to 
have recording controls right next to the keys, but I'm still very new to 
the music software scene.

I joined the group to find out about common problems & associated repairs, 
(still have original battery by the way), where to get new sounds, possibile 
upgrades (I have OS 2.00 been running fine & only thing i would like is 
Mega-Piano but my MP-60 filled that void in my life). I am considering the 
sequencer upgrade option but want to see how Cakewalk goes first.

The one thing I have not figured out yet by listening in here & poking 
around the net is how to convert downloaded VFX-SD sound patch information 
from our group and on the net using "Soundlib" or another Windows XP 
compatible utility to single sided 720k floppy discs that I can use in the 
VFX-SD's disc drive. I have zip files called "SDLIB101", "vfxli95","VFX 
Library forSoundlib", and "patches" on my computer.

Maybe someone described it once & I didn't get it, I think Soundlib needs 
like Windows 98 and I only have 2000 and XP and that's where I lost 
it...anyone have a soundlib like program for Windows 2000?? A source for 720 
kb single sided discs would be appreciated too...


My only problem with the VFX-SD that happened in the past 3 mo. is the top 
left "soft" key is stuck in the rectangular hole it sits in. It still works 
(with glitches) but, does anyone know a good way to clean the gap around the 
buttons? I know electronics are sensive to static electricity which canned 
air can create (o.k. if powered down?), q-tip can't fit, exacto knife?.. 
would have to be very careful..   Any suggestions would be appreciated.

That's all,

thanks for all the help folks,

Rob Douglas, P.E.

P.S. - Thanks for the very cool Rick Wakeman footage, I had just completed a 
Yes Complete Anthology MP3 CD-R for my MP-3 CD changer in my car when you 
sent it!