Message
Re: [emax] Regarding Floppy Drives
2014-02-06 by geektech207@...
Nothing personally really, I'm just trying to paint a more realistic picture for you and reset your expectations of what this old machine can do, and how much other people can do for you, especially if you're not willing to either A) do some research / invest your own time or B) invest some $$ in having someone else do it or C) pay even more $$$$ in getting a perfectly model some 25-35 years later and have someone maintain it.
I assure you that no one is out to get you. There isn't some grand conspiracy to make old samplers as arcane and hush-hush as possible. It's just old gear, man. Automotive technology and electrical technology are simply different beasts. Apples to oranges. And replacement parts and help ARE still available for this gear. It just happens to cost some $, same as repairing an old auto.
If you want an easy list of drives, I can tell you a couple models, but realize that they will cost you money as supplies are dwindling. They don't make them anymore. That's the thing. That's why there's no easy answer. The best answers have already been provided for you (slim floppy, HxC) out in the open. The other options are paying a lot of money for an OEM drive, paying a fair sum for an already modded new drive, paying a fair sum for a reliable semi-modern drive that can be easily adapted for use, or doing a whole lot of research on how to mod other drives on the cheap and boning up on surface mount soldering.
Like most things, you can't have it cheap, fast, AND high quality.
Decide on an approach that fits your willingness to invest either time, money, or both, and decide on how much it's worth to you to sound like Depeche Mode (or whatever your reasons for owning an Emax is), then pursue that option. People here can help you with any way you decide to go, but reality is reality, and whatever you do to get something this old to function properly is going to cost you in one way or another.
Would you expect to pick up an "AS IS" Nord Lead 3 for $110 and expect a $5 / five-minute fix to restore it to its $2500 glory? Why do you expect that with gear that most people have abandoned to time?