Emax

I have to agree with Ted. SCSI is considerably more complicated than the Emax RS422 port 
protocols. 

/Tristan

On Thu, Dec 10th, 2009 at 4:10 PM, Ted Summers <djtbs1@...> wrote:

> Sorry, but I am going to be a buzzkill here on the iSCSI....
> 
> It sounds as easy as making your own DIY CF card drive.
> It takes at least one microcontroller to interface to the SCSI  
> interface, and a SCSI interface chip itself.
> And perhaps another microcontroller to interface to the ethernet,  
> unless that happened to be built into the first one....not likely,
> but  
> maybe possible...
> 
> The parts alone to make a CF drive were about $100. Not including  
> making a PCB to assemble the parts onto.
> 
> So figure $150, which is why I abandoned making a DIY CF drive......
> 
> I can't see it being that much cheaper or simpler.
> We don't have a cost of scale to make it inexpensive, either.....
> 
> iSCSI is more complicated than it sounds. It is not as easy to  
> implement as you may think.
> I provide Tech support on a product that has SOME iSCSI capability, I
>  
> can say there is more than meets the eye to this animal.
> 
> Regards,
> Ted
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Dec 9, 2009, at 7:22 PM, thenewyorkcowboy wrote:
> 
> Hey in my most recent web surfing I came across a modern piece of  
> protocol called iSCSI.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISCSI
> 
> Which can theoretically transfer instructions and data at the  
> bandwidth of your Ethernet connection, 10/100/1000...
> 
> Since the SCSI protocol is probably easier to decipher than RS-422  
> handshaking and such, would it be "easier" to make a device that
> could  
> latch into the SCSI chip on the Emax along with the output and
> connect  
> to a modern network through something like a PIC micro controller
> with  
> some software?
> 
> I know we were going for an external device that simply connects to 
> 
> the computer interface port on the Emax, but upon further reading  
> here, even at 500kbaud we are talking about a few minutes per
> transfer.
> 
> If we could design a PIC micro controller that could mount inside the
>  
> Emax with a "small hole" to accomodate the RJ-45 jack on the back and
>  
> a hardware hack, we could use the SCSI load/save as an external
> device  
> to connect into a normal network at a minimum of 10mbs.
> 
> Once we could do that, almost any waveform editor would work to  
> transfer back and forth because alot of time would be saved working
> at  
> say 5mbs like the Emax chip can supply compared to 500kbaud (one  
> way)....
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "esynthesist" <esynthesist@...> wrote:
>  >
>  > I'm not sure what you are aiming to, based on all these messages 
> 
> and information which you have been reading :-)
>  > - do you want to get Alchemy, SD, or any other vintage software  
> running with Emax/Emax-II connectivity on higher Mac versions ?
>  > - do you want to find out how to come up with a device supporting 
> 
> externally clocked RS422 for use with any modern computer equipment
> ?
>  > - do you just basically want to get Alchemy, SD of any other  
> software running with Emax/Emax-II connectivity on a vintage Mac  
> (Classic, SE, ...) ?
>  > - do you want to make new software for communication between  
> computer and Emax/Emax-II ?
>  > - ...
>  >
>  > With respect to your questions, I can only answer the first two of
>  
> them:
>  >
>  > 1/ Yes, I have a minidin8 <--> DB9 cable perfectly working between
>  
> my Mac and my Emax/Emax-II. The cable specs are available on  
> emulatorarchive:
>  >
> 
http://www.emulatorarchive.com/Archives/Samplers/EmaxOverview/EmaxEditors/emaxeditors.htm
l
>  > This obviously is the RS422 variant.
>  >
>  > 2/ Alchemy would be a better starting point in terms of native
> Emax- 
> II support but ONLY for sample transfer communication. If all
> possible  
> RS422 commands should be supported, then SoundDesigner for Emax is a 
> 
> better choice.
>  >
>  > Note that we are "only" one step away from new software running on
>  
> Windows XP/Vista (or Mac OS X or higher) which can communicate with 
> 
> Emu samplers. The only missing part is an externally clockable RS422 
> 
> port which can be put in between the Emax and the computer :-)
>  > I have already a working prototype communication software on my
> PC.
>  > A few days ago someone mailed me with the message that the KeySpan
>  
> XG 28 (USB/RS422) device for Mac probably supports external clocking.
>  
> But I don't know if this is true because when I was looking to its  
> specs a year ago, I read somewhere that synchronous communication is 
> 
> NOT supported by that adapter. Also, this device - which is already 
> 
> obsolete - was only released with Mac drivers, not Windows drivers.
>  > Of course it is not true to say that these externally clockable  
> RS422 ports for modern computers don't exist - in industrial apps
> they  
> are being used. But their price is way too high for us (500 USD...)
>  >
>  > I also have a prototype device here from a fellow member, but we 
> 
> are still trying to get it working :-) Maybe I will connect my  
> Oscilloscope to that device this weekend, it's been a while...
>  >
>  > //E-Synthesist
>  >
>  > --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "thenewyorkcowboy"
> <thenewyorkcowboy@>  
> wrote:
>  > >
>  > > This looks like a good time to interject a few questions...
>  > >
>  > > Here is the page I started with:
>  > >
>  > > http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/emax/message/4847
>  > >
>  > > So I did my own research and found this page:
>  > >
>  > > http://support.apple.com/kb/SP130
>  > >
>  > > and
>  > >
>  > > http://lowendmac.com/tech/serial.shtml
>  > >
>  > > Which I have...so I am convinced that the 8 pin mini din can  
> handle both RS422 and RS232 depending on the CABLE!!!
>  > >
>  > > What they are talking about as the "obsolete" port is what is  
> considered a GeoPort, it only has 4 pins in the mini-Din. So anyone 
> 
> who has 8 pin serial ports on any Mac can use either Sound Forge or 
> 
> Alchemy...
>  > >
>  > > It was said earlier in the posts that neither software can do  
> entire bank transfers, but I am not at that point yet...What I need
> is  
> someone to clarify these last questions I have before I am going to
> be  
> able to contribute something to the conversation...
>  > >
>  > > On ANY Mac with the two "422 serial" ports (8 pin Mini Dins) it 
> 
> certainly does seem true that they will accept up to a 2Mb external 
> 
> clock.
>  > >
>  > > Did we get this pinout solved from post? I only have:
>  > >
>  > > http://www.interfacebus.com/Apple_MiniDIN_PinOut.html
>  > >
>  > > and
>  > >
>  > > http://saragossa.net/intfcing.html (scroll to far bottom)
>  > >
>  > > to determine how to "make" a cable to connect to the Emax II
>  > >
>  > > and these posts to leave me wondering:
>  > >
>  > > http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/emax/message/5241
>  > >
>  > > and
>  > >
>  > > http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/emax/message/4789
>  > >
>  > > (and the following conversation that ensues)
>  > >
>  > > and finally...
>  > >
>  > > http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/emax/message/4838
>  > >
>  > > So, I have to ask:::
>  > >
>  > > 1. Has anyone actually built a Mini Din-8 cable to the EmaxII  
> serial port or a DB-9 serial, and got it to work with Alchemy? What 
> 
> are the final pinouts?
>  > >
>  > > 2. I know what our Files section holds in the way of Alchemy and
>  
> Sound Designer...which is the 'best' version that we should be  
> focusing on as a prototype?
>  > >
>  > > 3. The last question is a little more specific, if anyone has a 
> 
> later MAC OS working with any of the software versions metioned in #2
>  
> above, what is it? Will MAC OS 9.2.2 work with Alchemy 2.5 through a 
> 
> soldered MiniDin-8 to DB-9 cable to the EmaxII? Will OSX work in  
> classic mode?
>  > >
>  > > These are the questions I need answered to port some more  
> information into the loop.
>  > >
>  > > Kirk
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, tu@ wrote:
>  > > >
>  > > > According to the sysex spec, the Emax II can receive Emax I  
> compressed bank transfers. It needs
>  > > > to for compatibility with the RS422 CDROM drive! But it does 
> 
> not support transmitting compressed
>  > > > banks or any transfer of 16 bit banks.
>  > > >
>  > > > Sample transfer using high or low speed MMA sample dumping is 
> 
> also limited to maximum sample
>  > > > size of 2M words (4MB in 16 bit samples). So an Emax II bank 
> 
> containing a sample longer than this
>  > > > will not be possible to transfer over RS422 or MIDI. This
> would  
> not be a problem for most sample
>  > > > banks but does prevent a universal method of bank transfer  
> between the Emax II and a computer.
>  > > > The solution is of course to save such banks to disk and then 
> 
> load from there.
>  > > >
>  > > > /Tristan
>  > > >
>  > > > On Sat, Dec 5th, 2009 at 8:33 AM, esynthesist <esynthesist@> 
> 
> wrote:
>  > > >
>  > > > > Alchemy doesn't support bank transfers with any sampler.
>  > > > > It only supports sample transfers, including an interesting 
> 
> "bulk"
>  > > > > mode to transfer all samples at once. But that's still  
> without any of
>  > > > > the preset and voice parameters...
>  > > > >
>  > > > > In fact no software supports bank transfers with the
> Emax-II.
>  > > > > I will add it to EMXP as soon as we get the RS422 device for
>  
> PC up
>  > > > > and running...
>  > > > >
>  > > > > ///E-Synthesist
>  > > > >
>  > > > > --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "John" <jrb1864@> wrote:
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > > Does Alchemy support bank transfers to and from Emax 2?
> How  
> in
>  > > > > depth are the sample edit features?
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > > Thanks!
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > >
>  > > > > > --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "Rish" <rish@> wrote:
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > Hey If anyone needs the Alchemy ver 3.0 full manual I  
> have 5 of
>  > > > > them available.
>  > > > > > > Richard at www.Route66studios.com
>  > > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
>  > > > > > > From: sanctifiedone@
>  > > > > > > To: emax@yahoogroups.com
>  > > > > > > Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 11:56 AM
>  > > > > > > Subject: Re: [emax] Emax II with MAC Se
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > I love posts like this one from Ted. And while I'm at
> it, I
>  > > > > also want to express my appreciation for group members like 
> 
> Dave
>  > > > > willing to help me untangle my EMAX II problems.
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > ----- Original Message -----
>  > > > > > > From: "Ted Summers" <djtbs1@>
>  > > > > > > To: emax@yahoogroups.com
>  > > > > > > Sent: Thursday, December 3, 2009 11:58:49 AM GMT -05:00
>  > > > > US/Canada Eastern
>  > > > > > > Subject: Re: [emax] Emax II with MAC Se
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > Alchemy software v3.0 sit is in the groups files
> section,  
> and
>  > > > > it works......
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > Regards,
>  > > > > > > Ted
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 7:57 AM, John <jrb1864@> wrote:
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > > I have an Emax 2 with 2mb ram, jazz drives, floppies, 
> 
> cables
>  > > > > and connector
>  > > > > > > > cable to the MAC.
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > > I had a dream...a dream of running my Emax 2 with
> sound
>  > > > > designer or
>  > > > > > > > Alchemy. Alas no luck, I only have Sound Designer  
> Universal
>  > > > > and it's not
>  > > > > > > > working with the EMAX 2.
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > > I have Sound Designer Universal in the box, original 
> 
> disks
>  > > > > etc, a MAC SE,
>  > > > > > > > systems 6, and 7 but unable to find the Alchemy  
> software or
>  > > > > Sound Designer
>  > > > > > > > that works with Emax 2.
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > > If I can't get it all to work I will give up on this 
> 
> dream
>  > > > > and sell the lot
>  > > > > > > > to someone, preferably on the forum, with love,  
> patience, and
>  > > > > abilities to
>  > > > > > > > make this system work and send me photos! LOL!
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > > If you have the software I need or time and
> willingness  
> to
>  > > > > help me through
>  > > > > > > > it I would appreciate otherwise I'm selling it all for
>  
> $350
>  > > > > plus shipping
>  > > > > > > > costs.
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > > Thanks all! Maybe one day.....
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > >
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > ------------------------------------
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > Emax and Emax II User's Group Website
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > http://www.silveriafamily.comYahoo! Groups Links
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>  > > > > > >
>  > > > > >
>  > > > >
>  > > > >
>  > > > >
>  > > >
>  > >
>  >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Emax and Emax II User's Group Website
> 
> http://www.silveriafamily.comYahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
> 
>