EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

Hi all,
I¹ve just tried to import  partitions A to G from an Akai/Emu CD-Rom called
Dance Mega Drums 2.
When I insert the CD and hit Akai convert it only shows `Partitions A and B
in the partition window.
Could anybody tell me where the other partitions have gone and how I could
convert them?

Many thanks

Jake



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

At 04:54 PM 11/29/01 +0100, you wrote:

>I¹ve just tried to import  partitions A to G from an Akai/Emu CD-Rom called
>Dance Mega Drums 2.
>When I insert the CD and hit Akai convert it only shows `Partitions A and B
>in the partition window.
>Could anybody tell me where the other partitions have gone and how I could
>convert them?

Either report the problem to Emagic, or use a 3rd-party convertor.

As mentioned before, Emagic does not interpret the Akai partitioning 
exactly correctly, so any CD that doesn't play tidy will confuse the Emagic 
convertor.

Garth Hjelte
Sampler User

Thanks Garth,
Could you recommend a 3rd party converter that would do the trick?
Have a good weekend

Jake


on 29/11/01 6:49 pm, Rubber Chicken Software Co. at support@...
wrote:

> At 04:54 PM 11/29/01 +0100, you wrote:
> 
>> I¹ve just tried to import  partitions A to G from an Akai/Emu CD-Rom called
>> Dance Mega Drums 2.
>> When I insert the CD and hit Akai convert it only shows `Partitions A and B
>> in the partition window.
>> Could anybody tell me where the other partitions have gone and how I could
>> convert them?
> 
> Either report the problem to Emagic, or use a 3rd-party convertor.
> 
> As mentioned before, Emagic does not interpret the Akai partitioning
> exactly correctly, so any CD that doesn't play tidy will confuse the Emagic
> convertor.
> 
> Garth Hjelte
> Sampler User
> 
> 
> 
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> exs-users-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> 
> 
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> 
> 

exile inside / PO Box 31754 London SW15 6ZT / www.exileinside.com / Tel:
0785 555 1886

At 03:26 PM 11/30/01 +0100, you wrote:

> >> I¹ve just tried to import  partitions A to G from an Akai/Emu CD-Rom 
> called
> >> Dance Mega Drums 2.
> >> When I insert the CD and hit Akai convert it only shows `Partitions A 
> and B
> >> in the partition window.
> >> Could anybody tell me where the other partitions have gone and how I could
> >> convert them?
> >
> > Either report the problem to Emagic, or use a 3rd-party convertor.
> >
> > As mentioned before, Emagic does not interpret the Akai partitioning
> > exactly correctly, so any CD that doesn't play tidy will confuse the Emagic
> > convertor.
>Could you recommend a 3rd party converter that would do the trick?
>Have a good weekend

Both CDXtract and Translator do a good job at this. I know Translator uses 
the Akai's method, so it's guaranteed in my view to see all the partitions. 
CDXtract usually finds all of them too, but I don't know the internal 
method - I know it's different than Translators.

>just bought an ESX-24. I have an S3000 sample library
>(4 gig on Zip250 disks) that I want to get into the Mac. I thought I was
>going to have to make disk images / CD-R's of these Zips to get them into
>the ESX.
>However with the first CD I did, the Akai conversion utility only sees
>samples which are part of programs. The vast majority of them are not
>instruments / in programs - they are just big groups of raw samples which I
>pull into programs as I'm writing a track. I can't even see them in the
>list of sounds, 'cause its so ruthlessly hierarchical.
>What's the quickest / simplest way for me to get these onto my Mac? Is
>there a conversion utility which will batch convert Akai samples into AIFF
>files?

CDXtract and Translator are good solutions here as well, but you will have 
to run them on Virtual PC (which you may or may not want to do). They will 
have Mac versions out shortly - no dates are announced. They can convert 
the Samples out into AIFF files. They will do better jobs anyway with the 
Programs too. And they will work with the Zips, instead of the CD's.

You can get Osmosis for Mac, that will do what you want, but that's $150 
for something that's not EXS specific. Transferstation is an option too, 
but I checked and their web site is "on holiday" imuse.com - whatever that 
means.

Here's a real hack method - but it does work. Get the information off the 
CD's or Zip's into a raw image file. Open this with an audio editor (Peak, 
whatever) to just play it back in raw mode, mono, at 44100. Just extract 
the pieces of wavedata information. VERY DIRTY, but it works!

I admit that I use the method a lot, even to reverse engineer things. It's 
a secret weapon!

Garth Hjelte
Sampler User

on 30/11/01 3:50 PM, Rubber Chicken Software Co. at support@...
wrote:

> At 03:26 PM 11/30/01 +0100, you wrote:
> 
>>>> I¹ve just tried to import  partitions A to G from an Akai/Emu CD-Rom
>> called
>>>> Dance Mega Drums 2.
>>>> When I insert the CD and hit Akai convert it only shows `Partitions A
>> and B
>>>> in the partition window.
>>>> Could anybody tell me where the other partitions have gone and how I could
>>>> convert them?
>>> 
>>> Either report the problem to Emagic, or use a 3rd-party convertor.
>>> 
>>> As mentioned before, Emagic does not interpret the Akai partitioning
>>> exactly correctly, so any CD that doesn't play tidy will confuse the Emagic
>>> convertor.
>> Could you recommend a 3rd party converter that would do the trick?
>> Have a good weekend
> 
> Both CDXtract and Translator do a good job at this. I know Translator uses
> the Akai's method, so it's guaranteed in my view to see all the partitions.
> CDXtract usually finds all of them too, but I don't know the internal
> method - I know it's different than Translators.
> 
>> just bought an ESX-24. I have an S3000 sample library
>> (4 gig on Zip250 disks) that I want to get into the Mac. I thought I was
>> going to have to make disk images / CD-R's of these Zips to get them into
>> the ESX.
>> However with the first CD I did, the Akai conversion utility only sees
>> samples which are part of programs. The vast majority of them are not
>> instruments / in programs - they are just big groups of raw samples which I
>> pull into programs as I'm writing a track. I can't even see them in the
>> list of sounds, 'cause its so ruthlessly hierarchical.
>> What's the quickest / simplest way for me to get these onto my Mac? Is
>> there a conversion utility which will batch convert Akai samples into AIFF
>> files?
> 
> CDXtract and Translator are good solutions here as well, but you will have
> to run them on Virtual PC (which you may or may not want to do). They will
> have Mac versions out shortly - no dates are announced. They can convert
> the Samples out into AIFF files. They will do better jobs anyway with the
> Programs too. And they will work with the Zips, instead of the CD's.
> 
> You can get Osmosis for Mac, that will do what you want, but that's $150
> for something that's not EXS specific. Transferstation is an option too,
> but I checked and their web site is "on holiday" imuse.com - whatever that
> means.
> 
> Here's a real hack method - but it does work. Get the information off the
> CD's or Zip's into a raw image file. Open this with an audio editor (Peak,
> whatever) to just play it back in raw mode, mono, at 44100. Just extract
> the pieces of wavedata information. VERY DIRTY, but it works!
> 
> I admit that I use the method a lot, even to reverse engineer things. It's
> a secret weapon!
> 
> Garth Hjelte
> Sampler User
> 
> 
> Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT
> 
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> exs-users-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> 
> 
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .


Big thanks to Mr Rubber Chicken for his very thorough and helpful advice -
if Translator was ready for Mac Iwould go and buy it forthwith.

As it is I have managed to get most of my library transferred in its raw
sample-only form by using the demo version of Osmosis which has limited goes
- I had to install it on two computers to get it done but I did.  If
Bitheadz weren't charging such a ridiculous amount of money (£150!) for such
a modest bit of software I would have bought that, but luckily I haven't had
to.

I must admit I'm slightly annoyed that I had to even consider buying another
piece of software when the ESX is advertised as Akai-compatible.  Might I
suggest a future addition would be the ability to mount Akai format volumes
that aren't only on CD, and to convert Akai samples to SDII, AIFF and WAV in
bulk.

all the best,

pk

At 09:58 AM 12/3/01 +0000, you wrote:

>I must admit I'm slightly annoyed that I had to even consider buying another
>piece of software when the ESX is advertised as Akai-compatible.

Yes, it seems with the increasingly complex market and society, more and 
more things should have asterisks on them. =)

>Might I suggest a future addition would be the ability to mount Akai 
>format volumes
>that aren't only on CD, and to convert Akai samples to SDII, AIFF and WAV in
>bulk.

It'll be interesting how this goes from here.

Garth Hjelte
Sampler User

Hi Pupkid,

> I must admit I'm slightly annoyed that I had to even consider buying
another
> piece of software when the ESX is advertised as Akai-compatible.  Might I
> suggest a future addition would be the ability to mount Akai format
volumes
> that aren't only on CD, and to convert Akai samples to SDII, AIFF and WAV
in
> bulk.

Don't feel too bad in regards to having to consider buying another piece of
software.  For the most part, the exs-24 will read the Akai libraries.  As
you found out, there are exceptions so its implementation is not 100%.  I've
found that loop points are not correctly read on Akai CD's many times and
there are clicks at the beginning of Akai samples sometimes.  Some CD's
convert seemingly flawlessly.

I bought an E-mu E-5000 nearly 2 years ago now which is supposed to be
Roland compatible.  While E-mu doesn't hide the fact that filter and
envelope settings are not converted (although you have to get this info for
yourself), many times loop points are messed up.  What saved me back then
was the fact that I already owned Sounddiver and had all of my S-760
performances and patches stored in libraries.  I was able to re-program a
bunch of my favourite samples into E-5000 presets by viewing the library.

So, Emagic are not the only guilty parties.  I seem to recall that Emagic
mentioned once or twice what the conversion utility is not capable of.
They're not going to make an advertising campaign out of this though.  From
my understanding there are problems in the Gigasampler Akai conversion
utility as well.  I would not be surprised if Halion had some non-100%
conversions also.

Unfortunately, it is this way in the music equipment and software industry
nowadays.  Unless there is tons of pressure on Emagic to provide this kind
of support, I don't think that it will really get that much improved.

My preference is that Emagic improves on the exs-24 implementation and
features rather than conversion utilities.  There are a couple of programs
which seem to do the best job out there right now and have other features as
well.  These are Translator and CDXtract.  Unfortunately, for you they are
both PC only and you would need to run Virt PC in order to run them.  I've
ordered Translator myself as I have a need to convert a bunch of different
formats and don't have time to re-program a bunch of sampler patches.  If
I'm going to spend my time programming, I would much rather do it with some
of my own samples rather than commercial 3rd party samples.  Why should I
re-invent the wheel in other words.

Anyhow, this is just MHO.  You're free to disagree with it if you like.

Fernando