Using Traktor to create samples for SP-808
Yes….I fell in love about a year ago with the SP-808. I don’t know what happened but somehow I came across this amazing piece of hardware and I decided to go for it. With the result I do own now 2 of those beauties. Okay…cut the sentimental part. Let’s talk about serious business.
CONNECTING A ZIP
This week I connected a ZIP drive to my Macbook with a SP-808 ZIP Disk in it. And instead of the comment to initialise it, it gave me the contents of the disk. This was a huge surprise for me because now I would be able to save all my ZIP Disks to the harddrive of my Macbook.
I did some tests with several disks and yes…I was able to put saved images to new formatted ZIPS. AMAZINGGGGG.!! I even could create the original demodisk for the SP-808 because this
What do you need to save your ZIP Disk to HDD?
- Zip drive with USB connection. (although I use an IDE zip drive with a IDE to USB adapter.) - SP-808 ZIP disks - Computer (I tested only Mac (OSX and OS 8.6)
Yeah…sounds easy and it IS easy. But I didn’t know it so therefore I share this info with you.
If you want to create your own ‘original’ Demodisk you can download it here. Put a SP-808 formatted disk in your ZIP Drive and copy the files into the root of the ZIP Disk. If it doesn’t work, format the disk in your SP-808 in FULL MODE and not QUICK.
SP-808/SP808EX Wave converter
6 years ago I bought two iMacs G3. You know…those coloured ones. Why? In the first place I needed them for a trade show for a retro look. Also…they are not that easy to steal in comparison with an iPad 😉
When I discovered the ZIP Disk reading of SP-808 disks with OSX I tried it also on OSX Tiger with my old G3. It worked…but….the Wave converter from Roland doesn’t work with OSX. So I downgraded the G3 to OS 8.6 (I do have the original CD’s, thank God) and I connected the ZIP drive. AND YESSSS….again I saw the ZIP drive with the SP-808 disk in place. No initialise, nothing. Just the same info like on OSX. SP-808TS25E with the right files on the disk.
Immediately I installed the wave converter from the Roland Website (HERE) and tried to convert some wav-files. Wow…how easy to convert those files. And you can even listen to them with double clicking on the pads of the software. You can organise the samples and give the banks names. Again an amazing surprise and more important: The disk works on the SP-808 also. Duh!
USING TRAKTOR REMIX DECKS
As an owner of the Traktor S4 MK1 and a F1 I became instantly interested in creating samples for the SP-808 because Traktor makes Wav-files when you create loops for the Remix decks.
I loaded a track with beats and breaks and created Wav-files. The most interesting part is that Traktor makes loops of the samples. That’s the basic use of Remix desk. And you can guess it already…creating an archive full of wavs, transporting them to a USB-stick, inserting it in the G3 and converting it to a SP-808 disk.
The result is a disk full of beats and breaks. AMAZING AGAIN!!
The only thing is that the SP-808 doesn’t make loops of the samples, but that’s a breeze with the function in Sample Parameters. Every pad can be looped with a twist on the dial. Easy as 1, 2, 3.
So, perhaps this is old news but for me it was totally new.
Have a nice day!
Grtzz, Roger Mooze
8 Comments
Charles Dangerman
This is super cool!
You mentioned connecting an IDE ZIP drive to a computer with a special USB adapter? What does the adapter look like and how does that work?
RogerMooze
Hi Charles!
Thank you for asking this question on my website instead of a direct mail 😉
Here is a link to the enclosure I used to create my own USB Zip Drive.
http://www.gmb-online.nl/item.aspx?id=3925
It’s an IDE enclosure so you can attach an IDE ATAPI Zip Drive and then connect it with USB to a computer.
As I’m the Sales Manager of the Iberian region (Spain/Portugal) I have easy acces to these kind of products, so if you’re interested in a unit, please let me know.
But also I bought a 2nd hand 250MB USB drive to read/write those disks 🙂
Soon I will grab a vid about how to create your own SP-808 Demo Disk
Best regards and let me know when you’ve received the drive.
Roger
Charles Dangerman
That’s brilliant! I’m so glad you’ve cteated this webpage because this kind of specific information is impossible to find elsewhere.
I am interested in this because I’d love to have a way to back up my samples and/or transfer them between ZIP disks as I continue to expand my library a bit. All I have is a fairly up to date Gateway laptop and I’m trying to figure out the most straight-forward way to move samples from one ZIP disk to my computer & back to another disk. Is this the best method of doing so?
RogerMooze
Hi Charles!
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
There are two ways to move samples to your computer and to another disk.
1. Use the program provided by Roland, the so called Wave-converter. This is for specific samples transport.
https://www.roland.com/global/support/by_product/sp-808ex/updates_drivers/
2. Copy a complete Zip Disk by dragging all files to a folder on the computer and vice versa.
In both cases you need an external USB-Zip drive.
I will keep on sharing my experience based on the energy people like you give me.
Did the drive arrive already? ^-^
Charles Dangerman
Thanks for the info! I’ll have to get an external USB ZIP drive sometime for sure. I’ve already installed the Wave Converter, hopefully it’s simple and straightforward.
I got the package yesterday evening and I’m super stoked about it! I can’t thank you enough. Those black ZIP drives are super hard to find but they sure do look nice in the 808. Also, that demo disk is amazing. I’ve had the chance to mess with it a little bit last night and it’s super fun.
RogerMooze
Yeah! Happy to read that it arrived! FINALLY! 🙂
Enjoy it, Charles!
I hope you will enjoy this gem as much as I do!
jamie v
have you been able to get the .wav converter app from roland to work with the newer mac os’s (im currently running MAC OS MOJAVE), i tried contacting roland but they wont even try to help because they consider the 808/ex a legacy device..
– i have an 808 ex and a regular 808 upgraded to an ex, but no longer have my old mac ppc…just a MacBook running mojave.
– i cant seem to find exactly what file type the 808 uses as their sample type to see if there is another way to create samples that will be compatible with the 808s when uploaded. everything i come across just says that the converter converts the samples to .wav and tiff’s, but not what it converts it back too when your ready to load it back onto the zip disc for the machine..
– i was hoping someone would have come ups with a 3rd party option of software or an update to the original wav converter app by roland that would let you use CURRENT MAC OS’s, but i cant seem to find anything.
Roger, TMM
Hi Jamie,
The only advice on this is to use Bootcamp for MacOS.
I bought an official Win7-licence online for 17€ and installed it on bootcamp.
Now I can use my Macbook in Windows-mode to use the .Wav converter app.
And forget the help from Roland. SP-808 is legacy totally…
Ah…the sample-format is Roland-specific. There’s no way to read/write that kind of format with a computer.
Roland did this with most of their old samplers.
Grtzzz,
Roger