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STARTUP/UTILITY DISKS
![]() If you recently purchased an S‑50, S‑550, S‑330, S‑7xx or W‑30 sampler, you might find yourself without the required Startup/Utility Boot disk to get things rolling. Unlike a regular synthesizer, you can't power on an S‑Series or W‑Series sampler and start playing sounds right away. An operating system needs to be loaded manually before it will work The four options you have are;
![]() ![]() ![]() This 80 disk set contains the entire S‑50 Sampler Library issued by Roland ![]() This 60 disk set contains the entire S‑550 Sampler Library issued by Roland ![]() This 45‑disk set was released in 1987 and also appears on the LCD‑1 CD‑ROM Some of these samples are not in the S‑50, S‑550 or S‑330 RSB Libraries NOTE: The S‑50 will not work with any type of mouse. The EXT CONTROLLER port on the back of the S‑50 will only work with the optional DT‑100 Digitizer Tablet. If you plug a mouse into the EXT CONTROLLER port, you run the risk of causing a short circuit in the sampler. Likewise, if you plug a non‑Roland mouse into the EXT CTRL port on the S‑550, S‑330, S‑750, S‑760 or S‑770, you run the risk of causing a short circuit. If this happens, see the Roland Fuse Reference Webpage Q: How Do I Use S‑550 and S‑330 Sound Disks With An S‑50? A: Create an SYS‑505 Utility Disk then boot the S‑50 with the SYS‑505 Utility Disk. Using the S‑50 "Convert Load Function" will enable S‑550 and S‑330 disks to be loaded into the S‑50. Likewise, using the "Convert Disk Function" will enable S‑550 and S‑330 disks to be converted to the S‑50 sample format and then saved (See Page 8 of the SYS‑505 Library Converter Manual) S‑50 System Utility/Boot Disk v2.0 This 3.5" floppy disk image file allows you to create a System Utility Disk which is used to boot an S‑50 File Format: *.OUT file for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility. To use with factory firmware on a GOTEK FDD/USB, rename the file to 000.IMG ![]() Note: For unknown reasons, this System Boot/Utility Disk on the Roland website has the Total Volume Output set to zero It's been online for downloading like this for about 15 years now and they haven't fixed it. Weird! Once this disk is loaded, to get sound out of your S‑50, use the following procedure:
➤ Press FUNCTION
➤ Press P7
➤ Press Arrow Down 3 Times ▽ ▽ ▽
➤ The display should now read "17 Multi Patch Level A 0"
➤ Use the Alpha Dial to increase the Volume Output from 0 to 127 (or whatever level you want)
➤ Remove the v2.0 Boot Disk, insert a new Sound Disk and use the 11 Load All command
➤ You should now hear some sound
➤ Use the 22 SAVE FUNC and 25 SAVE SYS commands so you won't need to change settings every time
✓ 22 SAVE FUNC - Press PLAY > DISK > PATCH > P2 (SAVE FUNC) > SHIFT (EXECUTE) > ENTER
✓ 25 SAVE SYS - Press PLAY > DISK > PATCH > P5 (SAVE SYS) > SHIFT (EXECUTE) > ENTER
✓ These commands are detailed in the S50 Owner's Manual on p.106 & p.109, respectively
S‑50 SYS‑505 Utility Disk v1.00 The SYS‑505 Utility Disk will convert S‑550 or S‑330 Roland Sound Library disks for use with an S‑50 File Format: *.OUT file for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility ![]() ![]() S-50 Director-S Sequencer (Dongle Free & Original Demos) & Owner's Manual Official Roland document and Director-S downloads File Format: *.OUT file & *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (A dongle is required only if you want to save songs/sequences. These versions are useful because they contain SYS‑503 Sound & Song Data) OMNIFLOP Utility Point‑and‑click WINDOWS program for creating Roland sampler 3.5" floppy disks from *.OUT disk image files OMNIFLOP is a better alternative than using the outdated DOS based SDISK Utility You will need to make sure that the floppy disk drive you are using is internal and is able to read/write 720KB disks I have used OMNIFLOP with excellent results on Windows 7 (Ultimate 32‑bit) and also Windows XP (Professional) ![]() File Format: *.EXE File For WINDOWS ![]() S-50 Internal 720KB DS/DD 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive Toshiba P/N: FDD4261A0K (Original Factory Installed Model - Early Production Runs) Toshiba P/N: FDD4261G0K (Original Factory Installed Model - Late Production Runs) Chinon P/N: FZ-357 (After-Market FDD Works By Simply Moving Jumpers) Sony P/N: MPF920-Z/121 (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Panasonic P/N: JU256A-488PC (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Samsung SFD-321B/LE (After-Market FDD Requires Some DIY Wiring) Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Note: Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC has a White Bezel * More info about installing these inexpensive After‑Market FDD's can be found at this link The S‑50 reads and writes sampler data using the 720KB DS/DD format. Some users say they use 1.44MB HD 3.5" blank disks by covering up the hole on the opposite side of the write‑protect tab with opaque tape. I have had mixed results in the past so I only use the hard to find and (usually) more expensive 720KB DS/DD disks. Different magnetic coatings are used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks. There are also some differences in how the drives work reading HD vs. DS/DD disks. Data written in DS/DD formats to HD discs will probably not be readable for very long. If you fake the drive out by taping over the HD disk identifying hole to use HD disks at DS/DD, it uses a lower than normal magnetic force normally required for writing data onto DS/DD discs. This can lead to higher error rates and sometimes the data will just disappear without warning. There is some more detailed info at retrotechnology.com about the different magnetic coatings used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks An excellent source for inexpensive recycled 720KB DS/DD 3.5" floppy disks is floppydisk.com Note: All floppy disks are reformatted, tested and relabeled. I highly recommend this vendor! If you are considering updating your S‑50 to work with a GOTEK USB Floppy Drive Emulator, see the information at this link Starting Up & Powering Off The S‑50 Before turning the power on or off
Creating Sub Tones On The S-50 The S-50 Owner's Manual and Supplemental Notes have a section detailing the steps for creating Sub Tones Unfortunately, those instructions do not work I have created a webpage with detailed instructions showing the correct procedure File Format: Webpage Link ![]() S-50 Owner's Manual, Service Notes & Supplemental Notes Official Roland documents with details about Performance Disks, Patches, Sub Tones, Sampling, Schematics and more File Format: *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() S‑50 Noise, Static or Distortion Problems? Two solutions are available at the DIY Page S‑50 YouTube Tutorials Johnny Morgan has a YouTube channel with some very informative S‑50 & S‑550 tutorials Definitely worth a visit if you are a new S‑50 owner ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() This 60 disk set contains the entire S‑50 Sampler Library issued by Roland ![]() This is the entire 80 disk S‑50 RSB Library converted over to the S‑550 and S‑330 formats ![]() This 45 disk set was released in 1987 and also appears on the LCD‑1 CD‑ROM Some of these samples are not in the S‑50, S‑550 or S‑330 RSB Libraries Q: How Do I Use S‑50 RSB Sampler Library Disks With An S‑550? A: Use the S‑550 UTILITY menu selection called "Convert Load" which enables S‑50 disks to be loaded and saved for the S‑550 sampler (See page 147 of the S‑550 Owner's Manual v1.1) S‑550 System Utility Disk v1.13 (This is the O/S I recommend using all the time for floppy disk drive or USB/FDE systems without SCSI) This 3.5" floppy disk image file allows you to create a System Utility Disk which is used to boot an S‑550 (for systems without an HD5-IF SCSI card) File Format: *.OUT disk image files for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility. To use with a factory firmware FDD/USB, rename the file to 000.IMG ![]()
S‑550 CD‑5 CD-ROM Utility Disk v1.00 (This is the O/S I recommend using all the time for systems with the HD5-IF SCSI card installed) This 3.5" floppy disk image enables use of external SCSI devices such as hard drives, CD‑ROM drives, ZIP Drives, SCSI2SD, raSCSI and other external devices. It's name originates from the unobtainable external CD‑5 external CD‑ROM drive which is no longer available. Some S‑550 owners, including myself, have had problems using Version 1.02 with ZIP drives and multiple SCSI devices. Using this older Version 1.00 solves that problem with SCSI device compatibility. VERY IMPORTANT: If you want the S‑550 to boot from a hard drive and not from the floppy drive, you will need to configure the S‑550 CD‑5 CD-ROM Utility Disk v1.00 differently from its default setting. Detailed instructions are at this link File Format: *.OUT disk image files for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility ![]() ![]()
S‑550 HD5‑IF Hard Disk Utility Disk v1.03 (I DO NOT recommend using this O/S version! It seems to have many bugs) ↳ Use the CD‑5 CD‑ROM Utility Disk v1.00 instead ↵ S‑550 CD‑5 CD-ROM Utility Disk v1.02 (I DO NOT recommend using this O/S version! It seems to have many bugs) ↳ Use the CD‑5 CD‑ROM Utility Disk v1.00 instead ↵ S-550 Director-S Sequencer (Dongle Free) & Owner's Manual Official Roland document and Director-S downloads File Format: *.OUT file & *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (A dongle is required only if you want to save songs/sequences. These versions are useful because they contain the SYS‑553 Sound & Song Data) OMNIFLOP Utility Point‑and‑click WINDOWS program for creating Roland sampler 3.5" floppy disks from *.OUT disk image files OMNIFLOP is a better alternative than using the outdated DOS based SDISK Utility You will need to make sure that the floppy disk drive you are using is internal and is able to read/write 720KB disks I have used OMNIFLOP with excellent results using Windows 7 Ultimate 32‑bit and Windows XP I created some useful installation notes here ![]() File Format: *.EXE File For WINDOWS ![]() S-550 Internal 720KB DS/DD 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive Toshiba P/N: FDD4261A0K (The Original Factory Installed Model - Early Production Runs) Toshiba P/N: FDD4261G0K (The Original Factory Installed Model - Late Production Runs) Chinon P/N: FZ-357 (After‑Market FDD Works By Simply Moving Jumpers) Sony P/N: MPF920-Z/121 (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Panasonic P/N: JU256A-488PC (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Note: Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC has a White Bezel * More info about installing these inexpensive After‑Market FDD's can be found at this link The S‑550 reads and writes sampler data using the 720KB DS/DD format. Some users say they use 1.44MB HD 3.5" blank disks by covering up the hole on the opposite side of the write‑protect tab with opaque tape. I have had mixed results in the past so I only use the hard to find and (usually) more expensive 720KB DS/DD disks. Different magnetic coatings are used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks. There are also some differences in how the drives work reading HD vs. DS/DD disks. Data written in DS/DD formats to HD discs will probably not be readable for very long. If you fake the drive out by taping over the HD disk identifying hole to use HD disks at DS/DD, it uses a lower than normal magnetic force normally required for writing data onto DS/DD discs. This can lead to higher error rates and sometimes the data will just disappear without warning. There is some more detailed info at retrotechnology.com about the different magnetic coatings used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks An excellent source for inexpensive recycled 720KB DS/DD 3.5" floppy disks is floppydisk.com Note: All floppy disks are reformatted, tested and relabeled. I highly recommend this vendor! If you are considering updating your S‑50 to work with a USB Floppy Drive Emulator, see the information at this link Starting Up And Powering Off The S‑550 Before turning on the power, you should follow these steps to ensure the sampler works properly
Booting The S‑550 From A Hard Drive Or SCSI2SD Device ![]() S‑550 YouTube Tutorial Espen Kraft YouTube channel with some very informative tutorials and info ![]() S-550 Owner's Manual, Service Notes & Supplemental Notes Official Roland documents with details about Performance Disks, Patches, Sub Tones, Sampling, Schematics, SCSI, O/S differences and more File Format: *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() S‑330 System And Utility Disks The S‑330 System Disk and the Utility Disk Image *.OUT files plus system documentation are available at the Li'l Chips Systems homepage in the Roland Support section; S‑330 System Boot Disk v1.03 S‑330 System/Sound Disk I v1.00 (Piano) S‑330 System Utility Disk v1.03 S‑330 System/Sound Disk II v1.00 (Multi Patch) ![]() S‑330 Sound Library ![]() The S‑330 is able to read all S‑550 Sound Disks Plenty are available for downloading at the SAMPLES Page S-330 Director-S Sequencer (Dongle Free) & Owner's Manual Official Roland document and Director-S downloads File Format: *.OUT file & *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (These two Song & Sound disks are for the S-550. Untested but... they might load via MENU commands on the S-50, S-330 & W-30) S-330 Internal 720KB DS/DD 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive Teac P/N: FD-235HF-A527(The Original Factory Installed Model - Early Production Runs) Toshiba P/N: ND-352S-A ![]() The S‑330 reads and writes sampler data using the 720KB DS/DD format. Some users say they use 1.44MB HD 3.5" blank disks by covering up the hole on the opposite side of the write‑protect tab with opaque tape. I have had mixed results in the past so I only use the hard to find and (usually) more expensive 720KB DS/DD disks. Different magnetic coatings are used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks. There are also some differences in how the drives work reading HD vs. DS/DD disks. Data written in DS/DD formats to HD discs will probably not be readable for very long. If you fake the drive out by taping over the HD disk identifying hole to use HD disks at DS/DD, it uses a lower than normal magnetic force normally required for writing data onto DS/DD discs. This can lead to higher error rates and sometimes the data will just disappear without warning. There is some more detailed info at retrotechnology.com about the different magnetic coatings used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks An excellent source for inexpensive recycled 720KB DS/DD 3.5" floppy disks is floppydisk.com Note: All floppy disks are reformatted, tested and relabeled. I highly recommend this vendor! If you are considering updating your S‑330 to work with a USB Floppy Drive Emulator, see the information at this link Starting Up And Powering Off The S‑330 Before turning on the power, you should follow these steps to ensure the sampler works properly
Is Your S‑330 Freezing, Locking Up Or Experiencing Strange Behavior? When the S‑330 was manufactured in 1988, square 68‑pin IC's were starting to gain popularity in consumer electronics. Roland installed a 68‑pin socketed IC for the S‑330 main micro‑controller (Figure A - click image for a larger view). Over time, if the S‑330 gets moved around a lot and/or overheats, stress on this PCB area will eventually cause the 68‑pin IC to become unseated from the socket (Figure B). All LED's on the sampler will light‑up and the sampler freezes/locks‑up. In most cases, the solution is to remove the 68‑pin IC and reseat it. Easier said than done! Back in the 1980's, I worked as a computer repair tech and have reseated hundreds of these IC's. Removing these 68‑pin IC's is no easy task. I had to use a special PLCC Extraction Tool (Figure C). You can find these brand new on eBay or Amazon for only $5 (USD). It's worth the investment compared to using a homemade tool. Don't risk damaging that irreplaceable IC! Once you get that IC removed, I suggest taking a sewing needle and "VERY GENTLY" inserting it between the outer plastic and the pin contact (Figure D). This forces the pin contact inward and creates better contact with the IC. It's time consuming but do this for all 68 pin contacts and don't force them inward very far. Just do it slightly. After all 68 pin contacts are done, observe the orientation notch for pin #1 and carefully press the 68‑pin IC back into the socket. This is the method I used for years and it worked 100% of the time. As always, before removing the cover on any synth or sampler, ensure that it is unplugged from the power source. Also, double‑check you are properly grounded using an anti‑static wristband and are working on a static‑free workbench Note: Manufacturers noticed that these 68‑pin IC's were popping loose from their sockets so they started installing metal covers to keep the IC in place. These work some of the time... but not always. Also, note that some of the early S‑330 production models do not have this metal cover installed S-330 Owner's Manual, Service Notes & Supplemental Notes Official Roland documents with details about Sampling, Schematics, SCSI, O/S differences and more File Format: *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() W‑30 Sound Library ![]() The W‑30 is able to read all S‑50, S‑550 and S‑330 Sound Disks Plenty are available for downloading at the SAMPLES Page W‑30 System Utility Disk v1.10 (non-SCSI Systems Only) This 3.5" floppy disk image file allows you to create a System Utility Disk used to boot a W‑30 File Format: *.OUT disk image files for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility. To use with a factory firmware FDD/USB, rename the file to 000.IMG ![]() W‑30 Hard Drive And CD-ROM SCSI Utility Disk v1.07 This 3.5" floppy disk image enables use of the optional KW30 SCSI IC chip and external Hard Drives, ZIP Drives, CD‑ROM's and SCSI2SD Card VERY IMPORTANT: If you want the W‑30 to boot from a Hard Drive or SCSI2SD device, read the setup suggestions found at this link File Format: *.OUT disk image files for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility. To use with a factory firmware FDD/USB, rename the file to 000.IMG ![]() OMNIFLOP Utility Point-and-click WINDOWS program for creating Roland sampler 3.5" floppy disks from *.OUT disk image files You will need to make sure that the floppy disk drive you are using is internal and is able to read/write 720KB disks I have used OMNIFLOP with excellent results using Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit and Windows XP I created some useful installation notes here File Format: *.EXE File For WINDOWS ![]() W‑30 Internal 720KB DS/DD 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive ![]() Chinon P/N: FZ‑357 (After‑Market FDD Works By Simply Moving Jumpers) Teac P/N: FD‑235HF‑C529 (After‑Market FDD Works By Simply Moving Jumpers) Teac P/N: FD‑235HF‑C929 (After‑Market FDD Works By Simply Moving Jumpers) NEC P/N: FD1231T (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Sony P/N: MPF920‑Z/121 (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Panasonic P/N: JU256A‑488PC (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC (After‑Market / DIY Requiring Some Soldering) Note: Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC has a White Bezel * More info about installing these inexpensive After‑Market FDD's can be found here The W‑30 reads and writes sampler data using the 720KB DS/DD format. Some users say they use 1.44MB HD 3.5" blank disks by covering up the hole on the opposite side of the write‑protect tab with opaque tape. I have had mixed results in the past so I only use the hard to find and (usually) more expensive 720KB DS/DD disks. Different magnetic coatings are used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks. There are also some differences in how the drives work reading HD vs. DS/DD disks. Data written in DS/DD formats to HD discs will probably not be readable for very long. If you fake the drive out by taping over the HD disk identifying hole to use HD disks at DS/DD, it uses a lower than normal magnetic force normally required for writing data onto DS/DD discs. This can lead to higher error rates and sometimes the data will just disappear without warning. There is some more detailed info at retrotechnology.com about the different magnetic coatings used on 1.44MB HD vs. 720KB DS/DD disks An excellent source for inexpensive recycled 720KB DS/DD 3.5" floppy disks is floppydisk.com Note: All floppy disks are reformatted, tested and relabeled. I highly recommend this vendor! If you are considering updating your W‑30 to work with a USB Floppy Drive Emulator, see the information at this link W‑30 3.5" Floppy Disk Load Errors If you see an error message on the LCD window which reads "DISK LOAD ERROR xx", the following have been my experiences: DISK LOAD ERROR 08 ‑ Usually a non‑O/S 3.5" floppy diskette, a damaged floppy diskette or incorrect density (should be 720KB DS/DD) DISK LOAD ERROR 10 ‑ Almost always traced to a 3.5" disk drive hardware failure -or- the ribbon cable is plugged in upside‑down DISK LOAD ERROR 18 ‑ Miscellaneous hardware failure (3.5" disk drive or external hard drive) Starting Up & Powering Off The W‑30 Before turning the power ON or OFF
W‑30 Tips And Tricks Menu Navigation When I first got my W‑30, there were a couple of simple things I couldn't figure out and finding how to do it in the manual was a lost cause (as is the case with most Roland Owner's Manuals from this era). Take note of these tidbits;
The Screaming Banshees From Hell Over time, the high voltage inverter circuit which drives the bright blue electroluminescent panel for the LCD backlight will fail. It causes a high pitched and incredibly annoying shrill. Replacing the electroluminescent panel will not solve this issue. The only solution is to replace the entire LCD assembly. It's a lot of DIY work but luckily, you can find an inexpensive modern day replacement LCD for only $26 (USD). This replacement completely removes the high voltage inverter circuit and does not rely on a backlight panel. As a bonus, there are four colors to choose from with the new LCD - White (over Black), Black (over White), White (over Blue) or Black (over Monkey Vomit Green) ![]() Real‑Time Filter Control For Your W‑30 A very cool, easy and inexpensive DIY using a minimal amount of parts
Hidden W‑30 Patches There are 16 extra Patches hidden on W‑30 boot disks. You can access these Patches by using the W‑30 Utility Disk v1.10 boot disk or Hard Drive And CD‑ROM Utility Disk v1.07 boot disk. Because a maximum of only 16 Patches can reside in sampler RAM memory, these extra Patches are not loaded automatically at boot time. To use them, you will need to temporarily delete a few Patches residing in sampler RAM memory. This method will work regardless if you boot the sampler from a floppy drive, hard drive, GOTEK or SCSI2SD. As long as you don't Save FD or Save System, the Patches you temporarily delete will remain intact the next time you boot‑up the sampler. You can listen to the Alternate Factory B Samples here
W‑30 Techno Stuff In lieu of reposting a lot of W‑30 technical info which is already online, I'll suggest that you visit two of the best W‑30 webpages I've seen. "The Unofficial W‑30 Homepage" is an archived site from the 1990's but there are a LOT of goodies to be found there, especially in the TIPS/INSTRUCTIONS, EXPANSION, and FAQ sections. Another excellent resource, especially for electronic freaks like myself, are the twelve detailed webpages at "Neil's Webbly World" ![]() ![]() Booting The W‑30 From A Hard Drive Or SCSI2SD Device ![]() W‑30 Owner's Manual and Service Notes File Format: *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "The Roland S-760 Digital Sampler is probably one of the most complex musical instruments Roland has ever designed. Because of this, sampler novices and in some cases hardcore sampler users find the S‑760 difficult to grasp." -- Sweetwater Music Support Website S‑750 / S‑760 / S‑770 Sound Library (Actually the S‑770 library... but these also work with S‑750 and S‑760) ![]() S‑750 System Boot Disk v2.25 This 3.5" floppy disk image file allows you to create a System Utility Disk used to boot an S‑750 File Format: *.OUT disk image files for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility ![]() S‑760 System Boot Disk v2.24 This 3.5" floppy disk image file allows you to create a System Utility Disk used to boot an S‑760 File Format: *.OUT disk image files for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility ![]() S‑770 System Boot Disk v2.25 This 3.5" floppy disk image file allows you to create a System Utility Disk used to boot an S‑770 File Format: *.OUT disk image files for use with the OMNIFLOP, SDISK or "dd" utility ![]() S‑760 Internal 1.44MB DD/HD 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive Chinon P/N: FZ-357 (The Original Factory Installed Model) The S‑760 reads and writes sampler data to the 3.5" floppy disk drive using the 1.44MB DD/HD format. Note the unusual Jumper configuration on the back of the FZ‑357 disk drive. Detailed info about some possible drive replacements here If you are considering updating your S‑760 to work with a USB Floppy Drive Emulator, see the information at this link S‑760 Encoder Replacement DIY Although it's not exactly a "Drop-In" solution, this rotary encoder replacement works extremely well. It requires an inexpensive custom PCB, a low‑cost commonly found rotary encoder and little bit of soldering ![]() The most common failure on the S‑760 is the custom made LCD display. Almost every S‑760 owner has had a LCD screen failure of some kind in the sampler's life. The problems are usually broken lines, missing/illegible text, a black screen or a bright green screen with no text at all. It's impossible to fix this problem even if you disassemble and clean contact surfaces inside the display. The only solution is to use an external Mouse+CRT -or- find a New Old Stock (NOS) LCD replacement on eBay. The problem with using an external Mouse+CRT is you need to read the LCD in order to set the sampler into the correct display mode. It's a Catch‑22! Something else to note about the original LCD (DMF‑50374NYU‑LY)... the S‑760 Service Notes list the screen resolution as 320x80 pixels. This is most likely a misprint because the actual resolution of this LCD is 160x64 pixels
Increasing S‑760 Sample Wave Memory (SIMM's) ![]() There are four ways to expand the Wave Memory: (1) 8MB SIMM + 2MB (on‑board) = 10MB (2) 8MB SIMM + 2MB (on‑board) = 18MB (1) 8MB SIMM + (1) 16MB SIMM + 2MB (on‑board) = 26MB (2) 16MB SIMM = 32MB (if two 16MB SIMM's are installed, the 2MB on‑board memory is ignored) There are two SIMM slots inside. When increasing Sample Wave Memory, one SIMM or a combination of 8MB and 16MB SIMM's can be used. The SIMM's must be 72‑pin, non‑parity and the speed must be 80ns or faster. Be aware that they are NOT the same style SIMM's used on S‑750 or S‑770 samplers. I've been able to find brand‑new 72‑pin SIMM's very cheap on eBay, reverb.com and elsewhere. When searching, look for Macintosh compatible non‑parity SIMM's ![]() S‑760 Firmware To identify the version of the S‑760 boot PROM (IC15), hold down the PREVIEW(PUSH) knob and the F1 button at the same time while turning on the power. The ROM version will appear on the LCD screen. The final firmware version for the boot PROM is v1.11 which can be downloaded for free at the Synth & Sampler Firmware webpage in the event you want to burn your own EPROM S‑760 Test Disk And Test Modes Is your S‑760 acting strange? An extensive array of tests including FDD, SCSI Drive, LCD, SIMMS, LED's, Dials, MIDI, Sampling, Digital I/O, Voice, Sample Memory and more are explained in detail starting on Page 6 of the S‑760 Service Notes v12‑93 There are two ways to use the Test Disk 1) If a 3.5" FDD is installed, the Windows *.EXE file automatically creates a 3.5" floppy Test Disk 2) If a GOTEK USB/FDE installed, the *.OUT Test Disk file can be boot the sampler directly ![]() Booting The S‑760 From A Hard Drive, ZIP Drive Or SCSI2SD Device When booting the S‑760 from a FDD or GOTEK, loading the O/S portion takes 36 seconds. After configuring it to boot from a Hard Drive, Zip Drive or SCSI2SD Drive it takes less than 1 second. You will need to change the boot configuration using the LCD panel. Setup is quite easy and detailed instructions are here Loading AKAI CD‑ROM's From An External CD‑ROM or SCSI2SD Device The S‑760 and SP‑700 are the only S‑Series samplers which have the ability to load AKAI S1000 and S1100 library format CD‑ROM's. This greatly expands the capabilities of these two samplers because the AKAI library of CD‑ROM's is gigantic. Instructions for loading AKAI CD‑ROM's can be found here Starting Up & Powering Off The S‑760
S‑760 "UNFORMATTED" Errors Two of the most common "UNFORMATTED" errors on the S‑760 when trying to load samples from CDROM, SCSI2SD, Floppy Disk or GOTEK
S‑760 Timing Errors??? It's not exactly a timing error, but more an issue with the triggering of envelopes which is more pronounced on short percussive sounds User LAWRON over at gearspace.com has posted his solution
DA-400 4-Channel D/A Converter (External Expansion For The S‑760) ![]() SAMPLING FREQUENCY: 48, 44.1, 32 kHz (Auto Select)
D/A CONVERSION: 18‑Bit Linear, 8‑Times Over Sampling S-760 Support Documents File Format: *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() S-760 Owner's Manual and Service Notes File Format: *.PDF File ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() System The SP‑700 does not have a floppy disk drive like most other samplers in the S‑Series. The operating system is loaded automatically from two on‑board EPROM's. The module does not have an Audio Input Jack like other S‑Series samplers so it is unable to create new samples directly by using a microphone or an instrument via external input. It is strictly a playback sampler. However, you are still able to edit a billion sample parameters like the TVF & TVA Filters, Resonance, Waveforms, Velocity, Envelopes, etc... and then save any changes to an external SCSI device (Hard Drive, Zip Drive or SCSI2SD). Just like the S‑760, the SP‑700 has an advantage over the S‑750 and S‑770 samplers because it is able to load AKAI S1000 and S1100 CD‑ROM's. It is also able to load all samples from the S‑330, S‑550, S‑750, S‑760, S‑770 and W‑30 RSB libraries. The snag is that since there is no floppy disk drive on this model, all samples must be loaded using a CD‑ROM, SCSI2SD, ZIP Drive, Hard Drive or other external SCSI device. This is somewhat inconvenient because there are very few S‑330, S‑550 or W‑30 samples available on CD‑ROM. On a plus note, this sampler is compatible with any S‑550 or W‑30 ZIP Drive or Hard Drive already formatted and loaded with samples. Simply connect the S‑550 or W‑30 ZIP Drive or Hard Drive and use the "Convert Load" menu selection to load S‑550 or W‑30 samples Unique Features Some of the more interesting features about this sampler include Quick Load and Load While Playing. The SP‑700 also sports a 1MB Flash Memory IC which was cutting edge technology way back in 1992
LCD Issues
![]() SCSI If you plan to use a SCSI2SD device with this sampler, be aware that you can power a SCSI2SD without the need for an external +5VDC power supply. You will need to ensure that the switch labeled TERM POWER (located on the Main Board inside the SP‑700) is set to the ON position. This supplies a line on the SCSI bus with +5VDC which in turn will provide the required power for a SCSI2SD device (Pin #25). This switch is easily accessible without having to remove the entire case and is located directly beneath the SIMM memory access lid Increasing Sample Wave Memory (SIMM's) To increase the Sample Wave Memory, the SP‑700 uses 4MB SIMM's installed in pairs. The maximum memory allowed is 32MB so to reach this level you will need a total of eight 4MB SIMM's. The SIMM's must be 30‑pin, non‑parity and the speed must be 100ns or faster. These are the same style SIMM's used on the S‑750 sampler. Be aware that they are NOT the same style SIMM's used on the S‑760 or S‑770 samplers. The S‑760 SIMM's have 72‑pins and the S‑770 SIMM's are only 1MB. I've been able to find brand‑new 30‑pin SIMM's very cheap on eBay, reverb.com and elsewhere. When searching, look for Macintosh compatible non‑parity SIMM's. Increasing the memory is a breeze because of the easy‑access lid on top of the case. Remove two screws and you're ready to go Loading AKAI CD‑ROM's From An External CD‑ROM or SCSI2SD Device The S‑760 and SP‑700 are the only S‑Series samplers which have the ability to load AKAI S1000 and S1100 library format CD‑ROM's. This greatly expands the capabilities of these two samplers because the AKAI library of CD‑ROM's is gigantic. Instructions for loading AKAI CD‑ROM's can be found here SP‑700 Owner's Manual and Service Notes File Format: *.PDF File ![]() ![]()
S-750 / S-770 SUPPORT ![]() To increase Sample Wave Memory in the S‑750, the optional RAS-750E Expansion Board is required. Long out of production, you might be able to find a used one on eBay or at reverb.com. This expansion board uses 4MB SIMM's installed in pairs. The maximum memory allowed on the S‑750 is 18MB (16MB + 2MB already on‑board) so to reach this level you will need a total of 4 x 4MB SIMM's. The 4MB SIMM's must be 30‑pin, non‑parity and the speed must be 100ns or faster. See page 265 of the S‑750 Owner's Manual for detailed info To increase Sample Wave Memory in the S‑770, the optional RAS-770 Expansion Board is required. Long out of production, you might be able to find a used one on eBay or at reverb.com. This expansion board uses 1MB SIMM's installed in pairs. The maximum memory allowed on the S‑770 is 16MB (14MB + 2MB already on‑board) so to reach this level you will need a total of 14 x 1MB SIMM's. The 1MB SIMM's must be 30‑pin, non‑parity and the speed must be 100ns or faster. See page 272 of the S‑770 Owner's Manual for detailed info ![]() After‑Market Floppy Disk Drives DIY info for replacing an unreliable or broken FDD using inexpensive Chinon, Teac, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, NEC & other brands. Some of the instructions are easy as moving/adding jumpers while others require a steady hand w/advanced soldering skills ![]() ![]() GOTEK USB Floppy Drive Emulator (USB/FDE)
There are many methods of making a GOTEK USB Floppy Drive Emulator (USB/FDE) work with a Roland S‑50, S‑550, S‑330 or W‑30 sampler. The easiest way is to buy GOTEK Model: SFRM72‑FU‑DL for about $25 (USD) and simply plug it into the sampler where the floppy disk drive used to sit. The disadvantage of using this model is that there are very few bells and whistles available. The GOTEK factory firmware on this model uses a very boring 7‑segment LED display and the two buttons on the front make a clumsy user interface Luckily, there are alternatives for updating the GOTEK firmware and the best version I've seen is available for free. You can purchase a low‑priced GOTEK for about $17 (USD), a nice, crisp OLED screen for $2, a rotary encoder for $3 and update the firmware yourself using free installation software. In the past, other firmware updates required a special serial interface and a $10 software license for each GOTEK you updated The only extra hardware you need for this free FlashFloppy firmware update is a standard USB cable. When I updated my GOTEK with the FlashFloppy firmware, installed the OLED and rotary encoder, It worked perfectly the very first time I tried it. Very unusual for mods like this when trying to make 1980's technology work with modern gadgets. In fact, after all the updates went so smoothly, I thought perhaps that something had gone wrong ![]() Keep in mind that the OLED screen and Rotary encoder are optional add‑ons but... for these low cost parts, I highly recommended adding them. It's like the difference between driving a Ford Pinto and a Corvette Stingray A link to installing a GOTEK USB/FDE on your Roland sampler using the free FlashFloppy firmware is here (This firmware update requires free software installation and additional parts [optional] which requires soldering) A link to installing a GOTEK USB/FDE the easy way on your Roland sampler is here (No soldering or extra modification is required for this method) ACCESSORIES: COLOR MONITOR / COMPOSITE VIDEO / MOUSE / RC‑100 / DIGITIZER ![]() A: LOL! You should know by now that almost EVERYTHING Roland makes uses proprietary external devices and it's never easy getting things to work correctly. Making a 15‑pin LCD Flat Screen VGA Color Monitor work is much trickier than just using a simple adapter cable. Several solutions are available and they all require additional external electronics. One of the more interesting and cost effective solutions is the use of a GBS 8200 CGA To VGA Video Converter Board. The current cost on eBay is about $17 USD and you will also need to buy an 8‑pin DIN male connector, an inexpensive wall‑wart power supply and an enclosure for the board. This video board is a compact device measuring 4.0" x 4.5" x 0.75". I have put together a DIY guide with detailed instructions about how to connect this board to an S‑50, S‑550 or S‑330 (See the DIY PAGE) Q: Can I plug an old‑style CGA or EGA color monitor into the S‑50, S‑550 or S‑330 DISPLAY OUT Port for use as the display device? A: Again... LOL! Roland Proprietary. There are several old‑style CGA and EGA monitors which are known to work well with the S‑50, S‑550 or S‑330. However, you can't just plug the monitor in directly. Each one requires a special adapter cable before it can work. Each monitor will require a different style cable because Atari monitors use 13‑pin plugs, Commodore monitors use 9‑pin plugs, etc... ![]() Atari SC1224 / SC1435 Commodore 1080 / 1084 Mitsubishi DiamondScan Darius TSM-1431 Taxan 610 / 420 Sony KV1311 / PVM NEC 3D Magnavox 8762 Zenith ZVM133 Philips CM-8833 Sharp CU-14GB Roland CC-121
![]() Q: What are my options if I don't have an CGA, EGA or VGA color monitor? A: The S‑50, S‑550 and S‑330 all have a Composite Video OUT jack which is used to connect an RCA cable to a TV or a monochrome CRT. The output video signal is monochrome but it is still very usable when making on‑screen menu selections ![]() One option for using the Composite Video signal is an inexpensive device called the EasyCap‑DC60 which enables a Composite Video IN signal using the USB port on your PC or laptop via the supplied software. The EasyCap‑DC60 cost is $7 USD on eBay but I have seen it sell for as low as $4.25 USD in some auctions One of the least expensive options for connecting an external display is a monochrome monitor. One visitor to this website has had great success with the Sony PVM series which are made in 9", 14" and 20" models. These are mainly used as surveillance security monitors and the screen display is crisp and clear. These can be found on eBay for low $$$. Model: PVM‑97 is especially interesting because it has dual A/B inputs which is great if you have more than one S‑Series sampler. The connector on the back is BNC but this is easily solved by using a low‑cost RCA to BNC adapter ![]() Used ATI Radeon X1300 Video Cards sell for less than $6 on eBay. I used a similar card like this one for years to view the composite video output from my S‑50. It was not in color but it did the job. The big advantage was that this card plugged into the PC which eliminated the need for an additional monitor or TV ![]() Another low‑cost option is an unused VHS deck gathering dust somewhere. Some models have S‑Video and/or Composite Video IN jacks. Connect the sampler's Composite OUT signal to the VHS deck, then connect the VHS deck Video OUT to a TV or a computer video card and for little or no investment... you're good to go. If you are trying to connect your S‑50, S‑550 or S‑330 to equipment using PAL and not NTSC video standards, all bets are off. I can't provide any help. When PAL is involved, my eyes glaze over and everything starts to get foggy... just like the snow on a TV that can't receive a good signal. I know absolutely nothing about PAL ![]() Q: Can I use a regular PC mouse with the EXT CONTROL Port on the S‑550, S‑330 or S‑7xx? A: And Again... LOL! Roland Proprietary. Plugging a regular PC mouse into an S‑Series sampler will fry the PICO® fuse so don't try it. The only type of mouse which works when plugged in directly is the Roland MU‑1 or other MSX‑type mouse. These are nearly impossible to find and are insanely expensive compared to a normal PC mouse. However, there is a way to use an inexpensive PS/2 mouse. See the DIY PAGE for more info NOTE: The S‑50 will not work with any type of mouse. The EXT CONTROLLER port on the back of the S‑50 will only work with the optional DT‑100 Digitizer Tablet. If you plug a mouse into the EXT CONTROLLER port, you run the risk of causing a short circuit in the sampler. Likewise, if you plug a non‑Roland mouse into the EXT CTRL port on the S‑550, S‑330, S‑750, S‑760 or S‑770, you run the risk of causing a short circuit. If this happens, see the Roland Fuse Reference Webpage ![]() Q: What is an RC‑100 Remote Controller? A: The RC‑100 has a very long hard‑wired cable which plugs into the EXT CONTROL Port of the S‑330, S‑550 or S‑750/760/770. It adds the same alpha dial found on the S‑50 and duplicates all of the front panel buttons as a convenience device so that you won't need to hover over the sampler while editing. It also has a 9‑pin connector on the back so either a mouse or a DT‑100 (but not both) can be used. The RC‑100 is nearly impossible to find on eBay or from other sources Q: What is a DT‑100 Digitizer Tablet? A: The DT‑100 plugs into the EXT CONTROL Port of the S‑50. It has a stylus and a flat surface which is used to draw waveforms. The DT‑100 also performs menu navigations just like an MU‑1 mouse. There is a clip at the top which is used to hold paper in place over the tablet to protect the drawing surface. The DT‑100 CANNOT be plugged into the EXT CONTROL Port of the S‑550, S‑330 or W‑30. There are no menu choices to support it. However, the DT‑100 CAN be used with the S‑550 and S‑330 if it is plugged into the EXT CONTROL Port on the optional RC‑100 device. A high‑res scan of the most boring manual Roland ever printed is here ![]() *.OUT AND *.IMG FILES - SHARE YOUR SAMPLER LIBRARY Q: Is it easy to share samples with other S‑50 / S‑550 / S‑330 / S‑760 / W‑30 owners? A: Absolutely! The OMNIFLOP (Windows) and "dd" (Mac) utilities make it super simple to create your own 3.5" disk image files which can be uploaded or eMailed Q: Where can I find more info about the S‑50, S‑550, S‑330 W‑30 and S‑7xx samplers? A: Since the early 1990's, John Sellens has maintained an excellent resource for the S‑Series and W‑Series samplers. Plenty of downloads, sample libraries, utilities, info and newsgroup discussions from the 1980's & 1990's is there. Luckily for us, it is still operational to this day. I was using it when it was just an FTP site and web browsers weren't even developed yet. You can find everything under the sun about the S‑Series samplers at sgroup.ca. There is also a special interest group geared towards the S‑Series and W‑Series samplers at Facebook called the Roland Sampler Information Exchange. Joining is FREE and easy. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() File Format: Freebie *.OUT Disk Image Files here ![]() SYSTEM AND UTILITY VERSIONS (CURRENT AND LEGACY) Q: What are the current System and Utility versions for some of the Roland samplers? A: This list is unverified and by no means complete but it's pretty close. I was able to compile these by reading the headers on various 3.5" floppy disks
DISK FORMATS SHARED BETWEEN DIFFERENT SAMPLER MODELS Q: Can I load floppy disks, hard drives and CD‑ROM's formatted for other sampler models onto my Roland sampler? A: Yes and No. There are several options available. Some will load directly & others need to use a "Convert Load" command or a separate utility disk
MAGAZINES - KEYBOARD CLINICS - MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS
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Safety Precautions and Disclaimer
Modifications made to any factory stock equipment will always pose an element of risk. Sometimes mistakes are made which are irreversible. Improper soldering and handling of electricity can cause serious injury and damage the synthesizer. Use caution when handling static sensitive devices and the PCB. Make sure you are properly grounded, working on a static-free workbench or table and wearing eye protection during any soldering tasks. The author is not responsible for any damage or injury resulting from this DIY info. Use this DIY information at your own risk. And, I can't stress enough, the importance of wearing eye protection while soldering. That stuff flies everywhere sometimes! All images, text, JavaScript and HTML Code ©1995- by llamamusic.com The Information On This Page Is Current As Of |