S-50_S-550_ZONE

3.5 ICON

Floppy Disk Drive DIY's And Reference Material
For Roland S-50, S-550, S-330, S-760 & W-30

Most Roland sampler owners these days are replacing their old unreliable or broken Floppy Disk Drives (FDD's) with newer technology ‑ the GOTEK USB/FDD Emulator. For those of us who are still living way back in the 1980's, we try to maintain our FDD's and keep the samplers running by using the older technology. Assembled here is a collection of my DIY experiences and some pointers for replacing a broken FDD with the after-market, inexpensive models. Some of these modifications are as simple as moving or adding jumper blocks on the back while others require a steady hand at soldering wires and microscopic SMD/SMT components. Have at it!!!
S-50_S-550

     Toshiba P/N: FDD 4261A0K (The Original Factory Installed Model - Early Production Runs)
     Toshiba P/N: FDD 4261G0K (The Original Factory Installed Model - Late Production Runs)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings

     Chinon P/N: FZ-357 (After‑Market / Simply Move Some Jumpers)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Teac P/N: FD-235HF-6527 (After‑Market / Simply Move Some Jumpers)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Teac P/N: FD-235HF-C429 (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Sony P/N: MPF920-Z/121 (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Panasonic P/N: JU256A-488PC (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Alps P/N: DF354H (121G) (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Mitsumi P/N: D359M3 (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC (Rev. C) (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE  (Note: This model has a WHITE bezel)

     Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC (Rev. E) (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE  (Note: This model has a WHITE bezel)

     Samsung P/N: SFD-321B/LE and P/N: SFD-321J/ADSF (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   *VERIFIED BY OTHERS*  (*.ZIP Download)
                    NOTE: I was unable to get a similar Samsung model to work - P/N: SFD-321B/LTGNQ


S-50_S-550

     Toshiba P/N: ND-352S-A (The Original Factory Installed Model - Early Production Runs)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumpers For The ND-352 Series (PDF)

     Teac P/N: FD-235HF-A527(The Original Factory Installed Model - Late Production Runs)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumpers For The FD-235HF Series (PDF)

S-50_S-550

     Chinon P/N: FX‑354 (The Original Factory Installed Model)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings

     Chinon P/N: FZ-357 (After‑Market / Simply Move Some Jumpers)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Teac P/N: FD‑235HF‑C529 (After‑Market / Simply Move Some Jumpers)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Teac P/N: FD-235HF-6527 (After‑Market / Simply Move Some Jumpers)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Teac P/N: FD‑235HF‑C929 (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD Jumper Settings  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Teac P/N: FD-235HF-C429 (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     NEC P/N: FD1231T (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Sony P/N: MPF920-Z/121 (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Panasonic P/N: JU256A-488PC (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Alps P/N: DF354H (121G) (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images  S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Mitsumi P/N: D359M3 (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE

     Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC (Rev. C) (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images  S-50_S-550_ZONE  (Note: This model has a WHITE bezel)

     Mitsubishi P/N: MF355F‑3490UC (Rev. E) (After‑Market / This DIY Requires Soldering)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD DIY Instructions and Images   S-50_S-550_ZONE  (Note: This model has a WHITE bezel)

S-50_S-550

     Chinon P/N: FZ-357 (The Original Factory Installed Model)
               S-50 / S-550 DOWNLOAD FZ‑357 Jumpers For The S‑760


Additional Notes
S-550_REVERSED_CABLE
Figure 1
(click for larger image)
  • Take special care when working with FDD's on the S-550. Why? All of the S‑550 ribbon cables I've ever seen were installed backwards at the factory (see Figure 1). Never trust the keyed notch, arrow or stripe on the S‑550's 34‑Pin ribbon cable connector. Ensure that Pin‑1 on the ribbon cable matches up with Pin‑1 on the disk drive. Pin‑1 is usually silk‑screened on the FDD PCB somewhere and also on the S‑550 Main PCB


  • Through trial and error I have noticed that even though a FDD model number prefix is the same, not all of the PBC's are the same. For example, a Teac FD‑235HF‑C529 works great with the W‑30 but a Teac FD‑235HF‑A219 does not. FDD models with movable jumper blocks installed at the PCB's back area usually make the best candidates for a replacement drive. If you are trying to make a FDD work which is not shown on the list here, the best advice I can give you is to try and set the jumpers, soldered wires or PCB soldered strap‑blocks to the following: 
                       Function    Usually Silkscreened As    Tips
     ----------------------    -----------------------    ---------------------------------------------
               READY OUTPUT    RDY                        Rewire to Pin-34 of the FDD connector
              DS/DD DENSITY    HA or LO                   Always use DS/DD for the S-50, S-550 & W-30
             DRIVE SELECT 0    DS0 or D0                  DS0 = Sampler or Synth; DS1 = Computer
         DISK CHANGE OUTPUT    DC                         Rewire to Pin-2 of the FDD connector
     MOTOR ON FROM MOTOR ON    MO or MM                   MOTOR ON is not present on all FDD's
    MOTOR_FACEPLATE
  • You may be tempted to look under the hood of a FDD but... don't unscrew the motor assembly for any reason!!! As soon as you take these screws out, the disk drive head will be out of sync and will not load a floppy disk until you spend a LOT of time realigning everything using an oscilloscope and a special factory alignment disk. This is the easiest way to turn your FDD into a brick!


  • If you have access to an older Windows PC with an equally ancient FDD then you can create your own 3.5" floppy boot disks and Sound Disks for the S‑50, S‑550, S‑330, S‑760 & W-30. There are some free Windows utilities here


  • If you have access to a Mac system and external 3.5" USB FDD, you can create your own 3.5" floppy boot disks and Sound Disks for the S‑50, S‑550, S‑330, S‑760 & W-30. There is a special utility called "dd" which is built into the Mac O/S. Detailed info is here


  • An excellent source for inexpensive recycled 720KB DS/DD 3.5" floppy disks is floppydisk.com
    • Note: All floppy disks are reformated, tested and relabeled. I highly recommend this vendor!

              SAMPLER LIBRARY


  • If you know of any other FDD's not listed here that work with the S‑Series and W‑30 samplers, please send me some detailed info and I will add it to the list

              S-Series / W-30 FDD eMail: llamamusic@hotmail.com


  SAMPLER     FDD BOOT DISK FORMAT [1]     FDD SOUND DISK FORMAT [2]     FDD MULTI‑READ? [3]     3.5" FDD P/N [4]  
DJ‑70 / DJ‑70MKII   (No Boot Disk. O/S Boots From ROM)     DS/DD 720KB ‑or‑ DS/HD 1.44MB   YES FZ-357
S‑330   DS/DD 720KB     DS/DD 720KB   NO   ND‑352S‑A ‑or‑ FD‑235HF‑A527  
S‑50   DS/DD 720KB     DS/DD 720KB   NO   FDD4261A0K ‑or‑ FDD4261G0K  
S‑550   DS/DD 720KB     DS/DD 720KB   NO   FDD4261A0K ‑or‑ FDD4261G0K  
S‑750   DS/DD 720KB     DS/DD 720KB ‑or‑ DS/HD 1.44MB   YES FZ-357
S‑760   DS/HD 1.44MB     DS/DD 720KB ‑or‑ DS/HD 1.44MB   YES FZ-357
S‑770   DS/DD 720KB     DS/DD 720KB ‑or‑ DS/HD 1.44MB   YES FX-357
SP‑700   (No FDD. O/S Boots From EPROM)     (No FDD. Must Save To SCSI)   (No FDD Installed) (No FDD Installed)
W‑30   DS/DD 720KB     DS/DD 720KB   NO   FX‑354 ‑or‑ FZ‑357  
[1] This is the required FDD size format for a boot disk. All of these samplers must have the required disk size format shown here before it will boot (The S‑760 is the oddball here)
[2] Some samplers are able to save their Sound Disks to both disk formats (DS/DD 720KB -or- DS/HD 1.44MB)
[3] Some FDD mechanisms labeled "NO" are able to read both DS/DD 720KB & DS/HD 1.44MB disks. However, the sampler O/S and/or PCB jumpers might override this ability
[4] These are the factory installed 3.5" floppy disk drive P/N's


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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!

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S-50_S-550_ZONE
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