Emu XL-7 & MP-7 User's Group

I don't think we ever shipped ROMs with flash *sample data* chips.  We certainly shipped them with "baby flash" until the first round of production went out.

The P2k series sound SIMMs have either 16MB or 32MB of sound data (raw samples and instruments) as 4 chips.  These are the larger chips, two on each side, and are not rewritable.  These chips are readable by an Ultra series sampler as well.

Then, there's 5th chip which has either 2MB or 4MB - the "baby flash" - that only the P2k can read/write.  This stores arps, factory presets, beats, riffs, etc.  This is the chip that is sometimes flash and sometimes ROM.

Since sample data got done *far* before presets in the development process, those got sent off to manufacturing to make cheaper ROM parts.  The preset data very often was done without enough lead time to turn hard ROM parts (upwards of 2 months, IIRC) so those frequently used flash, either at first, or for lower production items, forever.

The baby flash could be cheap flash too, as it doesn't have to support the same throughput that the big flash does.  All it does is house data that is read into main memory upon boot.  The big flash (sample data) has to support 128 voices of 16-bit ~44100kHz - something that works out to over 10MB/s - something that even current flash memory cards 10 years later have a hard time providing.  When you go buy an SD card, they're rated as Class 2, 4, or 6 - that's MB/sec.  The class 6 ones are the "Ultra" ones, yet they're almost twice as slow as the E-mu part.

That's also the answer to the question "why are the flash ROMs so expensive?" - it's because they were beyond state-of-the-art.  We were using the very very latest flash chips from Intel to get that throughput.  For a while, the 32MB flash SIMMs weren't feasible because Intel simply did not make a fast enough chip.

Anyway, that's a long answer to short question of "can I write them in an Ultra?" to which the answer is, sadly, no.

-Aaron


PS. now, if you had the "SimmMaster3000" software loaded on your P2k, you'd be able to rewrite your presets, but... you don't. ; )
PPS. don't ask me for it, I don't even have it myself : (



________________________________
From: Bob S. <tttsystems@...>
To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 9:23:47 PM
Subject: Re: [xl7] flash roms?

  

What are the APxxxxx numbers in the ROM boards ?

Bob
El Segundo, CA



-----Original Message-----
>
>From: Ivan Chaparro 
>
>Sent: Oct 29, 2009 10:25 PM
>
>To: xl7@yahoogroups.com
>
>Subject: [xl7] flash roms?
>
>
>
>  >
>> 
>If a rom says "flash rom" on it can it be re written with an ultra 
>>sampler? I have a couple proteus roms, one is clearly marked composer 
>>with a sticker. some roms say "sound rom" some say flash rom?
> >	 
> >	 
>  >	 
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