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

From: "John Doe membraneesoterica@... [xl7]"
To: "xl7@yahoogroups.com"
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2015 5:37 PM
Subject: Re: [xl7] Re: Programmable ROMs?

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I would love to install writable ROMs of Techno synth construction and Beat Garden in my Ensoniq Halo!�

I gave up hope when I saw people selling the original ROMs for $250 each.�

That's just crazy when you consider that the cakewalk VST's for at least five sound modules are only $100.�

On Mar 28, 2015, at 6:46 PM, Jack Pratt woodsworth1@... [xl7] <xl7@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

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Not sure why you don't read the posts properly.

I have attached a screen image of the state of the board layout. It is a 6 layer board with one layer being a ground plane and I haven't yet needed to use the third mid layer. If I don't use it it will become a power plane. The thin green lines are connections yet to be routed. As you can see (if the attachment comes through) most of the signals are routed but the ones that are left are harder (ie the routing becomes harder as the easy links are all taken).

It will be completed when I find time to do the routing. Its not especially hard, just time consuming (and I have a thing for neatness...)

After that I will need to get some made and write some software to program them and program the logic devices. There are two logic devices. One is for providing 5V buffering of input signals and address decoding, the other is for providing a live waveform (ie updated sound as the note is played. The micro on the board can pump the live sound in either from the USB interface or from some internal logic. Its not an especially powerful micro so don't expect too much along this front)

It is far easier to simply copy existing wave ROMs than produce unique ROMs from samples because the format of the ROMs still needs to be decoded. Hopefully that won't be hard. Then some software (PC?) needs to be written to download the ROM images and create your own.

The board has two FLASH chips and two 16-bit buffers. It would be possible to sell a cut down version with only one logic device, one buffer and one flash chip (which would either be 96MB of ROM in four slots, or 224MB of ROM which you would need to select the ones that are active (up to 128MB). The cut down version would have no live sound capabilities. And no micro SD card inteface.

The reason that the design is like this is because the KORG EXB (for triton series) has a similar format but is 32-bits wide and I would like to use the same hardware in my triton rack. However providing for this capability makes the design time longer.

so ....

From: "George G pluto_ro@... [xl7]" <xl7@yahoogroups.com>
To: "xl7@yahoogroups.com" <xl7@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, 29 March 2015, 8:07
Subject: Re: [xl7] Re: Programmable ROMs?

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First of all my post was not intented to insult anyone!

Second you can't change the way everybody will think about this copyright thing, this its everyone choice what is doing at home... You can't control people to download movies from piratebay even if its illegal...

My post was strictly about the technical side where this project is just an utopy in this moment, so again I call for organization and for a way we can move forward!�

Lets talk about this, can we?

Is this flash rom fesible considering we are not a company with a technical history and experience behind?

Is there anyone can make a technical plan? What we need to do to go firward, I am just a musician with a very basic knowledge about technical side so I can help to nuch but I can fund this and I am sure I will not be the only one...

Waiting real answers about real the problems guys

Thanks

George

On 28 mar. 2015, at 10:51, smw-mail@... [xl7] <xl7@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

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I feel insulted that you called the topic I raised irrelevant.� Unless I am mistaken (it happens), someone mentioned the idea of creating banks of ROM images of E-Mu Sound ROMS in connection with the creation of a new way/new technology for the Command Stations/P2Ks, etc. In my book, that makes discussion of possible copyright issues relevant.

You may feel that no one will shut down the user group if we were to start hosting such a bank of ROM images or if "it appears that" some members seem to be creating new technology for the purpose of cloning E-Mu ROMs, since it is orphaned technology as defined by copyright law, its perfectly OK to do this.

However, the discussion of these issue should not be called irrelevant.

If it is not relevant to you personally, that is 100% fine with me; read what people post and either make use of it, or let it go. But don't insult people who raise legitimate issues.

Just my opinion.

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