How To Convert Akai S1100 Floppy Disc Samples To Software Sampler Files. Options

[martinf63]

Back in the mid 90s I did a sound engineering course, and part of the course-work was to multi sample instruments and make a track using just the sampler. Over the period of the course I created many sample programs and sampled many instruments. I used the Akai S1100 sampler and I have many floppy discs filled with samples and programs.
After finishing the course I tried to get a job in the music or film industry but after three years I was unable to find anything suitable so I gave up and found a 9-5 job working for the NHS. It has taken me this long to save up and buy some audio equipment and a home computer based studio.

I am using both an iMac and a Macbook pro using Halion 3, Kontakt 3 and the EXS24 Sampler in Logic Studio.

Can anybody tell me how I can convert the samples on floppy disc from the Akai S1100 to any filetype that one of my soft samplers listed above can use? I have a USB floppy disc drive but the Akai floppys don't seem to be recognised by my Mac's operating system. I am running OS 10.4.11 on the iMac and OS 10.5.1 on the Macbook pro.

Any help will be much appreciated.

[Mac Daddy]

Dear martinf63,

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[mortalengines]

You may want to do some research but there are several software samplers out there that will recognize your Akai samples. If I remember correctly Propellerhead's Recycle can convert Akai samples to a more current format or even just convert them to Wav or Aiff files. I am pretty sure that Motu and Native Instruments have samplers that will read Akai samples as well.


www.myspace.com/mortal_engines

[martinf63]

The problem is that when I insert any of the floppy discs into my floppy drive, there seems to be no files on the disc at all. My computer sees them as blank discs. This happens on all of the floppy discs, so therefore I have no files to convert. I have tried to see if it will work on a windows based computer, but the same things happen. Could the floppy discs have been erased over the last 12 - 15 years? I have stored them away from direct sunlight and magnetic fields. I need to find a way for my computer or any computer to recognise the files on the floppy discs. Is there a way I can see what files are on the floppy discs, whether they are incompatible files or invisible files?
Once I can see the files, I can then try to convert them, to be used in one of the software samplers.

[lancet]

I'm not sure you can. Apparently the Akai floppy format is unique to Akai samplers.

This is old info. but likely still relevant.

"Akai floppy disks are formatted as 2 sides of 80 tracks with 5 or 10 sectors per track. Each sector is 1024 bytes long, giving a total of 800k (low density) or 1600k (high density). PCs use 9 or 18 sectors of 512 bytes and will not read Akai floppies without reprogramming. As far as I can tell, Mac floppy drives can't read Akai floppy disks at all."

The author goes on to describe a method of reprograming a PC floppy to read the format.

http://mda.smartelectronix.com/akai/akaiinfo.htm#1

You may need to find an Akai sampler and do a midi sample dump.

[martinf63]

Thanks lancet. I was affraid someone was going to say something like that. I guess I will hang on to the floppy discs until either I can borrow or hire an Akai sampler or some other method may turn up in the future.

Thanks to everyone who replied.

[Mac Daddy]

martinf63

There are numerous DATA Recovery Services available.

[Jim Hoyland]

I haven't tried this with a floppy, but with Akai CDs you can tell the Mac OS to ignore the unrecognisable disc (it won't appear as mounted), but then pick up it's contents from within ESX24 (something like File > Convert Akai format). Have you tried this with your USB floppy drive?

[martinf63]

No not yet, I will give it a go when I have some spare time, probably this weekend. I will let you know what happens. Thanks for your reply.

[Mac Daddy]

Jim Hoyland Posted Yesterday, 07:33 AM

(I haven't tried this with a floppy, but with Akai CDs you can tell the Mac OS to ignore the unrecognisable disc (it won't appear as mounted), but then pick up it's contents from within ESX24 (something like File > Convert Akai format). Have you tried this with your USB floppy drive?)

Jim,

Your suggestion sounds like a "Winner"...