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Circuitbenders Forum => Drum machines => Circuitbending discussion => Alesis => Topic started by: hoffy on December 02, 2008, 01:33:50 AM

Title: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: hoffy on December 02, 2008, 01:33:50 AM
Hi,

Burnkit 2600's website mentions two programs that can be used to burn EPROMS for the Alesis drum machine with custom samples. One is from robotsinmotion.com and the others is stormscorner.com. Unfortunately, both websites have disappeared from the net!

Anyone have a copy of these programs floating around?

The original article is here: http://burnkit2600.com/gear/hr-16-diy-sound-roms/

To the best of my knowledge both of these programs are freeware.

Thank you!
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: Circuitbenders on December 02, 2008, 03:45:39 PM
or you could just search this forum for Gordonjcp's method of burning Alesis HR-16 ROM's
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: hoffy on December 03, 2008, 01:45:00 AM
Thanks, that's a great help.

So anyway:

a) What the fuck is an "svn repository"

b) How do i build his utility? There's no .exe files in the directory?

c) What does any of this mean?

"svn co svn://www.nekosynth.co.uk/nekosynth/utilities/hr16utils
cd hr16utils
scons"

d) Do you know where I could get the C E G program because it looks wonderfully easy to use.

Thanks.
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: Gordonjcp on December 03, 2008, 02:13:44 AM
Hello.


a) What the fuck is an "svn repository"

svn, or "Subversion" is a source control system.  It allows you to keep track of changes to a piece of software as it develops.

b) How do i build his utility? There's no .exe files in the directory?

The build instructions are on the page.  There is no .exe file, because it doesn't run under Windows.  I've never used Windows and I don't even know anyone who has it, far less software development tools for it.

c) What does any of this mean?
first line pulls the latest version of the code from my server
second line changes to the directory containing the code
third line actually builds the code into the utility.

Or, of course, you could just ask me nicely to roll a ROM set for you.  I could probably even burn it for you, but I'd need to price up blank EPROMs and postage - probably about £30 all in.
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: hoffy on December 03, 2008, 09:27:50 AM
Quote
a) What the fuck is an "svn repository"

svn, or "Subversion" is a source control system.  It allows you to keep track of changes to a piece of software as it develops.

Ok. That doesn't help me whatsoever- English is not my native language, let alone whatever that language is.

Quote
b) How do i build his utility? There's no .exe files in the directory?

The build instructions are on the page.  There is no .exe file, because it doesn't run under Windows.  I've never used Windows and I don't even know anyone who has it, far less software development tools for it.

Oh ok, this helps. You've *never* used Windows? Wow. I figured it was a c++ program from the file extension..?
Obviously I am wrong. But I only use Windows so...

Quote
c) What does any of this mean?
first line pulls the latest version of the code from my server
second line changes to the directory containing the code
third line actually builds the code into the utility.

Oh ok, i get all this bit :), but being on Windows only, It doesn't really help me.

Quote
Or, of course, you could just ask me nicely to roll a ROM set for you.  I could probably even burn it for you, but I'd need to price up blank EPROMs and postage - probably about £30 all in.

That's an extraordinarily kind offer, thank you. I'll have a think about it. I've joined the hr16 yahoo group, so i'll see if any of those kids can help, or the burnkit people, Otherwise, I'm in the ass end of the world so it might not be possible.

But again, thank you :)
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on December 08, 2008, 07:41:21 PM
btw, has anyone a spare set of hr16 rom's for sale ?? i have now both the hr16/hr16b and i tought to piggyback
one of them and let go the other. i live in amsterdam, netherlands...
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: Gordonjcp on December 08, 2008, 10:53:37 PM
Have you got an EPROM programmer?  You can pick up an el-cheapo Willem PCB3 programmer for about 30EUR or less from eBay.  It'll save money in the long run...
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on December 09, 2008, 07:11:47 PM
thanks for the advice. but i am total unhandy with that kind of things. and to little time to learn..
but i will check it out anyway...
guess it is possible to read a rom, and burn that data on an eeprom, so then you have a copy right ?
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: Gordonjcp on December 09, 2008, 07:56:29 PM
Correct.  Mail me off-forum if you want to discuss such heinous software piracy matters ;-)
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: nochtanseenspecht on December 13, 2008, 09:34:45 PM
Thanks Gordon, great offer ! however, i checked out the Willem PCB3 programmer, on e bay it was only
available in China... here in Netherlands it cost 80 euro ! :o
but i asked an aquaintance who has an eeprom burner, and he don't mind to make a copy,at least if it is possible
to copy this kind of rom chip...
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: dirtycircuits on March 02, 2009, 09:38:32 PM
Have any of you guys tried making custom ROMs for the KAWAI R-100 ?

I've just been given one of these great machines, and I'm told that the manufacturer sold custom sound chips at one point.. I doubt I'll ever find one of those, but if any one here is able to make me some custom ROMs then I'd like to maybe cut a deal ? ?  :)
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: Gordonjcp on March 02, 2009, 11:20:12 PM
Have you got an EPROM programmer that you can read the sound ROM you have with?  Given a dump of any ROMs I could make a stab at working out the formats.
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: dirtycircuits on March 04, 2009, 06:51:42 PM
Have you got an EPROM programmer that you can read the sound ROM you have with?  Given a dump of any ROMs I could make a stab at working out the formats.

Thanks for the interest. I don't have an EPROM programmer, yet. Honestly, I'm still learning basic electronics ATM so EPROM programming is still way out of my depth.

I think it's something I'll look into in the future though, but got to get to grips with the basics first.

 :)
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: LoneStar81 on April 12, 2009, 01:38:12 PM
The R-100 has a somewhat odd 40-pin ROM which appears to be 4Mbit, at least telling from the name... "MN234001KAA"
I've had other machines with 23xxx roms, they're a problem for me...
For example, the Korg DDD-5 has two "23C1000C" roms, which suggests it's 1Mbit, even though they're 28pin and your average 1Mbit eprom is 32pin. However my eprom burner doesn't regognise it, reading it as 27C512 gives me only half the data (standard pcm though).
Any ideas?
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: Gordonjcp on April 12, 2009, 06:30:21 PM
What about 27C010?
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: LoneStar81 on April 12, 2009, 08:18:24 PM
What about 27C010?

As I said, a 1Mbit EPROM (such as 27C010/1001) is 32pin, whereas this 23C1000 one is 28pin. Reading it as 27C010 doesn't work, while reading it as 27C512 works but gives half the data (half of the sounds are missing).

Online it's very hard to find datasheets for 23xxx chips, one thing I could find out though is that they seem to be ROMs delivered from the manufacturer with the desired data already on it. This would mean they need no /PGM or /Vpp pins etc, which could explain why they're 28pin despite being 1Mbit (128k x8 -> 17 address lines + 8 data lines + 1 /CE + 2 power = 28 pins). It wouldn't be hard to make an adapter for the EPROM burner if I had the pinout, which I haven't.
Further, for using a custom chip I'd need to use a 27C1001 or similar, which requires the same adapter again.

So much for the DDD-5 with its 23C1000 ROMs. The R-100's 234001 is out of the question for me, since it's 40pin and my EPROM burner has only a 32pin socket, awww. It would be interesting though if someone with a 40pin burner could read it out. The chip is even socketed for convenient removal.
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: Gordonjcp on April 12, 2009, 10:15:53 PM
Ah, yes, now I remember.  I was starting to decypher this for the TR-505 ROM.  Give me a couple of days, and I'll try and document what I've got.
Title: Re: Alesis HR-16 Custom ROM burning
Post by: LoneStar81 on April 19, 2009, 01:35:05 AM
Good news, I managed to read the DDD-5's ROMs and could fit standard 27C1001 ones with new sounds, thanks to the hints you gave me the other day in the chat, gordon.

The main problem was, the original DDD-5 ROMs are NEC 23C1000 mask ROMS, pre-programmed by the manufacturer. They only have 28pins while your usual 27C1001 EPROMs have 32 pins, so reading the original ones with an EPROM programmer needs a bit of adaption, likewise does inserting 27C1001 ones into the machine.
Apart from that, it works just fine! Next step will be fitting the next bigger type (27C020, 2Mbit), make the highest address line switchable and that way get two soundsets. 95% of the work on this is actually collecting and preparing sounds, the rest is easy going. I'm looking forward to it!