Hi to all on the forum. I've had a love/hate relationship with my MPC4000 for over a year now and after dealing with continuing sync issues last week I made a somewhat rash decision and decided to go back to an E-mu sampler and sequencing in MOTU DP4. I just purchased a refurb e6400 Ultra, RFX32 w/8 outs and the DWAM option directly from E-mu. I wanted an E4XT or E4 Platinum so I wouldn't have to deal with installing options, but all they had left was the e6400 (a store demo) and some e5000s. First off, some complaints.. the phone rep at E-mu told me the e6400 had a hard drive and a sound rom installed. It has a 2 gig SCSI hard drive but the sound rom has been removed. It came with the E-Synth Preset documentation and the rom presets were in flash memory, so I know the rom was there at one time. I emailed E-mu but haven't received a reply. I didn't even get a receipt, just a packing list. Just a word of warning if you order anything directly from E-mu.. the blow-out prices are great but don't expect much in the way of customer service. YMMV
Anyway, on to my questions. I'm using a Mac with OS 10.2.6, Bias Peak, and an Adaptec 2906 SCSI card. I really didn't put much consideration into SCSI transfers with the e6400 (spoiled by ak.sys). Anyone using a similar setup sucessfully? I haven't connected the e6400 to the SCSI chain yet, but my old SCSI Zip works fine with the latest Adaptec OSX driver. I'm waiting to get extra memory before I connect the e6400. I can still boot in OS 9, but I'm trying to avoid it completely. Hopefully I didn't make a big mistake by getting the e6400 Ultra.
Secondly, I ordered a Seagate ST118202LC 18.2GB SCSI 10K RPM Hard Drive to replace the 2.1 gig in the e6400. It uses an 80-pin connector. Anyone know if this will work in the e6400? If not, it's no big deal as I only paid $20 w/shipping.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance! btw, I posted this same message on the TweakHeadz E-mu forum; sorry for the redundancy if you read both forums.
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E-mu e6400 Questions
10 posts • Page 1 of 1
E-mu e6400 Questions
by parhelion » Wed Oct 15, 2003 5:47 am
- parhelion
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by parhelion » Fri Oct 17, 2003 6:25 am
Well, I can confirm that the e6400 Ultra will not cooperate with my Adaptec 2906 and Mac G4 400 w/OS 10.2.6. I tried every conceivable configuration. The Mac boots but shows 10 different E4s in system info and smidi transfers won't work. The exact same setup works perfectly in OS 9.2.2. Anyone want to buy a loaded e6400 Ultra? 
- parhelion
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by parhelion » Thu Nov 06, 2003 6:13 am
Nah, sorry, I'm in the U.S. where it seems that hardware samplers are about as desirable as an old 486 PC. I've had zero interest in the e6400 ultra, even dropped my price a few times, down to $1050 now. Man, did I ever overpay for this thing! Might get another SCSI card (someone said the Adaptec 2930 works) and give it a go. Otherwise it looks like I have a very expensive doorstop.
- parhelion
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by E4K1 » Fri Nov 07, 2003 1:12 am
Hi there,
First of all, don't despair about the SCSI thing. I've read at Studio Central that having a xx0x SCSI from Adaptec would be better than one with ROM such as the xx3x or xx4x, but I beg to differ. I had two of the baby Adaptec cards, and it's only with the 2940 that I found a working setup. Also, I had an Acard SCSI III card that work fine with my E4K.
Secondly, you can indeed use your 80-pin SCA drive, but you will need an 80-pin to 50-pin adapter, and that might be the problem. They exist and they are cheap, but once installed on your drive, will the adapter prevent you from mounting it inside your 6400 for lack of space? I can't tell you as my E4K has room to spare when it comes to hard drive space. I even managed to fit a Molex SilentDrive enclosure although I had to chop bits off.
Finally, regarding the drive itself. As it is only used as a sample repository, i.e. you're not doing hard disk recording with it, you don't need a 10,000rmp unit, nor even a 7200rpm one for that matter. So you could always get a cheap 5400rpm with a 50-pin SCSI connection that will fit with no bother inside your 6400.
Fran?ois
First of all, don't despair about the SCSI thing. I've read at Studio Central that having a xx0x SCSI from Adaptec would be better than one with ROM such as the xx3x or xx4x, but I beg to differ. I had two of the baby Adaptec cards, and it's only with the 2940 that I found a working setup. Also, I had an Acard SCSI III card that work fine with my E4K.
Secondly, you can indeed use your 80-pin SCA drive, but you will need an 80-pin to 50-pin adapter, and that might be the problem. They exist and they are cheap, but once installed on your drive, will the adapter prevent you from mounting it inside your 6400 for lack of space? I can't tell you as my E4K has room to spare when it comes to hard drive space. I even managed to fit a Molex SilentDrive enclosure although I had to chop bits off.
Finally, regarding the drive itself. As it is only used as a sample repository, i.e. you're not doing hard disk recording with it, you don't need a 10,000rmp unit, nor even a 7200rpm one for that matter. So you could always get a cheap 5400rpm with a 50-pin SCSI connection that will fit with no bother inside your 6400.
Fran?ois
- E4K1
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- Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 1:53 am
by parhelion » Fri Nov 07, 2003 5:18 am
Hi Fran?ois,
>First of all, don't despair about the SCSI thing. I've read at Studio Central that having a xx0x SCSI from Adaptec would be better than one with ROM such as the xx3x or xx4x, but I beg to differ. I had two of the baby Adaptec cards, and it's only with the 2940 that I found a working setup. Also, I had an Acard SCSI III card that work fine with my E4K.
Thing that's strange is it's only in OS 10.2.6 where the 2906 and e6400 won't cooperate. Works fine in OS 9.2.2. I was also under the impression that a card w/o ROM would be best. I'm sure it's a driver issue, and I doubt Adaptec is very worried about it since the 2906 works fine with just a Zip drive in OS X. Someone on the Studio Central board told me the 2930 works in OS X, although it uses the same driver as the 2906. I can pick up a used one for about $35, so I might give it a shot.
>Secondly, you can indeed use your 80-pin SCA drive, but you will need an 80-pin to 50-pin adapter, and that might be the problem. They exist and they are cheap, but once installed on your drive, will the adapter prevent you from mounting it inside your 6400 for lack of space? I can't tell you as my E4K has room to spare when it comes to hard drive space. I even managed to fit a Molex SilentDrive enclosure although I had to chop bits off.
Yes, I realized that it was a removable RAID drive after I got it. I can get an adaptor for $10, but as you mention, I don't think it would fit in the e6400. I'd like to get an enclosure for it and use it externally, but so far the only ones I've found cost twice as much as the drive itself.
>Finally, regarding the drive itself. As it is only used as a sample repository, i.e. you're not doing hard disk recording with it, you don't need a 10,000rmp unit, nor even a 7200rpm one for that matter. So you could always get a cheap 5400rpm with a 50-pin SCSI connection that will fit with no bother inside your 6400.
I understand that I don't need 10k rpm for sample storage, I just got the drive because it was so cheap. I'd prefer to get an 18-20 gig 5400 rpm SCSI to replace the 2.1 gig one in the e6400, but I've had no luck finding one that size. Most are between 4-9 gig.
Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how it works out.
Kipp
>First of all, don't despair about the SCSI thing. I've read at Studio Central that having a xx0x SCSI from Adaptec would be better than one with ROM such as the xx3x or xx4x, but I beg to differ. I had two of the baby Adaptec cards, and it's only with the 2940 that I found a working setup. Also, I had an Acard SCSI III card that work fine with my E4K.
Thing that's strange is it's only in OS 10.2.6 where the 2906 and e6400 won't cooperate. Works fine in OS 9.2.2. I was also under the impression that a card w/o ROM would be best. I'm sure it's a driver issue, and I doubt Adaptec is very worried about it since the 2906 works fine with just a Zip drive in OS X. Someone on the Studio Central board told me the 2930 works in OS X, although it uses the same driver as the 2906. I can pick up a used one for about $35, so I might give it a shot.
>Secondly, you can indeed use your 80-pin SCA drive, but you will need an 80-pin to 50-pin adapter, and that might be the problem. They exist and they are cheap, but once installed on your drive, will the adapter prevent you from mounting it inside your 6400 for lack of space? I can't tell you as my E4K has room to spare when it comes to hard drive space. I even managed to fit a Molex SilentDrive enclosure although I had to chop bits off.
Yes, I realized that it was a removable RAID drive after I got it. I can get an adaptor for $10, but as you mention, I don't think it would fit in the e6400. I'd like to get an enclosure for it and use it externally, but so far the only ones I've found cost twice as much as the drive itself.
>Finally, regarding the drive itself. As it is only used as a sample repository, i.e. you're not doing hard disk recording with it, you don't need a 10,000rmp unit, nor even a 7200rpm one for that matter. So you could always get a cheap 5400rpm with a 50-pin SCSI connection that will fit with no bother inside your 6400.
I understand that I don't need 10k rpm for sample storage, I just got the drive because it was so cheap. I'd prefer to get an 18-20 gig 5400 rpm SCSI to replace the 2.1 gig one in the e6400, but I've had no luck finding one that size. Most are between 4-9 gig.
Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how it works out.
Kipp
- parhelion
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- Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2003 5:41 am
10 posts • Page 1 of 1