Custom-built multi-bank Roland M-256/M-512 memory cards

[Headless68]

I'm more than happy to test a beta on the VG-8 for you - there are several hundred user patches out there on the V-guitar forum so plenty to have a test with.

Cheers
Phil (Headless)

[Headless68]

I'm more than happy to test a beta on the VG-8 for you - there are several hundred user patches out there on the V-guitar forum so plenty to have a test with.

Cheers
Phil (Headless)

[dojoe]

So baz99 seems to have a little problem: My card is about 10mm shorter than the original, which is really nice for the D-50 where the original cards stick out quite a bit and my card still sticks out by 15-20mm. In the JV-1080, though, the original cards seem to stick out by only 6mm, so my card would vanish inside the slot, making it hard, if not impossible, to operate the bank select switches.

Therefore I am considering making the next card revision as long as the original cards, but for the sake of field research I thought I'd ask around for photos of original cards sticking in different units' slots.

So anyone with an original card, would you be so nice as to take a photo of your card sitting inside its slot? I should be able to see how far it sticks out as well as the shape of the slot.

Only one photo per synth model please, and I already have info about the D-50 and JV-1080.

Also, how important would a shorter card be to the D-50 owners here? If my card stuck out as far as an original, would that be a deal breaker for you?

Thanks in advance!

[vicd]

Here's an M256E in a Roland JD800.
The card goes completely inside (a firmly seated card is 2-3 mm below the slot edges); the recess for the fingers is ~12 millimeters 20 millimeters deep.



You can see there's no way to grab the card by edges, hence the plastic grip on the bottom side:

[dojoe]

Here's an M256E in a Roland JD800.

Holy c**p! How much space is there around the rear ~6mm of the card? If I made my card full length, its rear end would still be ever so slightly thicker than the original due to the switches. Wondering if that could still fit.

Thanks for the photo, vicd! =)

[vicd]

Holy c**p!

I wholeheartedly second that

Staying corrected (values rounded to closest and highest .5mm):

• The card slit itself is 756.5mm wide x 6.5mm high.
• The finger recess is like 26x28mm (width x height, height diminishes to 26mm at the bottom of the recess). Also, it's not 12, but rather 20mm deep - measured from its edge.
• The side edges of the card slit protrude more than the edges of the finger recess. They're 5mm above the rear panel surface, while the latter is rather like 1mm above the surface.

[dojoe]

• The card slit itself is 56.5mm wide x 6.5mm high.

6.5mm high is plenty to accomodate for the switches. Does the height diminish when going deeper? If so, how far can one go in with a, say, 4mm card?

[vicd]

6.5mm high is plenty to accomodate for the switches. Does the height diminish when going deeper? If so, how far can one go in with a, say, 4mm card?

Yes, it does, yet a 4mm hex wrench perfectly fits all the way down to the bottom of the finger recess (20mm) in any place. Then the actual slit begins, which is like 3mm (the original card itself is ~2.4mm thick).

So the outer 20mm (of the total 86 on the original card) are usable, but only the central part, as ~12 mm on each side are obstructed by those protruding slot "ears", and one cannot reach there with fingers.

Well probably the protection switch may stay "hidden", but not the bank ones.

[dojoe]

Yes, it does, yet a 4mm hex wrench perfectly fits all the way down to the bottom of the finger recess (20mm) in any place. Then the actual slit begins, which is like 3mm (the original card itself is ~2.4mm thick).

That's good news indeed!

Well probably the protection switch may stay "hidden", but not the bank ones.

Given your very detailed information (thanks!) as well as baz99's info (there's no way at all a shorter card will work in his JV without dremeling away parts of the slot), it's clear that the next version of the card will have to be original length. So no switches will be hidden from you either

Judging from your photo, the switch nubs will be completely protected by the slot ears, but you'll still be able to easily reach them with your fingers.

Thanks for your effort! =)

[vicd]

Given your very detailed information (thanks!)

...speaking of the benefits of OCD combined with a career in software testing...

Thanks, and good luck with your next iteration!

[dojoe]

I also asked Unca Google, and now I have reference photos for:

• D-50/70/110/550
• JD-800
• JV-1080
• VG-8
• Pro-E

I guess I'm good as far as photos are concerned. I'm now reasonably certain that an original-length card will mechanically fit into all these units.

[Headless68]

Just in case - here is a shot of a VG-8 with a card actually inserted ...

From the top:


From the bottom:



Cheers
Headless

[dojoe]

Just in case - here is a shot of a VG-8 with a card actually inserted ...

Thanks, that looks just like I suspected -- the same slot type as in baz99's JV-1080.

[Headless68]

Here is a list of all Roland devices which can use the card

ROLAND M-512E MEMORY CARD FOR THE FOLLOWING :

Compatibility
Keyboards:
A-50/70/80/90
D-5/10/20/50/70/110/550
JD-800/990
JV-80/90/880/1000/1080/2080
MV-30
U-20/110/220
Drums
R-8/70
TD-10
Guitar
VG-8

[drox]

Keen on one of these for my JD800 also. Great project! and good work reverse engineering these cards. Now if we could work out the waveform and patch card format...... that would be amazing!