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

[dojoe]

Quick update:

I sat down for final manufacturing and testing this weekend (glueing a piece of wire under the slide switch actuators to support them and prevent them from breaking, personalizing the cards into 8x512 or 16x256 and testing them before they go into individual anti-static bags), and without further ado, here are the money shots:




Now the bad(ish) news: The superglue I first used to glue said wire in place turned out to ruin the slide switches Pure superglue apparently tends to cause some white deposit around the glued area, and if that deposit builds up inside the switch, the switch is rendered useless - you can still move it, but some positions stop working.

End result: I switched to a different glue that doesn't cause any problems, but I now have seven cards that need their switches replaced (and to add insult to injury, the broken switches are now superglued to the board ). It's possible, but it's pretty aggravating and I spent the day figuring out the problem and buying new glue instead of finishing up the cards.

So right now I have 13 working and tested cards and seven broken ones - nothing to start shipping on. I won't get to that for the next two weeks, but then I hope I can finish up the remaining cards and start taking orders.

For those interested, here's the wire that's been causing me all this trouble - It's supposed to support the slide switch actuators as they're easy to break off when pulling out the card. I couldn't find any fitting slide switches with less brittle actuators, so I have to glue that wire in place on each card. Takes half a minute per card unless you ruin the switches, then it takes an hour.

[ʝɵʝɵ]

Damn, did you color-grade those money shots or did the color of the cards change to be even more sexy?

[SoundWerx]

Thanks for the update

[dojoe]

Damn, did you color-grade those money shots or did the color of the cards change to be even more sexy?

My smartphone likes to do a number on those colors Most of the other photos (the wire one for example) had been taken with my DSLR which is a lot less garish.

[Evil Dragon]

After these 20 cards, do you have an estimate when the next batch might be done? I'm pretty sure the demand for these is much larger than just 20 pieces... (I'm also pretty sure I won't be able to get one from this first batch, as I have a baby arriving next month...)

[dojoe]

After these 20 cards, do you have an estimate when the next batch might be done? I'm pretty sure the demand for these is much larger than just 20 pieces... (I'm also pretty sure I won't be able to get one from this first batch, as I have a baby arriving next month...)

I have another 100 cards waiting to be ruinedfinished; that will likely happen in two weeks - I have all the necessary tools at home now, just won't be at home myself.

And all the best with mini-you!

[madtheory]

For those interested, here's the wire that's been causing me all this trouble - It's supposed to support the slide switch actuators as they're easy to break off when pulling out the card. I couldn't find any fitting slide switches with less brittle actuators, so I have to glue that wire in place on each card.

Just FYI, the one you made for me is still working

[paradyse]

Hello ,

I subscribe to the newsletter months ago as I would like to buy one, but never had any information.
How can we get one those beautiful card ?

thanks

[ʝɵʝɵ]

You did not get any information because there is nothing to be told. As you can see above, the cards are not ready yet, and we will only use the email address you provided to notify you once the cards are ready for ordering - no useless spam before (and after) that.

[Djool]

Once again let me tell you all my gratitude for your great initiative.
Have you got any test or feedback with a Roland TR 626 drum machine ?
I would be very interested to know how many tracks or patterns your memory card could store!
Thank you

[ʝɵʝɵ]

The storage exposed to the device is identical to that of an original card, but through bank switching you can access 16 different cards in one single card. So if a regular M-256 card can store, let's say, 64 tracks for the Roland TR-626, then our card can store the same amount per emulated card, but all in all it can store 16 times more if you use the bank switches if it's set up to emulate an M-256 card or 8 times more if it's set up to emulate an M-512 card.

[masbass]

I suppose memory bank switching is not hotswappable right? When I want to switch to a different memory bank I should remove card, position the switches and insert it again?

[ʝɵʝɵ]

In theory that depends on the synth of course, but in practice all devices that we are aware of support hot-swapping memory banks, because they only access the memory card when dialling up a new patch.
They do typically not cache the memory card data or monitor the card presence in any other way.

[dojoe]

Quick update: I have about 70 (and counting) fully assembled and tested cards in stock right now, successfully gone through a few test orders with selected people, and jojo and I are preparing to start accepting orders very soon, probably this weekend, so get your PayPal accounts ready!

You may also want to make sure that the email address mramcard at dojoe dot net is getting past your Spam filters

Hoo, I'm getting excited!

[ʝɵʝɵ]

And judging from this thread and the pre-registration signups, I fear we will already be sold out on day one.