Kurzweil:Other Drives
From Sonikmatter
The K2xxx instruments all have built-in SCSI ports: two external and one internal. Although these are traditionally used for connecting hard drives, the Kurzweil OS also supports a variety of removable-media SCSI devices, including iOmega's Zip and Jaz drives and the Microtech PCD-47B CompactFlash/SmartMedia card reader.
With a bit of careful work and a good deal of bravery it turns out that you can replace the Kurzweil's floppy drive with the Microtech reader. I haven't tried mounting a Zip or Jaz since all my Zips and Jazes have died and I'm not sure I want something moribund in my keyboard. What I've ended up with is a K2500XS with very fast, high-capacity, removable storage built in that has no moving parts and is silent. It doesn't get too much handier than that.
Note that while I claim authorship of this article, several other folks have made this mod before me and I'm greatly indebted to them for their groundwork.
Contents |
Finding a drive
The Microtech PCD-47B is a 3-slot SCSI card reader which fits into a standard 3.5" mounting bay.
Microtech stopped making these things a few years ago but you can still find them on eBay. A lot of them are retirees from photo labs - which becomes important later. If you bid more than $35 you're paying too much.
Note: the author of that statement is a bit behind the times. The Microtech drives rarely show up on eBay anymore and when they do, the sell for well over $100. If you want to get a PCD-47B right now that is guaranteed up to rev, compatible with your Kurzweil and warranted against failures or problems, please visit www.scsiforsamplers.com. We have these drives in stock and ready to ship plus they come with the install kit and full step-by-step instructions.
Testing the drive
DO NOT mount the drive right away! First of all, make sure its jumpers (underneath) are as follows:
- (refer to the sticker and make sure the SCSI ID selection is for IDs 2, 3 and 4)
- (refer to the sticker and make sure termination is OFF)
Then put it in an external case, using an external SCSI terminator, and make sure you can read AND write to it. The photo lab units are often configured with read-only firmware; great for a photo lab, not so good for you. Fortunately you can find a firmware upgrader at http://208.55.0.210/tps2/PCD47-m32.zip . This is a Windows-only file - sorry, fellow Mac users, you'll have to go to the dark side. You'll also need a SCSI card in your Windows box, plus whatever drivers it requires. You may also need WNASPI32.DLL if you're running anything newer than Windows 98. Get it here: http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?wnaspi32 .
Building the SCSI cable
I built my cable from bulk 50-pair ribbon cable and crimp-on connectors. You may want to have an electronics shop build you one as the crimping tool alone will cost you more than the drive. Make the cable at least 42" long to allow for corners.
Building the power cable
If you have a hard drive kit in your Kurzweil this is pretty straightforward; the power connector it provides is like that inside any PC. Any 4-conductor internal power cable with standard molex connectors will work provided it's long enough. You'll need a good 48" (yes, longer than the SCSI).
If, like me, you don't have the hard drive kit, you'll have to build your own power cable. The power supply in the K2500 and K2600 has a small 4-pin connector labelled "HDD Power" but finding a mating plug proved to be well-nigh impossible for me. I ended up sacrificing the power cord to the floppy drive and splicing it onto the aforementioned 4-conductor power cable.
Use a meter to determine pinouts. Don't ask why, just do it.
...more to come...
