How to Connect your E-mu Sampler to your PC

by **Tweak** on Thu Sep 18, 2003 1:48 am

'auto insert notification' is called "autoplay" in windows XP. It is in the properties of the CD Rom accessible from my computer.

One thing that might get in the way of a PC recognizing and emu is a scsi boot manager--software that comes with scsi cards. These boot managers might cause PNP to bypass the scsi chain. You do not need to install a scsi boot manager for a pc to see the sampler.

I Have never had a situation where PNP failed to detect the sampler, unless I had a bad cable connection or ID termination issue.

by **efflux** on Thu Sep 18, 2003 10:34 am

My ESi can never be found via plug and play but I have tried using the ESi driver and .nfo file available and with this I can get plug and play to find the sampler without using the zip drive utility however still not on XP. Nothing is ever found. I will try connecting the ESi to the computer with a different cable direct without the Zip drive and see what this does.

I have discovered that Win ESi has problems with ATA 100 raid striped setups in XP because a SCSI ID is assigned to these drives but the same ID to each drive which in XP appears in device management as seperate drives and Win ESi can't work with this. It is always seen as one drive in 98SE and Win ESi works. So I've ditched raid.

This is a lot of trouble since I've got plenty of software sampling power but I'm determined to keep using the ESi-32 because I like it.

by **crystalman** on Sat Sep 20, 2003 9:48 am

Fantastic - I have just emerged from the top level of scsi hell.
The Tweek inspires you to visit, you find the brink and should you fall he aids recovery of scsi sinners! Thank you.
I have Win XP, Adaptec 2906 and E6400 Ultra and am fairly innocent when it comes to delving inside hardware or software.
I have the simplest of scsi set-ups - 2906-cable-Emu - no other devices.
Followed the Tweeks installation advice - brilliant, but Wavelab couldn't see the sampler 'Unknown error in sampler interface' tried changing id's and nada, zilch so... cup of tea.
Installed EosLink for something to do, it couldn't see the sampler either but came up with error msg 'WnAspi32.dll not installed'. Visited Adaptec and found ASPI drivers for Win XP at -
http://www.adaptec.com/worldwide/suppor ... =ASPI-4.70
- downloaded it, opened the file up and lo and behold it included WnAspi32.dll - followed installation instructions and .... EosLink worked plus transmit and receive samples in Wavelab is instant and wonderful and the flames have receeded from around my feet. What a fantastic facility. Thanks again for inspiring me to go this way. Hope some of this helps. Smiling Crystalman

(PS The 2906 DOES work with PCs for folk in Europe.)

by **Tweak** on Sat Sep 20, 2003 6:50 pm

Thanks crystalman! Yes the correct aspi drivers need to be installed in some circumstances with winXP (not sure about w2k) If absolutely nothing is happening then that is a likely culprit.

by **tasteng0tt** on Wed Sep 24, 2003 5:48 am

Hi all,

I read the "How to connect your ESI..." guide but still my setup does not work. I'm neither a newbie in terms of compter nor in terms of Synths/Sakmplers, but I'm a total newbie in terms of SCSI...

This is my setup:
* ESI 32
* Win XP Home
* Adaptec 2906

This works:
Windows finds the SCSI-card and installs drivers, it is shown as "Adaptec AIC -7850".

This doesn't work:
Windows doesn't find the ESI.

Anyone here with any ideas? Thanks,
Sebastian

by **efflux** on Sun Oct 05, 2003 11:26 am

Hi,

I have a new system. ESi Win now works because my ATA 100 drives are not seen as SCSI so no SCSI ID problems. However still XP never finds my ESi-32 ( I can use the ESi on 98SE). I conclude that this is because of the zip drive in the chain. I will change the cable to a direct ESi to PC link and presumably this will cure it. There is nothing left to try.

by **Tweak** on Sun Oct 05, 2003 3:54 pm

You may need to update the aspi layer for your scsi card. The drivers are on adaptec's site. I had to do this on win XP.

by **efflux** on Sun Oct 05, 2003 5:09 pm

Hi,

Thanks for trying to help.

I've updated the ASPI layer. Win ESi finds my zip drive and I can save my sample banks but still no direct sampler communication is possible. This did work on 98SE and I have briefly returned to 98SE after trying XP. It still worked with the ESi-32 and the zip drive. There were a few teething problems on 98SE but once Windows found the ESi and I used the available driver it was fine. I could always find the ESi straight away. All the sample transfers worked perfectly. However on XP I get no sampler found ever. If at all possible it would be great to do this without buying a new SCSI cable to connect my sampler directly. Even this may not work. SCSI cables are quite expensive. Then I'd still need an EMU formatted drive so I'd have to try connecting the zip via an adapter plate to the internal SCSI chain. This solution might not work and then it would be a waste of money. The zip drive is using different drivers in XP but I can't remember the drivers it used in 98SE. The problem obviously resides somewhere here. I've contacted Iomega and they can't provide any answer. Or it's something to do with how the adaptor functions in XP.

Theoretically I should be able to do this. Surely XP should just find any connected device. The ESi can read and write banks to the zip disks, no problem and ESi Win can save them but I need to dump samples back and forth directly. It's odd that both machines can share a disk drive perfectly yet the PC knows nothing about the ESi. There is absolutely definitely no ID conflict or termination problem. Exactly the same configuration works on 98SE.

by **efflux** on Sun Oct 05, 2003 5:14 pm

To add to my above info. The ESi-32 can also access a SCSI CDRW drive on the internal SCSI chain. No problems. Although I don't really use this anymore. I just connected it to see if it worked.

by **Tweak** on Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:40 am

Now it is sounding like termination. Just for laughs, switch the zip terminator. These are sometimes mis-read by scsi drivers. Possible that each OS reads it differently.

by **efflux** on Wed Oct 08, 2003 7:18 pm

Yes I have wondered whether the termination on the zip is working properly however the odd thing is it works on 98SE with exactly the same configuration.

I did find an article saying that my 2604 SCSI card is problematic with the ESi but again it works in 98 be it with some minor problems.

Should I try connecting the internal SCSI on the ESi to the internal on the PC with a SCSI ribbon cable thus avoiding buying a new external SCSI cable just to try a direct connection?

by **Tweak** on Wed Oct 08, 2003 10:07 pm

Those scsi cables 50 centronics to mac 25 pin are not expensive--15-20 bucks usually. I have the 2906 (usa version of the 2904) and it works fine in XP and 98se.)

Did you try the termination switch? Just because it works in 98 one way doesn't mean it will in XP if 98 ignored the switch.

You do have esi OS 3.02? If not, that could be a showstopper.

by **efflux** on Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:07 pm

Hi,

No my software version is unfortunately not 3.02 but again it did work fine in 98. This is what I can't fathom. If I could get version 3.02 I would still consider upgrading but I don't think it's available anymore. However I still want to use ESi samplers. I may buy another sampler. People are selling them for practically nothing. Maybe the ESi software version makes a difference in XP. I haven't actually tried the zip switched to termination on because I just assumed this wouldn't work. I'm going to try everything I can in the next couple of days.

by **efflux** on Wed Oct 08, 2003 11:13 pm

I know there are meant to be SCSI problems with earlier software versions. Mine is 2.10. However as far as communication with my PC software was concerned (mainly Beatcreator) there were no problems at all in 98. Are the problems related to Windows actually finding the sampler?

by **Tweak** on Thu Oct 09, 2003 12:01 am

I never used 2.10 in XP becuase I had already upgraded. But the sheer number of scsi problems I had with 2.10 in 95, 98 and 98se would lead me to think that is it. 2.10 made zip and some hard disks more useable. PC connection worked, but not reliably for me. When i made Ice Kold Tekno, I actually swapped the roms to ensure compatibility. With 2.10 windows would crash if I refeshed the device list, so boot order was critical. During transfer the esi would sometimes crash and so would the computer. 3.02 is certainly not perfect but it is much better.

by **efflux** on Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:52 am

Hi,

I've tried connecting the ESI via a ribbon cable - internal on ESi to internal on SCSI card. The EMU can find the external zip and even the SCSI CDRW if I connect this directly but XP still finds no ESi even when directly connected.

Are you sure the 2904 is basically the same as the 2906 because the 2904 has a 50 pin HD external connector but the 2906 has a BD25 connector?

I have an external cable that could connect a 2906 directly to the ESi but if it's just the same card there is probably not much point in buying one.

My only choice now is to try a different SCSI card. If this doesn't work I can't try anything else.

Thanks for trying to help even though no solution has been yet been found. If I find what the problem is it might be useful information for someone else.

by **efflux** on Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:01 am

To Tweak,

I was wondering about ACPI. Is this disabled on your XP system because this affects plug and play? On my system ACPI is activated. I can't deactivate it in the bios. I have to do this via OS but I've read this could possibly cause a non boot. Then I'd have to reinstall XP and disable in on install.

by **Tweak** on Thu Oct 09, 2003 7:20 pm

I was not aware of the differences in the 2904/6 other than the 2904 was a "european version". Thanks for clearing that up.

I have had the esi working with XP with ACPI enabled and disabled. I don't think that would be it. If you installed a scsi "boot manager" when you installed the scsi card that could cause a problem with PNP. You don't need that. Before you buy another scsi card, uninstall the current one, and all its applications and drivers. Then just for laughs put it in another slot and this time don't install *any* drivers, except perhaps those on a windows xp cd rom. Update the aspi layer. That might work.

Use my advice at your own risk.

by **efflux** on Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:33 pm

Hi,

Yes it appears you were right about the 2904. I checked this. It is the same as the 2906 except for the connector.

I've now removed ACPI. I had to reinstall XP to do this. Then the first thing I did was to install the latest ASPI layer. The SCSI card just uses the aic78xx.sys driver in XP so I have installed no extra software. Still the XP hardware wizard finds no sampler. The ESi is connected directly internally with the ribbon cable and can still communicate fine with the zip drive on the external SCSI card chain. I can save the banks to zip and Win ESi can store them but I need the direct connection for editing. The only thing now is to try another SCSI card. I can get a 2940 cheap second hand. If this doesn't work then that is it. I can't use the ESi any more because it will be too much hastle unless I try another ESi with later software version. People are selling ESi samplers with the turbo board for less than the turbo costs. I have loads of sampling power with the Logic ESX24 but I just like the sound of the ESi. It's useful for some things.

by **Tweak** on Thu Oct 09, 2003 11:11 pm

Get an esi with 3.02. You will enjoy the filters. It might be the card interacting with 2.10. I can only assure you that my 2906 works in XP in 3.02.

by **efflux** on Sun Oct 26, 2003 12:09 am

Hi,

I got a second hand ESi-32 with turbo board. The v3.02 software works perfectly with XP. So I can conclude that v2.10 software does not work on XP.

by **Tweak** on Sun Oct 26, 2003 12:11 am

Great! You got it working.

Congrats!

by **efflux** on Tue Jan 27, 2004 10:51 pm

Hi,

I'm back :cry:

After getting my ESi-32 v3.02 to work as I wanted I am now getting a SCSI bus is busy message on the ESi. My setup is exactly as before except I removed a CDRW drive so now the only CDRW in my system is one on the SCSI chain and I have a LAN network connection. It makes no difference whether this connection is being used or not. The CDRW has autoplay set to take no action just as before. All IDs are fine. There is a ZIP drive in the external chain also set just as before with autoplay disabled.

Has anyone any ideas?

Thanks.

by **efflux** on Tue Jan 27, 2004 11:39 pm

Sorted

For some reason XP does not disable all of the autoplay functions. I selected take no action but some autoplay functions had not actually applied as this, now that the SCSI drive is my only drive. Why this is I do not know. The answer is to completely disable autoplay from registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom

Change the AutoRun value data to 0. This ensures absolutely no autoplay and no SCSI interference.

Maybe this will be of use to someone in EMU SCSI Hell.

by **Tweak** on Wed Jan 28, 2004 2:03 am

Nice Tip. Thanks!

How to Connect your E-mu Sampler to your PC

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