Service Manual

CONFIDENTIAL
Property of
Alesis Corporation
3630 Holdrege Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90016
COPYING IS PROHIBITED

© 1994 Alesis Corporation

 Alesis DataDisK
Service Manual
V1.00
9/1/95

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 i 09/01/95

 PREFACE

This document is intended to assist the service technician in the operation, maintenance and repair of the
DataDisk MIDI disk drive. Together with the DataDisk Reference Manual, this document provides a complete
description of the functionality and serviceability of the DataDisk. Any comments or suggestions you may
have pertaining to the document are welcome and encouraged.

READ THIS!
In addition to any purchase price that Alesis may charge as consideration for Alesis selling
or otherwise transferring this service manual ("Manual") to you, if you are not a service and
repair facility ("Service Center") authorized by Alesis in writing to be an authorized Service
Center, Alesis sells or transfers the Manual to you on the following terms and conditions:

Only Service Centers authorized by Alesis in writing are authorized to perform service and
repairs covered by an Alesis warranty (if any), and transfer of the Manual to you does not
authorize you to be an authorized Service Center. Therefore, if you perform, or if the
Manual is used to perform, any service or repairs on any Alesis product or part
thereof, any and all warranties of Alesis as to that product and any service contract
with Alesis for that product shall be voided and shall no longer apply for such
product, even if your services or repairs were done in accordance with the Manual.

All service or repairs done by you or with reference to the Manual shall be solely your
responsibility, and Alesis shall have no liability for any such repairs or service work. All
such service or repairs are performed at the sole risk of the person performing the
service or repairs. You agree that all such work will be performed in a competent,
professional and safe manner at all times and to indemnify and fully hold Alesis and its
successors and assigns harmless in the event of any failure to so perform.

Your purchase of the Manual shall be for your own ultimate use and shall not be for purposes
of resale or other transfer.

As the owner of the copyright to the Manual, Alesis does not give you the right to copy the
Manual, and you agree not to copy the Manual without the written authorization of Alesis.
Alesis has no obligation to provide to you any correction of, or supplement to, the Manual, or
any new or superseding version thereof.

Alesis shall have the right to refuse to sell or otherwise transfer repair parts or materials to
you in its sole discretion. You shall not use, sell or otherwise transfer spare or replacement
parts supplied by Alesis to you (i) to repair or be used in products manufactured for or by
third parties or (ii) to any third parties for any purpose.

You shall not make any warranties or guarantees with respect to the products of Alesis or the
use thereof on behalf of Alesis or in your own name.

The foregoing describes the entire understanding related to sale or transfer of the Manual to
you, and no other terms shall apply unless in a writing signed by an authorized
representative of Alesis.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 ii 09/01/95

 WARNINGS

TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK OR FIRE, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS PRODUCT TO
WATER OR MOISTURE.

The arrowhead symbol on a lightning flash inside a triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of un-insulated "dangerous voltage" within the enclosed product which may be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point inside a triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating, maintenance and servicing instructions in the literature which accompanies the
product.

REPAIR BY ANY PERSON OR ENTITY OTHER THAN AN AUTHORIZED ALESIS SERVICE

CENTER WILL VOID THE ALESIS WARRANTY.

PROVISION OF THIS MANUAL DOES NOT AUTHORIZE THE RECIPIENT TO COMPETE

WITH ANY ALESIS DISTRIBUTOR OR AUTHORIZED REPAIR SERVICE CENTER IN THE
PROVISION OF REPAIR SERVICES OR TO BE OR MAKE REPAIRS AS AN AUTHORIZED
SERVICE CENTER.

ALL REPAIRS DONE BY ANY ENTITY OTHER THAN AN AUTHORIZED ALESIS SERVICE
CENTER SHALL BE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT ENTITY, AND ALESIS SHALL
HAVE NO LIABILITY TO THAT ENTITY OR TO ANY OTHER PARTY FOR ANY REPAIRS BY
THAT ENTITY.

Alesis Data Disk Service Manual 1.00 HI 09/01/95

 SAFETY SUGGESTIONS

Carefully read the applicable items of the operating instructions and these safety suggestions before using this
product. Use extra care to follow the warnings written on the product itself and in the operating instructions.
Keep the operating instructions and safety suggestions for reference in the future.

1. Power Source. The product should only be connected to a power supply which is described either in the operating instructions
or in markings on the product.

2. Power Cord Protection. AC power supply should be placed such that no one is likely to step on the cords and such that
nothing will be placed on or against them.

3. Periods of Non-use. If the product is not used for any significant period of time, the product's AC power supply should be
unplugged from the AC outlet.

4. Foreign Objects and Liquids. Take care not to allow liquids to spill or objects to fall into any openings of the product.

5. Water or Moisture. The product should not be used near any water or in moisture.

6. Heat. Do not place the product near heat sources such as stoves, heat registers, radiators or other heat producing equipment.

7. Ventilation. When installing the product, make sure that the product has adequate ventilation. Improperly ventilating the
product may cause overheating, which may damage the product.

8. Mounting. The product should only be used with a rack which the manufacturer recommends. The combination of the
product and rack should be moved carefully. Quick movements, excessive force or uneven surfaces may overturn the
combination which may damage the product and rack combination.

9. Cleaning. The product should only be cleaned as the manufacturer recommends.

10. Service. The user should only attempt the limited service or upkeep specifically described in the operating instructions for the
user. For any other service required, the product should be taken to an authorized service center as described in the operating
instructions.

11. Damage to the Product. Qualified service personnel should service the unit in certain situations including without limitation
when:
a. Liquid has spilled or objects have fallen into the product,
b. The product is exposed to water or excessive moisture,
c. The AC power supply is damaged,
d. The product shows an inappropriate change in performance or does not operate normally, or
e. The enclosure of the product has been damaged.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 iv 09/01/95

 General Troubleshooting

While this manual assumes that the reader has a fundamental understanding of electronics and basic
troubleshooting techniques, a review of some of the techniques used by our staff may help.

1. Visual Inspection - A short visual inspection of the unit under test will often yield results without the need
of complex signal analysis (burnt, or loose components are a dead giveaway).
2. Self Test - Alesis products that utilize microprocessor control contain built in test software which exercises
many of the units' primary circuit functions. Self test should always be done following any repair to ensure
basic functionality.
3. Environmental Testing - Applying heat and cold (heat gun/freeze spray) will often reveal thermally
intermittent components (Clock crystals, I.C.s, and capacitors are particularly prone to this type of failure).
4. Burn in Testing - Leaving a unit running overnight often reveals intermittent failures such as capacitors that
begin to leak excess current after a significant amount of time.
5. Cable Checks - Wiggling cables can reveal intermittent failures such as loose cables or poorly soldered
headers. Remember to check power supply cables as well.
6. Flexing the PC Board - Poor solder joints and broken traces can often be found by pressing the PC Board in
various places.
7. Tapping Components - Sometimes tapping on a component (particularly crystals) will cause it to fail.
8. Power-Down/up - Turning the unit off and back on rapidly several times may reveal odd reset and/or power
supply failures.
9. Reset Threshold - A Variac (variable transformer) can be used to check reset threshold levels. This can be
particularly useful in helping customers with low line problems.
10. Compressors - Using a compressor/limiter is often helpful when attempting to solve low level noise
problems, as well as assisting with DAC adjustments.
11. Sweep Tests - Sweep generators are very useful in checking the frequency response envelopes of
aliasing filters.
12. Piggybacking - Piggybacking I.C.s is particularly useful when troubleshooting large sections of logic. This
is especially true when working with older units.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 v 09/01/95

 Table of Contents

PREFACE..................................................................................................... ii
READ THIS!.................................................................................................. ii
WARNINGS .................................................................................................. iii
SAFETY SUGGESTIONS............................................................................. iv
General Troubleshooting............................................................................... v
1.0 General Description ................................................................................ 1
2.0 Power Supply.......................................................................................... 1
3.0 The 8031................................................................................................. 1
4.0 The WD1772 Driver ................................................................................2
5.0 The Disk Drive......................................................................................... 2
6.0 Test Procedures...................................................................................... 2
6.1 Self Test.............................................................................. 2
6.2 Further Testing.................................................................... 3
7.0 Updates and Corrections ........................................................................3
7.1 National 74HC139s............................................................. 3
7.2 1N4001s.............................................................................. 3
7.3 Loose Regulators................................................................ 3
7.4 Opto Isolator Input Threshold ............................................. 3
7.5 R.F. Suppresion Chokes..................................................... 3
7.6 MIDI Output Pullup Resistor................................................ 3
8.0 Common Solutions.................................................................................. 4
8.1 General considerations....................................................... 4
8.2 Sys-Ex Dump Procedures................................................... 5
8.3 Hardware Troubleshooting.................................................. 17
9.0 Software History...................................................................................... 18
10.0 Format History....................................................................................... 23
11.0 Service Manual History .........................................................................24
12.0 Service Parts List.................................................................................. 25
INDEX........................................................................................................... 26

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 vi 09/01/95

1.0 General Description

The Alesis DataDisk is a 1 rack space device for storing and retrieving MIDI data (system
exclusive and real-time sequences) directly to a double sided, double density (880K) floppy disk
The electronics involved are extremely simple, and the unit should be relatively easy to trouble
shoot. The technician should take the time to familiarize themselves with the software history
(section 9.0) and the format history (section 10.0). These will likely be your greatest source of
troubleshooting knowledge. Care should always be taken to upgrade the unit under test to the
latest revision of software (currently 1.03 for non SQ, or 2.11 for SQ) in order to ensure the correct
operation of the unit in the future.

2.0 Power Supply

The power supply starts with the 9V A.C. adapter (P4). After entering through J8, it is noise
filtered L6, C15, and C17) and switched by S1. From here, the signal is split into three distinct
sections. The -12V (necessary only with some drives), the + 5V rail, and the -0.6V bias voltage for
LCD contrast.
The -12V rail consists of a voltage doubler (C22, C23, D4, D5, C14, C16), a regulator (U13),
and filter capacitors C18-C19.
The+ 5V rail consists of a rectifier (D4, C20, and C25), a regulator (U14) and filter capacitors
C24 and C26. Note that when a+ 5V only disk drive is in the unit, the+ 12V regulator is removed,
and a jumper is installed, providing a little extra input voltage to the regulator and ensuring that the
supply doesn't load down.
The -0.6V LCD bias voltage is derived through a negative cycle rectifier (DXX, C13), and a
forward biased diode/resistor voltage divider (D2, R17).

3.0 The 8031

The 8031 MPU is the heart of the DataDisk's control section. It handles everything from
keypad input and MIDI I/O, to sequence recording and playback. Note that the 8031 data buss
serves a dual purpose. This buss multiplexes between low order addresses (1st 8 bits), and data.
Latch U18 is used to hold the low order address half, during 8031 read and write cycles. The
EPROM (U8) is used to hold 8031 program information. The Pseudo SRAM (U9) holds system
variables, scratchpad space for data backup, as well as sequence data. Note: that the Psuedo
Sram is directly replacable with a Sony 62256 or '257 SRAM. Z2 provides the 12MHz 8031 clock.
MIDI I/O is handled through the 8031's built in RXD (Read Serial Data), and TXD (Transmit Serial
Data) ports. LCD output and the WD1772 (disk drive controller I.C.) are handled through memory
mapped I/O (see section 3.2). Keypad decoding is performed through the 8031's built in generic I/O
ports. Note that the WD1772 can inform the 8031 of special events (I.e. internal buffer is full or
empty) via U6 (pins 5, 6) to input port P3.2 (pin 12).

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 1 09/01/95

4.0 The WD1772 Driver

CS - Chip Select
R/W - Read/Write to drive
A0, A1 - Address 0, 1 Selects internal registers
MR - Master Reset
D0-D7 - Bidirectional data buss
DIRC - Determines step motor direction
CLK - 8MHz clock
RD - Raw data input from drive
MO - Motor on
WG - Write gate (valid just prior to writing to disk)
WD - Raw data to be written
TRK0 - Input from drive to inform 1C when the drive heads are directly
over track 0
IP - Input from drive to inform the 1C when the physical index hole is
encountered
WPRT - Write protect input from drive (sampled before any write)
DRQ - Indicates when the internal Data Register is full or empty
INTRQ - Interrupt to the microprocessor

5.0 The Disk Drive

Earliest units incorporated a Fujitsu drive (which requires+ 12V), while later versions used
the Sony version (which only needs+ 5V to operate). Note that because of the different screw
footprint, the bottom panel will also need to be replaced when changing from a Fujitsu to a Sony.
It's also extremely important to remember that because the Sony drive is physically longer, it is
possible to damage the 34 pin ribbon cable running to the drive, if a long screw is used in the
casetop above the cable (the cable gets pinched between the screw and the drive).

6.0 Test Procedures

6.1 Self Test

The self test can be performed using the following steps:

• Connect a MIDI cable between MIDI in and MIDI out.
• Insert a formatted disk into the drive.
• Power the unit up while holding the "Format" and "Do/Yes" keys.

The unit will now test:

ROM
RAM
MIDI
LEDs
Disk Drive
Buttons (LCD shows latest button pressed)
Press Value up and Value down simultaneously to exit.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 2 09/01/95

6.2 Further Testing

Extended testing should include doing a "Send All Files" from a test disk that contains
several sys-ex dumps, as well as a couple of sequences (if version 2.XX software installed
Actually receiving and sending a dump or sequence to and from a MIDI instrument is a log
addition to the procedure.

7.0 Updates and Corrections

7.1 National 74HC139s

These components (found in early units only) were found to differ slightly in design than
other manufacturers rendering them incompatible with the design of the DataDisk. The symptoms
include intermittent reset, frozen LCDs, and intermittent drive operation. These parts should be
replaced with non National components (we are currently using Tl parts as replacements).

7.21 N4001 s

These components were found to be somewhat unreliable (particularly in the+ 5V supply)

and should be replaced with 1N4003s or 1N4004s. This is usually only necessary if one of the
diodes is bad. But at this point all of the 4001s in the machine should be replaced. Although they
usually just fail, they can occasionally manifest themselves as an intermittent problem (i.e. unit
resets anytime the drive turns on, etc.).

7.3 Loose Regulators

It has been found that some screws holding down the heat sinks can come loose during
shipping. Be extra sure that these screws are tight before returning the unit to the customer. Loose
regulators can loose heat sinking, and start to go into thermal shutdown after extended use.

7.4 Opto Isolator Input Threshold

Since the original design of the DataDisk, it has been found that a lower MIDI input threshold
increases the probability of correct data reception. The original value of the threshold resistor was
47K, and has been changed to 10K. This can be accomplished by soldering a 12K or 13K between
pins 5 and 7 of the opto isolator (U1). Note: Be sure the resistor is on pins 5 and 7 (a common
mistake is to solder the resistor to pins 6 and 8.

7.5 R.F. Suppresion Chokes

Any R.F. chokes should be checked to be sure that they're not loose. Any loose chokes
should be glued down (hot glue is recommended) to the P.C. Board. It is also recommended to
place a small amount of hot glue (or electrical tape) to the top of the choke to prevent it from
shorting to the case top.

7.6 MIDI Output Pullup Resistor

In the earliest units it was found that MIDI out was somewhat unreliable. This was solved by
installing a 4.7K pullup resistor between pins 3 and 14 of U6.
•

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 3 09/01/95

8.0 Common Solutions
8.1 General considerations

Because there is no real standard for manufacturer system exclusive data dump formats
(how a product dumps data, does it care about MIDI channels, etc.) there is a great possibility for
confusion. There are some basic things to check before considering the possibility of mechanical
failure, or even incompatibility.

Complaint Possible problem Solution

The instrument does not appear to receive Incorrect cabling. Make sure Midi out of the DataDisk is
data sent to it from the DataDisk. connected to MIDI in of the instrument (always
ask if they have gas in the car).
System exclusive filters on the instrument are Turn system exclusive on.
turned off.
Memory protect on the instrument is turned on. Turn memory protect off.
Instrument doesn't show any indication that it Check programs to see/hear that programs
has received a data dump. (e.g. Matrix 6, R-8) have been received.
Channel or device # on the instrument (though Check channel/device ID# on the instrument.
not in MIDI spec., some manufacturers include
this information in the data dump and
instruments might only respond when the
channel/ID # matches).
The instrument only receives into the edit buffer. Store the program before continuing.
The instrument only receives into main storage Change programs to change data in the buffer.
(the edit buffer does not reflect those changes).
The DataDisk does not appear to receive Incorrect cabling. Make sure Midi out of the DataDisk is
data sent to it from the. instrument. connected to MIDI in of the instrument (always
ask if they have gas in the car).
System exclusive filters on the instrument are Turn system exclusive on.
turned off.
Disk not formatted. Check disk formatting ("INFO" button).
High density disk. Not a common problem, however, some
unreliability has been noticed when using high
density disks.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 4 09/01/95

8.2 Sys-Ex Dump Procedures
While the operation of the DataDisk is usually straight forward and simple, it's not a guarantee
that the operation of the instrument is equally easy. Some button sequences for data saving or
loading may be a bit unusual. The following is provided to help with some of the situations that have
proven to be the most difficult for customers. Note that not all of these procedures have been tested
but should be reasonably accurate. In cases where differences are noticed, a quick trip to the
instruments instruction manual would be in order.

Manufacturer/Product Operation Procedure

360 SYSTEMS
Audio Matrix • Dump Place Audio Matrix in the MIDI RECEIVE
CHANNEL mode.
Press ENTER to initiate ("UP").
Load No special provisions.
Display - all LEDs off while receiving data. Upon
completion the Audio Matrix automatically goes
into the PATCH SELECT function.
MIDI Patcher Dump Press RECEIVE button to place MIDI patcher in
Receive Channel Edit mode (i.e. Receive
Channel LED already lit).
Use "<-" or "->" buttons to position the dot under
the number of the input jack that is connected to
the DataDisk output.
Press RECEIVE to initiate.
Load Press RECEIVE.
Use the "<-" or "->" button to place the dot
under the appropriate jack number (1-8) that the
DataDisk output is connected to.
All LEDs turn off momentarily while loading
data, and then displays the newly loaded
configuration upon dump completion.
ALESIS

MMT-8 Dump Press and hold the TAPE button.

Press PAGE DOWN. until display reads "SEND
ALL PARTS & SONGS OUT MIDI"
Press RECORD to initiate.
Load Display reads "RECEIVING DATA FROM MIDI"
while receiving, then goes to Song 99 upon
completion.
HR-16/HR-16B Dump Hold TAPE button.
Press <- button until display reads "SEND ALL
PATTS & SONGS OUT MIDI".
Press record to initiate.
Load Make sure Sysex is enabled (under MIDI/UTIL
[does not exist on older HR-16s]).
Display reads "RECEIVING DATA FROM MIDI"
while receiving, then goes to Song 99 upon
completion.
QuadraVerb/QuadraVerb GT Dump Press MIDI button.
Press PAGE UP (6 times) until the display is in
the SEND PROG page.
With cursor under the first character, use the -
VALUE buttons to select ALL DATA.
Press STORE to initiate (display will read "MIDI
• DATA DUMP IN PROGRESS").
Load Make sure sysex is enabled (MIDI function).
Displays "LOADING MIDI DATA ..." while in
progress.
MidiVerb III Dump Press MIDI button 4 times until display reads
"Snd".
Press Store to initiate (Display shows "—" while
saving).
Load Display shows "—" while receiving data, and
approximately 10 seconds after completion of
the dump.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 5 09/01/95

ART
DR1 Dump Enter MIDI mode (press the two MIDI VALUE
keys, MIDI CHAN and MIDI PGM
simultaneously). The two LEDs above the MIDI
value labels become red.
Select the command [da] using the PRESET
UP/DOWN buttons. This command sumps all
presets and the MIDI PGM table. The command
is activated by then pressing both VALUE
buttons simultaneously.
IEQ-15 Dump Simultaneously press the PRESET, ACTIVE,
and the ARROW DOWN buttons.
IEQ-31 Dump Select the Dump CURRENT, Dump PRESETS,
or Dump MIDI Pr TbI in the MIDI "menu".
Press the UP key.
MV Dump Place the unit in EDIT mode by pressing the
EDIT mode button.
Press the MIDI/UTILITY button.
Press the SELECT> once to make sure MIDI is
on.
Press SELECT> 4 more times to turn MIDI
Merger off.
Use the SELECT> and SELECT< buttons to
select one of the following dump commands:
SEND PRESET (single preset)
SEND MPT
SEND ALL PRESETS (1 message)
Press UP to initiate (no display change while
sending).
Load Make sure the Multiverb is set to the same MIDI
channel as when the dump was sent (Press
EDIT. Press MIDI/UTILITY. Use SELECT> to
select MIDI channel.)
Make sure MIDI Merger on the Multiverb is off.
Display-Upon dump completion, the display of
the current program name is updated but shows
a V sign to indicate that the edit buffer has
changed.
CAE
LM850 Dump Press CONSOLE button.
Press NEXT (10 times) until the DUMP page is
reached.
Select the DUMP option.
Press GO to initiate.
Load Make sure Sysex is enabled.
Display reads "INCOMING MIDI DATA DUMP".
Digital Music Corp.
MX-8 Dump Press FUNCTION until you get to "XMIT
MEMORY" page.
Use the cursor keys to select the MIDI output
channel.
Press YES/+ 1 twice to initiate the dump
(Display reads "Sending...").
Load Memory protect must be off.
Digitech
DSP128 Dump Hold the SELECT button until the display is in
select program mode (Display reads "Pxxx",
where xxx is the program number 1-128. If
display reads "OFF" the press EFFECT/MIDI
before pressing SELECT).
Press and hold the EFFECT/MIDI button. The
display should briefly read "OFF", followed by
"CHxx" (MIDI Channel xx 1-16, "o" for Omni, or
"n" for None).
Load While holding EFFECT/MIDI, press the UP
button to initiate the dump (display will read
"out" while sending).
Note that the DSP128 must be in the same
MIDI channel (or omni) in order to receive the
data.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 6 09/01/95

DSP128+ Dump With unit set to program 127, algorithm A0,
press the MIDI and UP buttons at the same
time.
DSP256 Dump Press the MIDI button. Use PARAMETER
LEFT/RIGHT buttons to get to the "MIDI DUMP"
utility, then press the PARAMETER UP button
GPS5 Dump Press the MIDI button, then press
PROGRAM UP button.
IPS 33 Dump Preset Dump: Press and hold the MIDI button.
Press the HORIZONTAL button once. Display
will show "d Pr". Press the YES (UP) button.
Harmony Definition Dump: Press and hold the
MIDI button. Press the HORIZONTAL button
twice. Display will show "d hd". Press the
YES (UP) button.
Dump All: Press and hold the MIDI button.
Press the HORIZONTAL button thrice. Display
will show "d Al". Press the YES (UP) button.
Load Press and hold the MIDI button.
Press the HORIZONTAL button until the display
shows "LOAD". (The IPS 33 must be in the
LOAD mode to receive Sysex).
MEQ7 Dump Press the MIDI button, then press the STORE
button.
MEQ14 Dump Press the MIDI button, then press the STORE
button.
MEQ28 Dump Press the MIDI button, then press the STORE
button.
Dynacord
ADD One Program Dump Press COPY 5 times to get to page 5.
Press STORE twice for dump all. (display reads
"SENDING ALL
Sample Dump Hold MIDI and press REC on ADD-Drive.
Select UNIVERSAL sample dump type.
Press >.
Select a sample to dump.
Press YES to initiate (display r e a d s
"BUSY: S E N D I N G SAMPLE DATA OVER
MIDI")
All Loads Memory protect must be OFF in order to
receive.
Program Load Display - there is no indication that the ADD
One is receiving data, nor that a dump has been
completed.
Sample Load Display reads "INCOMING MIDI SAMPLE
DUMP IN PROGRESS" while receiving data,
then "SAMPLE COMPLETED" upon completion.
ADS/ ADS-K/ ADDTwo Dump This only sends sample dump over MIDI.
Press MIDI.
Press "5" on ADS/ADS-K or "6" on ADD-2 to get
to "REQUEST SAMPLE" page.
press > twice to get to "SEND SAMPLE" page.
Select sample to dump.
Press GO to initiate (Display reads "SENDING
SAMPLE OUT MIDI").
Load Must be in one of the two sample dump pages
to receive.
Display will read "RECEIVING SAMPLE FROM
MIDI ..."
E-MU Systems
Elll Dump Supports both open and closed loop dumps
(Use open).
Emax The Emax requires closed loop for receiving
sample dumps, and is therefore incompatible |
with DataDisk.
Proteus Dump Press MASTER. ——
Use the DATA knob to get to the SEND M I D I .
DATA page. |
Use the Cursor key and data entry control knob |
to select the dump type. |

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 09/01/95

Emu Proteus Cont. The LED above the ENTER button should be
flashing.
Press enter to initiate the dump.
Load Display should read "RECEIVING DATA".
Ensoniq
ESQ-1 Dump Enable the ESQ-1's sysex
(Keys+ C T + P C + S S + S X ) and note the MIDI
channel in the ESQ-1's MIDI page.
Press STORAGE.
Select MIDI-SEND.
Press STORAGE.
Select the dump type: (Use the "Seq to ESQ-1"
option to save sequences as the "Seq to
Mirage" will not work).
Load Make sure Sysex is enabled and set the MIDI
channel (Must be the same as when saved).
Select INTERNAL PROGRAM BANK.
There is no display change while the ESQ-1 is
receiving. On completion of the dump the unit
will revert to either the sequence page or the
current program displayed is updated,
depending on the dump type.
All types. Due to the timing needs of the ESQ-1 it will be
necessary to store patches and sequences
separately (not as a mult file).
ESQ-M Dump Press PARAM.
Press STORAGE.
Use SCROLL or YES/NO buttons to select the
dump type.
Press and hold SCROLL and STORAGE to
initiate the dump. Note that SCROLL advances
the display when it is released. (The display will
read "MIDI Data Xfer" while sending and "Data
Xfer Done" when finished.)
Load Make sure sysex is enabled (On the MIDI page
set MIDI enables to ENBL=KCPSYS).
Must be on the Program page to receive.
When receiving a single sound, the display
reads "Data Xfer Done" then goes to the
storage page. The program is on the Write page
and is only in the edit buffer. It must be written
to memory before use.
JL Cooper
FaderMaster Dump This unit cannot initiate a dump on it's own. It
must initiated as a dump request from the
DataDisk.
Press REQUEST twice.
Use SCROLL to select JLCoop (DataDisk
display will read "REQUEST SYSEX FOR
JLCoop?").
Press DO/YES (display will read "REQUEST
JLCoop FaderM?").
Press DO/YES to initiate the request.
The FaderMaster only displays one of it's digits
while sending data.
Load The FaderMaster only displays one of it's digits
while receiving data.
MixMate Dump Hold down SHIFTSYNC MODE.
MSB+ Dump Depress buttons "1" and "8", then "WRITE" on
front panel.
PPS-100 Dump Press CLEAR to get display to read "JLCooper
PPS-100".
Press ENTER.
Press NO 3 times to get to SETUP page.
Press YES.
Press ENTER 4 times to get to DUMP
MEMORY page.
Press YES to initiate the dump.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 8 09/01/95

JL Cooper PPS-100 Cont. Load Press CLEAR to get display to read "JLCooper
PPS-100 SYSEX PORT ON". Connect the
DataDisk MIDI out to the SYSEX port of the
PPS-100.
Displays "SYSEX DUMP IN" while receiving.
KAWAI
K1 Dump Use+ /YES and -/NO buttons until display reads
"SYSTEM/MIDI = TRS".
Press SYSTEM 7 times until display reads
"MIDI DATA DUMP"
Use+ / Y E S and -/NO buttons to select dump
type:
a) PACH sends current patch.
b) BLOK sends entire bank.
Press SYSTEM ("EXE? =<->").
Press+ /YES twice to initiate dump.
Load RCV EXCL must be "=ON". ("SYSTEM/MIDI =
SYS")
Bank data is received automatically and
replaces the currently selected bank (I or i).
Display -???
K5/K5m Dump Press MIDI (" MIDI BASIC " page).
Press right cursor button (—>) twice to position
cursor on Exclusive TRS parameter. Also turn
RCV off. Use Increment Dial to set parameter to
ON (enables System exclusive transmission).
Press left cursor button (<-) three times to
position cursor on dump option parameter.
Select dump type (PATCH or BLOCK) with the
Increment Dial.
Press the right cursor button to position the
cursor on the patch/block number parameter.
For a patch dump: select the patch by using the
by using the SINGLE/MULTI, Bank and Number
keys.
For a block dump: select the block by using the
SINGLE or MULTI key.
Once the selection is made, move
Increment Dial to the right to indicate "YES",
The display will ask "SURE?".
Move the Increment Dial to the right again to
initiate the dump (display will read "BUSY" while
dumping and "TRANS COMPLETED" when
complete).
Load EXC TRS and RCV must both be on in order to
receive a dump.
Korg
707 Dump Enter FUNCTION mode by pressing
•
FUNCTION. Select function #8, DATA
TRANSFER. Press YES to execute the dump.
A3 Dump Press UTILITY.
Select MIDI.
Press the SAVE key to initiate (display reads
"SAVING").
Load Must be in LOAD mode to receive data.
Press UTILITY.
Select MIDI.
Select LOAD (display reads "LOAD? Yes/No").
Press "E" to receive (display returns to <MIDI>
page after completion).
DDD-1 Dump Press MODE SELECT KEY 6 (DATA
TRANSFER).
Press f-3 to specify MIDI.
Press the SAVE key.
Press YES to initiate to send all internal |
memory except samples.
Load Must be in LOAD mode to receive data.
Press MODE SELECT KEY 6 ( D A T A
TRANSFER).
Press f-3 to specify MIDI.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 9 09/01/95

Korg DDD-1 Cont. Press the LOAD key.
DDD-5 Dump Press DATA TRANSFER until the display
shows MIDI selected.
Press SAVE.
Press YES to initiate the dump.
Load Press DATA TRANSFER until the display
shows MIDI selected.
Press LOAD.
Press YES (then send file from DataDisk).
DRM-1 Dump Press the SELECT key to bring up the DATA
TRANSFER screen.
Use the select key to specify MIDI.
Use the VALUE keys to specify the contents of
the data (pattern or setting).
Press SAVE.
Press SELECT to initiate the dump.
Load Press the SELECT key to bring up the DATA
TRANSFER screen
Use the select key to specify MIDI.
Use the VALUE keys to specify the contents of
the data (pattern or setting).
Press LOAD.
Press SELECT.
R-100 Dump Go to MIDI DATA DUMP function. (press
GROUP SELECT until FUNCTION LED is lit).
Press ENTER 2 times to get to the dump page.
Press ENTER to initiate.
Load Must be in MIDI DATA DUMP function with
SYSEX ON.
The SAVE/LOAD LED is lit while the R-100 is
receiving MIDI data. The bottom line will
temporarily display "RECEIVED" upon
completion.
DRV-2000 Dump Make sure that the program selected is a
number over 16.
Enter UTILITY mode, and press the UTILITY
button several times until the DATA DUMP
SAVE display is called up.
Press PARAMETER to select the dump type
(single or all).
Press UP to initiate the dump.
Load Make sure the DRV-2000 is in PROGRAM
mode.
LED display will show "96" after a successful
load.
DS-8 Dump Enter FUNCTION MODE, select job #9, MIDI
DATA TRANSFER.
Press UP/YES to initiate.
DSM-1 This unit is not compatible with the DataDisk
due to programming requirements.
M1/M1R Dump Press GLOBAL.
Press "5".
Press PAGE+ (display shows "MIDI
FILTERING").
Press "H".
Press UP to turn exclusive on.
Press GLOBAL.
Press "7" (display reads "MIDI DATA DUMP").
Press "B".
Use UP and DOWN buttons to select "ALL
DATA".
Press "G" (DUMP) to initiate (display reads
"MIDI DATA DUMP - COMPLETED".
Load Make sure System Exclusive is turned on.
Make sure memory protects are turned off.
Press GLOBAL.
Press "7" (display reads "MIDI DATA DUMP").
Send DataDisk file to be loaded (display will
read "MIDI DATA DUMP COMPLETED" when
finished).

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 10 09/01/95

P3 Dump Press and hold PLAY and FUNCTION (display
reads "dF").
Press PARAMETER (display blanks, then reads
"dF").
Load There is no indication that the P3 is receiving
MIDI data.
Z3 Parameter Dump Select mode B with the DIP switch on the b a c k
panel.
Press FUNC and "4" simultaneously to initiate.
Voice Dump Press FUNC and SYNTH OFF simultaneously
to enter GENERATOR Mode.
Press FUNC and "4" simultaneously to initiate.
Press FUNC and SYNTH OFF simultaneously
to exit GENERATOR Mode.
Lexicon
LXP-1 The LXP-1 cannot be used directly with a
DataDisk since it has no MIDI port, however it
can be used with an MRC or other device that
has a MIDI port, and understands LXP-1
protocols.
MRC Machine Setups Dump Press MACH button.
Press "•" (display reads "XMIT CURRENT
SETUPS?").
Press ENTER to initiate, (display reads
"XMITTING CURRENT SETUPS").
Device Specific Bulk Data Dump Press MACH..
Press EDIT.
Move slider #1 to top position (display reads
"SYSTEM PARAMETERS").
Press PAGE 4 times (display reads "> XMIT
BULK DUMP").
Press "." to initiate (display reads "XMITTING
SYSEX MSG").
PCM70 Dump Power on the unit.
While the software version is being displayed,
press "7".
Press LOAD button to initiate dump ( d i s p l a y if
flickers while sending).
Load Display flickers while loading.
Oberheim
DMX Dump Enable Cassette Mode with switch on rear
panel.
Press TEMP to initiate the dump (display reads
"SENDING ALL").
Load Enable Cassette Mode with switch on rear
panel.
Display reads "RECEIVING MIDI" and then
temporarily displays "DATA COMPLETE"
BEFORE RETURNING TO "cassette mode".
DX Dump Enable DATA STORAGE with switch on rear
panel (display reads "CASS").
All Sequences Press MIDI SEND ALL. The ALL button will light
until the data have finished, and then the
display will once again read "CASS".
One Sequence Press MIDI SEND ONE and the display will
show which sequence to send.
Press ONE again and the display will show the
destination sequence.
Press ONE again to initiate the dump (the ONE
[signature] LED will light until the data have
• finished, and then the display will once again
read "CASS").
Load Make sure the MEMORY PROTECT switch on
the rear panel is OFF.
"ALL" or "ONE" LED will be lit while data is
loading and return to "CASS" when finished
DPX-1 Sample dump initiated from DPX-1 front Get to DATA DUMP page.
panel
Press < to get to SAMPLE DUMP page. |
Press ENTER. |

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 11 09/01/95

 Oberheim DPX-1 Cont. Use < or > to select sample# or AL.
Press ENTER to initiate.
The display reads "Sd" and the BUSY LED
flashes while dumping. When the dump is
finished the BUSY LED stops flashing.

> Request from DataDisk front panel Press REQUEST.

Use scroll buttons to select sample #.
Press ENTER to initiate.
The DXP-1 just flashes the BUSY LED while
dumping (no display change). The BUSY LED
stops blinking when finished.
Load The display reads "UF" and the BUSY LED is
on while receiving and turns back off when
finished.
Matrix-6 Dump Press MASTER.
Select PARAMETER 11 for SEND ALL or
PARAMETER 10 for SEND CURRENT PATCH.
Press VALUE button (far right box under
display).
Press YES/ON to initiate.
Load Sysex must be enabled (MASTER parameter
4).
Memory protect switch must be in the OFF
position.
There are no display changes to indicate that
the MATRIX-6 is receiving MIDI data.
Matrix-12 Dump Press MASTER.
Press button below "MIDI" in display.
Press button below "ENABLES".
Press button below "SYSEX" in display if it is
not underlined.
Press MASTER.
Press button below "MIDI".
Press button below "SEND" in display.
Turn encoder 4 left until display reads "ALL".
^
^
Select RECV ONE on DataDisk (if selected
earlier, extra unnecessary files will be created).
Press button below "START" in display (display
reads "SENDING").
NOTE: The DataDisk display will indicate saving
"XPANDR" for approximately half of the dump,
followed by "MTRX12" for the remainder. The
file will be saved as "MTRX12".
Load. Make sure SYSEX is enabled.
Memory protect switch must be in the OFF
position.
There are no display changes to indicate that
the MATRIX-12 is receiving MIDI data.
The program must then be reselected in order
to place the new program into the edit buffer.
Matrix-1000 Dump Press SELECT until the Data Dump function is
selected.
Use the "+" and "-" keys to cycle through the
three options:
a) 0db=dump current bank
b) 1dO=dump one (current) patch.
c) 2dA=dump all ram patches.
Press ENTER to initiate.
Load Make sure memory protect is still off.
There are no display changes to indicate that
the MATRIX-1000 is receiving MIDI data.
OB-8 Dump Enter Page 2 (press page 2 twice if not already
in page 2).
Button A LED must be on.
Press and hold the WRITE button until the

> WRITE LED illuminates. This sends the current

patch.
Note: The DataDisk provides an OB-8 request
which automatically requests all 120 patch
dumps and stores them in one file.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 12 09/01/95

Oberheim OB-8 Cont. Load Button A LED on page 2 must be on. |
Memory protect on the rear panel must be off.
Xpander Dump Press MASTER.
Press button below "MIDI" in display.
Press button below "ENABLES".
Press button below "SYSEX" in display if
not underlined.
Press MASTER.
Press button below "MIDI".
Press button below "SEND" in display.
Turn encoder 3 until display reads "ALL
PATCHES".
Select RECV ONE on DataDisk (if selected
earlier, extra unnecessary files will be created).
Press button below "START" in display (display
reads "SENDING").
Load Make sure SYSEX is enabled.
Memory protect switch must be in the OFF
position.
There are no display changes to indicate that
the Xpander is receiving MIDI data.
*
The program must then be reselected in order
to place the new program into the edit buffer.
Perf/x Dump Go to MASTER SECTION and select
DUMP/LOAD.
Use arrows to select dump type:
a) SO=Send One
b) SA=Semd All
c) SE=Send Edit
Press ENTER twice to initiate.
Load Display reads "Ld" while Perf/x and "Rc" when
finished.
Roland
D-50 Dump Press MIDI.
Press PATCH EDIT twice.
Press U-TONE EDIT.
Press INCREMENT to turn system e x c l u s i v e
on.
Press and hold DATA TRANSFER.
Press KEY MODE to select BULK DUMP (for
one way transfer).
Release both buttons.
Press ENTER to initiate the dump (display will
read "Sending..." while sending and
"COMPLETE" when done).
Load System exclusive must be enabled.
Memory protect must be turned off.
Press and hold DATA TRANSFER.
Press SPLIT POINT to select BULK LOAD (for
one way transfer).
Release both buttons.
Press ENTER (display reads "Waiting..." until
file is sent. It then reads "Loading...", and finally
"Bulk Load Complete" when finished).
NOTE: The D-50 data must be dumped and
loaded in one way transfer mode. If the data are
dumped from the D-50 in handshaking mode,
the DataDisk will only receive a small number of
bytes. If a load is attempted in handshaking
mode, the D-50 will display "MIDI
Communication Error".
GM-70 Dump Press DATA TRANSFER.
Press FUNCTION until the display shows
"BULK DUMP". |
Use VALUE to select the data group to be
•
transferred.
\
Press ENTER to initiate the dump.
Load Memory protect must be turned off.
Press DATA TRANSFER.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 13 09/01/95

Roland GM-70 Cont. Press FUNCTION until the display shows
"BULK LOAD".
Use VALUE to select patch group.
Press ENTER. The GM-70 is ready to receive.
Juno-1/Juno-2 Dump Press DATA TRANSFER, WRITE, and BULK
DUMP to initiate.
JX-8P Dump Turn system exclusive on.
Select a bank (Press CARTRIDGE, INTERNAL,
or PRESET).
Select the patch to send by pressing "1" through
"32".
The dump is initiated when a patch is changed
(if the current patch is reselected, nothing is
sent out MIDI).
NOTE: The only way to dump from the JX-8P is
for the user to individually select each patch in
which case the parameters for that patch are
sent out as a sysex message.
Load System exclusive must be enabled.
Memory protect must be turned off.
When the dump is complete, the 2 digit patch #
will flash to indicate that an edit has occurred.
The patch then must be stored (only the edit
buffer was loaded).
NOTE: The only way to load all patches is to
individually load each patch separately.
JX-10 This unit is not compatible with the DataDisk.
MKS-50 Dump Press DATA TRANSFER.
Use the PARAMETER button to select the
dump type:
a) P-A = Patch Bank A
b) P-B = Patch Bank B
c) CM = Chord Memory
d) T-A = Tone Bank A
e) T-B = Tone Bank B
Press WRITE to initiate.
Load Turn Memory Protect off.
Press DATA TRANSFER.
Use PARAMETER button to select one way
data transfer (display reads "LOAD* DUMP").
Use VALUE button to select type of information
to load (display reads "RUN" while receiving
and "END" when finished).
MKS-70 Dump Make sure system exclusive is turned on.
Press MIDI (if the MIDI LED isn't already lit).
Press WRITE.
Use the alpha dial to select "MIDI BULK
DUMP".
Press ENTER (Display will flash each character
of "MIDI BULK DUMP" until the dump is
completed [about 23 seconds]).
Load Memory protect switch on the front panel must
be OFF.
System Exclusive must be turned ON.
R-8 Dump Press MIDI.
Press CURSOR PAGE.
Press "8" on the number pad (display reads
"BULK DUMP").
Press "1" on the number pad for dump ALL.
Press ENTER twice to initiate the dump.
Load System Exclusive must be ON,
There is no display change to indicate that the
R-8 is receiving data, or that the dump has been
completed.
S-50/S550 This unit does not implement the MMA
Standard and therefor is not compatible with the
DataDisk.
TR707/727 Dump A dump cannot be initiated from the front panel
and instead must be initiated from the DataDisk.
Place the TR-707 into TRACK PLAY mode.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 14 09/01/95

Roland TR707/727 Cont. Since handshaking is required, a closed MIDI
loop must be established (cables both to and
from the DataDisk).
Issue request from DataDisk.
All TR-707 LEDs turn off while it is dumping
data.
Load Place the TR-707 into TRACK PLAY mode
Since handshaking is required, a closed MIDI
loop must be established (cables both to and
from the DataDisk).
Send file from DataDisk.
All TR-707 LEDs turn off while it is receiving
data.
U110 Dump Press EDIT,
Use cursor to select UTIL.
Press ENTER.
Use cursor to select BULK.
Press ENTER to initiate (display reads
"TRANSMITTING..").
Load System Exclusive must be ON.
There is no display change to indicate that the
unit is loading or completed.
Waldorf Electronics
MicroWave Dump Execute a Store command.
Press the STORE button again.
Use the ALPHA dial to select the data to be
dumped.
Press the OK button to initiate the dump.
Load Execute a Store command.
Use the ALPHA dial to select the data to be
loaded.
Press the OK button to allow the data to be sent
from the DataDisk.
Yamaha
DX7 Special Edition Dump Press FUNCTION.
Press "8" (display shows "Midi Sys Info"
Press ON.
Press "8" (display shows "MIDI TRANSMIT?").
Press YES to send (display will blank until
complete).
Note: Only voice data is sent from the MIDI
transmit page. No function parameters are
transmitted. To transmit function data with voice
data, Midi Sys Info must be on; when changing
patches, the voice and function data for the
selected patch will be sent out MIDI.
Load Memory protect must be OFF.
Sysex must be ON.
DX-7 with E! Dump Press FUNCTION.
Press OPERATOR until you get to the Memory
Control page.
Press "1" until you get to the Transmit Bank
page.
Press YES to initiate.
Note: If DataDisk is in RECV ONE mode and
you transmit a bank from the DX7, the DataDisk
will store 2 files (one DX7 containing data and
one TX816 containing function data). If the
DataDisk is in RECV MULT, the data will be
stored together as a single TX816 file.
Load Memory Protect must be OFF.
Sysex Filter In filter must be ON.
Module Mode must be ON.
Bank Mode must be ON to receive to the |
original bank, and OFF to receive to the current
bank.
•
The right LED decimal point will light while
receiving data, and either "AU" or "AF" when
finished (depending on the data type loaded).

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 15 09/01/95

DX711 Dump Press EDIT.
Press "32" (MIDI 2) until you get to the desired
transmit page.
Use the CURSOR buttons to select the dump
type.
Press YES twice to initiate.
Load Memory protect must be OFF.
The device # when the data are received must
match the device # as when the data were sent.
Display reads "** BUSY " Now receiving!" while
receiving and "** MIDI bulk data received!" upon
completion.
DX100 Dump Memory protect must be OFF.
Press Sysex Info button #5 to get to MIDI
Transfer page.
Press YES to initiate.
TX7 Dump Press MODE so that display reads "SHIFT
MODE".
Press DUMP/INIT 3 times to get to the MIDI
TRANSMIT page.
Press YES to initiate the dump.
Note: 1) The TX7 sends 2 dumps (1 voice data
as a DX7 file and 1 function data as a TX816
file) . 2) The DataDisk must be in RECV MULT
to properly receive all data. Otherwise, the MIDI
OVERFLOW message will be displayed on the
DataDisk, and only the voice data will be stored.
Load Memory protect must be OFF.
Display reads "MIDI Received " while receiving
and "MIDI Received " upon dump completion.
TX802 Dump Press UTILITY.
Press button 1 below display "trns".
The 1 button below the display can now be used
to select between nine transmit pages in
rotation as follows:
1) "Transmit voice edit buffer?"
2) "Transmit 1-32 voice data?"
3) "Transmit 33-64 voice data?"
4) "Transmit performance edit buffer?"
5) "Transmit 1-64 performance data?"
6) "Transmit system setup data?"
7) "Transmit micro tuning edit buf?"
8) "Transmit?"micro tuning 1-2 data
9) "Transmit?"micro tuning cart data
Press YES from a page above (display reads
"Are you sure?".
Press YES (display reads ""BUSY" Now
transmitting!" and changes to "Completed!"
when finished.
NOTE: The DataDisk will store each dump into
an individual file if it is in RECV ONE. Placing
the DataDisk in RECV MULT will allow all of the
dumps to be stored as one file. When receiving,
the DataDisk will display TX802 for dumps 4-6,
DX7II for dumps 7-9, DX7 for dump 1, and
DX7II followed by DX7 for dumps 2-3.
Load Memory protect must be OFF.
Display reads ""MIDI bulk data- Now
receiving!" while loading and ""MIDI bulk data
received!" when finished.
TX81Z Dump Press UTILITY.
Press PARAM until you get to the "MIDI
CONTROL?" page.
Press YES.
Press PARAM until you get to the transmit
pages (Voice, Perfrm, Setup).
Press YES to initiate the dump (display reads
Transmitting!!".
Note: The DataDisk must be in RECV MULT
when sending setup data.
Load Memory protect must be turned OFF.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 16 09/01/95

Y a m a h a TX81Z Cont. Sysex must be enabled.
Display reads "MIDI Received" on completion.

8.3 Hardware Troubleshooting

Described Failure Possible Causes Possible Solutions

No lights. No power. Completely "Dead". Power supply (A.C. adapter). Replace and retest.
Faulty 1N4001 diode (Usually D6). Replace with a 1N4003 type and retest.
Unit powers up, but does not function. Faulty 8031 (U11). Troubleshoot and repair as necessary.
Faulty 74HC573 (U10). Troubleshoot and repair as necessary.
National 74HC139 (U7). Replace if necessary.
Faulty 8031 reset circuit. Check 8031 pin 9 for momentary spike during
unit power up. Troubleshoot and repair as
necessary.
No (or scrambled) LCD, but unit functions. Loose cable. This one seems to occur frequently in older
units during shipping. Hot glue should be
applied to the reseated cable to prevent
reoccurrence.
National 74HC139 (U7). Replace if necessary.
Bad LCD. Replace and retest.
No MIDI in. Opto isolator threshold resistor (R28) is still 47K. Measure between pins 5 and 7 of the opto with
an ohm meter. If it reads 47K then install a 12K
or 13K resistor between pins 5 and 7 of the opto
isolator. (see section 7.4)
•
Faulty opto isolator (U1). Replace and retest.
Faulty 8031. Replace and retest.
Opto isolator threshold adjustment resistor Check to be sure this resistor is soldered
soldered on wrong pins. between pins 5 and 7 (not 6 and 8).
No MIDI out. No MIDI out pullup resistor. Check to be sure that a 4.7K resistor has been
installed between pins 3 and 14 of U6. Install if
necessary.
Fault MIDI out inverter (U2) Replace and retest.
Faulty 8031. Replace and retest.
Drive not responding (Drive errors). Faulty Drive Replace and retest. (Be sure to replace
bottom panel when changing from a Fugitsu?
the newer Sony drive section 5.0).
Faulty WD1772 controller. Replace and retest.
Faulty 8031 Replace and retest.
34 pin ribbon cable pinched by case screw or Check cable for pinch marks. Replace if
faulty. necessary, Retest.
Files getting scrambled. Old version of software. Update EPROM and retest.
Faulty PSRAM. Replace and retest (see section 3.0 regarding
PSRAM replacement).

All trademarks are property of their respective companies.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 17 09/01/95

9.0 Software History

DATE VERSION COMMENTS_________________________

9/29/89 1.00 First production release

10/10/89 1.01 1) Fixes the 1-line display problem that occurred with some units on power-up.

10/15/89 1.02 Fixes Roland D-50 (D-series) transfer problems.

02/27/90 1.03 Checksum: B095 (internal) / AFDC (external)

1) Fixes the Roland TR-707 transfer problems.

2) Fixes the backup ("Replace file with same name?") problem created when trying
to backup a file on an empty disk that previously contained that file (now
deleted). Work around: either do a Delete All or re-format disk.
3) Now accepts undefined 1-byte ids (60H thru 7CH)
4) Copyright message was added at power-on and reads:

I (c) 1989 Alesis

__________Corporation________

5) Kawai K5/K5m now functions

6) Somtimes a unit would power with the display showing "NO DISK IN DRIVE",
when in fact there was. This is now fixed.

05/22/90 2.00 Checksum: 3ABB (internal) / 39B2 (external)

Bug Fixes:
1) Fixes the incomplete file transfer bug
(for this bug to have occurred, the disk would have to be write-protected and
the file sent would have to have two consecutive blocks of data more than 5
sectors apart)
2) Fixes the incorrect free bytes calculation (prevents this from happening as well
as correcting older disks)
(for this bug to occur, the file received would have to fall on a 256 byte
boundary — i.e. # of bytes exactly divisible by 256).

Added Features:
1) Roland U-220 product name now displayed
2) MIDI backup disk preserves multi file status (m)
3) MIDI Real-Time record/playback feature added*
4) MIDI parameters stored to disk feature added*

See Data Disk Version 2.00 New Features

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 18 09/01/95

06/14/90 2.01 Checksum: 3A94 (internal) / 3964 (external)

Change:
1) Power-up display message changed to:

Alesis
DataDisk SQ

08/21/90 2.02 Checksum: 0014H (internal) / FE2AH (external)

Bug Fixes:
1) Fixes the number of disk swaps for files < 1K.

Changes:
1) A MIDI Sequence Receive will not be initiated until the first non-F8H byte is
received. This change was made to accommodate the sequencers that always
send out MIDI CLOCK (F8H). Note that active sensing (FEH) and system reset
(FFH) are also still ignored at all times.

Added Features:
1) Alesis SR-16 product added
2) The disk is checked for disk change upon receiving new data and the following
message is displayed if a disk change occurred:

DISK WAS CHANGED MUST PRESS

RECV

This was added to prevent someone from entering the Receive page/ swapping
disks, and then receiving data (without pressing the Receive button again). The
DataDisk's internal RAM would still contain the old disk directory. Two
possible undesirables could result: the current disk directory would get
updated with the previous disk's directory info and the new data might possibly
be stored over good data.

3) A hidden feature which dumps the disk contents was added. To access this
feature, the user must press and hold the Send button and then the Backup
button. When the Do/Yes button is pressed while these two buttons are held,
the Data Disk will start sending the disk contents and the display will read:

10/12/90 2.03 Checksum: 0061H (internal) / FEC4H (external)

Changes:
•

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 19 09/01/95

 1) Slightly changes the disk format (gap 3 increased from 24 bytes to 64 bytes).
This decreases gap 4 by 200 bytes. Compatibility is maintained with previous
software releases.
2) Checks for zero bytes before storing file. If zero bytes, the file is not stored
(operation is aborted)

10/18/90 2.04 Checksum: 7220H (internal) / 70B4H (external)

Changes:
1) Products with 3 byte sysex IDs whose second byte is non-zero and whose third
byte is less than 32H would display an incorrect manufacturer name although the
data would be ok). Although this has not been a problem since no products
currently have such IDs, it has now fixed.
2) Any disk formatted with version 2.04 will be recognized by the software as a
new version format (2), while all older disks will be recognized as the old version
format (1). The display for INFO page 3 has been changed to indicate the current
disk format version as shown below:

Disk Format 2,
Software v2.04

3) G.T. has been added as a manufacturer (ID 000047H), and Trio has been added
as a G.T. product (ID 00).

12/20/90 2.05 Checksum: 3AF7H (internal) / 3A2AH (external)

Changes:
1) While sending a file, if MIDI echo was on and the DataDisk was receiving
MIDI information, the file would not be sent correctly. This has now been fixed.
2) All individual's names have been removed from the software.

1/28/91 2.06 Checksum: 4213H (internal) / 406AH (external)

Changes:
1) While sending a sequence file, the note history buffers were not updated
correctly when program change, controller, etc. data was mixed with the note data.
This resulted in extra note-offs sent unnecessarily when the send was aborted; this
extra MIDI data could cause a MIDI buffer overflow on instruments receiving this
data.

5/20/91 2.07 Checksum: 5719H ( i n t e r n a l ) / 558BH ( e x t e r n a l )

1) When loading a disk with MIDI Program Receive channel saved, user would
have to enter the MIDI Program channel page before the DataDisk would
recognize the program change. This problem is fixed.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 20 09/01/95

 2) When backing up a file to a backup disk that already had that file backed-up as
the last file on that disk, the newly created backup file would be displayed as a
multi-file, would not send, nor could be deleted. This problem is fixed. Work
around: Delete the file before doing the backup (only need to do if overwriting the
last file)

3) Added Alesis D4 and Quadra Verb GT product ids. The product id numbers are
6 and 7, respectively.

4) When a MIDI program change was sent following the insertion of a new disk
into the DataDisk (without first pressing any button that would cause the new disk
to be loaded), the DataDisk would respond according to the old disk's info. This
problem has been fixed in the following manner:

Whenever the DataDisk receives a program change, it first checks the disk drive to
see whether or not the disk was changed. If the disk was changed, it first loads in
the information from this new disk. If the MIDI channels match and the program
number is within range, the appropriate file is sent.

If the MIDI channels do not match, however, the DataDisk will display the MIDI
receive channel page. If the channels match, but the program number is out-of-
range, the DataDisk will display the first info page. The display changes to these
pages only if the new disk has not already been loaded. Once a disk has been
loaded, a channel mismatch or out-of-range program number will be ignored and
will not affect the display.

6/11/91 2.08 Checksum: 7EB4H ( i n t e r n a l ) / 7DE8H ( e x t e r n a l )

1) When performing a backup of MIDI sequence files between two DataDisks, the
receiving unit might sometimes prematurely end a file and then incorrectly
indicate it was receiving various manufacturer dumps. This problem occurred
depending upon timing information contained in the MIDI sequence file, as it did
not occur with all MIDI sequence files. This problem is fixed.

2) Extraneous note-offs were sometimes sent when aborting a MIDI sequence that
contained unmatched note-offs. This problem is fixed.

7/30/91 2.09 Checksum: 801DH (internal) / 7EBCH (external)

1) The backup problem is fixed. [Bad backup files - those made with 2.07 and 2.08
version software — would display the sysex error (Bad Data in File) message when
sent. Note that the bad backup files are not fixed by this new version of software.].

11/17/91 2.10 Checksum: 81D7H (internal) / 8131H (external)

1) Playback of some sequence files would sometimes glitch (timing would be off).
This would happen on fragmented sequence files, i.e. those which were stored on
non-consecutive sectors. The more distance between sectors, the more likely a
glitch would occur. This problem is fixed. Work around: Do a single file backup of
the file that has this problem. (This will unfragment the file).
10.0 Format History

Note, there have been a lot of software updates to this product. The software history should be
studied carefully in order to understand how to convert customers "complaints" into solutions.
The Datadisk (with software version 2.00 or higher) will record anything that comes in via MIDI
(including System Real Time and System Common) except for active sensing and MIDI System Reset
(FF). MIDI clock (F8) will be ignored until the unit sees something different than an F8. Then after
receiving and recording data other than an F8, it will record F8's. This is to ensure that units that
constantly send MIDI clocks like the MPU-401, can be used to record MIDI sequences without starting
to record the instant the MIDI cables are connected.
The following detail explains the Formatting problem that existed from software version 1.00 to
2.03, that was fixed in 2.04. All versions from 2.04 and above include this "fix".
Overview: Data is received into the Datadisk and goes indirectly to the drive and onto the first
available sector (track) of the disk. If there is more than 1 track (4 sectors) worth of data, it will then be
written to the next available track. (Usually one right next to it.) Most (95%) of SYSEX dumps require
the use of only one track or less.
If a user has the SQ software (VER 2.00 or higher), they will be putting more than one tracks
worth of data onto the disk at a time, or, for 1 file since sequence data for 1 song will most likely be
much longer than 1 SYSEX dump. (Unless, of course, their song is very short).
There is a certain width of "gap" between each track which is put there when a disk is formatted.
When data is being written to the disk and it has filled 1 track, the heads move over to the next
available track and continue writing the data from that file which is being received. If necessary, more
tracks are utilized until the file is complete. Example: One 760K file would use all tracks on the disk and
when sending that file, the heads would move from track to track reading each one, one at a time, and
sending it out.
PROBLEM: (In 2.03 and lower). When the unit is receiving data and the heads go to move to
the next track to continue writing more data of the same file, the heads move a little further than the
width of the gap and slightly onto the adjacent track. (This is, of course, not acceptable). If that
adjacent track already has data on it, it will be combined with the incoming data and the result will be
completely unreadable and invalid data. Upon playback, the heads will not be able to read this invalid
data, resulting with the display reading "DISK ERROR". Sometimes the heads will recognize this when
they are overwriting a track and give the user a "DISK ERROR" message then. i.e. when receiving a
sequence, or long SYSEX data stream.
In other words, when this happens, the user will get the error message either when sending or
receiving a file, sometimes both, but usually when they are sending.
To date, this overwriting problem has only occurred with the Sony "-5" drive and software
version 2.00 to 2.03, or the one with the amber colored LED. After thoroughly testing the Sony "-10"
(green colored LED) and the Fujitsu (red colored LED) we could never get these to fail where as we
had consistent failures with the Sony "-5" (amber colored LED) drive.
SOLUTION: In software version 2.04, the only change is that when formatting a disk, there is a
larger "gap" width between the tracks. Thorough testing by us and Sony has consistently yielded
favorable results.
Also, when you hit the INFO button and go to the page that displays the software version, you
will see that it says "DISK FORMAT 1," or "DISK FORMAT 2,". This denotes whether the disk was
formatted with software version 2.03 or lower (DISK FORMAT 1, the undesirable format), or 2.04 or
higher (DISK FORMAT 2, the newer and desirable format).
To simply verify whether a disk full of files is good, just go to "SEND ALL FILES?" and press
"YES". If no disk errors are detected then you are OK. (A user can do this for every file they just
receive to verify it, if they so desire, however, with format 2, this should not be necessary). If any disk
errors are detected, those files MUST be deleted as they are bad.
Once it is determined that a disk contains all good files, then the user should insert the latest
EPROM version, format a disk, then using "BACKUP ALL FILES TO DISK?" backup the old disk to the
new one. After verifying that all of the files on the new disk are good, then reformat the old one so
that both disks now have the same, new, format. This procedure should be repeated for all disks that a
user owns so that this problem will never occur again. Then they should return the old EPROM to you
so that you can erase and reuse it, as well as not accidentally use it some other time thus creating the
problem all over again.

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 23 09/01/95

 12.0 Service Parts List

|| GROUP DESCRIPTION AL PARTNO QTYPER POSITION PCB MANUFACT NOTES

ASS PCB. DD MAIN ASSY 8-20-0050 1 MAIN BOARD ASSEMBLY
ASS PCB, DD KEYPAD ASSY 8-20-0051 1 FRONT PANEL PCB ASSEMBLY
CAB 14 PIN DILS 0.1 CTR 4-18-0814
CAB 34 PIN DIL 12 0.1 CTR 4-18-1234
CAB 12PIN S I L 3 0 1 CTR 4-19-0312
CAB 12 PIN S I L 7 0 1 CTR 4-19-0712
CAB 4 PIN SIL 10 0.1 CTR 4-19-1004 J1
CAP 0 1 MF C E R D I S C 1-02-0104 13 C1,4-8, 10, 15, 19, 21.24.25.27 MAIN
CAP 22 PF C E R D I S C 1-02-0220 4 C2,3,11,12 MAIN
CAP 100 MF ELEC 16V 07x12 1-08-0107 1 C18 MAIN 07x12mm
CAP 1000 MF ELEC 16V 10x20 1-08-0108 2 C22,23 MAIN SHOEI 10x20mm
CAP 4700 MF ELEC 25V 18x40 1-09-0478 3 C14,16,20 MAIN SHOEI 18x40mm
CAP 4 7 MF ELEC 50V 05x12 1-11-0475 3 C9,13, MAIN 05x12mm
CAP 0.047 MF FILM 1-20-0473 1 C17 MAIN
HDR 14 PIN DIL 0 1 CTR 4-14-0014 1 J7 MAIN
HDR 34 PIN DIL 90 0 1 CTR 4-14-0034 1 J2 MAIN
HDR 12 PIN SIL 0 1 CTR 4-15-0012 4 J5,6
HDW 6-32x1/4 PP BLK UNC 5-00-0003 24 CASE
HOW 6-32x1/4 PF BLK UNC 5-00-0004 4 FRONT PANEL
HOW BEZEL SCREW 5-00-0012 4 BEZEL
HDW M-3 10mm 5-00-0017 4
HDW NYLON SPACER 0.095 5-01-0007 2
HOW 1/2 STANDOFF6-32 5-02-0003 1
HDW 6-32 KEP NUT 5-02-6320 5
HDW ANGLE BRACKET F/P 5-07-0001 1
HDW SWITCH BOOT 9-11-1013 1 MAIN
HDW CABLE BRACKET 9-13-1012 1
HDW RUBBER STRIP 5 9-23-1006 2
1C 7805+ 5V T0220 2-11-7805 1 U14 MAIN NAT ONLY-NO SUBS
1C 7812+ 12V T0220 2-11-7812 1 U13 MAIN NAT ONLY - NO SUBS
1C 74HC139 2-14-0139 1 U7 MAIN Tl ONLY - NO NAT
1C 74HC573 2-14-0573 1 U10 MAIN NAT/TI
1C 74HC574 2-14-0574 1 U4 MAIN NAT/TI
1C 74HC00 QUAD 2-IN NAND 2-14-7400 1 U12 MAIN NAT/TI
1C 74HCU04 2-14-7403 1 U6 MAIN NAT/TI
1C 74HCT04 2-14-7405 1 U2 MAIN NAT/TI
1C 74HC74 2-14-7474 1 U5 MAIN NAT/TI
1C 32Kx8 PSRAM 2-17-1832 1 U9 MAIN TOSH
1C 27C256EPROM 2-19-0256 1 U8 MAIN NAT
IC 80C31 2-20-8031 1 U11 MAIN SIG
IC 6N138 2-24-0138 1 U1 MAIN HP
IC VL1772-02 DISKCONT 2-29-1772 1 U3 MAIN VLSI
JAC 5 PIN DIN JACK 4-00-0001 2 J3,4 MAIN
JAC 4 PIN DIN J A C K ( P 4 ) 4-00-0004 1 J8 MAIN
ME 1N4148 SIGNAL DIODE 2-00-4148 3 D1-3 MAIN
ME 1N4003 POWER DIODE 2-01-4003 3 D4-6 MAIN
ME LED (RED) 3-02-0001 9 FRONT PANEL PCB F/P
ME DPDT SWITCH 6-02-0001 1 SW1 MAIN
ME 12MHZ C E R R E S 7-01-0003 1 Z2 MAIN
ME 16MHz C E R R E S 7-01-0004 1 Z1 MAIN
ME DISC DRV MPF11W-10WP 7-10-0001 1 SONY
ME 2200 PF FILTER 7-20-0222 5 L1-5 MAIN
ME LRG T O R R O I D 7-30-0002 1 L6 MAIN
ME LCD MODULE 9-44-1111 1
MTL SIDE PANEL 9-03-1003 2
MTL COVER PANEL 9-03-1005 1
MTL REAR PANEL 9-03-1031 1
MTL FRONT PANEL 9-03-1033 1
MTL BOTTOM PANEL 9-03-1037 1
PCB PCB, DD MAIN REVC 9-40-1026 1
PCB PCB, DD FRONT PANEL 9-40-1027 1
PLS LCD BEZEL (REV B) 9-11-1015 1
PLS POWER BUTTON 9-11-1016 1
PLS LED BUTTON 9-11-1017 9
PLS PLAIN BUTTON 9-11-1018 3
PLS SWITCH EXTENDER 9-11-1019 1
PLS KEYPAD 9-23-1008 1
RES 1K 1/8W 5% 0-00-0102 4 R3-6 MAIN
RES 10K 1/8W 5% 0-00-0103 3 R24,27,28 MAIN
RES 1M 1/8W 5% 0-00-0105 1 R7 MAIN
RES 220 1/8W 5% 0-00-0221 13 R2,8-18,20 MAIN
RES 470 1/8W 5% 0-00-0471 1 R1 MAIN
RES 4 7K 1/8W 5% 0-00-0472 1 R29 MAIN
RES 560 1/8W 5% 0-00-0561 6 R19,21-23,25,26 MAIN
SOC 28 PIN DIP 0 6 4-06-0028 3 U3,8,9 MAIN
SOC 40 PIN DIP 0 6 4-06-0040 1 U11 MAIN

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 25 09/01/95

26
 INDEX
+ DR1,6 L
+ 12V, 1, 2 DRM-1, 10 L6,1,25
+ 5V, 1, 2, 3 DRQ,2 LCD, 1, 2, 25
DRV-2000, 10 LCD contrast, 1
-12V, 1 DS-8, 10 LEDs,2, 5, 6, 15
DSM-1, 10 Lexicon, 11
1
12MHz, 1 DSP128,6 LM850, 6
DSP128+, 7 LXP-1, 11
3
DSP256, 7
360 SYSTEMS, 5 M
D X , 11 M1/M1R, 10
7
DX- 7 with E!, 15 Matrix-1000, 12
7 0 7 , 9, 14, 15, 18
DX100, 16 Matrix-12, 12
8 DX7 Special Edition, 15
8031, 1, 25 Matrix-6, 12
DX7II, 16 MEQ14,7
8MHz, 2
Dvnacord, 7 MEQ 28, 7
A MEQ 7, 7
A3, 9 E
E-MU Systems, 7 MicroWave, 15
adapter, 1
edit buffer, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16 MIDI, ii, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
ADD One, 7
EIII,7 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23
ADS / ADS-K, / ADD Two, 7
Emax, 7 MIDI Patcher, 5
ALESIS.iii, 1, 5, 18, 19, 21
Ensoniq, 8 MidiVerb III, 5
ART, 6
ESQ-1, 8 MixMate, 8
Audio Matrix, 5
ESQ-M, 8 MKS-50, 14
B MKS-70, 14
bias voltage, 1 F
MMT-8, 5
FaderMaster, 8
c Fujitsu, 2, 23
M0.2
C14, 1, 25 MPU,\1, 23
C15, 1 G MR, 2
GM-70, 13, 14
C16,1 MRC, 11
GPS5,7
C17,1,25 MSB+, 8
C18-C19, 1 H MV.6
HR-16/HR-16B.5
C22, 1, 25 MX-8, 6
C23,1
I/O, 1 0
CAE,6
OB-8, 12
channel, 4, 5, 6, 8, 20, 21 IEQ-15, 6
Oberheim, 11
CLK,2 IEQ-31, 6
INTRQ, 2 P
CS, 2
P3, 1, 11
IP, 2
D PCM70, 11
D-50, 13 IPS 33, 7
Perf/x, 13
DO-D7, 2 J power supply, iv, 1
D4, 1, 2 1 , 25 J8,1,25
PPS-100, 8, 9
D5.1 JL Cooper, 8
Proteus, 7
DataDisk, ii, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Juno-1 /Juno-2, 14
Pseudo SRAM, 1
13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23 JX-10, 14
DDD-1, 9 JX-8P, 14 Q
QuadraVerb/QuadraVerb GT, 5
DDD-5, 10
K
Digital Music Corp. 6 K1,9 R
Digitech, 6 R-100, 10
K5/K5m, 9, 18
DIRC, 2 R-8, 4, 14
KAWAI, 9, 18
DMX, 11 R/W,2
keypad, 1,25
DPX-1, 11 RAM, 2, 12, 19
Korg, 9
RD, 2

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 26 09/01/95

 Roland, 13, 18 TRK0,2 Waldorf Electronics, 15
ROM. 2 TX7, 16 WD, 2
RXD,1 TX802, 16 WD1772, 1

S TX81Z, 16 WG, 2
S-50/S550, 14 TXD,1 WPRT, 2
S1, 1 U X
screw footprint, 2 U110,15 Xpander, 13
Sony, 2, 23, 25 U13, 1, 25 Y
sys-ex, 3 U18,1 Yamaha, 15
System exclusive, 1, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 U6,1,25 Z
U9, 1, 25 Z 2 , 1, 25
T
TR707/727, 14 W Z3, 11

Alesis DataDisk Service Manual 1.00 27 09/01/95