can't upgrade with USB emulator
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can't upgrade with USB emulator
hi all,
I just got my faulty floppy drive replaced with a USB emulator and I need to install the 2.0 upgrade and some other sounds....I've formated a USB drive as 100 floppies....I can save a sequence from the Karma onto the drive but any files I load onto the USB drive from my computer ...the Karma doesn't recognize.
I'm thinking...I'm out of luck and the only way I can upgrade to 2.0 and load some other sounds is by getting a New Floppy Drive and putting in on disks the old school way.
Thoughts or Advise ?
I just got my faulty floppy drive replaced with a USB emulator and I need to install the 2.0 upgrade and some other sounds....I've formated a USB drive as 100 floppies....I can save a sequence from the Karma onto the drive but any files I load onto the USB drive from my computer ...the Karma doesn't recognize.
I'm thinking...I'm out of luck and the only way I can upgrade to 2.0 and load some other sounds is by getting a New Floppy Drive and putting in on disks the old school way.
Thoughts or Advise ?
- thethirdapple
- Junior Member
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- Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:18 pm
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Greetings,
I don't have a drive emulator installed, although I'm sure the need/desire will reach me soon. Out of curiosity which emulator drive did you get? There are several threads on the KLF which, are a bit dated, but do relate to issues with drive emulators and the install process. This one is a good start as it points to a couple of other threads on the same forum.
https://forums.karma-lab.com/forum/show ... t=emulator
And a longtime participant of THIS forum has done this successfully. So perhaps you could PM that person, here is that thread link:
http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... 1239855fad
If that link doesn't wiggle any solutions loose for you...Then a super basic, by the book, help-desk style troubleshooting opening question:
I don't have a drive emulator installed, although I'm sure the need/desire will reach me soon. Out of curiosity which emulator drive did you get? There are several threads on the KLF which, are a bit dated, but do relate to issues with drive emulators and the install process. This one is a good start as it points to a couple of other threads on the same forum.
https://forums.karma-lab.com/forum/show ... t=emulator
And a longtime participant of THIS forum has done this successfully. So perhaps you could PM that person, here is that thread link:
http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... 1239855fad
If that link doesn't wiggle any solutions loose for you...Then a super basic, by the book, help-desk style troubleshooting opening question:
- Can the data saved from KARMA onto the “drive” be properly read back to the WS?
USB Emulator
Hi thethirdapple,
Thanks for the info.My drive is a Gotek. I got it about 10 years ago and finally got it installed.
The SNG file I wrote to the USB stick was recognized by my computer
So that function seems to work ok.
I just got a Floppy drive that plugs into USB ...so I'm going to try that.If it doesn't work I'll check out your source. Thanks again.
Thanks for the info.My drive is a Gotek. I got it about 10 years ago and finally got it installed.
The SNG file I wrote to the USB stick was recognized by my computer
So that function seems to work ok.
I just got a Floppy drive that plugs into USB ...so I'm going to try that.If it doesn't work I'll check out your source. Thanks again.
- thethirdapple
- Junior Member
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:18 pm
- Location: Here
- Contact:
OK...
Are you running a Windows or MAC computer?
I use Windows XP to write any files for the KARMA, and have a usb disk drive plugged into the computer. So I do file transfers by either SysEx or the old school disk loading method.
Since you are able to save files from KARMA to the USB stick and read the files on your computer, I would ask if are you able to reload that same file back onto the KARMA from the USB stick ?
Best of success to you and hope you find a solution...
Are you running a Windows or MAC computer?
I use Windows XP to write any files for the KARMA, and have a usb disk drive plugged into the computer. So I do file transfers by either SysEx or the old school disk loading method.
Since you are able to save files from KARMA to the USB stick and read the files on your computer, I would ask if are you able to reload that same file back onto the KARMA from the USB stick ?
Best of success to you and hope you find a solution...
Im running windows 10 but I have an old laptop w a floppy and XP. I got some old disks and copied over the update files to disk...but the Floppy to USB drive wouldn't power up plugging in to the emulator.
I think one of the problems with the USB Stick/emulator is it puts everything into a folder 0-99 and for doing the upgrade it would have to go into the root directory. Because when you do the upgrade via disks...you have to put the files straight to the disk...no folders
Yes i saved a sequence on to the stick....it would load onto my computer or back in the Karma but if I tried to load the file from my computer into another space on the stick the Karma would not recognize it.
It only recognizes what it has written onto the disk
not exactly User Friendly or Plug and Play....oh well

I think one of the problems with the USB Stick/emulator is it puts everything into a folder 0-99 and for doing the upgrade it would have to go into the root directory. Because when you do the upgrade via disks...you have to put the files straight to the disk...no folders
Yes i saved a sequence on to the stick....it would load onto my computer or back in the Karma but if I tried to load the file from my computer into another space on the stick the Karma would not recognize it.
It only recognizes what it has written onto the disk
not exactly User Friendly or Plug and Play....oh well
I'm using a Gotek in my Karma, I haven't had any issues with it seeing files from my PC. One difference I notice is that I used the built-in formatting on the Gotek itself:
https://www.gotekemulator.com/N_view.asp?nid=45
This is more awkward on the PC side because all the "disks" are different partitions rather than folders (and you might be limited to accessing only the first one), but it works. You can also tell the Karma itself to format the first "disk" and see if that helps.
Option the third: Format the USB on your PC (I used FAT, don't know if it matters), plug it in the Gotek inside the Karma, and tell Karma to format the disk. This gives you just a single 1.44MB partition, but it might be even more foolproof. I can confirm this also worked for me.
https://www.gotekemulator.com/N_view.asp?nid=45
This is more awkward on the PC side because all the "disks" are different partitions rather than folders (and you might be limited to accessing only the first one), but it works. You can also tell the Karma itself to format the first "disk" and see if that helps.
Option the third: Format the USB on your PC (I used FAT, don't know if it matters), plug it in the Gotek inside the Karma, and tell Karma to format the disk. This gives you just a single 1.44MB partition, but it might be even more foolproof. I can confirm this also worked for me.
Also, just to be clear, have you tried putting your files in the same folder (0-99) the Karma wrote in and/or pressed the buttons on the Gotek to switch disks? If the files are in a different folder, you need to manually switch to it on the emulator.
That is, if the emulator treats the folders as different disks, as it should. In that case each folder would be the root directory from the Karma's perspective, meaning the update should work.
That is, if the emulator treats the folders as different disks, as it should. In that case each folder would be the root directory from the Karma's perspective, meaning the update should work.
Upgrade success with USB Emulator
exobot and thethirdapple
THank you two very much for taking the time to post. Going over your post I decided to fully watch this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taFP1J_lZBI
on using 3rd party programming to format the USB Stick...I realized after I dragged the files over to the numbered slot on the USB ....I had to go over to the software highlight that Disk # and right click and hit save....
When I did that....I could copy everything onto the USB and everything went well with the upgrade.
to anyone doing this...I would recommend putting the OS files in slot 000-001 & 002.....that way when you poer up you're on the right disk #
WIth the GE files either put them on another USB STick in slots 000 & 001
or erase them on the first USB Stick and put them in positions 000-001
Long STory Short ....It can be done and does work....then you have all the advantages of USB...THanks again
THank you two very much for taking the time to post. Going over your post I decided to fully watch this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taFP1J_lZBI
on using 3rd party programming to format the USB Stick...I realized after I dragged the files over to the numbered slot on the USB ....I had to go over to the software highlight that Disk # and right click and hit save....
When I did that....I could copy everything onto the USB and everything went well with the upgrade.
to anyone doing this...I would recommend putting the OS files in slot 000-001 & 002.....that way when you poer up you're on the right disk #
WIth the GE files either put them on another USB STick in slots 000 & 001
or erase them on the first USB Stick and put them in positions 000-001
Long STory Short ....It can be done and does work....then you have all the advantages of USB...THanks again
- thethirdapple
- Junior Member
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:18 pm
- Location: Here
- Contact: