Interesting strings in the OS 1.03 SYSTEM.VSB file

[Poumtschak]

Interesting strings in the OS 1.03 SYSTEM.VSB file (courtesy of HexDump from fileformat.info) :

Code: Select all

00000000: 4b 4f 52 47 20 53 59 53 - 54 45 4d 20 46 49 4c 45   KORG.SYS TEM.FILE
00000010: 45 32 00 00 00 00 00 00 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00   E2...... ........
00000020: 53 59 53 54 45 4d 00 00 - 00 01 01 03 00 01 23 ff   SYSTEM.. ........
00000030: 00 00 00 00 00 00 20 00 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 20 00   ........ ........
00000040: 02 00 ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
00000050: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
00000060: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
00000070: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
00000080: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
00000090: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
000000a0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
000000b0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
000000c0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
000000d0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
000000e0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
000000f0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
00000100: 18 f0 9f e5 18 f0 9f e5 - 18 f0 9f e5 18 f0 9f e5   ........ ........
00000110: 18 f0 9f e5 04 f0 9f e5 - 14 f0 9f e5 14 f0 9f e5   ........ ........

EVST ??? EVED ??? Food for speculations here

Code: Select all

00035190: 45 56 53 54 45 56 45 44 - 04 30 9f e5 00 30 80 e5   EVSTEVED .0...0..
000351a0: 1e ff 2f e1 38 a3 08 c0 - 14 30 9f e5 10 40 2d e9   ....8... .0......
000351b0: 00 40 a0 e1 00 30 80 e5 - 25 c5 ff eb 04 00 a0 e1   .....0.. ........
000351c0: 10 80 bd e8 38 a3 08 c0 - 04 30 9f e5 00 30 80 e5   ....8... .0...0..
000351d0: 1e ff 2f e1 38 a3 08 c0 - 07 40 2d e9 00 30 a0 e3   ....8... .....0..
000351e0: 08 00 8d e2 00 20 a0 e3 - f8 20 60 e1 0d 00 a0 e1   ........ ........
000351f0: 19 ee ff eb 00 00 50 e3 - 08 00 00 1a 20 00 9f e5   ......P. ........
00035200: d0 20 cd e1 00 10 a0 e3 - 03 00 51 e1 02 00 50 01   ........ ..Q...P.
00035210: 06 00 a0 23 01 00 00 2a - 43 ee ff eb ff ff ff ea   ........ C.......
00035220: 0e 80 bd e8 27 41 00 00 - 37 40 2d e9 01 40 a0 e1   .....A.. 7.......
00035230: 04 00 8d e2 02 50 a0 e1 - bd ee ff eb 04 10 9d e5   .....P.. ........
00035240: 04 00 a0 e1 e0 44 ff eb - 04 00 8d e2 f4 3e 01 eb   .....D.. ........
00035250: 04 00 8d e2 be ee ff eb - 04 10 9d e5 10 00 84 e2   ........ ........
00035260: d9 44 ff eb 04 00 8d e2 - ed 3e 01 eb 01 30 a0 e3   .D...... .....0..
00035270: 20 30 84 e5 04 10 a0 e1 - 00 30 a0 e3 00 20 e0 e3   .0...... .0......
00035280: 01 30 83 e2 dc 00 53 e3 - 24 20 c1 e5 01 10 81 e2   .0....S. ........
00035290: fa ff ff 1a 14 30 9f e5 - 04 51 84 e5 00 31 84 e5   .....0.. .Q...1..
000352a0: 00 30 a0 e3 08 31 84 e5 - 0c 31 84 e5 3e 80 bd e8   .0...1.. .1......
000352b0: 45 56 53 54 10 30 a0 e3 - 04 30 c1 e5 00 30 a0 e3   EVST.0.. .0...0..
000352c0: 05 30 c1 e5 06 30 c1 e5 - 07 30 c1 e5 08 30 81 e5   .0...0.. .0...0..
000352d0: 08 30 9f e5 00 20 81 e5 - 0c 30 81 e5 1e ff 2f e1   .0...... .0......
000352e0: 45 56 45 44 f0 4f 2d e9 - 64 61 9f e5 21 dd 4d e2   EVED.O.. da....M.
000352f0: 04 d0 4d e2 00 90 a0 e1 - 01 b0 a0 e1 00 00 a0 e3   ..M..... ........
00035300: 00 10 a0 e3 03 70 a0 e1 - 21 3d 8d e2 f6 00 83 e1   .....p.. ........
00035310: 10 00 8d e2 02 80 a0 e1 - cf ed ff eb 00 40 50 e2   ........ ......P.
00035320: 47 00 00 1a 21 cd 8d e2 - d6 20 8c e1 12 ae 87 e2   G....... ........
00035330: 0a 40 a0 e1 00 50 a0 e3 - 05 00 53 e1 04 00 52 01   .....P.. ..S...R.
00035340: 06 40 a0 33 3e 00 00 3a - 09 00 a0 e1 08 10 a0 e1   ...3.... ........
00035350: 07 20 a0 e1 b3 ff ff eb - 11 1e 87 e2 68 28 9d e5   ........ ....h...
00035360: 01 10 88 e0 09 00 a0 e1 - d1 ff ff eb 04 00 8d e2   ........ ........

There's a lot more after that, cpp sourcecode filename, templates (ableton and default pattern), strings and stuff, PCM samples maybe, but a bit impractical to post on these forums.

For those of you who are interested, you can grab the files here.

Anyways, goes on and on, and then free space til the EOF, so that's about a bit less of 50 percent freespace :

Code: Select all

00119090: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
001190a0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
001190b0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
[...]
002000e0: ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff - ff ff ff ff ff ff ff ff   ........ ........
002000f0: 4b 4f 52 47 01 03 00 00 - 00 00 00 00 00 00 05 34   KORG.... .......4
00200100: 34                                                  4

Now, if any real reverse engineering guru could mount the file sytem, that'd be great.

[Tom 62]

The ASCII string "PCM Update" somewhere in the OS file is also interesting

The PCM data seems to be stored in a file called PCM.VSB. Because everything is in flash memory, maybe this file can be modified. There is also an diagnostic mode as you can see while inspecting the ASCII data of the OS file.

[Ted3000]

The ASCII string "PCM Update" somewhere in the OS file is also interesting

The PCM data seems to be stored in a file called PCM.VSB. Because everything is in flash memory, maybe this file can be modified. There is also an diagnostic mode as you can see while inspecting the ASCII data of the OS file.

I wish I could speak that robot language. But that's an exciting notion - very forward thinking of Korg - being able to refresh the product line with a totally new set of PCM sounds, as well as new features or fixes.

The best the EMX could offer was a new set of factory patterns that used a pseudo sidechain trick.

The diagnostic mode is probably a "hold X and Y buttons and power on" that no one has discovered. Might be fun to experiment with various key combos at bootup.

The electribe is looking more like a platform and less of a closed system. Interesting stuff!

[dutchcow]

The manual says not to hold any keys while booting up. I'm sure there are some key combo's for certain test or diagnostics modes. But who dares to figure them out

[roblabs]

The ASCII string "PCM Update" somewhere in the OS file is also interesting

The PCM data seems to be stored in a file called PCM.VSB. Because everything is in flash memory, maybe this file can be modified. There is also an diagnostic mode as you can see while inspecting the ASCII data of the OS file.

In that same string you also see "sampling"....

[Hugo]

If it's possible to update the rom, wouldn't that imply it should be possible to load user samples in the thing?

[sqz]

the problem with firmware is that one wrong byte can brick your device forever..
Hence firmware-fiddling is usually done with cheap/old devices.