Found a simple solution to a head mangling issue. (Disk hardware conflicts)

[Cosmic Puppet]

Basically I can run Notator using my Floppy Drive, saving song files to disk

Since I have an UltraSatan I can run Notator from an SD card and save song files to the SD card.

However, if I save a song or change the AUTOLOAD.SON I get issues when I go back to Hard Disk (UltraSatan).

20201217_014418.jpg

This all came about because I remembered about the Macro function of Notator.

This function means I am able to automate mouse and cursor information, so I can setup a pattern to occur before bar 1, which is used to setup the appropriate keyboard performance settings (16 midi instruments for the song I'm working on)

I was having problems recording the Macro because of the accelerator I'm using with EmuTOS, so I thought "Why not do it on the original hardware and then use that AUTOLOAD file?"

This is where things went Pear shaped. Got that error when I was back on the UltraSatan.

Tried loading Notator from the floppy disk and it bombed, so I put back the original AUTOLOAD file and it still bombed.

Ended up bricking my original Notator disk permanently.

20201217_142222.jpg

Since I have a floppy copy and hard disk copy that's backed up to the hilt, I've chucked it after seeing how grotty it was under a magnifying glass.

Lots of black deposits and fibres on the tape surface.


You may think "Why don't you just lose the floppy drive and stick with the hard disk?"

I would like to be able to have the original hardware as backup if the hard drive is ever out of action and then switch back. Plus I love the nostalgia it brings. :D (Not the hours of testing things though :lol: )

After all this I have found the secret to eternal sanity. UNPLUG THE ULTRASATAN!

I tested using the stock machine, making changes to a song, and then loading that from floppy disk when running Notator from Hard drive with EmuTOS. No problems whatsoever! 8-)

However, leave the UltraSatan plugged in and mix up old with new and all sorts of weird and wonderful head mincery ensues.

So yeah. Moral of this story is don't leave the UltraSatan plugged in if you want to mix and match or you'll be mixed and unmatched to any semblance of normality while you stay up all night trying to figure out what it's all about. :lol:



With this Macro I won't have to remember the how and the why.

Also:

It's best to format disks using the EmuTOS formatter, and to copy disks using Fast Copy 3/Pro.
If any TOS 1.04 disk utilities are used, this breaks things when you go back to using the UltraSatan. (floppy disks refuse to format all together if the UltraSatan is plugged in)

Disks can be formatted in the usual way on TOS 1.04 with the UltraSatan unplugged, but you get issues using those disks when you plug it in again. If I remember rightly the Atari just acts like there is no disk which you can remedy using EmuTOS formatter. (thus destroying any data you might have saved, making the whole endeavor meaningless :lol: )

[Steve]

Lol Tone, you don't half love to torture yourself :D I say that but I am similar, if I find strange problems I have to solve them somehow. I just spent days working out sound card irq conflicts on a retro windows gaming rig.

[Cosmic Puppet]

Lol Tone, you don't half love to torture yourself :D I say that but I am similar, if I find strange problems I have to solve them somehow. I just spent days working out sound card irq conflicts on a retro windows gaming rig.

I know! :lol: Anyway I have some exciting gear coming which will allow me to play drum hits into Notator and possibly turn rain drops into midi notes. :D

All on the Atari. Look mum no computer! (well PC anyway) :lol:

I've given myself 'til the end of the year to set this up.

Pretty much ordered everything I need.

But yeah, like you say have to solve things.

[exxos]

ahhh it all work fine with a H5 board ;)

[Cosmic Puppet]

ahhh it all work fine with a H5 board ;)

:lol:

[Cosmic Puppet]

Lol Tone, you don't half love to torture yourself :D I say that but I am similar, if I find strange problems I have to solve them somehow. I just spent days working out sound card irq conflicts on a retro windows gaming rig.

After googling IRQ Conflict it looks like it could be the same thing.