Question regarding the updated Gotek Floppy Drive emulator with OLED display and Rotary Encoder

[Gourockian]

Has anyone attempted to replace a floppy disk drive by installing the latest Gotek emulator, which uses an OLED screen and rotary encoder, either in an older keyboard or organ?

I have a Yamaha AR-100 organ and had planned to buy one of the many standard Gotek clones that are available for around $25-30(US) but came across this one on ebay for around $50.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234259341532?itmmeta=01HQHK50XA4GM0G2ZRM829EZYJ&hash=item368af1e0dc:g:AycAAOSwJ5lheepU&itmprp=enc:AQAIAAABALhU+QSvcVM347YvFNDLyGaNasx58iuSWtU/ZlMHMpztWURgQSd4h7yiAXlaltK9j3AEP0JD4axVhQMezqrUS3ymlF95BuJ4RPBZZmJaQTN0Tbj4WAp5DgmzSC--EvJsjvkcfe8/b9GVzgdCPmRbNmQUIpymFtF9CeWQfER/Bw47xJsIJGPI67gSGD7qxcC2kLuPUbSUqwZxAPJO1h5BG2sCZ0MUrb+IetfFDL9WyTbDB8s6WiuAoi1I0cY80CwvU132p7GdmWsyCgudacyMuScpCPUxPWY3dxDN7e/uNytZVv9Nlzt0Wb6tca+69/+YRaq6GVaA+2/zq6pYmcYmqds=|tkp:BFBM2o6Us7xj

There are a few online posts regarding it but it seems they are mostly dealing with retro-fitting them in older computers and so far, I haven't come across anything relating to installing this model in organs or keyboards.

It has at least two advantages over the older emulators, the first being that the OLED screen can display file names, instead of just numbers such as 00-99 or 000-999. Another advantage is that the standard OLED screen can be replaced with a larger one, giving better resolution and up to four lines of programmable text. Information on doing this is readily available online.

I'm hoping that as technology has improved since USB emulators became available, some members may have already taken the plunge to install one of these and will be able to share their thoughts and experiences, good or bad. I realize that installing one of these in a different manufacturer's instrument might involve modifications in terms of jumpers or wiring but it would be great to know if the concept is possible. I’ve also posted this request on the Yamaha AR Group forum.

Regards,

Alistair

 

[Shredder11]

I fitted one to an old Yamaha QS300 keyboard workstation arranger in July 2021. Works very well and encountered no issues, and the screen is surprisingly clear and easy to read considering its tiny size, and my eyesight is not the best either. I bought mine from a UK seller here in England, but they do send overseas to USA etc. Costs more due to the 16GB pendrive being supplied full of files and MIDI files and everything preconfigured etc. Seller is very good to deal with and will give help when asked.

Here is the preconfigured one for your Yamaha AR-100 organ. There is a very detailed help section in the Ebay listing description area, so take the time to read it fully. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1347749449...8NQKBR&hash=item1f613674e1:g:lpUAAOSw6HZlUnIn

 

[Gourockian]

I fitted one to an old Yamaha QS300 keyboard workstation arranger in July 2021. Works very well and encountered no issues, and the screen is surprisingly clear and easy to read considering its tiny size, and my eyesight is not the best either. I bought mine from a UK seller here in England, but they do send overseas to USA etc. Costs more due to the 16GB pendrive being supplied full of files and MIDI files and everything preconfigured etc. Seller is very good to deal with and will give help when asked.

Here is the preconfigured one for your Yamaha AR-100 organ. There is a very detailed help section in the Ebay listing description area, so take the time to read it fully. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1347749449...8NQKBR&hash=item1f613674e1:g:lpUAAOSw6HZlUnIn

Hi, that's very interesting indeed. Thanks for your prompt response and the link to the ebay seller. I wasn't even sure if it was possible to find one for keyboards, nevermind for Yamaha's and certainly didn't expect to find one customized for my organ.

The strange thing is that even copying and pasting the description for this particular item doesn't bring anything up for sale here in the US. The only ones that are available are the older models with just a numerical LED display and no rotary encoder.

I'm not too worried about buying it from the UK as my wife and I are ex-pats and still have a UK bank account.

Did you go for the 16 x 2 or the 24 x 4 display version? I'm thinking of getting the larger display and depending on whether it is easily readable when installed, I might consider moving the display itself to a higher location on the organ, using a longer ribbon cable.

One other question: I had read on the Yamaha AR forum that in order to 'eject' each virtual disk, it was necessary to fit an on/off switch on the front panel. Apparently, earlier models came with this switch but on later models, this had been disconnected. Do you have any problems in this regard?

Thanks,

Alistair

 

[Gourockian]

I decided to order one with the 24 x 4 display and it's now on it's way.

In my previous post, I meant to say in the last paragraph that the switch had been discontinued, not disconnected. Duh!

 

[MMCG]

Has anyone tried adding one of these to a Korg Triton(Rack)? I have a standard 3 digit Gotek drive fitted to my rack, and it works perfectly. But it would be a lot easier to identify data by name, rather than by number.

 

[Gourockian]

Has anyone tried adding one of these to a Korg Triton(Rack)? I have a standard 3 digit Gotek drive fitted to my rack, and it works perfectly. But it would be a lot easier to identify data by name, rather than by number.

I had no problem getting mine to work in my AR-100 but having said that, it came pre-configured for my organ. I don't know what that involves so if you do get one off the shelf as it were, it might not exactly be "plug-n-play". Mine definitely is a big help when loading registrations, compared to using floppies.

 

[MMCG]

I had no problem getting mine to work in my AR-100 but having said that, it came pre-configured for my organ. I don't know what that involves so if you do get one off the shelf as it were, it might not exactly be "plug-n-play". Mine definitely is a big help when loading registrations, compared to using floppies.

Ive seen a guide which shows just to swap the positions of the cables from the screen to the pin header. I'll maybe head out to my studio tomorrow, and bring the rack into the warm house and have a look at it.