Help! Boss BR-900CD

[Kinaca]

I can't seem to find a 1 GB flash card for my Boss BR-900CD unit. Can anyone help me locate one to buy?
Thanks..

[Artemiy]

Does it require anything special? I think any card from SanDisk or Kingston will do just fine.

[Kinaca]

Thanks. Of course it would be so much simpler than I thought! The manual doesn't deal with the cards, so I was stumped.

I was getting messages of "driver busy"... with a 1 GB card and only a few songs on it, so I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to get a new one. The unit I bought was used, and came with the card. I managed to record several songs on it, but at some point it was just "busy". I am still learning, so can use all the help I can get.
Thanks again for the input.
Kinaca

[64Guitars]

See this page re memory cards:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/_supp ... rd=BR900CD

But, before you buy a new card, make sure you have the latest system update. You'll find links to them here:

http://www.geocities.com/sixtyfourguita ... dates.html

The latest version for the BR-900CD is 2.12 and it improves CompactFlash card compatibility. Card incompatibilities can result in "Drive Busy!" errors.

To find out which version you currently have, see this page:

http://www.geocities.com/sixtyfourguita ... rsion.html

- 64Guitars
http://www.geocities.com/sixtyfourguitars/BossBr/

[Kinaca]

Thanks so much for the info. I've downloaded, initialized the card and now am stumped again. I follow directions pretty well, but I can't figure out, even with the help of the manual, HOW to copy the files to the root directory of the flash card via USB. I have it hooked up and the unit is "idling". That's as far as I can go. I don't actually think the files have gone into the unit.

How do I proceed from here? I'm using a Vista-loaded PC for this.

The next step (after the one I can't yet complete) calls for "unmount the BR-900CD's CompactFlash image correctly". I have NO idea what that means or how to do it. So there again, I need assistance.

I'm reasonably savvy about computer things, but I feel downright silly with this one. I appreciate your patience as I muddle through.
Thanks.

[64Guitars]

When the BR is connected to your computer via USB and in Backup Mode ("Idling..."), the BR will appear in Windows Explorer as a new drive named "BOSS_BR-900". Just copy the files to the root directory of that drive the same way you'd copy any files. You said you're "reasonably savvy about computer things" so I'll assume you know how to copy files and what the root directory is.

To "un-mount the BR-900CD’s CompactFlash image correctly", right-click on the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the Windows System Tray and select the drive corresponding to the BR-900. I don't use Vista but a quick search of the web suggests that there are some problems with Vista's "Safely Remove Hardware" feature. See these pages:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931619

http://www.yoingco.com/safely_remove_hardware_vista.htm

[Kinaca]

I decided to try a different way to work, so went back to my XP desktop system, where things are a little easier to figure out. I hooked everything up the way I think it is supposed to be, and copied the files to the icon, as you said to do. It looked as though the files were copying onto the BR, and then it went back to "idling". Then I correctly unhooked the USB cord, using the method in the manual for XP systems.

But, much to my chagrin, when I started the unit up using the cursors to see what version was installed, it STILL reads that the version 1 is installed.

I am completed befuddled now. I don't even know what to ask at this point, but I obviously still need help to update the version so I don't continue to get the "driver busy".

Should I re-initialize the memory card again and start over?

Thanks again for your patience with me. This makes me seem like an idiot, I know. I've never had such confusion before about an electronic gadget, and just about the time I think I have something figured out, it does something else! I seem to be able to run a CP300 stage piano's 500 virtues, recording tracks and two computers just fine, but this little BR is really testing me!
K

[64Guitars]

You said you copied the files to the BR's root directory, disconnected the USB cable, then checked to see if the version changed. Well, of course it didn't! You've only completed steps 1 through 4 of the 10 steps in the update instructions. You need to complete steps 5 through 10.

- 64Guitars
http://www.geocities.com/sixtyfourguitars/BossBr/

[Kinaca]

Gawd.... I can't believe I couldn't see the forest for the trees!! I should know better than to keep at something when I'm too tired to think or see the OBVIOUS.

Thank you again for all your patience and advice. All is well and I am now updated correctly. Now perhaps the 1GB card I already have will suffice for the recording I want to do. I am grateful that you were here to work me through it. Although it's nice to live alone and be able to create in a vacuum, so to speak, that vacuum radiates a hissing sound when other people are needed!

Warmest regards to you for a wonderful new year, and thanks again.
Kinaca

[64Guitars]

Glad you successfully completed the update. Now you should Initialize your memory card (page 196) before using it with the new version of the system. Obviously, if there's currently anything on the card which you want to keep, you'll have to back it up first (page 164).

I hope your existing card works, but you might want to buy a spare or two anyway. The BR can't use cards bigger than 1GB and many stores no longer stock any cards smaller than 2GB. So it might be a good idea to buy some 1GB cards now, while you still can. In a few years, it might be almost impossible to find 1GB cards. We can always hope that Roland will release a system update that will allow the BR to work with larger cards, but we can't count on that ever happening.

- 64Guitars
http://www.geocities.com/sixtyfourguitars/BossBr/