Revolutionary Accessory: Dexdrive Review

Started by DJ Ryznup, February 26, 2009, 06:23:57 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

DJ Ryznup

The DexDrive



For all of you who use MTVMG1/M2000, this is perfect to Archive your save data on your computer. And Like I said before, the ability to upload and email your save data could help make this site even better than it already is. It would make it easier to do collaborations, remixes of each others work, we would also be able to help each other out a lot better as far as making music. Just imagine chatting online with a member while sending a save file back and forth on a site like MSN, collaborating in real time to do a song and also learning new tricks and getting new ideals on creating music from your TIMGUL co-producer. And with these being so cheap and easily available online its easily possible for every one here to have one.


Heres  a link to information on the Dexdrive along with a video showing how to use it.

Information link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DexDrive




Ok, like you probably already know if you looked at the video or link, this is an awesome device that allows you to transfer PS1 save data to your PC to upload online or send through email. Like he said in the video its pretty easy to  find these cheap online, I bought one that was new and it only cost me 19 bucks. Its easy to setup and use once you have all the software. It came with a serial port cable and two floppy disks for the software. If your computer doesn't have a serial port, Make sure you buy a USB to Serial (DB9) Adapter.

Heres the Adapter that I've got.
BF-810

Another thing you will need to do is download the dexdrive software online if you don't have a floppy drive(and chances are, you don't). I pretty much tried to use every software available for this online and the only one that works for me is Dexter.

Heres the link for the Dexter Dexdrive software:
http://www.neillcorlett.com/dexter/

Note: The other software downloads can also be found in the information link above the video.


Short tutorial of Dexter software

Next open the software and at the top of the page Click on Dexdrive > Open dexdrive. And select whatever port you have your Dexdrive connected to. If you don't know which port its in just keep selecting different ones until it opens your Dexdrive.

Then just select the files that you want to transfer and save them as single file.

I played around with it for a while, deleted and restored files(even recently tried a 15 block save with ripped samples too) and I never had one problem with anything when I tried to load them in the game after using the Dexdrive. I thought about trying to see if I could use a PS2 memory card but decided not to. It probably won't do anything to either your Dexdrive or memory card, but I didn't want to take a chance of accidentally corrupting my memory cards because there isn't any way I can change it back to normal if I do, like you (supposedly) can in the Maxdrive software so I'll save my PS2 memory cards for the Maxdrive experiments. So if you want to try this with your PS2 memory cards do so at your own risk. Otherwise DO NOT CONNECT YOUR PS2 MEMORY CARD TO THE DEXDRIVE.

All in all, this is a great product that works well, and anyone who makes music on the first MTV Music Generator/Music 2000 on Ps1 would greatly benefit from it, because after you buy  this you really won't need to buy any more memory cards to archive all your songs on.

It gets a thumbs up from me.

I didn't expect to get this before I got my Maxdrive because I ordered that weeks before I did this, but hopefully I get it soon. I'll do a review and tutorial for that as soon as I get it too.


I hope to see these Revolutionary Accessories, Revolutionize TIMGUL.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Ryznup

"Limits may hinder us, but they also bring out our creativity."

DJ_Omnimaga

mhmm interesting, I would sure like to share some music 2000 stuff online if I decide to make a song directly on real playstation instead of emulator

Casper AudioGhost

wow cheer man.thanks a lot for getting that and doing the review.i've been dying to know how well it worked since i looked it up and posted the info in the first topic with the max drive.great review.i'm gonna check that tutorial too      casper
RIP Marna Patterson (1947-2009) i love you mom,my music is for you:)
my net label http://www.archive.org/details/white-trash-poptronica
www.showcaseyourmusic.com/audioghost 57 tracks
www.myspace.com/audioghost
www.jamwave.com/audioghost
www.youtube.com/casperr37
dj on http://chat.paltalk.com/g2/paltalk/1352831106

Casper AudioGhost

i wonder if i will hold large files with ripped samples.that way you could make the big song that takes all 15 blocks archive the data on yer pc and then erase and reuse thecard
RIP Marna Patterson (1947-2009) i love you mom,my music is for you:)
my net label http://www.archive.org/details/white-trash-poptronica
www.showcaseyourmusic.com/audioghost 57 tracks
www.myspace.com/audioghost
www.jamwave.com/audioghost
www.youtube.com/casperr37
dj on http://chat.paltalk.com/g2/paltalk/1352831106

DJ Ryznup

Your Welcome Casper,

Quote from: audioghost on February 26, 2009, 06:44:27 AM
i wonder if i will hold large files with ripped samples.that way you could make the big song that takes all 15 blocks archive the data on yer pc and then erase and reuse thecard

I'm pretty sure it can copy a 15 block save file. I copied and saved a 4 block  MTV Music file with no problem, more blocks just mean a bigger file. A regular save file that is 1 block is only 8.12kb while my 4 block file was 32.1kb. So I'm guessing yes. but I'll create a 15 block save and test it out myself.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Ryznup

"Limits may hinder us, but they also bring out our creativity."

DJ Ryznup

Ok Casper I recently experimented with a 15 block data file(121 KB), and had no problem after saving it to my harddrive, erasing it from my memory card, rewriting, and loading it in the game. Everything including the ripped sample loaded intact after the dexdrive process.

I would upload the file from the experiment, but I'm not sure if .mcs files are allowed (yet).
http://www.youtube.com/user/Ryznup

"Limits may hinder us, but they also bring out our creativity."

Casper AudioGhost

RIP Marna Patterson (1947-2009) i love you mom,my music is for you:)
my net label http://www.archive.org/details/white-trash-poptronica
www.showcaseyourmusic.com/audioghost 57 tracks
www.myspace.com/audioghost
www.jamwave.com/audioghost
www.youtube.com/casperr37
dj on http://chat.paltalk.com/g2/paltalk/1352831106

pillagemyvillage


Not a Number

Quote from: DJ Ryznup on February 27, 2009, 02:55:55 AM
Ok Casper I recently experimented with a 15 block data file(121 KB), and had no problem after saving it to my harddrive, erasing it from my memory card, rewriting, and loading it in the game. Everything including the ripped sample loaded intact after the dexdrive process.

I would upload the file from the experiment, but I'm not sure if .mcs files are allowed (yet).
I don't know if this will work, but I just checked in ePSXe (v1.6, so it's out of date slightly (newest = 1.7)) and it's not compatible.

HOWEVER: there may some light at the end of this tunnel.

ePSXe accepts .mcr files as virtual Memory Cards, so maybe if you change the file extension from .mcs to .mcr (failing that, .mem, .mcd or .gme as they're compatible as well) and try it out.

I'm unsure whether it'll work, but nothing hurts in trying it out (just remember to change the extension back to .mcs. :P)

(failing that, one can just select "All Files (*)" when selecting the Memory Card file and load in the .mcs file; again, I don't know if it'll work, but it'd be great to see if it does/doesn't.)

DJ Ryznup

Good ideal NaN.  :)

I'm not sure if this file will work with the emulator after being changed over to a .mcr file, also not sure how stable this file is now, and I can't test it out myself because I don't have an emulator, otherwise I would try it out myself, so use caution if you want to try this.

If anyone has a dexdrive and would like to download this experiment, do so at your own risk because again, I'm not sure how stable the file is after being changed over and DON'T FORGET TO CHANGE THE FILE BACK TO .mcs

I don't want anyone to corrupt their cards and ruin them!

I've uploaded the file.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Ryznup

"Limits may hinder us, but they also bring out our creativity."

Not a Number

Just tried it now (ran ePSXe BIOS ie ran it without a disc/ROM loaded) and it didn't work. :(

(bear in mind I'm using an older version, so it might still work with the latest version: you can get ePSXe 1.7.0 here: http://www.epsxe.com/)

DJ Ryznup

Thanks for the link NaN, I'll try the emulator soon.

I have looked around on a couple of sites for programs that are supposedly able to convert PSX save data to .mcr, but have had no luck finding any that work. If you know of any program that can do this, let me know. I also remember reading in the Maxdrive topic that Audioghost had read about the programs somewhere, so he might be able to help.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Ryznup

"Limits may hinder us, but they also bring out our creativity."