I need a program to create sample banks for a old sampler. Is it possible?

Hi!

I recently got a vintage sampler. (Korg electribe es-1)
Its a machine that you can build music on by adding samples and laying it out in patterns.

However… To make it easy changeing between different sets of samples I can load a .es1 file wich contains a whole bunch of samples.
The problem is that these .es1 files is nothing you can just export from any software. The files that exist are mostly factory reset from Korg.

There seem to have been a program som years back that someone made but its lost. No one seem to have those install files.

I’ll attach two .es1 files here.
1.es1 is all the factory samples that came with the unit.
9.es1 is a file that removes all samples, patterns and songs from the unit.

If you open those files in like notepad or something like that, can you see how its made and if its possible to remake?
Someone said it was possible to pen with 7zip also to maybe extract the sound data.

Hi @Teljemo, interesting problem. Can you clarify a little on what you are trying to do? Are you trying to create your own sample banks to play on the electribe as .es1 banks or are you trying to extract samples from the .es1 banks?
I’m fairly certain the .es1 files would be garbage in Notepad, it’s probably a binary format. But there are tools out there to convert .es1 banks to .wave files. I’m just not clear exactly what you’re goal is. Thanks!

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Hi,

My goal is to make my own sample banks to load in the machine :grinning:

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Thanks for clarifying @Teljemo. You might have seen this already, Jan den Besten - SmartNamer for the Korg Electribe ES-1
The application looks pretty old and may not work on the current Windows 10 environment. You could either find the source code and share it here and the community can help with deciphering the nature of the .es1 file format. Or you could run the linked to application in a virtual machine c. 2006, which would be Windows XP I suppose.
If you find any other information about the .es1 format you can share it here and it may be possible to create a Processing sketch that generates such file banks.
Good luck!

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I used “WaybackMachine” a bit more efficient just now and got more hits!
I actually found the page I was looking for and found out that it isn’t another software.
It is “SmartNamer” and it is this software that have the functionality I need.
(The links I found on the web: burp.nl/index.php?spul:korg_es1 compared to the link on the actual site found via WaybackMachine: burp.nl/?spul:korg_es1)

So… With that riddle solved, the SmartNamer software is available and I have those files already. As @robertesler mentions above, it doesn’t work very good on Windows 10.
I tried running that program in different combability modes when I first downloaded it a couple of weeks ago but it doesn’t run.

I have no idea if there is any way of getting any info from the program files but ill attach a .rar file containing the SmartNamer software if you want to take a look?
SmartNamer (.rar) (Uploaded to wetransfer)

Maybe there is a way to make this program Windows 10 compatible somehow?
Or, if you are able to get in that source code and understand what is going on to create a .es1 sample bank file.

Here are some links:
The original download page for SmartNamer 0.8 beta: burp.nl - korg es1
URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20050430150239/http://www.burp.nl/?spul:korg_es1

The new download page @robertesler found: (I downloaded the file from both the old and the new site and it is the same exact files)
New download site

-A collection of files es1 mk1 och mk2, mine is a mk1.

  • Firmware’s
  • Sample banks
  • SmartNamer
  • ES1 to WAV
  • Sample rate converter
  • Owners manual

https://forum.vintagesynth.com/viewtopic.php?t=96712

-Some dude has made software for another KORG machine from the same era. No idea if its the same chip but he has some info in his site that might be useful:
http://electribe.cc/wp/2019/03/23/electribe-sysex-browser/

The only info in the manual about loading sample banks is found on Page 55 where the bank files can be named 1-9: (Image below):

I spoke with the creator of the program and asked if he had any documentation left about the code but is was lost during a migration from PC to Mac years ago he told me.

He says he could try to remake it if there is a demand for it and then try selling it for a small amount but I told him that I dont think there is a that big demand… Even if vintage synths are popular atm I wouldn’t do it if only to try to make som cash… Only do it if you want to contribute to the vintage synth community…

Haven’t got a respons if he will do it or not?..

Is there any way you guys can help me figure out how to remake it but for modern Windows?

Did you try this?

Sounds good.

Hi @Chrisir. No I haven’t tried this. I may try it when I get a minute in the next couple weeks.
If you want to try it here is how to get started: How to install Windows XP ISO on Windows 10 VirtualBox - H2S Media