Identify model of internal A500 floppy drive

absence · 18 February 2017, 04:32

Commodore would use drives from pretty much any manufacturer, so unfortunately I don't have much info to go on. Most floppy drives make a slight hum when the motor is active (just spinning, not stepping), but my old A500 had a drive with a quite loud "vrrrrrr"-like motor sound. It's by far the loudest spinning motor I've ever heard in a floppy drive. Anyone know which drive it could be?

Daedalus · 18 February 2017, 14:34

Any photos of the labels on the drive? It might just be that the bearings are dirty or knackered, causing the motor to vibrate as it turns... Has it always made a different sound?

idrougge · 18 February 2017, 14:52

Much of the noise is due to the way the drive is mounted in the Amiga 500 and the way it resonates with the case — even a modern Sony floppy makes quite a bit of noise when mounted in an Amiga 500.

absence · 18 February 2017, 16:56

I don't have the machine anymore, but it made the same sound from the day it was brand new, so it's not because of dirt or age. It's not the resonance from the way it was mounted in A500 either, as this video shows an A500 with a silent hum that almost drowns in background noise: [ Show youtube player ]

absence · 18 February 2017, 22:02

Oh! Here's what it sounds like:
[ Show youtube player ]
Poor audio, but you can hear the distinct spinning motor (and quite noisy stepper motor as well). Does that help with identifying it?

Nobby_UK · 18 February 2017, 22:40

Sounds fairly standard to me :
Most 500/500+ models I have seen had a
Chinon FB-354 (made in Japan)

amigasith · 18 February 2017, 23:11

I agree with Nobby_UK - the sound in the YouTube video sounds pretty standard to me, probably the mentioned Chinon FB-354. If you are looking for a drive with a very distinct sound, it might be the Epson SMD 400. It has an extremely "beefy" sound in my opinion - real retro

And one of my all-time favorite floppy disk drives for that very reason

absence · 18 February 2017, 23:47

Just to be clear, which of the two posted videos are you guys saying has the drive that sounds standard?

absence · 19 February 2017, 14:55

Does anyone have such a drive (Epson or Chinon) and can put a quick audio recording of disk access online?

Nobby_UK · 19 February 2017, 23:29

The Second Video

absence · 20 February 2017, 00:53

It's definitely not the Chinon FB-354. You can hear it here at 29.55: [ Show youtube player ]
It's much more silent than the one in the second video, you can barely hear the spinning motor.
EDIT: Here's another video of what looks like a Chinon (label isn't filmed, but casing is the same). Again, at 6.00 it's much too silent: [ Show youtube player ]

absence · 22 February 2017, 00:09

Pretty sure it's an Epson in the second video. This is a slightly different model (SMD-480L) in an Atari, but it has the same unique spinning motor sound: [ Show youtube player ]
Would be great if someone with a SMD-400 could confirm it, otherwise I consider the case closed.

18 February 2017, 04:32	#1
absence Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: moon Posts: 373	Identify model of internal A500 floppy drive Commodore would use drives from pretty much any manufacturer, so unfortunately I don't have much info to go on. Most floppy drives make a slight hum when the motor is active (just spinning, not stepping), but my old A500 had a drive with a quite loud "vrrrrrr"-like motor sound. It's by far the loudest spinning motor I've ever heard in a floppy drive. Anyone know which drive it could be?

20 February 2017, 00:53	#11
absence Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: moon Posts: 373	It's definitely not the Chinon FB-354. You can hear it here at 29.55: [ Show youtube player ] It's much more silent than the one in the second video, you can barely hear the spinning motor. EDIT: Here's another video of what looks like a Chinon (label isn't filmed, but casing is the same). Again, at 6.00 it's much too silent: [ Show youtube player ] Last edited by absence; 20 February 2017 at 01:14.

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18 February 2017, 14:34	#2
Daedalus Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Dublin, then Glasgow Posts: 6,343	Any photos of the labels on the drive? It might just be that the bearings are dirty or knackered, causing the motor to vibrate as it turns... Has it always made a different sound?

18 February 2017, 14:52	#3
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,334	Much of the noise is due to the way the drive is mounted in the Amiga 500 and the way it resonates with the case — even a modern Sony floppy makes quite a bit of noise when mounted in an Amiga 500.

18 February 2017, 16:56	#4
absence Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: moon Posts: 373	I don't have the machine anymore, but it made the same sound from the day it was brand new, so it's not because of dirt or age. It's not the resonance from the way it was mounted in A500 either, as this video shows an A500 with a silent hum that almost drowns in background noise: [ Show youtube player ]

18 February 2017, 22:02	#5
absence Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: moon Posts: 373	Oh! Here's what it sounds like: [ Show youtube player ] Poor audio, but you can hear the distinct spinning motor (and quite noisy stepper motor as well). Does that help with identifying it?

18 February 2017, 22:40	#6
Nobby_UK Registered User Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Liverpool Posts: 2,598	Sounds fairly standard to me : Most 500/500+ models I have seen had a Chinon FB-354 (made in Japan)

18 February 2017, 23:11	#7
amigasith Registered User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Wild South / Germany Age: 48 Posts: 271	I agree with Nobby_UK - the sound in the YouTube video sounds pretty standard to me, probably the mentioned Chinon FB-354. If you are looking for a drive with a very distinct sound, it might be the Epson SMD 400. It has an extremely "beefy" sound in my opinion - real retro And one of my all-time favorite floppy disk drives for that very reason

18 February 2017, 23:47	#8
absence Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: moon Posts: 373	Just to be clear, which of the two posted videos are you guys saying has the drive that sounds standard?

19 February 2017, 14:55	#9
absence Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: moon Posts: 373	Does anyone have such a drive (Epson or Chinon) and can put a quick audio recording of disk access online?

19 February 2017, 23:29	#10
Nobby_UK Registered User Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Liverpool Posts: 2,598	The Second Video

22 February 2017, 00:09	#12
absence Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: moon Posts: 373	Pretty sure it's an Epson in the second video. This is a slightly different model (SMD-480L) in an Atari, but it has the same unique spinning motor sound: [ Show youtube player ] Would be great if someone with a SMD-400 could confirm it, otherwise I consider the case closed.

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