Working hack for the MZ-S1 with no apparent glitches!!!

[The skuns]

Hi all. Very interesting board. I read a lot of it and was disapointed with the lack of hacks for the Tank. (MZS1).

I experimented a little bit, and found this one. It will get you more play-mode options, the timer and the P.D.M. (personal disk memory, don't know yet if this one works). The backlit lcd does still works and the button functions are unchanged. The version I have is 1.3

In short, change the adress 062 from 10 to 7B. That's it.

Detailed procedure: (Remember that not doing as told might screw-up your MD player)

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

VERY IMPORTANT ADDENDUM, MUST READ:

Be very careful with adress 061. If you change the parameters there, I think it is possible to permanently modify your MZ-S1. Adress 061 modifies the button mapping, and it could be possible to change the button definitions in such a way that you won't be able to go back to service mode to bring things back to normal.

There is a safeguard against this for MD walkmans with a remote-control jack (using the remote instead of the unit buttons to access the service mode) , but owners of MZ-S1 would have guessed: there is no remote jack on a MZ-S1.

If you ever want to modify the parameters on adress 061, be aware that it could be irreversible without having to take apart your walkman and somewhat connect a remote on the mainboard.

This could be a last resort way to fix things, but I can't help you with that. I would need a service manual for this, but I can't find it.

The procedure below modifies adress 062, so there should be no problem reverting it.
_________________________________________________
__________________________________________________


1-Use a fresh battery or the ac adapter
2-Remove disk, close the lid.
3-turn on the hold switch.
4-Hold down group/cancel button while doing this sequence: >>,>>,<<,<<,>>,<<,>>,<<,pause,pause. release group/cancel button.
5-A flashing screen should appear, confirming you entered the service mode, also, the version number shall be displayed there. If it is NOT version 1.3, STOP IT RIGHT THERE, disconnect the power source(s) to exit the service mode. This hack works on v1.3, and I don't know what it could do on other versions, nor do I know wether v1.3 is the only version used on the MZS1. I bought mine almost two years ago, so it is possible that the program was changed on more recently built units.
5-Press VOL+ once. The display should read "000 MANUAL"
6-Press >> once. "010 LASER"
7-Press VOL+ five times "060 F Code"
8-Press >> twice "062 ???S10" (the ??? represents numbers that are keeping on increasing)
9-Hold on VOL+ until the ???S10 becomes ???S7B Use VOL- if you overdo.

------------------------
10- If you are sure you have done everything correctly, press the PAUSE button. Pause acts here as "enter", and, for what I have understood, is the button that tells the CPU to record modifications to it's programs. It COULD means that you can fool around in the service-mode without risking of screwing things for as long as you don't press the pause button, but I'm not sure of that. The stop button brings you back one level (press a few times to go back to the blinking screen with the version number). The VOL+, VOL-, >>,<< buttons are used to navigate things and modify parameters. The menu/enter button have a purpose I can't define. The other buttons seems to have no purpose in the service-mode.
-----------------------

11- Cut off power (unplug DC cord and/or remove the battery) to exit the service mode.

To revert to normal, do the same as above, but on step 9, make ???S7B back into ???S10 using VOL+/-.

You now have more playback options: normal, repeat all, one track once,repeat one track, shuffle, repeat shuffle, programmed sequence and repeat programmed sequence.

You also have a timer that plays a little chime after a preset amount of time.

You also get the PDM (personal disk memory) But I haven't yet experienced to know if it is of any use on a MZ-S1.

That's it. If you experience a glitch because of this mod, or if you know other mods for the MZ-S1, please do tell!!!

[Tiger005]

is it worth it to void the warranty??, nice find man

[tinrobot's ghost]

Wrongrobot loves his S1. He shall not hack. However, thanks for the info. Anyone else know of any S1 hacks?

[Tiger005]

can they tell if you've done this, like they can tell if you've overclocked your video card or not??

[bertrik]

Some time ago there was a post about a hack for the MZ-N510. The bottom line of that post was that each bit of the number that you write into position 62 has its own meaning. If you know what each bit does, you can carefully choose which options you really want and avoid some risky settings associated with specific bits..
What you're suggesting, is changing almost all bits at the same time, apparently without knowing what those bits do. Sounds risky to me, but on the other hand it seems to work for you...
I think anyone considering the hack, should at least make a note of the number in position 62 (and position 61) in case the hack doesn't behave as expected.
Perhaps we should make some kind of list with known good settings for several models and firmware versions.

[Tiger005]

I tried this and only got a "s-snd" or whatever, and an option to use a line-out, which just made the volume really loud, any ideas??

[The skuns]

Idid used some trials and error to get there, and I could have modified other things by mistake, I used my MZ-S1 today as usual, and it works perfectly fine, with the added options I said.

Maybe changing the 62 adress is not the only thing to do to get there, and as I said, It is not impossible that I modified something else by accident. One thing is sure, when I put back the 62 to the value of 10, everything comes back like it was before.

I had a few more options available when I changed the 61 from 81 to FE (Like the line out/ headphone out toogle, sound 1, sound 2 instead of bass 1-2) but the backlight of the lcd stopped working and the buttons werent the same anymore (stop became end search, end search became vol-, vol+ became play, vol- became stop. No more vol+ was available. I was afraid at that time to be unable to get things back to normal in the service mode because of that, but it was repairable (I had to go from FE to 81, and that could be done with the end search button. I just had to be careful not to go under 81 because there were no more vol+ available!!!), phew!! So I put back the 61 to 81, but left 62 to 7B, and that's where I found that I had a few more options AND everything else got back to normal.

One thing that could make this hack not working for you: are you sure you have version 1.3? To be exact, the blinking display says "00 5 V1.300" on mine. I also bought it in Canada, so maybe if you bought it somewhere else, there could be variations in the program even if it is the same version. I really don't know about these things. (kind of contradicting my clever signoff phrase...)

[The skuns]

Betrik said: "Perhaps we should make some kind of list with known good settings for several models and firmware versions."

Ok then. Here is my list with what I suppose to be the initial settings. Note that there could be slight variations somewhere depending on the state you left your MZS1 just before you entered the service mode, like the last volume setting, etc.

So we should all agree before entering service mode to put our walkman on a "neutral state", as follows:

No disk in
Volume 00
Display: Laptime
play mode:normal
Rec mode: sp
Bass: off
Synchronized recording: Off
AVLS:Off
Beep: Off
Rec position: From end
LP stamp:Off
Rec volume: Auto
Time stamp: Off.

So here goes:
My device: Sony MZ-S1, bought in Canada
Display on first screen of service mode: 00 5 V1.300

Adresses, value:
010 CC
011 1B
012 1E
013 A7
014 C8
015 19
016 16
017 CC
020 CC
021 CC
022 CC
023 00
024 AssyFF
025 00
030 CC
031 CC
032 CC
033 CC
034 CC
035 CC
036 19
037 CC
040 CC
041 NoClok
042 CdTxt
043 00
044 NV OK
050 CC
051 01
052 01
060 CC
061 81
062 10
063 01
064 00
100 CC
110 CC
111 CC
112 0F
113 08
114 07
118 08
120 DD
121 05
122 FE
123 00
124 FD
126 00
127 00
130 CC
131 FD
132 FF
133 00
134 20
136 0B
137 09
138 0F
139 19
140 CC
141 FC
142 00
143 00
144 1F
145 16
146 FC
149 FF
151 03
200 CC
210 CC
220 DD
221 07
224 FE
226 00
228 2C
230 CC
232 00
236 09
237 09
238 12
240 CC
241 00
242 00
243 00
244 2E
245 16
251 04
300 CC
310 CC
311 CC
312 0D
313 07
314 09
320 DD
321 09
324 FF
326 00
327 00
328 28
330 CC
332 01
336 08
337 09
338 0A
340 CC
341 00
342 00
343 00
344 2B
345 18
346 00
351 04
400 CC
410 CC
411 FD
412 FF
414 13
418 FC
420 CC
421 05
423 00
426 00
430 CC
431 FD
432 FF
433 00
434 13
436 0C
440 CC
441 FC
442 00
444 20
445 1E
446 FC
448 CC
449 FE
450 CC
451 FD
452 00
454 04
458 FF
459 06
460 CC
461 04
463 00
466 00
470 CC
471 FD
472 00
473 00
474 04
476 0E
479 06
480 CC
481 FC
482 00
484 1E
485 20
486 FC
489 FE
500 CC
510 CC
511 CC
512 03
513 04
514 04
515 19
516 03
517 01
518 03
519 75
520 CC
521 15
522 14
530 CC
531 CC
532 75
533 04
534 04
535 04
536 04
540 CC
541 CC
542 CC
560 CC
561 CC
562 CC
563 CC
564 04
570 CC
571 CC
572 CC
573 00
574 CC
580 CC
581 CC
582 CC
583 CC
584 00
585 CC
600 CC








I don't think it would be of any use to go further.

[bertrik]

I compiled a list of hacks and their bits in registers 61 and 62 here:
http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~bertrik/netmd/mdhack.html
(Use them at your own risk)

[Tiger005]

hey guys, somehow it messed up my controls and I can't turn off the beep...you know what happened (I tried the hack again and it worked, but I can't turn my volume up, it's set as my "End Search" button, and it sucks...there is no "+", any help?? , thanks...I might just take it to circuit-city (where I got mine), and show them that it doesn't work right...you think I should try that??