- Load Toast 3.5 or later (it might work with earlier versions, but I haven't tried it)

- Select "Disc Image" from the "Format" menu in Toast.

- Drag the Nero image file (.nrg file) from the Desktop to Toast's main window. DO NOT try to open the .nrg file by clicking the "Data..." button in Toast, because the subsequent Open dialog won't be able to recognize the Nero image. Do not try to mount the image either, because your Mac can not mount an Akai-format image.

- After dragging the .nrg file from the desktop to Toast, you'll be presented with a dialog where you can select the pregap, postgap, and sector size. Leave the pregap and postgap to 0. The sector size is usually 2048 bytes; if you know that the image you're burning has a different sector size, select the proper setting. If you don't know what sector size to use, try 2048 bytes first. If it doesn't work, then it's probably worth trying at 2056 or 2352 bytes...

- Just burn the image to CD-R and enjoy your new samples.

How to burn .BIN disc images created by other PC applications (sorry, I don't remember the names of the applications):

- There are usually 2 files: one large .BIN file that contains the disc data, and one .CUE file which is in fact a text file containing useful information like the sector size to use when burning the image.

- Open the .CUE file with your favorite text editor (Simple Text, for example), and verify the sector size (2048, 2056, or 2352 bytes).

- Burn the .BIN file, using the exact same procedure as for Nero image files. When you are asked to choose the sector size, enter the size that was indicated in the .CUE file (2048, 2056, or 2352 bytes).

- Enjoy your new CD.

1. Get Macrar.
Rar is the compression method used in the newsgroup.
You will need it to unpack samples posted. If they not AKAI CD's too.

2. The bad news: get Virtual PC with any of the Windows operating systems.
Free at least 1Gb on your HD to install it, then you might want to burn the disk partition with the operating system to a CD and the program will then use only about 17Mb on your HD.
Virtual PC can share folders with the Mac OS so you will be able to use your Mac HD to read from and write to.
Virtual PC will not recognise your CD burner. You will first have to write an image to your HD! Free up some space ...

3. If you have downloaded all the .rar files (starting with .rar, then .r00-r99, then .s00-s99 and so on), unrar then doubleclicking the .rar file.
You will get either a set of .wav files, or two types of disk images: a .nrg files or a large .bin file and a .cue file.
The .nrg file comes from a CD ripping/burning program Nero. (A demo is enough to use it).
The second type can be handled with "Binchunker" or "Fireburner".
Binchunker is the smallest and if I recall well, it's freeware.

	3a. If you want to extract a .nrg file: - start up nero - skip the wizzard - go to 'open file' - open the .nrg file - select 'burn' from the file menu It will write a diskimage to a virtual device. Open that file in Toast as a diskimage, select the default 2048 mode and burn the image.
	3b. Extracting a .bin file: - open the .cue file in binchunker or fireburner - select the track > select 'convert' - it will write a 'TITLE to mode1/2048.iso' image - Open that file in Toast as a diskimage, select the default 2048 mode and burn the image.

IMPORTANT: Keep settings to mode1/2048 in Binchunker or Fireburner, even if the track states mode1/2352 !!!

4. Now you have an AKAI CD rom.
- Use the program CDXtract in Virtual PC to save the samples/programs to your HD.
- Use 'Interpreter' (Gallery software) or 'Osmosis' for MacOS to save the samples/programs to your HD

URL's: Nero: http://www.ahead.de/
Binchunker: http://www.cdr.cz/software/binchunker/
Fireburner: http://www.cdr.cz/software/fireburner/
CDXtract: http://www.cdxtract.com/index.html
Osmosis: http://www.bitheadz.com/
Interpreter: http://www.demon.co.uk/gallery/frameIDX.html
Virtual PC: http://www.connectix.com