The BR-8 recorded to a zip disk in a proprietary Roland format. Therefore, in order to have a computer read the audio, it needs to be converted to a .WAV file format. This procedure for the BR-8 needs to be done on a computer using the BR-8 WAV Converter Software. However due to the age of the product, only Windows XP and Windows 2000 compatible software was created.
You will also need a USB Zip drive in order to connect the BR-8's zip disc to your computer. These USB Zip drives can be purchased online and/or at computer or electronic stores.
The link for this software is can be found here:
BR-8 WAV Converter Software (Windows XP and Windows 2000 only)
Notes:
- Other versions of Windows are not compatible and there was not a Mac OS X or macOS version created.
- The program WinZip is required to complete the software download. If WinZip is not installed on the computer, go to www.winzip.com and download the "Evaluation Copy" and install it before attempting to open the .WAV convert software download.
1. Once the software is downloaded, double-click on the "br8wavconvert.zip" WinZip icon and extract the program and its instructions (two files) to the desktop.
2. Double-click on the "Br8wavNEW.exe" file and install the BR-8 .WAV Converter Software.
3. Take the zip disk from the BR-8 and insert it into the USB Zip drive.
4. Click on the down arrow under "Media Drive". Select the USB Zip drive.
5. Click on the down arrow under "Song", and select the source song for the desired tracks.
6. Select the tracks you wish to convert to .WAV files. The playlist for the chosen song is set up as a grid. The channels run horizontally, and the v-tracks for those channels run vertically. The tracks that have audio on them are green; once pressed, they turn orange to indicate they've been selected.
7. Press the [BR-8 Track-> Wave File] button. A dialog box will appear. Select the save location for the file. In the [Filename] area, specify the name of the new .WAV file. Click [Save], and the file will be saved.
Once the BR-8 files have been converted to .WAV files, they can be burned to CD using CD Burning Software, such as EZ CD Creator.
Note: The BR 8 WAV Convert software converts into WAV format only. If you need another file format (e.g. MP3), you can use conversion software to accomplish this such as iTunes. As each manufacturer's software differs from version to version, please refer to the conversion software's current manual or online help for the proper conversion procedures.