First HD24 Issue

  • Thread starter Thread starter Velvet Elvis
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Velvet Elvis

Velvet Elvis

Ahh humma humma humma
Well... It finally happened... had my first issue with my HD24 (granted this is after 1+ years of no issues).

I went to fire it up yesterday to copy a few scratch tracks for a friend and the drive wouldn't change between songs... it would pull up the title, but not pull up the length of the song.

Did a "Scan" on the drive and it found some errors.

Copied some songs... got a read failure on some tracks...

Did another scan... found some more errors... scanned again... no more errors, but still issues with some tracks.

I'm guessing something happened to the drive, but not sure what. Its been sitting (no use) for about 4 months. Had *no* issues last time I used it.

Of course since this was just a scratch song disk, I don't have a back up of it.

Velvet Elvis
 
First lesson I learned (thankfully never involving a client's stuff) was presume the HD is temporary storage and BACKUP EVERYTHING! (and archive stuff you want to keep!)
 
Yep... all "real" projects get backed up... this wasn't a real project... and it actually was the only time I had ever used the "factory" drive for any recording.

Hey Bruce... did you get a fireport for your HD24? if so where did you buy it?

Velvet Elvis
 
No - didn't get the fireport.... I still do my digital transfers real-time... (i'm a dinosaur!)
 
Wow :)

I'm thinking of grabbing one just so I can archive to DVD or something rather than have to buy new drives all the time (or just deleted old material).

Velvet Elvis
 
I make my transfers into the computer real time through the optical inputs (I'm a dinosaur too:D ) but I NEVER use hard drives for storage. I put everything (individual tracks) onto CD-R. Only about $.35 per song for dependable long term storage.
 
i am using the fireport. i love it. i got a free one when they had that special offer. still have not recieved it. but i bought one a week or so after i got my HD24. (i couldnt wait). i tell you guys, you are missing out. transfers are lightning fast. by the way, i will have one to sell when i get my free one. :D i am going to go with a dvd burner for permanant storage. that way i can get a whole project on one disc.
 
foreverain4... when do you think you'll get your "free" one and how much will you want for the one you've currently got?

I'm going to buy one sometime today I think.

Velvet Elvis
 
actually, i was going to sell the new one. i wont even open the box. i think you get them new for $200. i may offer mine at like $180 or something. i will let you know. i have a guy in my area that may be interested in it already.
 
you are going to love it. i just got a dvd burner last night. i am anxious to start using it.
 
I hope so... ANYTHING has got to be better than FTP'ing files back and forth :)

Velvet Elvis
 
ftp'ing is too bad if you only have to do one or two files. it is actually quicker to use ftp than to dismount the drive, pull it out, hook it up to FP, turn on FP, open fst connect. choose your drive, choose your project choose your song, choose your track, create or find the folder to put it in, ..... you get the idea.
 
Yeah... I'm expecting to back up entire songs to the computer etc and burn them off to CDs or DVDs... and be able to do it while still having the HD24 operational (using another drive).

Usually on "real projects" I have two drives in the machine and back up to the other drive at the end of every session...

It would be great at that point to pull the second drive and load it on the computer for "extra safe keeping"

Velvet Elvis
 
Got my fireport over the weekend... SWEEEEET.

I got all the songs "repaired" and pulled from the drive.

Velvet Elvis
 
yeah... the HD24 allows you to "scan" drives and correct issues, but the FST Connect software allows for the "scan and remap" of bad sectors... after doing that, I was able to pull complete tracks off.

I don't know if they have errors in them, but I can correct those... I just wanted to make sure I got the data off.

Velvet Elvis
 
Backup mediums

Just a word about what I saw some of you calling "archiving". A part of archiving is storing data on a medium that won't degrade with time. I'm sory to say but these $.35 CD-Rs will only last 5 to 10 years on average. The occasional one will die within the year. If someof you get paid for this and have repeat customers I suggest you use a TBU (Tape Backup Unit). Unfortunately Alesis targeting low prices I don't think they ever considered a TBU for the second caddy spot on the HD24 which I believe would have been a good idea for professionals. TBUs are used world wide daily in all companies to backup data for long periods of time. The server environments that hold all sorts of customer databases and other corporate info are analogous to your raw tracks; without them, your work is worthless. TBUs are more reliable though slower but insurance isn't about speed, it is about security. I think for "home" studio types it is over kill, but when you fire up a CD-R that just spins and spins and spins in your CD drive your client that came back 18 months later will not be very happy that your "backup" has become a cheap coaster. Also, as DVD burning becomes more popular the media will degrade.

Just a warning about archiving, you want your media to be your strongest link. Burnable media is just not up to par (5+ years) of data storage.
 
I back up servers every morning with a DAT. They're a dandy for sure but I've NEVER had a CD-R fail. Never. If you use them as a coaster it'll shoten their usefull lifespan but if you store them properly they'll last a VERY long time.
 
I've had a silimar problem with the HD24. I had a 80Gb Seagate Barracuda IV Drive with 23 songs on it.

All of a sudden, there were only 2 left. The first and the second, and on top of that, they had changed places with eachother. The other songs were gone, but the "free space" counter showed as if they were still on the drive. I couldn't access them anyway though. Not from the panel, and not through ftp.

Now, I didn't accidentally delete and confim delete on 21 songs without knowing it, so some scary shit happened.

I had to rent a ADAT XT to once again copy all my work to the HD24. Now I got 3 backups. Another 80Gb drive, a drive inside my PC, and CD-R's.

Never had problems with the unit before, or after.

So why did it happen ? My memory is a bit clouded from the shock, but I seem to remember pressing "new song", while song #2 was selected. The new song should appear at the end of my song list, but since all was deleted except 1 & 2 I got my suspicions.

Now, I always place the "song select" at the end, before pressing "new song."
 
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