Setting up second harddrive for Protools

  • Thread starter Thread starter tchambeau
  • Start date Start date
T

tchambeau

New member
I just bought a MAC G5 2.3 Ghz, 450gig of RAM and installed Protools 7.0, also using a digi002.
I installed a 2nd 250gig harddrive in slot B. When reinstalling PT it automatically installs to the new drive. Is this what i want? If not, how do I open a dialog box during install to change? I was playing around with a few new tracks and some plugins and I already got some buffer errors.
How should I set this up?
Also, how can I delete my practice session files? Numerous searches on this topic failed me.
Thanks
 
Todd,

No... your Pro Tools "application" should be installed on the computers primary drive. The first thing you should do is uninstall Pro Tools where ever it may now be living. That is no Pro Tools application on either drive.

The uninstall process is on the original install disk.

You should also take the time to bring your PT version up to v7.1cs8. All seems to be well with this version. See the Digi web site. You'll need to take some time and make sure your plug-ins are all 7.0 thru 7.1cs compatible. Keeping up with version compatibility is now a mandatory process and once you develop a method, fairly easy.

Then when you get to the point of re-installing there will be a box to the lower left hand portion of the installer page that allows you to direct or in your case re-direct what drive is to be used for the application.

The same then is true for you Pro Tools sessions. There is a root level choice when calling up a new session that allows you to direct the PT session and it's components to your secondary/audio drive.

Your practice session can be pitched with no ramifications.

Pretty simple stuff and it'll only take you a few minutes to get familiar with the routine but an important routine it is.

--Joseph
 
Todd,

I also forgot to mention your buffer errors are most likely due to some "setup" problem more so than a slow drive. Anything's possible but let's check these things first. Be sure to carefully setup PT's. Check memory allocation, buffer sizes, make sure there are no "other" applications running in the back ground ectect.

After that if you still get errors we can test some other "stuff"

--Joseph
 
Joseph,
Thanks for taking the time out to reply. I uninstalled PT and proceeded to re-install. After agreeing on the licensing terms the install dialog box appears. The top of this box has a Custom Install or a drop down option for uninstall. In the bottom of this box is a smaller box named Install location. THere is a picture of a folder with the following statement :
Items will be installed in the folder "Applications" on the disc "Macintosh HD"
I have tried clicking all around this box with no luck.
Any ideas?
Thanks Again
 
tchambeau said:
Items will be installed in the folder "Applications" on the disc "Macintosh HD"
I have tried clicking all around this box with no luck.
Any ideas?
Thanks Again
Click to expand...

Todd,

The Macintosh HD "IS" your primary applications drive. That's where Pro Tools SHOULD live.
 
Thanks Joseph, I went back and could not find the reason on why I thought that ProTools was on my newly installed second drive. I just opened a new session in ProTools and can save the session to the Macintosh HD or my desktop. I do not see my second drive listed. My second drive is listed in the disc utility screen.
Thanks for all of your help.
As you can see I am a newbie in both Protools and Mac (both units just came 2 days ago)
Todd
 
Additionally, when I go to my Activity Monitor, the only hard drive listed is the Macintosh HD, which is practically empty. I wonder why the new drive is listed in my hardware list, but not anywhere else?
Todd
 
You'll need to do two things in RE: your second/audio drive.

1)It needs to be formatted. On your Mac HD go to the applications folder/then find the Utilities folder/ Then find Disk Utility/ From there I believe on the "partition tab" there will be the option to format your drive.I believe Digidesign is recommending "extended journaled" (Please check with Digi answer base to be sure). You can partition or not. There are a thousand arguments as to why you should or should not partition but for now you won't get burned either way.

2) You need to designate the drive as a recording device/drive. Open Pro Tools/ In the windows pull down menu find and select Workspace. This will bring up a page that will show available drives. In the header of this page you will see a column with an "a" and a column with a 'V". Under the "a' column switch to R (record).

We'll take it from there...
 
I forgot to add that an accepted means of maintainence for OSX is "verifing and repairing permissions". This is another topic of hot debate but it doesn't take much to do and it falls under the "can't hurt" heading. This probably should be done with every new install to the hard drive.

It to can be found in the Utilities/Disk Utilities/verify disK permissions/repair disK permissions page.
 
Joseph,
Thanks alot for all of the info. The apple manual mentions nothing about formattiing in the "add an extra harddrive section"
I'll try what you recommended and let you know how it goes.
Thanks Again
Todd
 
Joseph,

That worked, the new drive is now showing up when I create a new session in ProTools. I had to choose to partition the drive (1 partition, extended journaled)
I then went into Protools to the Window/Workplace page. Both hard drives are listed. Both have letters R in both A and V columns. Do I need to switch anything else?
Your are the man.
Thanks Again
 
tchambeau said:
Do I need to switch anything else?
Click to expand...


Go to the Digi site and download Pro Tools v7.1cs8...don't underestimate the importance of keeping updated then.....Verify and Repair Permissions....
 
Joseph,
I verified and repaired. I went to record a test track and seems that the input buttons are whited out on the mix page. Just to confirm, I have both hard disks on the workspace page, with R,R on both disks, both A and V columns.
Thanks again for dealing with a stupid ass newbie.
 
Joseph,
Pro Tools v7.1cs8 is for their HD version only. I have their LE version. My PT is now hanging up and causing forced shutdown. Its late, so I'll have a go at it in the morning.
Thanks
 
Todd,

You're right...LE update is 7.1. Go get that.

I'm sure however that's not why things are hanging. Don't force anything at this point. You're very close and I wouldn't want you to dig a hole by panic.

Exactly when, where and how is it hanging......describe please.

-Joseph
 
Joseph,

A number of things started to happen. I would open a session, then create one mono track. When I would start to record I would get either a 6093 or 6086 error that said that the "Operation System held off interupts too long, try increasing h/w buffer size in playback engine" I went to the playback engine and increased my buffer from i think 512 to the highest level. That still did not work. PT also stopped recognizing my 002 from computer startups, it only recognized it when i powered it on and off while the computer was on.
At that point, i went to bed.
New day
Todd
 
At this point, I need to know how both of my harddrives should be set up on the workspace page. Which setting for each on the the A and V columns.
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks
 
Thanks Benny, great link.
My new hard drive is 7200 RPM. Its a Glyph 250MG ($329 from Sweetwater) it is the new generation type.
I'll try the new settings and see what happens
 
Benny,
I verified both harddrives on the workspace page are set to R in both A and V columns. I also followed your link's instructions and sent those files to the trash. I rebooted my computer and powercycled the digi002. Went back in to Protools and created a session. I armed one mono track and still got the 6093 error. I also noticed that now when I open Protools it states that my hardware is not detected or being used by another program. I then power off and on my Digi002, then it recognizes it.
Any thoughts?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top