VF160 Problems...!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave52
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Dave52

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Hi guys, I'm having some problems with my VF160, I wonder if anyone's experienced anything similar...?

During playback I noticed that my recording was jumping about. I assumed that I had some bad sectors, so I thought I'd back-up my work and reformat the disk. But I'm having trouble backing up my work, it's writing to cd at about a meg an hour...

So, any ideas...?


Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
 
Sorry to hear about that... I'd only be guessing. If you restart the machine, I assume the problem remains? What software edition are you running (V. 1.15? 2.02?) My understanding is versions 2.00 and 2.01 had some bugs...

Lastly, can you call Fostex in the UK for phone support? Matt in the US has been very helpful -- perhaps an email to him via the Fostex US website.

Hope you get this worked out.
 
VF160 Probs

Sounds like your HD may be on its way out, but check OS like Billisa says, also is the disk full? this can cause problems.
Oh, and it might be worth checking that the HD connector is firmly in place.
Good Luck

'Orc
 
Dead drive...

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I think my Hard Drive has died a terrible death. No problems, I can get a new one...

Can anyone give me a list of compatible hard drives...? According to the Fostex site I have a choice of 2, and that may well need some hardware upgrade to the machine. I can't believe this. Anyone had any luck installing an alternative drive...?

Oh, by the way I'm on the original Firmware Version (V1.01), but if I can borrow a Zip drive I hope to upgrade to the latest Version (which I believe is 2.02).

Thanks in advance,

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
 
Dave, sorry. There's a VF160 site, VF16.com that has a link to a forum where harddrives have been discussed at length. Do a search and I think you'll find some great info.

The Japanese Fostex site seems to indicate that 80gig HardDrives can be used, perhaps without any mods... The Maxtor Harddrives are nice, and quiet.
 
Thanks Again...

Cheers again, I've managed to find another 20g Maxtor D540X-4K on Ebay, and it was only 26 quid including P+P, so I've gone for that.

The only bummer is that I lost all my work. Luckily I've just completed my album and I'm happy with all the mixes. Just as well really, I don't have a lot of choice anymore...!

I really ought to have backed up my songs as soon as they were complete, but we all have a degree in hind site right..!?!

Thanks again,

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
 
Re: Thanks Again...

Dave52 said:


I really ought to have backed up my songs as soon as they were complete, but we all have a degree in hind site right..!?!

Thanks again,

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
Click to expand...

Glad you're squared away. I once thought I'd shot 36 beautiful pictures after an ice-storm, only to find I hadn't loaded the film properly, thus getting nothing. There are some mistakes you only make once. Not loading film correctly is one, not backing up a PC is another...

Anyway, good luck with the new HD.
 
Yeh, sorry to hear that Dave. i always try to make a point of backing up each song I'm working on at the end of an evening's session. If I've spent 3-4 hours trying to get a guitar part right, or 3-4 weeks working on a song, i don't want to lose it due to a disk failure!!

I bought several boxes of CDRW's for around 50pence each disk. What's 50p compared to losing all that work and time?

Having said that because it takes 20 minutes or so to write the song to CDRW I'm sometimes too tired to do it at the end of a session and do it next day, which is not too clever as turning off the disk is the time it is likely to die !!!

How old is the disk that failed to your knowledge?
 
Well, My VF160 is 2 years old, and its the HD that came with it. It's a little disappointing, I'd expect longer service than that...

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
 
Dave52 said:
Well, My VF160 is 2 years old, and its the HD that came with it. It's a little disappointing, I'd expect longer service than that...

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
Click to expand...

I'd expect longer service too. A lot longer. Do you mind saying what brand of HardDrive was in your Vf160 (brand and size)? I'd buy a different brand to replace it.
 
It was a 20g Maxtor D540X-4K. I always thought they were a good brand... I've already ordered another one (same brand and spec), so we'll see how it goes.

To be honest I don't mind 20 odd quid every couple of years. It was the loosing of work and the delay in recording time that's annoying me. I'm on a bit of a creative thing at the moment (I'd just completed a new song and I've got 3 others in my head that I really want to record).

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
 
Maxtor good?

My son has read that Maxtor are not good drives and prone to failure! But maybe that's because there are more of them around and people tend to report failures rather than years of trouble free service!

eeeek! My vf160 is also two years old and also has a 20gig maxtor drive!!! No trouble so far, apart from one song I can't delete for some reason, I assume disk related error.

Gonna make even more sure I back up!
 
Actually, if it's a Maxtor, then I'd stay with it. The 540's got excellent reviews on a computer site I was looking at a few months ago. Any drive company is going to have drives that fail. There must be 1,000's of VF160's out there and you'd expect some failures -- with probably every one posted about on this site. But my sense, from checking other boards, is that the Vf160's are less prone to problems than other brands.
 
We are back in business...!

Ok, the replacement HD arrived yesterday, I've installed it and formatted it. I even managed to load on the back-up of my last song (the one I managed to drag, kicking and screaming off of the dying hard drive).

All seems to be in working order, I will do some drum recording tomorrow when I have a little time, and make a start on my next song.

Thanks for all the feedback, comments and concern over the last week - I appreciate all the support.

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
 
Hey Dave,

You probably know this already, but if you save (backup) programs as wav files, then they're pretty portable into other systems. The FDMS-3 is a Fostex proprietary system that cannot be read by other PC's, DAW's, etc. However, FDMS-3 allows you to save all settings (eq, pans, levels, etc.)

Software version 1.15 has no bugs, 2.02 has no bugs (that I know of), and adds a few features (like CDplayback). But stay away from versions 2.00 and 2.01.
 
WAV export...

billisa said:
Hey Dave,

Software version 1.15 has no bugs, 2.02 has no bugs (that I know of), and adds a few features (like CDplayback). But stay away from versions 2.00 and 2.01.
Click to expand...
And software version 1.01 doesn't allow WAV export!! And it can't be updated without a jazz drive connected via the SCSI port :-( , which of course i don't have.

One day I'll find someone with such a device!
 
Software upgrade

Glyn, man - you mean you still haven't sorted the upgrade?
Repeat after me:
'I must get a SCSI zip drive' (only joking)
If you can get hold of the drive, I could send you a disk with the file on it, if that would help.

Just a thought.

'Orc
 
Upgrades...

I'm in the same situation as GlynB, I would like to upgrade, but I've not got a scsi zip drive.... doh. Oh well never mind.

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
 
Dave52 said:
I'm in the same situation as GlynB, I would like to upgrade, but I've not got a scsi zip drive.... doh. Oh well never mind.

Dave.
www.DaveWare.co.uk
Click to expand...

I think Dave is in the UK like me. These zip drive things were not that popular here and no-one i know has one (or ever had one!). I guess I could buy one from eBay, just haven't bothered thus far. As I don't mix on a PC, exporting WAVs has not been a big priority and i do backups in the fostex format.
 
Glyn/Dave
I say chaps I'm in England too.
A geordie in the smoke.

I bought my SCSI zip a couple of years ago at Maplin but I don't know if they still have them. Computer places that specialise in old Mac stuff might be able to help. If you can buy/hire the drive my offer stands.

The other route would be to return the unit to SCV London (Fostex's UK importer) you can find them at http://www.scvlondon.co.uk/

Tally Ho

'Orc
 
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