Pro Tools LE Mac OSX Question

[melondaoust]

Hey all:

Been using Pro Tools LE for a couple of months now on my Mac G4 w/Panther. Using an external LaCie firewire drive as the record volume.

The LaCie was acting up on me last night. Tried reformatting it and Pro Tools now won't recognize it as a record volume. Not the first time this has happened (reformatted it and it was fine.)

Any suggestions? Does anybody know how this drive should be reformatted?

Thanks!

[Scumback Speakers]

Which utility did you use to reformat it, and what options did you check to reformat it with (there should be some options for UDF, OS 9 drivers, etc.)?

[melondaoust]

Originally posted by Scumbag
Which utility did you use to reformat it, and what options did you check to reformat it with (there should be some options for UDF, OS 9 drivers, etc.)?

Disk utility. Worked last time.

[melondaoust]

Originally posted by melondaoust
Disk utility. Worked last time.

I tried two types of formats - Mac OSX Extended, and Mac OSX Extended (Journaled)

[Scumback Speakers]

Look and see if you have the "Silverlining" software LaCie usually bundles their drives with and reformat with that. Or call LaCie and ask them what's up. Good luck!

[mike@switchback]

When you say the drive was "acting up" what do you mean exactly?

[MichaelK]

Originally posted by melondaoust
Disk utility. Worked last time.

Digi recommends using that and avoiding any other formatting utility. Maybe a bad block...? I second the suggestion to call LaCie.

[melondaoust]

Originally posted by ratter
When you say the drive was "acting up" what do you mean exactly?

It just means that Pro Tools is not recognizing the drive as an Audio Recording Drive.

[rwe333]

KD,

Were you wearing your special formatting trousers?

If not, you might try that...

Or, follow the advice above.


Hope you're well, bro. Good luck w/ a solution.

As you can tell, I need to get some coffee now...

[melondaoust]

Originally posted by rwe333
KD,

Were you wearing your special formatting trousers?

If not, you might try that...

Hmmm, think that they were in the wash. May try tonight then...

Go get that coffee! (you may need it for the MP3's, along with a lot of booze! )

[Scumback Speakers]

As a freelance fulltime Mac computer consultant in LA, I see the highest rate of failures among external drives in the "bridge" between the ATA/IDE drive and the Firewire interface. They usually just freak out, and need to be replaced. LaCie will date your drive according to the receipt you provide, or their manufacturing date or shipment to a vendor, so have your receipt for the longest warranty repair period. After that, you may as well buy a generic case, since it's cheaper than dealing with LACIE for a replacement, and much faster...IF IT'S THE INTERFACE!

If not, then you have a bad drive, and reformatting (low level reformat, which takes hours) is the only way to tell if it's still good or not. It will map out the bad sectors (and NEW bad sectors if the drive platters are deteriorating) and you're good to go again. If it does this a second time, though, you more than likely have a bad platter, or "Track 0" where the directory info is kept, and you may as well replace it cuz usually they just keep getting worse.

Sorry to be the killjoy here... but it sounds like you might be in the second category if this continues...

Good luck.

[melondaoust]

Originally posted by Scumbag
As a freelance fulltime Mac computer consultant in LA, I see the highest rate of failures among external drives in the "bridge" between the ATA/IDE drive and the Firewire interface. They usually just freak out, and need to be replaced. LaCie will date your drive according to the receipt you provide, or their manufacturing date or shipment to a vendor, so have your receipt for the longest warranty repair period. After that, you may as well buy a generic case, since it's cheaper than dealing with LACIE for a replacement, and much faster...IF IT'S THE INTERFACE!

If not, then you have a bad drive, and reformatting (low level reformat, which takes hours) is the only way to tell if it's still good or not. It will map out the bad sectors (and NEW bad sectors if the drive platters are deteriorating) and you're good to go again. If it does this a second time, though, you more than likely have a bad platter, or "Track 0" where the directory info is kept, and you may as well replace it cuz usually they just keep getting worse.

Sorry to be the killjoy here... but it sounds like you might be in the second category if this continues...

Good luck.

Could you recommend if I should format the drive as "Mac OSX Extended" or something else?

[Scumback Speakers]

Format it extended if you're using it with OS X 10.2x, and extended (journaled) if under 10.3x.

I get the idea you have a bad drive, if you can reformat it, and it still doesn't like to mount it, but it could still be the interface, too.

And you can't take the drive out of the case without voiding your LACIE warranty, either (past 1 year is no big deal, though, your warranty is over then) to check it inside of another Mac as the second hard disk.

You might be better served (this is what I do) by buying a second 120gb bare drive, 7200 rpm model. Install it as the second drive in your tower (slave or cable select mode for the jumpers), and keep the external drive for extra storage, or to transfer files from one Mac to another.

The 2nd drive shouldn't cost more than $100 for a good Seagate, or comparable ATA/IDE 7200 rpm model.

Good luck... I have to go install a file server, setup an Airport Extreme network and ship out an amp today, so I gotta go now.

You can forward any other questions you might have to:
guru@lamacguru.com or check my consulting site... http://www.lamacguru.com

You can also find me in IMDB under Jim Seavall for credits (although I'm usually not the guy with the credits. I'm the guy that saves the asses of the guys with the credits!)

[mike@switchback]

Don't want to step on any toes here, but Digi actually recommends formatting with journaling off:

http://answerbase.digidesign.com/detail.cfm?DID=27662

[Scumback Speakers]

No offense taken here. Generally though, Apple says that you should use it on 10.3x and above, but there were issues it in 10.2x that I know of (had enough trouble with that personally and with Apple's tech support throwing up their hands in despair).

If Digi says not to use the "journaling" feature, great! It's a good idea to verify under what "conditions" Digi says not to use it.