Helpful information for Digital Audio Workstations:

1. Setting-Up and Troubleshooting ProTools 6.x and 7.x

These first two links are related to the installation and support of Pro Tools. Digi posted this informations a while ago. I print out the relevant version of these instructions and have it nearby when building or troubleshooting a ProTools rig.

The instructions start with setup info and then troubleshooting and proceed to full deinstall/reinstalls. Keep in mind that computer faults often have cause and effect scenarios. For example: your computer looses power while ProTools is playing. You restart your computer and launch ProTools, it acts erratic. The power failure was not instigated by the Digidesign software! But because of this you may need to troubleshoot Pro Tools.

Maybe purge the "Digi-setup" and "Pref" file(s) or go down the troubleshooting list to solve your problem.

Mac
http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=177661

PC
http://duc.digidesign.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=802377

(Note: If double clicking on a link doesn't launch it just copy and paste it into your browser.)

2. Plug-in and Software Versions Compatible with Pro Tools

Plug-in's are software programs that evolve over time. They have version numbers and updates. Sometimes this leads to compatibility issues. ProTools version 6 plug-in's do not work on version 7 for example. Use this link to keep tabs on the life of your plug-in's.

Compatibility:
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=71&itemid=4767&action=news_details

Plug-In Download:
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=71

3. Firewire Hard Drive (volume) information

Mac
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=54&itemid=23114

PC
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=54&itemid=23126
http://archive.digidesign.com/compato/xp/stg/le.cfm

My troubleshooting tips and info:
My experience with managing removable hard drives volumes leads me to these two quotes: "All Firewire Drives are not created equal" & "All Firewire Ports are not created equal"

Configuration Problems:
-Reconfigure the arrangement in which your firewire peripherals are chained
-Disconnect one or more devices
-Switch device to a different computer port (back port to front port for example)

Add external hub
-If power issues are causing conflicts add an externally powered firewire hub
-Contrary to this if a device does not have power issues and isn't working on a hub plug
firewire device directly into the computer

Add internal firewire card (PCI, PCIx, PCIe)
-If firewire bus is committed to a device (Avid Mojo for example) add internal firewire card for other devices
-If firewire bus is bandwidth challenged (002 and several drives for example) add internal firewire card for firewire hard drives

With that said, at some time in your work with hard drives you will remove a firewire drive improperly. If you do, a computer problem may arise where the drive volume may disappear or appear corrupted. Alsoft DiskWarrior can fix this most of the time! (Note: No equivalent software for Windows XP.)

FYI-Unmount:

With ProTools open:
Use the "Workspace Browser" (under Windows menu in PT) to unmount volumes in OS X or Windows XP. Do not use any other method to unmount a volume while ProTools is launched!

With ProTools not open:
To unmount a Firewire Volume: on a Mac you move the drive icon to the trash and in Windows you use the green- arrow applet in the task bar to select the firewire device to remove.

4. Computer Power Myths

• Turning your PC off uses more energy than leaving it on. Not true. The small surge of power you use when turning it on -- which varies per PC make and model -- is still much smaller than the amount you use in keeping it on for lengthy periods.
• Turning your PC on and off wears it out. A decade ago, there was something to this, but not today. It used to be that PC hard disks did not automatically park their heads when shut off, and that frequent on/off cycling could damage the hard disks. Today's PCs are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before a failure, and that's a number you likely won't reach during the computer's five-to-seven-year life span.
• Screen savers save energy. Not true. Screen savers, at a minimum, can use 42 watts; those with 3D graphics can use as much as 114.5 watts, according to Dell. "It's absolutely wrong thinking that a screen saver will save energy".
• Your computer uses zero energy when "off." That's true only if it is unplugged. Otherwise, the PC utilizes "flea power," or about 2.3 watts, to maintain local-area network connectivity, among other things. In "hibernate" mode, your PC uses the same 2.3 watts; in "sleep" mode, your PC uses about 3.1 watts. Monitors do use zero energy when turned off.

Lab tests done by Dell show that a PC running Microsoft Office uses 42.7 watts. If it runs continuously at that rate for 365 days, at 7 cents per kilowatt-hour, the power consumption costs would be $26.18 for the PC and $45.99 for a regular monitor, for a total of $72.17 for the workstation.

Flat-panel monitors use less energy (22 watts when left on, 3.3 watts in "sleep" mode) than regular monitors (75 watts when left on, 5 watts in "sleep" mode). So the same workstation with Microsoft Office running for a year would use $39.67 in power with a flat panel.

Meanwhile, if a PC was kept in "sleep" mode for 20 hours, for every four hours "on," as Dell recommends, the annual energy costs per PC would total $16.17 with a regular monitor and $9.88 with a flat panel. Using "hibernate," the costs would be slightly cheaper.

With that said you must remember that most if not all of the DAW manufactures recommend when setting up your computer for best performance. Turn off the Energy Saver by setting the sleep setting to "Never."

In my personal use studio if I am working over the weekend I turn the power off to the computer monitors when not using them for several hours (at night) and turn the computers on Friday night and off on Sunday night.

5. ProTools 7 & Tiger Upgrades: What to expect!

Here are my thoughts on migrating to ProTools 7 and Tiger. If you have the time I would recommend that you wipe the boot drive and do clean installs of both of these programs.

The reason I say this is because both ProTools 7 and Apple 10.4 have a lot of new functionality (code) and I find that makes for an opportune reason for a clean install. That said, whatever route you take, clean install or upgrade you can apply this advice. The biggest issue are the plug-ins. PT 7 requires PT 7 compliant plug-ins.

You cannot use a 6 plug-in or even have one in the plug-in folder of 7. It will cause problems. You will need to download the new versions of the plug-in's. You may have to do the authenticate and ownership dance to prove who you are. Having licenses on an iLok helps. In some instances the iLok license may require renewing. This would occur if the plug-in is a new-for-sale version. If you download this version and don't have the new license for the plug-in it won't launch. You have to get the previous 7 compatable version of the plug-in. This is all very time consuming if you have a lot of plug-ins. But remember it is a one time-time commitment.

If you have a lot of plug-in's It will help you if you take a screen shot of your existing version 6 plug-ins folder. (On a Mac it is located at MacHD>LIbrary>Application Support>Digidesign>Plug-Ins. On a PC it is located at My Computer>Local Disc(Boot Drive)>Program Files>Common Files>Digidesign>DAE>Plug-ins. Print this out and use it for a reference while you do the upgrades. I also took screen shots of my iLok account info for the same reason. Digi has a plug-in page on it's web site for all of their supported software. A one stop shop! They also have pointers to most of the third party plug-in vendors. Another trick I do is to save the installation download in a "Download" folder.

These files may be compressed or disk images or installation packages of some kind. I do this so I don't have to go on-line again if I have a problem. It saves a lot of time if you have to reinstall the plug-in. (Burn a CD of this "Download" folder and use it as a recovery disk.) Remember these files will become old as soon a you need a version upgrade or service adjustment. Just do the download and save again. Oh the joys of managing a computer work station.

I always get the computer operating system in order before I install or upgrade Pro Tools. On a Mac this may mean installing or upgrading to the current Digidesign "blessed" operating system. On Windows computer you will need to get the current "Service Pack".

Don't forget to keep the security updates current on the Windows systems. On a Mac use the Utility>Disk Utility and run "Repair Permissions after each major upgrade or install and restart! Doing restarts during upgrading is a good thing. It will let you know if you have conflicts or problems.

If you don't do a complete rebuild then you must de-install version 6 Digi software. Don't forget to manually remove those files we purge in troubleshooting, the P-list and setup etc. De-install won't get everything. Use the Digi "Troubleshooting" list I referenced in the Digi Tips section. I also suggest that you throw away all Digi Database files on all volumes as a precaution. Install the 7 version if that's what came with your upgrade package and try running a few sessions before upgrading to 7.1.

The current version is 7.1cs8 but you have to install 7.1 first. Wave requires a new shell to go along with the new plug ins. There is a down load on their web site. I believe they are charging for the 7.0 plugs-ins. If you have a multi-processor G-5 you can play around with hardware settings to maximize RTAS plug--ins. The RTAS technology has really matured in this version of PT. On a fast multi-processor computer with lots of RAM you can get a lot-and I mean a lot of plug-in instantiations. If you run low on DSP on an HD system or use LE this is a huge increase in performance! Digi no longer supports HTDM plug-ins because RTAS is much more efficient and powerful on multi-processor computers.

The reason I mention this is because some 3rd party vendors install a HTDM plug-in's on your system. Why I don't know?? You can see it but can't launch it. Just go to the plug-in folder and throw it away if it bugs you as it did me. If you have the time be patient and methodical doing the upgrade. In reading the Digi DUC I see people talking about using the Apple "Combo 10.4.6 upgrade for less problems. I have had good luck with the "Combo's". Don't forget to run "repair permissions" after doing several installs and also at the end of the process. That's about it from where I sit.

You should be able to get back to your stock ProTools work environment pretty quick especially if you don't do "clean installs". Getting all the plug-in's upgraded may take a little longer. Remember to take your time, better to work slow but sure. Don't do too many things at once without checking your work. You will be rewarded with a fully functional audio workstation.