Pro Tools Mix 24 troubles

[UnSoNiC]

Hello,

I'm a belgian guy so sorry for my english mistakes 

I've got some troubles with my Pro Tools 6.4.1 setup.

Here is my setup:

- Apple G4 (model M8570 EMC 1914) with Sonnet Encore/ST 2*1,8Ghz processor, 2 Go RAM, Mac OS 10.3.9, Pro Tools 6.4.1
- Digidesign Pro Tools expansion chassis 13 slots (inside the chassis there's a Magma pci expansion system card PCI13BP)
- 1 Mix Core, serial number: IG 13906
- 5 Mix Farms, serial numbers: IN 24719, IN 11008, IN 10237, IN 03089, IN 01633
- 1 DSP Farm , serial number: FG 18661
- 1 ribbon cable 7 node

When I put the cards into the pci slots in the G4, everything works fine (1 Mix Core + 3 Mix Farms or 1 Mix Core + 1 Mix Farm + 1 DSP Farm)

If i put the cards into the expansion chassis, when I launch Pro Tools, it tells me that it can't find the hardware.
I try to launch the Digitest and when i go to the pci card information, it tells me that it doesn't support the pci card, and when i launch the digitest, it tells me "invalid".

I try to change the cable between the computer and the expansion chassis but the troubles are the same.

Here are some pictures of the material, is something incompatible?

Thank you for the help.

[MacTron]

This is a Mac Os 9 only forum, and Pro Tools 6.x isn't available for Mac Os 9.

[Protools5LEGuy]

UnSoNiC, can you run OS9 on your G4? A Mix +++ setup in OS9 is AWESOME with just the 10% of what we have here for registered users. In fact I see low benefits for a PT MIX user on OSX. Only some Alu Powerbooks that are OSX only should look for a MIX running on X.
If I had a Ti Book, probably I would run PT5 on OS9 85% of the time versus PT6. With LE setups, PT6LE on OSX are better for edition just because the keyboard focus mode, but the RTAS plugs on OS9 are legion.
 
 "model M8570 EMC 1914" can be a MDD FW 400 or a FW800. Both should run OS9 with the stuff here on forum. I am not sure if your Sonnet Encore/ST 2*1,8Ghz processor can run OS9, but with some extension by sonnet it should AFAIK. The only thing that can be problematic is the graphics card, in case you have a Tiger or Leo only graphics card. But it seems you have running Panther, so your graphics card should be OS9 compatible.

OS9 seem to be less "delicate" with some cards. I mean, some things (As Mix-Digi001-AMIII) can run ok in OS9 but be problematic or have erratic behaviour on OSX.

Expansion rack. Research whom of the Magma Cards has to be on the Chassis and whom on the G4. Maybe you have installed it backwards.  Also look for the best PCI slot for a Magma chassis host card on the G4


It could be the cable too... Or one of the Magma cards, or the motherboard of the chassis...     

If you can run 1 Mix Core + 3 Mix Farms inside the G4, just go for it. You loosing your time looking for the broken part of the chassis instead of making music with your barebone G4 MDD. I would just thrown away the chassis out of the rig if cards are behaving badly.


Check voltages in the PSU of the expansion chassis. Or even better, replace it with a new one. Should be easy for a tech guy to put a new ATX PSU there.


In case you think take to the garbage the chassis, I would pay the cost to shipping it to Spain. 

[UnSoNiC]

Thank you for the help!!!

As i was seeking for voltage problems, I found what was going wrong: on the Magma PCIEIF68 expansion interface, the LM 1086 voltage regulator was dead. I just changed it and now everything works perfectly 

As you advised me, i'm going to install a Mac OS 9 and Pro Tools 5.1.3 TDM cause i remember some old plug-ins that were famous (I loved KOBLO!!!). The Sonnet processor works perfectly with Mac OS 9.

I have a lot of software and plug-ins (TDM, RTAS) working on Mac OS 9, perhaps it will be a good idea to make possible to other users of Macos9lives to download them...

[mrhappy]

Another convert!! Good work ProtoolsLEGuy!!! Haha!

Welcome aboard UnSoNiC!!!

[Protools5LEGuy]

I have a lot of software and plug-ins (TDM, RTAS) working on Mac OS 9, perhaps it will be a good idea to make possible to other users of Macos9lives to download them...

If you have something that is not on http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?board=104.0, please contact us (MacTron-DieHard) or PT TDM guys like Knezzen, Syntho, Sanek, Custos, Ed, MixMod, etc. Chris and I are LE users and can give you some perspective on RTAS.

Another convert!! Good work ProtoolsLEGuy!!! Haha!

The plugins options for OS9 has more weight than the kool-aid OSX  PT options. At least having no iLok reset workflow.

My OS9 PT 5.2.1 LE has a big list of RTAS plugs available. Most of them have TDM versions. A TDM MIX+++ rig for mixing is a joy to use for sure. Even LE is.

[UnSoNiC]

Hello everybody

I think I cried victory too soon 

At this time, the magma cards are recognized by the computer when I launch "about this mac/system information/agp-pci cards". All mix core, mix farm and dsp farm cards are recognized too by the computer.

But there is still a problem, I try to solve it changing the ram, changing the graphic card, zap the pram, removing all digidesign preferences, but the troubles are still  there.

Here is the problem:

When I launch Pro Tools, since I deleted all Digidesign preferences, it tells me that i need to choose the audio interfaces i'm using with the Digidesign system, and proceed to the hardware setup dialog. In peripherals, all Mix Core, Mix Farms and DSP Farms are recognized,  when I make changes to the setting all the 888/24 interfaces change. like from 44.1 to 48k. the light will change. Same ofr switching to aes.ebu. the lights on the unit changes with the software settings.  So the cable is working and the device is comunicating.
BUT ... after proceeding the hardware setup, I click "ok" to continue the Pro Tools process and a message comes: DAE was enable to communicate with the audio harware (-6004).
When I launch the digitest, all DSP cards passed, but for the Mix Core and the Mix Farms cards, bus master test failed.
If I put the cards into the pci slots of the computer all digitests are ok for all cards and pro tools launch is ok without any troubles. This problem only occurs when i put the cards into the magma chassis.

What is the solution to solve this problem of "master bus test failed"

Thank you

[Protools5LEGuy]

What is the solution to solve this problem of "master bus test failed"

Thank you

Expansion rack. Research whom of the Magma Cards has to be on the Chassis and whom on the G4. Maybe you have installed it backwards.  Also look for the best PCI slot for a Magma chassis host card on the G4

It seems you are not using the best pci slot for master bus. Try another pci slot for the magma host card

[UnSoNiC]

I already tried to put the host card on all the pci slots in the computer but the problem remains the same...

[mrhappy]

Is that an older chassis? Does it have PCI 2.1 compliant bridge chips? If not it probably won't work with a G4.

 

[mrhappy]

Have a look here... 

http://archive.digidesign.com/compato/os9/mix/expand.html

The 13 slot chassis they have listed all are 13R

[UnSoNiC]

I found what the problem was: the cable between the expansion chassis and the computer was too long. This cable should be 1.5 meters max, mine was a 3 meter cable. So I found a cable of a meter long and now Pro Tools starts and works perfectly.

Thank you for the help!!!

[mrhappy]

Glad you got it sorted out!!

[supernova777]

I found what the problem was: the cable between the expansion chassis and the computer was too long. This cable should be 1.5 meters max, mine was a 3 meter cable. So I found a cable of a meter long and now Pro Tools starts and works perfectly.

Thank you for the help!!!

which cable was this? can u show a picture for our users?

[UnSoNiC]

After some research , I realized that the cable length is critical, even using the 1,5 m cable makes you can't use the full potential of the chassis. For example in some PCIe expansion chassis setups the length of the cable determines if you can or can't use 192 kHz in Pro Tools HD.

Here is the cable you need for a configuration identical to mine:

http://www.magma.com/1m-pci-cable-cbl1hf

[supernova777]

thanks for adding this info

[mrhappy]

Those Digidesign PCI cards/ flex cables/ ribbon cables can be be finicky!! Add an expansion chassis and you have to light a candle and say some prayers!!!

[mweed4]

One thing with all versions of pro tools/mix 24 systems, and i found this out the hard way , this last time I fired up a pro tools mix 24 system for the first time ... w/ 2 farm cards, 1 core card, a splitter , and 32 channels via 888/24s (on os 9.2 thanks to this website/forum) This is very crucial, as I was getting a host of errors , in particular the dae "deck will not load" also various error messages , error 48, etc, cause of these is not turning the parts of the system on in right order. I found , in this order, I get no errors, no crashes, No problems, I fire up g-4 first , let it cycle through until 9.2 is fully loaded, then simultaneously fire up all 888/24s , and wait for them to initialize, then go ahead and fire up the pro tools software, works flawlessly. this is (and i tested it) with 5.0, 5.1 and pt 5.1.3 , all the same.....then I looked and in the fine print it says to do it exactly like that , or "errors may result"lol, that is an understatement, just throwing this in if anyone else is looking at this thread

[mrhappy]

Yeah PT won't even load without the hardware on!

[mrhappy]

Their recommended procedure is actually a bit different that that though...

Start your Pro Tools system in this order:

1)  Make sure all your equipment (including your
CPU) is off.

2) For TDM systems with an expansion chassis, turn on the expansion chassis.

3) Turn on external hard drives, if any. Wait ap- proximately ten seconds for them to spin up to speed.

4) Lower the volume of all output devices, then turn on your Pro Tools audio interfaces.

5) Turn on any MIDI interfaces and devices, or synchronization peripherals.

6) Turn on your Pro Tools audio interfaces (such as 96 I/O). On power up, the status LEDs will flash. Wait at least fifteen seconds for the audio interface to initialize, and the status LEDs to stop blinking and stay lit.
If you launch Pro Tools without turning on your audio interfaces, you will be prompted to turn them on. Allow fifteen seconds for audio inter- faces to power-up and the status LEDs to stop blinking and stay lit, before clicking OK.

7) Turn on your computer.
For LE systems on Macintosh, if the Digi 001 is configured as a MIDI interface, make sure to launch Pro Tools before launching other MIDI applications, such as OMS Setup, and SampleCell Editor.

Once you have quit Pro Tools, shut down your Pro Tools system in this order:

1 Turn off your computer.
2 For TDM systems, turn off audio interfaces.
3 For TDM systems with an expansion chassis, turn off the expansion chassis.
4 Turn off any MIDI interfaces and devices. 5 Turn off external hard drives.