G5 + 002 + External Hd Setup, What's the best way to set it up? Options

[cybercampbell]

Hi all

I just have a simple question...how should I set my system up?

I have:

Mac G5 Dual 2Ghz
Digi002
Internal 160Gig HD (with Tiger on it)
Internal 160Gig HD (spare)
External FW HD (Currently my Audio Drive)

I get Drive too slow errors and I still get CPU errors which I hate and was the reason for upgrading to the G5.

What is the best setup? The G5 has 2 Firewire posts, 1x 400 Mbit/s and 1x 800 Mbit/s ( I know you guys know this ).

The Digi002 has 2x Firewire 400Mbit/s Ports.

I can have my audio drive as the Internal main drive, internal secondry drive or external Firewire drive 400Mbit/s or 800Mbit/s.

I also have a 6 pin to 9 pin firewire cable.

Any ideas?

Is it better to run the 002 on the 800Mbit/s port or the Audio Drive? what need to work faster?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Cheers
Cybercampbell

[ourmanflinty]

Wow I just noticed, lookit all the virtual memory being used!! No wonder, you're choking the poor thing. Ha ha hold on i'll get a calculator...no no I've stopped counting at 4gigs!!

OS tiger will use virtual memory even if you have 8 gB fitted but your ratio is like 8 to 1!

Add as much as you can afford, a couple of 1gig sticks at least but things will improve with just another 512...

[cybercampbell]

What should I do about the virtaul memory...is it helping or hindering?

What about the dock (which I hate!!!!) does it use allot of resources?

can I get rid of it?

I also run Butler which I like...but they say it uses almoust 0% CPU.

should I ditch it too?

and what about dashboard....what's the story with that? If I run no Widgets then can I get rid of it?

Cheers
Cybercampbell

[ourmanflinty]

The dock always gets in the way doesn't it? Try just ditching the widgets, wothout them I don't expect dashboard will do much, if you can quit it, then do. Things like dock just re-launch as soon as you quit them.

You have Kontact too, another RAM demander unless you stream off disk and then it'll be the same disk as the other audio I bet...

Digi set a limit of 24 16 bit 44.1 tracks off a firewire 400 drive, this equates to 12 88.2 16 bit tracks, or 8 24 bit 88.2 or 16 24 bit 44.1, in practice you can get a little more but it will hiccup every now and again. So with PT and Kontact and Reason pulling data off that drive you'll soon max it out.

Spread the load and more ram. I think in a properly set up system on a screamer machine like yours you'll be able to run widgets too but lets see how you get on...

good luck

[cybercampbell]

AHHHH!!!!!

I've done those things but it's still giving me the CPU error

I do have Kontact but I havn't had it running on the G5 yet....More lovely problems to come then? when I do get it it going is it best to run the samples from the FW drive or internal?

It won't play the audio from the internal drive for more then 1 second unless I have the CPU at 99% in PT.

I'll keep trying things.

Thanks for all your help. I'm in South London...maybe I should get you around

Cybercampbell

[CanadaRAM]

Try using seperate ports for your firewire devices. If your drive is fw800 capable then put that on the 800 bus, the 002 was designed for 400 ports so stick that on there.

No that won't help -- although the ports are separate, they use the same controller. (Note: This is true of the PowerBook G4, I haven't yet found the reference for the PowerMac G5)

Rule of thumb is that you should not stream audio data and hard drive data through the same controller. Therefore, use your internal drive for the recording on current projects. Later on, you can move it to the external Firewire to make room and for backup.