Topic: Dropped Samples (MOTU 828> Vaio)

[peterbilt]

I finally had an opportunity to run these two together for the first time last night and was very saddened by the horrible reality of constant loss of samples. I thought I had gone and set up the Vaio to avoid this, but apparently not! I'm running a Vaio VGN S360 (Pentium M 1.7 GHz 512 MB) which does have a TI firewire host controler and a Fujitsu drive which is only 4200 rpm, but I thought it would at least handle the two tracks OK.

After going through and double checking the adjustments to my computer I am starting to think it is the drive that is at the root of my troubles, yes, I know,I am planning to get a 7200 but this was a last minute request to record.

I have gone through and tried the lowest to highest samples per buffer settings, changing sample rates and bit rates and it is still very apparent, though some changes did produce more drastic drops.

At this point I am planning on an external drive and the addition of a 512MB memory stick, but if anyone has any other suggestions I am all ears.

[nic]

what bit rate/sample size?
if standard 16 bit, then the internal drive is fine (I routinely run 24 channels of 16/44 onto a internal 5400 rpm laptop drive with no dropped samples)

my first guess would be processes running in the background causing the sample loss

[peterbilt]

That night I was running at 24/48, I only tried the lower bit rates and sample rates at home the next day. I don't currently own mics so I hadn't had an opportunity to road test it completely. Since then I have gone through and disabled/uninstalled many more processes and the like and I'm going to borrow a few mics this weekend to give it another whirl.

 The drive in the Vaio is only 4200 as well. I thought it was 5400 (which I guessed would handle a few tracks fine) at first but found out the hard way I was wrong.

The only things I haven't done were the RUN based tweaks as I'm not quite sure of the effects to the overall smoothness it may create and I'm not realy wanting to do any damge I may not be able to fix.

And I'm currently waiting on the UPS mang to get here with another 512 of RAM, a 7200RPM  Seagate and an enclosure.

Hopefully things will work out by Tuesday for Conifer!

[easy jim]

That night I was running at 24/48, I only tried the lower bit rates and sample rates at home the next day. I don't currently own mics so I hadn't had an opportunity to road test it completely. Since then I have gone through and disabled/uninstalled many more processes and the like and I'm going to borrow a few mics this weekend to give it another whirl.

 The drive in the Vaio is only 4200 as well. I thought it was 5400 (which I guessed would handle a few tracks fine) at first but found out the hard way I was wrong.

The only things I haven't done were the RUN based tweaks as I'm not quite sure of the effects to the overall smoothness it may create and I'm not realy wanting to do any damge I may not be able to fix.

And I'm currently waiting on the UPS mang to get here with another 512 of RAM, a 7200RPM  Seagate and an enclosure.

Hopefully things will work out by Tuesday for Conifer!

You may also find that 1 GB is still not enough RAM for stability recording 24 bit, although your slow harddrive speed is also likely a major part of the problem. 

[MattD]

You may also find that 1 GB is still not enough RAM for stability recording 24 bit, although your slow harddrive speed is also likely a major part of the problem. 

I've done 6 channels of 24/96 on 320 MB RAM and an internal 4200 RPM drive. I'd guess OS/software setup or hardware conflict before anything else.

[peterbilt]

You may also find that 1 GB is still not enough RAM for stability recording 24 bit, although your slow harddrive speed is also likely a major part of the problem. 

I've done 6 channels of 24/96 on 320 MB RAM and an internal 4200 RPM drive. I'd guess OS/software setup or hardware conflict before anything else.

I'm starting to think this may be true.
I installed the ram, and have been playing around when I noticed that the "analog activity" LED will stay on constantly right until I open up Audacity...then they start to blink on and off all the way down the eight LED's, even though I am only runing into one input.
As soon as I shut down Audacity, the led goes back to a constant monitoring of channel 1 and doesn't flutter it's way down the other channels.
And upon playback, the skips coincide with the dancing monitor lights perfectly!
I have double (triple) checked that the sample/bit rates are set the same in the MOTU and in Audacity.

Something is not synching up properly, but I can't find out what it is?

Any ideas?

[RebelRebel]

Ive recorded 24/88.2 X 6-8 Channels many times with 512 of RAM.

[peterbilt]