Topic: Edirol R-4 owners: HDD SLOW firmware (?) fix

[Brian Skalinder]

Just found this on the Edirol website:

http://www.edirol.com/products/r4/update105.html

They call it a "system update", but I'm guessing it's a firmware update even though they don't state so specifically.  Sounds like they've finally recognized the HDD SLOW error when running 4 x mono at 24/48 isn't due strictly to vibration.

R-4 Update 1.05 - Please read to see if you need to update your R-4
Thank you for your using the EDIROL R-4. Roland Corporation has discovered a problem related to the hard disk drive installed on units within certain serial numbers. Such drives were installed in a limited number of R-4 units. The specific situation results in the message “HDD slow” being displayed occasionally and normal recording cannot continue.

Please check the serial number of your R-4 and execute the system update to solve this problem. Updating units that are not with in the serial numbers listed below will result in no difference in recording performance or stability.

We apologize for this inconvenience.

The problem
If a recording is carried out with all the conditions below, a message “HDD slow” appears on the display and normal recording cannot continue.

- Rec Mode : MONO x 4
- Input Select : Analog
- Sampling Frequency : 44.1kHz or 48kHz
- Sampling Bit Rate : 24bit

Serial numbers affected
Please check the number printed on the bottom panel label.
If your R-4’s serial number is within the range shown below, the above problem may occur.
Z**1912 – Z**3269

The update process
Please download the R4 update for Windows or MacOS X from the Updates and Patches page. Instructions for the update are included in the README text file contained in the update package.

Important Notes
In order to improve writing speed to the Hard Disk Drive, a 0 level data (no sound samples) will be added at the beginning of a project (156 samples if WAV format, 38 samples if BWF format). As a result, a small gap may be detected in situations of long record times where the data is ALSO divided into multiple projects. In such cases, you will likely want to delete this small gap with the wave editing function. Additionally, an R-4 unit (whether included in this update or not), can sometimes display “HDD Slow” when recording on a surface or in an environment where excessive vibration is present. In most cases, isolating the R-4 from a vibrating surface with a towel or padding material will solve the problem. If your R-4 continues to display “HDD Slow” even in a quiet, vibration-free environment, please contact support.

[sleepypedro]

that's not much of a fix if it ruins seamless 'tape flips' --

In order to improve writing speed to the Hard Disk Drive, a 0 level data (no sound samples) will be added at the beginning of a project (156 samples if WAV format, 38 samples if BWF format). As a result, a small gap may be detected in situations of long record times where the data is ALSO divided into multiple projects.  In such cases, you will likely want to delete this small gap with the wave editing function.

bogus!

[bgalizio]

Doh, I saw this a while ago and forgot to post it here! Removing the seamless tape flips is definitely a problem, even if you can remove the silence in post. If anyone has this issue, I'd recomend sending the R-4 in to Edirol for a drive replacement instead of the firmware.

[Brian Skalinder]

that's not much of a fix if it ruins seamless 'tape flips' --

Ahhhh...I didn't see that.  Definitely bogus.  I wonder if it's actually a gap, or if it simply prepends 156 samples before writing the data from the buffer.

If anyone has this issue, I'd recomend sending the R-4 in to Edirol for a drive replacement instead of the firmware.

Agreed!

[poorlyconditioned]

that's not much of a fix if it ruins seamless 'tape flips' --

Ahhhh...I didn't see that.  Definitely bogus.  I wonder if it's actually a gap, or if it simply prepends 156 samples before writing the data from the buffer.

If anyone has this issue, I'd recomend sending the R-4 in to Edirol for a drive replacement instead of the firmware.

Agreed!

Does anyone know if the R4 will record files bigger than 2GB, that is, 24/44.1 more than 2hrs or 16/44.1 more than 3hrs?  What happens if you just leave it running.

Another question: Is there a way to start a new recording with a single button press (like the >> button on the NJB3)?  Is that what you guys mean by "tape flips"?

  Richard

[BayTaynt3d]

Guys, just record in 2x Stereo then if it's that big of a deal. I've never had an issue that way, and it's easy enough to split things up in post. In fact, I almost always run at least one stereo pair plus the other channels, and I find it easier to split 3+4 apart than to squish 1+2 together as a stereo file. Now, technically, this will cause a split to occur twice as often I guess, but I think I'd rather have the split be seemless than to have to manually fix it each time, and not sure how often this would really result in an "extra" split as opposed to a split in a different location. I mean yeah, this sucks, and it should work as advertised, so don't get me wrong, but I've probably recorded a hundred or two hundred hours or more at 2xStereo at 24/44-48 without even one glitch even when the unit was sitting on a surface that vibrated with every single thump of the sub. But maybe I just lucked out with my particular unit?

[BayTaynt3d]

One more thing, I never actually split the stereo file up even if it is really two different spot-miced sources because I use Vegas in a non-destructive workflow that operate on the original wavs and then render out a new wav leaving the originals untouched. If I have 1.wav as my stereo file, and 2.wav as two different one-channel sources, then I just drop 1.wav into the timeline, and drop TWO copies of 2.wav into the timeline (resulting in three tracks). I then make copy #1 of 2.wav be LEFT channel only, and copy #2 of 2.wav be RIGHT channel only, so I essentially end up with three tracks: (1) one is stereo of 1.wav, (2) is mono of left channel of 2.wav, and (3) is mono of right channel of 2.wav. Once you're there, you can pan track 2 and 3 to the right or left however you please, adding fx to either individually if you want, and then render out the master bus. I'm this same workflow is easily reproduced in most multi-track NLE's.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Hmm.  Mine is # 1587. Not within the range.  Although I had the slow error happen once.  At a thumping vibration heavy Jackmormons show.  So I guess I wonder if I should or shouldn't get it.     Edited to add I don't mind the gap so much.  I do 24/96 anyway and have to edit in the end.

[sleepypedro]

Does anyone know if the R4 will record files bigger than 2GB, that is, 24/44.1 more than 2hrs or 16/44.1 more than 3hrs?  What happens if you just leave it running.

as implied in other posts, yes -- it seamlessly auto-starts a new file.  on a blank hd, you can roll 4-ch at 24/96 for 9 straight hours.

that is, unless you apply this "fix" -- then you'll need to manually edit out some blank samples at the head of every new file, which occurs at 1:02:10. 

that sucks.