Topic: Problems with R4

[salmonite]

So I was recording a show last weekend on my (maybe not so)trusty R4 (2 channels@ 24/96). And as alot of you know, when the R4 files reach a certain file size, they automatically create a new file. During post, I noticed that the last segment/file of the show sounded like it was skipping, which completely ruined the last 20 minutes of the show, which is of course very upsetting. Does anyone know why this may have happened? This is the first time anything like this has ever gone wrong, and I would like for it to be the last. Is there anything I can do to avoid this from happening again? Thanks in advance.

-Tyler

[KLowe]

ive had that happen to me...but it happened in the middle of the show no where near the 2gb split.

Changed the HD and have had NO similar problems.

[salmonite]

Klowe,

How old was your unit when you changed the HD? My R4 is only about 7 mo.'s old. That seems kind of new to be having to change stuff out already.

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

HDD SLOW.......   Putting a new drive in mine didn't solve the problem.  Results may vary obviously.

[KLowe]

Klowe,

How old was your unit when you changed the HD? My R4 is only about 7 mo.'s old. That seems kind of new to be having to change stuff out already.

about 1 yr old I guess.  Ebay purchase.

Busman put in a 60gb 7200 rpm drive with 8mb buffer.  seemed to help.

ran 4 channels of 24/96 at Bonnaroo and didn't have any problems.

Kevin

[Brian Skalinder]

Did the HDD SLOW message flash at all?
Was it a particularly bass-heavy show, or any idea if the unit was subjected to substantial vibration at the time of the problem?
Is the unit's serial # within the range of units known to have this type of problem?
What firmware are you running?

Odd that it happened running 2-ch 24/96.  Are you sure you were running 2-ch 24/96?  Any chance you were running 4-ch 24/96 but without recording anything on channels 3-4?  (Just a stab in the dark on this last one, really.)

[salmonite]

Brian,

I did actually run 4 channels on accident, and was not running anything into 3 & 4. It was not terribly bass heavy that night, but there could have been a small bit of vibration going on, as I was only about 7ft. away from one of the stacks (the venue runs mono to each of the stacks, and it is an outdoor stage with an extremely limited number of places to set up.) I will have to do some checking as far as serial #'s and such goes. In regards to the HDD slow message, I am pretty sure it wasn't flashing during recording, but I can't be positive, as it occured during about the last 20 mins. of the show so I was not paying alot of attention to the deck. Thanks for the help.

-Tyler

[Nick Graham]

The "HDD Slow" error has been known to occur in some units when running 24/96 X 4 channels, not just because of vibrations. The HD itself just can't write fast enough to keep up with the data stream. It may have only started after the file spit because the extra work of seamlessly starting a new file just simply over taxed the HD.

[BayTaynt3d]

Brian,

I did actually run 4 channels on accident, and was not running anything into 3 & 4. It was not terribly bass heavy that night, but there could have been a small bit of vibration going on, as I was only about 7ft. away from one of the stacks (the venue runs mono to each of the stacks, and it is an outdoor stage with an extremely limited number of places to set up.) I will have to do some checking as far as serial #'s and such goes. In regards to the HDD slow message, I am pretty sure it wasn't flashing during recording, but I can't be positive, as it occured during about the last 20 mins. of the show so I was not paying alot of attention to the deck. Thanks for the help.

-Tyler

If there was no HDD slow error, then it makes me want to ask if you had a nearly full HD or possibly a really fragmented one. When was the last time you did a "reformat" of the HD? Do you delete files manually or by reformatting? Just wonder if you disk may have been choking on the fragmentation front.

[salmonite]

BayTaynt3d,

My HD isn't very full, but is fairly well fragmented. There are still a few things that need to come off of the HD that I just haven't had much time to get off of there. Is this possibly what caused the "HDD SLOW"? Thanks to everyone who has responded. Everytime I ask a ? on this forum I learn a bunch of new stuff, with a minimal amount of feeling like a giant moron

[BayTaynt3d]

BayTaynt3d,

My HD isn't very full, but is fairly well fragmented. There are still a few things that need to come off of the HD that I just haven't had much time to get off of there. Is this possibly what caused the "HDD SLOW"? Thanks to everyone who has responded. Everytime I ask a ? on this forum I learn a bunch of new stuff, with a minimal amount of feeling like a giant moron

Maybe, but not necessarily. However, it is one thing you have complete control over, so why not take it out of the equation? Not sure about everyone else, but I see no reason to not format, fill up, re-format, fill up, and so on. Not sure why anyone would manually delete files unless they were in the field and ran out of space but still had files on there they needed.

[OFOTD]

Let's back up one second.   

Did you or did you not get the HDD Slow error.  If you did get the error you would know it as the message flashes pretty distinctly on the display screen.

Now as far as the HD you have 40GB drive in the R4 how much would you estimate of it is used?  20GB?  30GB?  10GB?

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

I'll poke my head in here.   Regarding the HDD SLOW error...unless you are right there when it happens you will have no way of knowing if it happened.  Did 2 nights of HBRSB.  First night fine, second night fine...or so I thought.  Once listened to I discovered I got the error the second night for about 29 seconds.  Just wanted to throw that out there.  The machine will not tell if you got an error if you weren't there when it happened.  FYI.  Only ever got the error when running two stereo pairs at 24/96 which is all I ever ran the R4 at really anyway so I can't comment on the other formats..

[sleepypedro]

The machine will not tell if you got an error if you weren't there when it happened.  FYI. 

well... i'm splitting hairs here, but sure it will.  HDD SLOW manifests itself as skipping audio.  if you hear it, the r4 is telling you that the error occurred.

it's not like an error log after the fact, which is what i think you're getting at, but if your audio skips, the hard drive wasn't able to keep up with the data flow.

[KLowe]

Time to HDD upgrade.  Ran 4 channels of 24/96 onstage the other night and no errors.  The only time I've received the error is with the stock HDD (which only has a 2mb buffer    )
 
I'll put money on upgrading to a drive with at least a 8mb buffer will take care of all the problems.

My 0.0002