G4 Dual 1.25 GHz Mac and Protools crashing

[Brian West]

I run a College Audio Department and currently use 5 Mac G4/5s ranging from G4 400MHz up to this years G5. Protools LE (001/002) work beautifully on all machines EXCEPT this particular G4 Dual 1.25 GHz machine. Intermittent crashes (a whole range of different ones) make the machine unusable. Technicians (and me and my students) are losing patience.. we have tried new operating systems, new Protools, different PCI card, replaced the RAM (1GIG), replaced the processor, replaced the motherboard.

Current configuation:
OSX 10.3.2
Protools 6.2.3
1 GIG RAM
Dual 1.25GHz processor
Waves Gold bundle
Toast CD burning software

We do not run anything else!. It is not connected to the net. I know of two other G4 Dual 1.25GHz users who are also having problems, Anyone out there with suggestions (apart from dropping it out the window..)

[stoogee]

Nooooooooooooo not you aswell!!!!

Am I one of the 2 users you mention?? If not make it 3.

I had loads of problems with my G4 dual 1.25, so went out and just bought a G5! heh. I know, but there you go, I had the money, thank God.

I couldn't put the finger on my crashes, tech support didnt know either.

What you gettin?



SG

[kite]

Hi Brian
I run dual 1,25 G4, 002, , but 10.2.8, and very few problems.
So, what is the PCI card you refer to?
Are you recording to a separate hard drive, and if so what kind?

Is the Mac quite stable in all other respects, ie with everything else apart from Pro Tools ?

[Brian West]

iT'S A PAIN. I have tried every OS and version of Protools LE/001 that has been approved. The machine has been completely overhauled but still plays up. My Mac technician (who is a muso as well) has suggested that I spend time running some other app. to see if if it is really PTools that is causing the problems - trouble is, PTools is all that I am running. This is a stand alone machine for student usage - very lean, no frills in relation to other software.

[8068]

I am running a dual 1.25 1gig OS10.3.3 ( 10.3.2 was ok too ) with protools 6.2.2 I have been ok. Digi 001
Brad

[stingjaco]

Sometimes it is weird. I have two friends that bought the same iMac and one was not working well at all and the other was flawless. The one with the problems Literally took it completely apart and put it back together and still the same problems. He proceeded to do it 2 more times. Now it works flawless,. He says he has no clue what he did. Maybe a bad connection somewhere I don't know. Good luck on a solution! I feel for you...

[qgrm]

different PCI card, replaced the RAM (1GIG), replaced the processor, replaced the motherboard.

yikes that is some SERIOUS cash...

[MixMonster]

Hi Brian,

I feel your pain.

Here's what I'm running:

Digidesign Hardware: Mbox
Digidesign Software: Pro Tools LE
Version: 6.2.3
Computer model and speed: G4 FW800 1.25DP
Amount of RAM installed: 1750 MB
Operating System: 10.3.3

Are you having any of these problems?

1. PT Unexpectedly quits about 20% of the time when closing a session or quitting Pro Tools.

2. It quits about 80% of the time when trying to preview an audiosuite plugin.

3. Quits about 70% of the time I try and change my HW buffer setting or my CPU usage on larger sessions.

4. Quits about 95% of the time when I try to audition in DigiBase.

I've had these problems since 6.0 and have done everything that Digi suggests and still have the problems.

I believe the problem has to do with PT, G4 or some combination of both freaking out when the cpu load gets over about half.

The only solution I've come across is to remove all of the plug-ins from the session. It's not a very good solution but it's all I've come up with. There was another post here a while ago saying that the folks over at Waves said that they are experiencing the same problem with a number of their computers on larger sessions.


If you come up with any better solutions, please post them.

Good Luck

[cliepe12]

Hey guys,

MixMonster,
Have you done any more memory tests in awhile. I am still having the same problems
I am taking my computer in to the apple store for the third time and they are going to do a 24 hour RAM test on it. Just to make sure it isn't RAM. Then, the tech said that he would look at the OS install and see if anything is out of wack.

I'll post if there's anything interesting.

[Brian West]

Hi

This machine crashes intermittently. You can simply scrolling, moving items, just opening up protools and it will "unexpectedly" quit. Sometime the screen just freezes up, other times the mouse will move but won't talk to anything, I get the crash screen with 4/5 different languages and the major system black and white Kernel system crash.

My apple technicians say I should be pleased because I have a machine I can rely on....(to crash that is!)
We have replaced all RAM, processor, motherboard, tried alternative start up drives, all approved versions of everything...blah blah.. My next step is to replace the video card, as some crashes occur when msizing screens etc.

Tecnicians are not really keen on putting Protools software on another identical machine that is a "good one" in case it really stuffs up that one. They are going to spend another week just pulling it apart again, replacing this and that and crossing their fingers. Isn't warranty good! Apple would have saved money by swapping my machine over for new one.
I will try OSX10.3.3 and protools 6.2.2 and hope as well.