Which format for external hard drive PC to Mac transfer?

[blizzard]

Hey DUC!

I am about to get an external firewire drive for my 003R setup and am wondering about transferring files between my PC Desktop and Macbook (intel).

I figure the easiest way is to format my firewire drive for recording with the macbook (Mac OS Extended also known as HFS+ format). Would I then need to have Macdrive on my PC to be able to transfer the files? I'm having some difficulty figuring out the most efficient method. First time Mac user as well as my first external drive.

Any tips would be great!

Cheers
Andrew

[The Dougfather]

Hi,

1) Macs can read NTFS (XP Format) volumes but not write to them.
2) Both Macs and PC can write to FAT32 volumes but Pro tools won't write to a FAT32 volume on a mac, I read that that Digi are pulling the plug on FAT32 for windows after 7.3. This is pretty much the best transfer format for both platforms but it also has a 4GB file size limitation, so no one file can exceed 4GB.

I personally have a HFS+ drive for my dedicated audio drive and then use a windows formatted iPod or FAT32 external HD to transfer files between platforms. There isn't to my knowledge a format which is both platform friendly for both systems in terms of Pro Tools audio drives.

Cheers

[blizzard]

Thanks for the reply!

I also posted this in the Windows forum and was informed by Rail Jon Rogut that with PT 7.3, they have included cross platform support with HFS+ formatted drives for ProTools. So both platforms are able to read and write to a HFS+ formatted hard drive.

So I figure I will format in HFS+ to make PT sessions easily transferable, than use Macdrive on the PC for file transfers that are not ProTools related.

Do you have any experience using Macdrive or a similar product for cross platform (non PT) file transfer?

Cheers,
Andrew

[sunburst79]

I have MacDrive and it works just fine.

If you have a 001 your out of luck as far as using 7.3 since the last version of PT that will work with a 001 is 6.4.

A note on MacDrive, it will allow you to read, write and transfer to the external hard dive. You will need to copy the session to a local audio drive on the PC in order to use it in Protools.

This would be for the 001.

[blizzard]

Hey,

I am going to pick up my 003R today from the store. I did the 001 to 003R exchange. I really wanted to take advantage of the newer software features of 7.3 and the portability of 003R (firewire).
I also have a macbook (2GHZ, 2GB RAM, intel core 2) and want to be able to transfer between the it and the PC. Macdrive seems like it would be the easiest way. Glad to hear that it serves it's purpose well. I'll be picking it up as well.

Cheers,
Andrew

[sunburst79]

If your installing 7.3 on the PC there is no need for MacDrive! Save the dough! I
said that becuase your still showing a 001 in your signature

[TheNoize]

Anyone has experience with this?

My external firewire drive, HFS formatted, was being used in Pro Tools on Windows with MacDrive when it crashed. When I booted up again I got a MacDrive warning that the HFS drive should be repaired to avoid data loss, and now Pro Tools won't write to that drive - it will crash windows.

I went to OSX and the external drives can't be repaired....

So I'm pretty much stuck? I can't use this drive again in windows?? what the hell

[Rail Jon Rogut]

Have you tried DiskWarrior?

Rail

[TheNoize]

Have you tried DiskWarrior?

Rail

I will. Does diskwarrior communicate with firewire external drivers properly?