Using USB Drives in Pro Tools

[Toonvox]

Hope this isn't a rerun, but this is a big issue for me.

My Pro Tools workstation isn't hooked up to my company's network, which means I have to download sound files on another computer. I'll transfer them to a USB thumb drive, plug the drive into my PT workstation and then import them into Pro Tools.

Here's the problem. PT loves to glom onto every drive that's available in the system, even one which is plugged in during a session. Many times, I need to remove the USB drive to get more audio files, but PT goes nuts when you remove a drive during a session. So I need to close out Pro Tools, remove the drive and restart Pro Tools. A real pain.

Is there any way to prevent PT from making a drive its own? Thanks!

[Craig F]

Is there any way to prevent PT from making a drive its own? Thanks!

a little looking and you would know the answer is no

you might of also leaned that you can eject a drive using the Workspace Browser window w/o quitting Pro Tools

[Toonvox]

"a little looking and you would know the answer is no"

Just for the record, I spent the better part of an hour trying to find the answer here.

"you might of also leaned that you can eject a drive using the Workspace Browser window w/o quitting Pro Tools"

Not knowing what a "workspace browser" is (and obviously not finding out from you), I guess I'll just keep wandering the wilderness among you really smarter-than-me people.

It's this sort of thing that fosters stupidity, not knowledge, Craig. Thanks for your "help" anyway. Too bad it was just an exercise in showing off.

[Craig F]

It is not showing off. It is getting very board with the same 10 questions being asked every day by people that come off to dame lazy to read the manual that comes with the software.

I am sorry if I offend you but with the post you originally put up you give no indication to your knowledge level.

[Premo]

If you open the Pro Tools Reference Guide there's a chapter on Digibase Browsers. The Workspace is to PT...sorta like Finder is to the mac.

In a nutshell, you can go to Window > Workspace, click the drive you wish to eject to highlight its name, then click the toolbox icon in the top left corner of workspace and scroll down to Unmount. Wait a few seconds and your drive will disappear from the PT workspace and from Finder I believe.

More details can be found in the Ref Guide. Download the "Pro Tools Documentation Installer "for 7.4 if your help menu isn't working. Downloaded copies of PT don't include any documentation. Searching Digi's support engine or google should bring up the Ref Guide installer for mac or pc.

[Toonvox]

Thanks, Premo. That was much more helpful than being spanked...and it is a downloaded version. 'Preciate it!

[Jenk2k]

I realize this post is months late, but Craig F, your admonishing post is unacceptably rude. You complain about people wasting time by asking questions in the menu, yet you waste your time chastising a newbie user. This kind of elitism is not only lame, but a complete and utter waste of your time. We have all been there and some of the things most windows programs do due to convention, PT doesn't. It's a very easy environment to take anything for granted.

I learn things every day about PTLE and its many configurations on many platforms. Next time you have something like that to say, how about moving on unless you can be constructive, yeah?

[Haberslam]

Toonvox,

I side with you completely. I had a double system shoot where I had to record with a Digi002 and dump an XDCAM SxS card on to the same laptop while everything was running live. Pro Tools saw the card and would not let me eject it. It caused some serious pressure and I had to wait until a set change before I could quit the session.. eject and relaunch.

I wasn't aware of the workspace browser solution at the time.

Premo's answer was way more effective and in tune with what the DUC is supposed to be. Nice, Friendly, and to the point.... So thank you Premo for your solution and sharing it.

[MMAKINMITCH]

You should leave your USB always conected to your computer that has PT on it instead of dis and reconecting your HD,I know they say PT and USB drives are not compadible but it works for me on my p.c/so try that out it should work out or do as they recomend and get an external firewire HD