Mix systems on a G5

[Pred80r]

I know this thread is not only NOT new but I have found a few threads with info I have already used in my quest before I placed this thread.

1. I made a sad mistake of buying a G5 when the PS on my G4 died. I did not know of the apparent issues of trying to run mix systems with a G5 prior to doing this and I accept all the blame for putting myself in this situation. I figured that if the model of G5 I purchased could run the correct OS ofr my mix system that the G5 should also be able to pilot the cards and interfaces with no other issues...silly me.
2. I have spent exhaustive hours online researching the known issues, reading threads on how other people have done it and how it can be done when the stars are aligned correctly.
3. I have spent hours configuring and reconfiguring my system to accomplish a working MIX system for 20 tracks or less...unstable with 20-30 and unusable above 30 tracks.
4. I am using a magna 7 slot PCI expansion bay and the cards are in the order of:
0. PCI Expansion Bay adapter card (in the clot marked for it)
1. ATTO express PCI DC adapter Card
2. Mix Core
3. Mix Farm
4. d24 card (more on this later)
5. DSP Farm
6. DSP Farm
7. Open (Unused)
5. I know mixing a d24 card in with the mix cards is "NOT SUPPORTED" by Digidesign but they acknowledge that "They see no reason why it wouldn't work..." and it was fine with the G4. If this is a known issue with ANYONE who has mastered the MIX on G5 secret then by all means tell me and I will remove that card immediately.
6. Supposedly the ATTO card is NOT SUPPORTED by G5 architecture and thus I have already purchased a new ULD3 card that is. This may fix my PCI (dae-6042) errors all by itself but that is also unknown.
7. I read somewhere that the USB bus freaked out the PCI bus if you have anything on it other than the Keyboard, Mouse and ILOK so I have already whittled everything down to that in an effort to get 50 or 60 tracks...no go.
8. Oddly enough I can play 48 tracks of silence with no hitch in my getalong but 28 tracks of recorded music wont make it past the first 3-5 seconds before the dreaded PC DAE-6042 monster rears it's ugly head.
9.The last piece of possibly vital information, is that I have a firewire 800 adapter card in the first PCI Slot and the Magma PCI Expansion card in the second slot because the computer came loaded with the FW800 card in that slot and I figured it must be for a reason. Now that I type this out I realize I should dump the Firewire card and have just the PCI card in slot one to see what results I get with that.

In any event if someone could shed some insight on the patches/cures/fixes/workarounds with incorporating a G5 with Mix ++ then I would be VERY APPRECIATIVE if you could share it with me.

Thank You for your Time,
Jack

[Pred80r]

Took out the FW 800 card (it was an adpatec) and placed the PCI expansion card in the first slot behind the graphics card...It did NOT change a thing.

I forgot to mention that this is a 1.8ghz duak core G5 with an Nvidia 5200 AGP graphics card and 4gb ram. Since the video card is AGP I am fairly certain it isn't messing with the PCI bus but I could be wrong...

[John_Toolbox]

There are a few people on the DUC who claim to have this setup working, though it is unsupported. My understanding is that if you have the right host interface card in the G5, it will talk to the chassis and since the chassis has it's own power supply, the voltage issues are not a problem.

Here's some suggestions:
1. Why is your SCSI card in the chassis? I'd start there, use the chassis only for your digidesign cards. I wouldn't even use SCSI until you've gotten the digi cards working. Put your host interface card in the first PCI slot of the G5, put the SCSI card in the last one.

2. I believe the only atto card that is supported with G5's is the UL3d, so if you have to have SCSI, that's what I'd use. If your G5 uses SATA drives, forget SCSI and just use an internal SATA drive for recording.

3. Slot Order - What you have looks okay as far as order, just pull the SCSI card and move everything one slot over.

4. Unless you need that d24 for more i/o, get rid of it, that's the only thing it's doing for you at the moment. You might want to pull the DSP farms too just to see if it works without them.

[Pred80r]

Originally Posted by John_Toolbox

There are a few people on the DUC who claim to have this setup working, though it is unsupported. My understanding is that if you have the right host interface card in the G5, it will talk to the chassis and since the chassis has it's own power supply, the voltage issues are not a problem.

Here's some suggestions:
1. Why is your SCSI card in the chassis? I'd start there, use the chassis only for your digidesign cards. I wouldn't even use SCSI until you've gotten the digi cards working. Put your host interface card in the first PCI slot of the G5, put the SCSI card in the last one.

2. I believe the only atto card that is supported with G5's is the UL3d, so if you have to have SCSI, that's what I'd use. If your G5 uses SATA drives, forget SCSI and just use an internal SATA drive for recording.

3. Slot Order - What you have looks okay as far as order, just pull the SCSI card and move everything one slot over.

4. Unless you need that d24 for more i/o, get rid of it, that's the only thing it's doing for you at the moment. You might want to pull the DSP farms too just to see if it works without them.

Noted on all of the above and i will get back to you with results after the ul3d arrives.

thanx!

[Pred80r]

Originally Posted by John_Toolbox

There are a few people on the DUC who claim to have this setup working, though it is unsupported. My understanding is that if you have the right host interface card in the G5, it will talk to the chassis and since the chassis has it's own power supply, the voltage issues are not a problem.

Here's some suggestions:
1. Why is your SCSI card in the chassis? I'd start there, use the chassis only for your digidesign cards. I wouldn't even use SCSI until you've gotten the digi cards working. Put your host interface card in the first PCI slot of the G5, put the SCSI card in the last one.

2. I believe the only atto card that is supported with G5's is the UL3d, so if you have to have SCSI, that's what I'd use. If your G5 uses SATA drives, forget SCSI and just use an internal SATA drive for recording.

3. Slot Order - What you have looks okay as far as order, just pull the SCSI card and move everything one slot over.

4. Unless you need that d24 for more i/o, get rid of it, that's the only thing it's doing for you at the moment. You might want to pull the DSP farms too just to see if it works without them.

John,

So I need the right expansion bay card AND chassis or just the right expansion bay card? I cannot get more than 8 tracks working before PCI errors and I HAVE changed SCSI cards, removed D24 card, put the SCSI back in the G5 and all combinations thereof.

Help?

[the dude]

Originally Posted by Pred80r

John,

So I need the right expansion bay card AND chassis or just the right expansion bay card? I cannot get more than 8 tracks working before PCI errors and I HAVE changed SCSI cards, removed D24 card, put the SCSI back in the G5 and all combinations thereof.

Help?

I say you spend a ton of cash and downtime then
when it still does not work
you come back here and let us know that digidesign
was correct for not making the system not work as they said it won't
in the first place

there is absoluty NO benifit in trying to get a g5 and mix cards working

a new mac pro and PTLE will out perform this anytime!!!
you can sell all that stuff and get a way better LE rig

[Shawn Simpson]

Have you tried ditching the SCSI card altogether?