PT 10 and Digi 003 not playing nice!

[Piers Gibbon]

IN A NUTSHELL: What is the best combo of OSX and Protools for a Macbook Pro 15 inch early 2008, 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo to use with a digi 003 rack??


LONG VERSION:

I've been using Protools to record my voiceovers for over a decade - the current rock solid 003 system is detailed below - but that computer is getting to the end of its life and I am concerned that I do not have a back up system that works yet!

I'd really love to start using my more up to date MacBook Pro and a newer version of OSX so I've downloaded the trial version of PT 10.3.2...but it is not happy at all and I've only got two more weeks of trial left after endless, fruitless fiddling and troubleshooting!

Basic Problem is Protools seems to not really know it is connected to a 003. I go to Setup/Hardware and it does say "Digidesign HW (003) 0 in/0 out" (why zero??)...but when I go to Setup I/O the 003 is not there.

And I am unable to record on a track because I can't specify the ins/outs that would work because PT does not believe it has access to a 003 I guess

NEW system - PT 10.3.2 OSX 10.8.2 (happy to downgrade if that might help), Macbook Pro 15 inch early 2008, 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, digi 003 rack

OLD system that is working great - PT 7.4.2 Macbook 1,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2ghz..OSX 10.5.8..digi 003 rack

Other details -

Drivers:

Have reinstalled the 003 drivers - but it doesn't look like they have been updated very recently on the Digi site

Firmware:

When I first tried the new system it downloaded new firmware for the 003. Then when I swapped back the old system it downloaded the old firmware - and it would do this every time I changed back and forth. Now it doesn't download the old or new firmware...

Import Settings:

In the hope that I could magically get the new system to play nice like the old one does I also tried Import Settings from old to new. No joy.

It worked once!:

Once and once only the new system worked and I got a track up and recording - and I had a delay in my headphones on the 003 which makes recording voiceovers impossible. So I did a restart - and it's back to the problem described above.

Logic:

I've already bought Logic but would dearly love not to have to move over to it (learning curve for me and the 2 female voiceovers who also use the studio). But has anyone got that working with a 003?

THANK YOU for your advice!

[Piers Gibbon]

I just tried the force firmware instructions here

http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/e...n&DocType=1081

And yet on a restart with the NEW laptop it did not register that the 003 was in Force Firmware mode

On a restart with the OLD laptop it did register...and gave the message "The 003 rack has System firmware x.x.x which does not match system firmware of v7.4.2.109...would you like to etc"..I've clicked yes - presumably this means the 003 was on the newer firmware and so SHOULD have been talking with the PT10


But it really isn't is it?

oh and I'm totally up for imaginative solutions like - "downgrade the newer laptop to OSX to x.x.x and use PT 9" or something - as long as that's rock solid with 003.

Basically I just need a simple system that works - it's only for voiceovers so I have very limited track counts:

- the Neumann mike (preamped by an Avalon 737) with a compressor plug in
- the ISDN codec track (a Prima LT)
- the SourceConnect plug in
- a track for when I use the TBU (telephone balance unit for when the director rings in on a normal phone line)

and with this simple set up I have always recorded to the laptop hard drive...

[RandB]

Avid tooted the horn quite loudly when Pro Tools 10.3.1 was released to make everyone aware that Pro Tools was now compatible with Mountain Lion.

What Avid didn't bother to mention at the time was that the DRIVERS for Digidesign-branded Pro Tools hardware (002 and 003 families, as well as the old blue-colored, Digidesign branded MBox 2 family) had not been updated and are not compatible with Mountain Lion.

What's worse is that until a couple of weeks ago, the page on which the 002 and 003 family of drivers was listed made mention of the fact that "Mountain Lion drivers are coming." I phoned Avid tech support about this, because I'd been told in early October that the new Mountain Lion drivers would be posted on October 19th. They weren't. And they still haven't been, nearly a month later. When I brought this to the attention of the tech on the phone, rather than assuring me that things were moving forward to get the new drivers out, he instead told me he would go to his supervisor about changing the website. The website now doesn't even mention any new Mountain Lion drivers coming. Nice play, Avid. Rather than be bothered by customers, just stop supporting them altogether.

This was a total blunder on Avid's part. And I'm sorry to have to tell you it's not the first time I've seen something like this happen.

Earlier today, I updated from 10.3.1 to 10.3.2 and now Pro Tools won't even open. I'm once again getting the DAE error -6001, which, as I recall, is the same one I was getting when I first updated to 10.3.1. It means the software is looking for a driver that it's not finding. But I have a third party device that should work fine.

Speaking as one voiceover talent to another, here's my recommendation: use Twisted Wave for your voiceover work. It's easier, faster, more reliable, and does everything you'd need an editor to do. And they don't rip you off.

Will it do all the multi-track stuff Pro Tools does? No. But for recording and editing voice tracks for broadcast, you don't need Pro Tools.

For multi-track work, I'm about this close to moving over to Logic Pro or going back to Adobe Audition (which is now made for Mac as well as Windows). The good news is, there are now more options than ever before.

Avid apparently isn't all that interested in keeping us as customers.

[Piers Gibbon]

Thanks!

Well..that's depressing

I also have learnt this evening that I cannot now buy PT9 any more

But presumably PT 10 will EVENTUALLY start working with my 003??

I can wait awhile I guess..given that my old system does work (although I don't really see why the new drivers are so difficult to produce)

But I suppose I could just move over to Logic, I've already bought it after all

[Dayliner]

i'm having the same issue. but i'm running OS Lion 10.7.5. i switched over from a PC to my Macbook Pro today, running an 800 to 400 firewire cable. pro tools 10.0.0 won't recognize my digi 003! i downloaded and installed the 'latest' drivers. no dice. is this the same problem? i'm pretty sure i've got lion not mountain lion. does that make a difference?

[Piers Gibbon]

well I'm no expert but I'm assuming that yes you have the same problem as us..as I understand it we are waiting for Avid/Digidesign to release new drivers for the Digi 003 which will enable it to work with Protools 10 and newer versions of the OSX...

I'd be grateful if anyone from Avid could just let us know if I'm correct and if there is any notion of when/if the new drivers will be released

I need to make my decision about whether to give up and move to Logic and/or (since new drivers seem to be needed for that as well) just sell my Digi 003r

I am aware that often we talk on these boards in apocalyptic terms and then it turns out it's not so bad after all....but could someone from Avid let us know what's happening and a rough timescale?


Many thanks

Oh and I guess a question for everyone out there...if I do get rid of my 003r does anyone have a recommendation for a similar rack product that plays nice with PT10 or Logic Pro - I need the same number of ins/outs to connect the Neumann mike (after it has been through an Avalon 737), a Prima LT ISDN codec and a Sonifex Telephone Balance Unit...THANKS

[Piers Gibbon]

oh ffs - what's going on

so this time when I did the old "hold n down at startup" it did recognise the 003, tried to update its firmware, failed to do so...froze...so I did a restart and held n down and - presumably with the old firmware - it works

I'll keep testing it to see if it stays working but really what could cause this intermittent behaviour?? (all the while the old laptop and set up work just fine on PT 7.4.3)

weird and worrying...but fingers crossed

[Dayliner]

i had a fleeting moment, as well, where 003 appeared, but then got a message the software was being used by something else. wtf?! my sweetwater guy said all this stuff would work

[Piers Gibbon]

It's always worrying when I can't work out WHY something works...but at least for me this set up is now working. I even recorded a voiceover on it live via ISDN today so confidence levels are good

Not quite good enough to pay to upgrade the trial version though...will leave it running and quit and start again etc etc etc for a few more days

I've now updated the firmware to the one that PT10 likes...so I'm crossing my fingers that this is now my new stable system:

PT 10.3.2 OSX 10.8.2, Macbook Pro 15 inch early 2008, 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, digi 003 rack...recording (minimal track count) direct to system drive

RandB - and a question for anyone else as well, can you think of anything I should try out that might "break" this set up..just so I can test it fully while the trial version is still active??

[Piers Gibbon]

Originally Posted by Dayliner

i had a fleeting moment, as well, where 003 appeared, but then got a message the software was being used by something else. wtf?! my sweetwater guy said all this stuff would work

And work it should...try the old hold N key down while starting up PT...and I guess make sure you don't start up any other programmes that might even THINK about using audio