Recording to a Macbook Pro question...

[Violet]

So I don't understand how you would use a Macbook Pro if it only has one Hard Drive. Don't you need to record to a separate drive? What if your using a firewire interface? What if you need to have a hard drive dedicated to samples. Is this at all possible with a Macbook Pro?

[Yasgur]

You attach an external firewire drive

[Violet]

Yes but again, what if you have a firewire interface. It will mess with the buss.

[flommer]

DO you mean an express card or a HUB?

Express card is reported to work fine

I would not trust a HUB

[Obsidian Dragon]

If both the interface (Mbox2Pro, Digi002/002R, Digi003/003R/003R+) and the firewire external hard drive are going to be connected to the built-in firewire port(s), the hard drive should be FW400 to avoid conflicting with the interfaces running at only FW400. All the built-in firewire ports are on the same buss internally so do not mix FW400 with FW800 at the same time.

(Note the new unibody Macbook Pro only has FW800 ports but an adapter cable will allow you to connect the FW400 devices.)

If you are going to daisy chain the devices the hard drive is connected first to the computer and then the interface is connected to the hard drive. (Again FW400 only)

The best solution might be to get an express card firewire or eSATA interface to connect the similar interfaced hard drive. If it is firewire, then it will be on a completely separate buss and then you can mix and match FW800 and FW400 accordingly.

[Violet]

The hard drive and the interface will be on separate buses? are you sure about that, cause that is not the case on a MacPro when I hook up a firewire hard drive in the front and the 002 is plugged in the back(firewire) both 400 it screws everything up, I'm assuming cause its only one bus and bottlenecking.

[flommer]

FW HD and 002 work fine on my MacPro

Express card ADDS a FW bus. Like using a PCIe card on MacPro.

[Ken Burk]

I haven't had any issues yet with mixing a FW 800 drive and a 003.

I purchased an expressCard to move the drive off the internal bus, but didn't realize it wouldn't bus power the hard drive. So I will be returning that card for a FW 400 and move the 003 to it.

Read the documentation from Digi on how to connect to mac. I wouldn't take things written from users on the forum as the best advice.

[Obsidian Dragon]

Originally Posted by Violet

The hard drive and the interface will be on separate buses? are you sure about that, cause that is not the case on a MacPro when I hook up a firewire hard drive in the front and the 002 is plugged in the back(firewire) both 400 it screws everything up, I'm assuming cause its only one bus and bottlenecking.

As stated, using an express card Firewire interface does provide a separate firewire bus.

All "built-in" firewire ports on a Macbook Pro are on the same bus.

All "Built-in" firewire ports (front and back) on a Mac Pro are on the same bus.

I hope that clears that up.

[Obsidian Dragon]

Originally Posted by Ken Burk

I haven't had any issues yet with mixing a FW 800 drive and a 003.

I purchased an expressCard to move the drive off the internal bus, but didn't realize it wouldn't bus power the hard drive. So I will be returning that card for a FW 400 and move the 003 to it.

Read the documentation from Digi on how to connect to mac. I wouldn't take things written from users on the forum as the best advice.

I believe DigiTechSup also recommended the use of an express card firewire adapter in previous posts. I use a Digi002 and Digi002R and neither can be bus powered so I am not aware that the express card port does not provide bus power. Which brand was it?

As for not taking things written from users on the forum as the best advice, how should that be taken concerning what you just wrote on the forum? (I'm just joking with you). When Digidesign provides an answer, it is usually the best advice. If not, I found many of the folks here are quite knowledgable. (Especially those with very high post counts).