Howdee!
I've scoured the forums to no avail! I need information before I can move on!

In Sept04 I got my PowerMac G5 DP 2.0 with it's stock options and added 2Gb of RAM, a FireWire PCI card, an external Lacie 160GB FW800 Drive, and an internal Western Digital 7200RPM 200Gb SATA Drive.

I am runnning Logic Express 7 and (MOSTLY) ProTools LE 6.4. My audio interface (for now anyway) is the Mighty Mighty MBox. (Originally purchased to use with my PowerBook, but now I can't afford to buy anything else - BUT when I do I think it will have to be a MOTU 828MkII)

1st - is using a SATA drive as my recording drive smart/feasible? Digidesign has nothing on their forums that makes it clear. They DO suggest recording through FW externally. What about Logic Express? SATA Ok with Logic?

2nd - Does anybody know why my SATA drive sometimes won't mount at startup? This happens ALL the time with cold starts are restarts. Wakes from sleep without a hitch, but if I restart I usually have to zap PRAM 2-3 Chimes before I get my SATA drive back.

Does this have anything to do with the Digidesign Database files that are depostited on my drives? I don't automatically start PTLE evrytime I boot, only when I need it. (as an aside, I noticed this same file set on my iPod the other day..what is that?)

Is the throughput of a SATA bus in a 1st gen PMG5 fast enough for audio recording?

SATA drives are cheaper than external FW, and I imagine that soon I'll be able to buy an external housing for it and - when it's full - move it out and put in a new one. This is a LOT cheaper than buying a new Lacie FW800 HD every time I run out of space, and more convienent than having to de-archive files when needed from optical discs, tape, etc. So I would like to be able to use these drives, and without having to go to so much trouble to mount it on my desktop!

Any help WBMA

lushbudget

lushbudget productions, ltd.
www.lushbudget.com
PowerMac G5 dual 2 Ghz, 2Gb RAM, 160Gb & 200Gb HD's, Apple 20" Cinema Display
PowerBook G4 Titanium 867Mhz, 1Gb RAM
Digidesign Mbox - Lacie FW 4/800/USB2 160Gb External HD
ProTools LE 6.4, Logic Express 7.0.1, Reason 2.5, Live 3, SampleTank 2, Amplitube, Arturia MiniMoog & CS-80V, Waves Musicians Bundle 4.0.

This post has been edited by lushbudget: Mon 7 Mar 2005, 15:17

An internal SATA drive should be faster than a firewire drive.

Your mounting problems are not at all normal. I'd check a Mac forum like MacFixIt...

As for replacing hard drives... backup to an offline media is actually a good idea! Basically, count on EVERY hard drive having a problem at some point... it may be five years from now, but you may still want all the files you didn't back up.

This drive seem temperamental… Here are a few things you can try (no particular order):

- unplug and replug carefully the drive (computer off and away of main power)
- check the cable (use another one…)
- check the Lithium battery
- reformat the drive
- zap PRAM and NVRAM (same procedure, just wait longer for at least another start up sound)
- reset the motherboard (disconnect all peripherals and the mains, open the beast, touch the power unit, locate the tiny tiny button near the battery, take a pen and press it at least 20 seconds gently -don't damage anything! now you can close, reconnect and try…)

Also, when you start up from the OS X install CD, does the drive behave the same ? If not the trouble may be in software.