Pro Pack By Zero G -, Review of Pro Pack & problems Options

[chmara]

First a well deserved compliment for Rhys at East-West for his help in trying to solve problems with Pro Pack. I have been running through the 11,000 +"loops" supplied in Pro Pack by Zero-G I must say they are at worst, adequate to quite good IF THEY WORK and they present an exceptional usable range of material.

However, way too many (up to 30 per cent) bring on an error -39 crash of GB and in Logic 7.0.1 too.. This is not only if you open the short loops (100k or under) but on my G5 1.8 Mhz IMac this happens even when browsing in longer loops in Logic and GB2.

As a fast fix, the Zero-G site suggests opening the offending loop(s) in Soundtrack Loop Utility to convert the small loops into "one shots." It took seven hours for me to convert the between 1000 and 3000 loops just based on their method, worked by determining loop size. THIS FIX DOES NOT WORK CONSISTANTLY and GB and Logic still return a -39 on about 25-30 per cent of the loops so converted in browse mode.

The next level that Rhys at E-W suggested would be to open each loop in I Tunes then export it back to GB. For the about 1000 unusable Tracks -- even if it only takes one conversion per track - my opinion is this is not what I expect from a quality product. I hope E-W would agree. (Rhys, in good humor did suggest that it was only one conversion one time per loop -- but I do not think either he or I were aware of the extent of the problem.)

In a very responsive and quickly sent messageto me Zero-G said they are working on a fix and hope to have it ready in two weeks. BUT -- THIS MESSAGE CAME IN WHILE I WAS OPENING LONGER (more than 100k) files, 16 beat to 64 beat stuff) and getting a MAJOR click at the end of a number of these loops -- and more Error -39s locking up both GB and Logic. (Just in the "experimental" Category I found at least 10 loops at longer lengths that end crash with the "click of death" --and this in only auditioning loops between the letter a and the letter C in my list.)

Initially Zero-G's site stated this was an Apple Problem with GarageBand, however, I remember that GarageBand has continually warned of troubles with all loops under 100K. I guess Zero-G was not aware of that technical note from Apple. Why the longer loops also crash, I know not, and cannot figure how Z-G quality control would let these through...unless they were pushed for an introduction at NAMM...

Until this buy -- I generally have been happy with Zero-G products -- but have had my faith shaken (a little) by this product and the statement aimed at Apple. The Pro-Pack is a great concept -- but now has cost me four days of fiddling and it still cannot run all loops consistantly. It does remain consistant in its error -39 messages on too many loops to be reliable.

I have asked Zero-G to appraise me of the status of any fix(es) -- and/or to authorize a return of this product for full credit -- or offer replacement with a working copy. If this is a wide spread poroblem - a recall might be the best thing they cab do.

My suggestion at this time to those contemplating a buy --- do not acquire this product (and I suggest East-West; pull the product) even with all its great potential. To me it is not market ready, at least until it is fixed and patched with a new master that eliminates the error -39 problem.