Daisy chaining devices - drives and interfaces

[cschreppel]

So I have a Digi002 Console with an external firewire drive from OWC. Currently, I'm connected as follows:

MacBook > Digi002 > HD - all via FW400. When I get my 2nd drive this week, I'm planning on connecting this way:

MacBook > HD1 via FW400 > HD2 via FW800 > Digi002 via FW400.

My theory is that it's better to have the drives connected to the computer rather than the interface in case the interface fails - which seems to be more likely than a drive failing. Digidesign has recommended both setups at different times over the past few years.

Any thoughts?

 

[zimv20]

is this 2nd drive going to be used for audio?

 

[cschreppel]

The 2nd drive will serve as a backup drive for the first one. Pro Tools won't be allocating audio from it (unless of course drive 1 dies). Been doing a lot of contracted tracking and mixing and having the backup has been a necessity.

Originally, I used the internal drive on my PowerMac (I had a 2nd, dedicated audio drive) and I used the external as a backup. However, because my MacBook smokes the tower, I'm selling it and am going to use a 2nd drive as my backup.

I've used the drive both ways (drive > Digi; Digi > drive). Just wanted to see what opinions were for other interfaces outside of Digidesign.

 

[zimv20]

these are the two that jump out at me. if it were me, i'd try the following two setups and see if one worked better than the other:

mac -> 002 -(fw1)-> audio drive
002 -(fw2)-> backup drive

mac -> audio drive -> 002 -> backup drive

 

[cschreppel]

Yeah, I was wondering about that. Unfortunately, my second drive was defective (damn power supplies). So I'll have to test that out this week.

I think the 2nd one would work better - Mac > Audio Drive > 002 > backup drive - mainly because I've had a few issues of the audio drive unmounting when the 002 validates.

 

[scottlinux]

M-Audio recommends their audio devices be last in a firewire chain. But I've heard many arguments on both sides about this one.

 

[jojobach]

Hi!

I have a related doubt. I'm waiting for my new Motu Traveler to arrive and I own two USB 2.0 HDs (one 2.5 and one 3.5). I have an iBook 14" (1.2 GHz and 768 MB RAM).

I was thinking about buying a Firewire enclosure, because I need one of them to be my audio drive. However, I wonder if I should stick to USB. I know firewire is better for this kind of stuff, but I wonder if connecting the Motu Traveler in a daisy chain would stall the Motu or the HD. (I only have one Firewire port - 400.)

Any opinions on this subject?

 

[scottlinux]

USB 2.0 is fine for up to 24bit/96kHz stereo (two channel) recording. Any more tracks or higher sample rate than that, and you might have problems.

As long as the drive in the enclosure is at least a 7200rpm drive, that is.

 

[jojobach]

Well, one of the drives is 7200 RPM (3.5"), the other is 5400 RPM (2.5"). I will need to record 8 channels at once. The sample rate might go up to 24bit/192kHz, but I'll stick to 96kHz if I have to.

So, should I buy a Firewire enclosure? And if I do, when I daisy chain the drive and the audio interface (Motu Traveler) will the bus be too overloaded?