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Mackie SDR info

Z

Zlartibartfast

Aug 20, 2004
97
0
69
Austin, Texas, USA, Earth
www.austinpowerplant.com
#1
this is in reference to a post from Greg R December of last year (found it in a web search) asking for help in getting a hard drive other than the authentic Mackie Media package:
Hey Greg R I know this is a little late but I just joined TalkBass this morning. I don't know about the BIOS chip you refer to but I can tell you about my experience with hard drives in the SDR. I am running the latest FW (get the flash utility from Mackie's website) and I do have one of the Mackie Media drives. I bought one of the LianLi carriers (RH-58 I believe) and tried my Western Digital 120GB drive - it was not even seen by the SDR. Next I put in an older 20GB Quantum Fireball - that one does work but we hear faint noise that sounds like FM interference, so I only use it for backing up data. I just bought a new Maxtor DiamondMax + 8, model# 6E040L0 and I'm taking it to the studio tomorrow to test it out. I searched the Maxtor site for specs, and this one is essentially the current version of the drive that came in my Mackie carrier. I'm not exactly sure what is "special" about the Mackie iteration but I did take note that these drives use fliud bearings whereas my Quantum does not, and that could be the issue. I suspect the Mackie BIOS does not have the algorithm(s) needed to accept different drive translations, which would explain why my WD drive was invisible to it. If this scheme works then I will have a second extrernal disk for about 1/3rd the price I paid for the Mackie Media ($199 US).
I hope this is of some help....

Now I have a question - does anyone know of a Windows-based editor that allows one to manipulate the SDR project files? I'm not a programmer so I don't know how to make valid changes with a hex editor
 
#2
Well. OK NOW we are cookin'! Last night's studio session yielded great results - I'm here to report that the Maxtor DiamondMax + 8 (6E04L0) fitted in a LianLi RH-58 is a Total Winner - Bam! Hey the RH-58 has fans and the Mackie carrier doesn't! Maybe when I get some free cash I'll try the Maxtor DM + 9....

re: an SDR project file editor - I've been looking aroud but no luck there. However, I came up with a work-around to my issue (write me if you are curious what that issue is). I used a hex editor to examine the WAV file(s) created by the SDR. There is a watermark embedded in the file(s). So, I have developed a new process. I create a project, record 24 (or 16 or whatever I need) tracks of silence that runs at least as long as my song (a little longer is better). When I carry that project over to the DAW, I open the individual tracks in Sound Forge. I mute the entire file, then I mix into that file the audio data that I want the SDR to play back. When saving the file SF prompts me saying that there is non-audio data included with the file, and asks if I want to preserve it Yes/No. I say Yes. When I take the data back to the SDR, it plays just as if it had actually recorded the sound in the first place! I'm a Happy Camper, Off to see the Wizard, the Lord of All I Survey.
I'm still interested in an editor program if anybody has one....
 

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