Cycle record, Win 98 software?

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Eric G wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>
> I'm using ACID 1.0 on a Win98 and it's doing a great job with the
> system I have (WIn 98, P233, 64 Megs RAM).
>
> The only shortcoming I have at the moment is that its audio cycle
> recording is not quite what I'm after.
>
> You can loop any section of a track you want, but you can't press
> record and have new tracks started automatically each time the loop
> re-starts.
> What happens with this software is that the loop continues to loop on
> its track and the track you're recording on continues until you hit
> stop.
>
> Does anyone know software that will accomplish what I'm trying to do
> using Win98?
>
> Thanks! Eric

The last version of ProTools to run on
98SE will do this (v5.1)
However ... PT requires the Digi hardware
to run, ie Digi 001.
There may be other software but I'm not
'in the loop'

rd

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

>
>The last version of ProTools to run on
>98SE will do this (v5.1)
>However ... PT requires the Digi hardware
>to run, ie Digi 001.
>There may be other software but I'm not
>'in the loop'
>
>rd


Hi RD,

Thanks for your help!

So, I download ProTools FREE v. 5.0.1 a few days ago and try to
install. It stops and says 128M RAM required ( I had 64Meg).

So I go out today and upgrade my RAM to 256Meg.

Now I'm able to install ProTools FREE (which was designed for Win 98
in 2000). During the install it notices I have an AMIII card and
suggests I remove all drivers before proceeding). I don't and it
finishes its install.

Now I fire her up. The result?
VERY sluggish. It doesn't play through my AMIII card. It uses my cheap
sound card. I can't see any option to choose the AMIII.
And the recordings are choppy on playback, unacceptable. Maybe the
cheap sound card? Compared to ACID 1.0, this is ahem.....a joke.

And most importantly, I don't see how to loop record
to do what I am after.
Can you explain how to do this in Pro Tools?

Thanks!

Eric

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Eric G wrote:


> Now I'm able to install ProTools FREE (which was designed for Win 98
> in 2000). During the install it notices I have an AMIII card and
> suggests I remove all drivers before proceeding). I don't and it
> finishes its install.
>
> Now I fire her up. The result?
> VERY sluggish. It doesn't play through my AMIII card. It uses my cheap
> sound card. I can't see any option to choose the AMIII.
> And the recordings are choppy on playback, unacceptable. Maybe the
> cheap sound card?


Maybe you should remove all drivers before proceeding? They wouldn't
say to do this if there weren't a reason.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Eric G wrote:

> Hi RD,
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> So, I download ProTools FREE v. 5.0.1 a few days ago and try to
> install. It stops and says 128M RAM required ( I had 64Meg).
>
> So I go out today and upgrade my RAM to 256Meg.

Good move, even without ProTools needing it !

> Now I'm able to install ProTools FREE (which was designed for Win 98
> in 2000). During the install it notices I have an AMIII card and
> suggests I remove all drivers before proceeding). I don't and it
> finishes its install.
>
> Now I fire her up. The result?
> VERY sluggish. It doesn't play through my AMIII card. It uses my
cheap
> sound card. I can't see any option to choose the AMIII.

PT Free is a stripped/crippled version. Since Digi
requires you to use their hardware on every other
version, there is no way to select other I/O from
within PT. Instead Free look's at the MicroSoft
Sound Mapper to select I/O. (only 2 in, 2 out)

Control Panel > MultiMedia > Audio

> And the recordings are choppy on playback, unacceptable. Maybe the
> cheap sound card? Compared to ACID 1.0, this is ahem.....a joke.

I've used Free to mix several 8 track projects on a
slow computer and never had any issues like that.
Try the buffer settings, and the computer may need
"optimized for audio". see the appropriate thread.

> And most importantly, I don't see how to loop record
> to do what I am after.
> Can you explain how to do this in Pro Tools?

Operations > Loop Record

Then set the punch/loop points.
The rest of the details are covered in the
large PDF - "PT reference guide.pdf"
The file does not specifically cover PT Free
but if a function is available in Free it's
in there. The differences with Free and the
full version 5.0 are noted in "Pro Tools
Free Quick Start Guide.pdf" and Readme.doc.


> Thanks!
>
> Eric

good luck
rd

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hi RD,

>> So I go out today and upgrade my RAM to 256Meg.
>
>Good move, even without ProTools needing it !

I'll get to ProTools in a minute but I'm still not sure I've made
the right move wrt the memory upgrade.

Several years ago many people warned/recommended that I stick with
64Megs on my ASUS motherboard. They said that anything above that
would not increase system speed and may even slow it down. I don't
remember the technical reasons they gave.

Well they may have been right. It's only been a day, so I haven't had
a chance to check everything out yet, but so far most everything has
been a disappointment. Apart from screen refreshes, (icons, pics,
etc.) the system has been more sluggish. And my browser has crashed
several times now, whereas before it was pretty solid in that regard.

I uninstalled all the DAE drivers as recommended on the last ProTools
install and uninstalled ProTools FREE, then did a fresh install.

It is just as, if not more sluggish than before. It takes more than a
minute to load the program and even longer to load a session.
Once the program is up everything moves along at a snails' pace.
Screen refreshes take forever. You hit play and it takes literally 15
seconds or more before the tracks start playing!


>PT Free is a stripped/crippled version.

I can see that now!!! There isn't even a Help file installed.

>Since Digi
>requires you to use their hardware on every other
>version, there is no way to select other I/O from
>within PT.

And yet it includes a drop down menu to do just that. But it only
lists one choice.

> Instead Free look's at the MicroSoft
>Sound Mapper to select I/O. (only 2 in, 2 out)
>
>Control Panel > MultiMedia > Audio

Well exactly HOW do I set up the system to use my AMIII with Pro
Tools? It's a catch 22 situation. I removed all DAE drivers as
requested by ProTools on installation. I also removed wave drivers for
the AMIII because they aren't used with Digi's drivers.
So the card isn't recognized by Windows in the Drivers section. Nor
does ProTools recognize it!
ProTools now is playing audio using my cheap sound card.
I'm very confused.


>> And the recordings are choppy on playback, unacceptable. Maybe the
>> cheap sound card? Compared to ACID 1.0, this is ahem.....a joke.
>
>I've used Free to mix several 8 track projects on a
>slow computer and never had any issues like that.
>Try the buffer settings, and the computer may need
>"optimized for audio". see the appropriate thread.

I will look for the 'optimize for audio' thread because right now
everything is impossible with this software.
Yet my system was "optimized for audio" for Logic Audio and ACID 1.0.
Each of those apps loaded in a split second and ran robustly (before
the memory upgrade, haven't tried them since). Logic using the DAE
engine and AMIII card and ACID using my cheaper sound card.


>> And most importantly, I don't see how to loop record
>> to do what I am after.
>> Can you explain how to do this in Pro Tools?
>
>Operations > Loop Record

I did choose that.

>Then set the punch/loop points.

Not sure if I set these. I just highlighted the area that I wanted
looped.


>The rest of the details are covered in the
>large PDF - "PT reference guide.pdf"
>The file does not specifically cover PT Free
>but if a function is available in Free it's
>in there. The differences with Free and the
>full version 5.0 are noted in "Pro Tools
>Free Quick Start Guide.pdf" and Readme.doc.

OK. Where can I get the "PT reference guide.pdf ?
I see the "Pro Tools Free Quick Start Guide.pdf" and Readme.doc in the
release notes folder.

Thanks again!

Eric

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Eric G wrote:

> Several years ago many people warned/recommended that I stick with
> 64Megs on my ASUS motherboard. They said that anything above that
> would not increase system speed and may even slow it down. I don't
> remember the technical reasons they gave.

There are some limitations on an older board like you have.
It has to do with how much ram the L2 can address.
Did you peek into the BIOS ? You should at least be able
to configure it for 128M.

> I uninstalled all the DAE drivers as recommended on the last ProTools
> install and uninstalled ProTools FREE, then did a fresh install.
>
> It is just as, if not more sluggish than before. It takes more than a
> minute to load the program and even longer to load a session.
> Once the program is up everything moves along at a snails' pace.
> Screen refreshes take forever. You hit play and it takes literally 15
> seconds or more before the tracks start playing!

I didn't check all the requirements for PT free
when I suggested it to you, Sorry.

http://www.digidesign.com/compato/mainfreewin.html

Looks like your board doesn't have enough 'juice'.
And you need 98SE (not Win98)
I hate to say it but you need a more powerful PC.

> >PT Free is a stripped/crippled version.
>
> I can see that now!!! There isn't even a Help file installed.
>
> >Since Digi
> >requires you to use their hardware on every other
> >version, there is no way to select other I/O from
> >within PT.
>
> And yet it includes a drop down menu to do just that. But it only
> lists one choice.
>
> > Instead Free look's at the MicroSoft
> >Sound Mapper to select I/O. (only 2 in, 2 out)
> >
> >Control Panel > MultiMedia > Audio
>
> Well exactly HOW do I set up the system to use my AMIII with Pro
> Tools? It's a catch 22 situation. I removed all DAE drivers as
> requested by ProTools on installation. I also removed wave drivers
for
> the AMIII because they aren't used with Digi's drivers.
> So the card isn't recognized by Windows in the Drivers section. Nor
> does ProTools recognize it!
> ProTools now is playing audio using my cheap sound card.
> I'm very confused.

http://www.digidesign.com/compato/ptfree/freedigiHW.htm...

> OK. Where can I get the "PT reference guide.pdf ?
> I see the "Pro Tools Free Quick Start Guide.pdf" and Readme.doc in
the
> release notes folder.

On my PT install the reference guide opens from the
online help via Adobe pdf reader. It resides in the
same folder as the other 2 documents.

>
> Thanks again!
>
> Eric

rd

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hi RD,

>There are some limitations on an older board like you have.
>It has to do with how much ram the L2 can address.
>Did you peek into the BIOS ? You should at least be able
>to configure it for 128M.

Ah yes, L2 addressing. That rings a bell. I think that's what they
were talking about.
Yes I did go into the BIOS just after installation of the RAM.
I didn't check the L2 setting (enable/disable).
But Win98 and bootup shows 256K RAM installed.

There is a setting for CAS latency which I didn't know what to set at.
You can have a latency of 2 or 3. I read somewhere online that cheaper
SDRAM use GL or G8 chips that are better suited for a latency of 3 and
that more expensive chips can have a latency 2 setting.
Yesterday I switched to latency 3 to see if the system responds
better.


>I didn't check all the requirements for PT free
>when I suggested it to you, Sorry.
>
>http://www.digidesign.com/compato/mainfreewin.html
>
>Looks like your board doesn't have enough 'juice'.
>And you need 98SE (not Win98)
>I hate to say it but you need a more powerful PC.

Yeah it certainly appears that way. It's too bad the message first
delivered to me when I tried to install the program didn't say :
"128 Meg RAM required AND Pentium III at 300Mhz or faster".

Oh well. Back to the drawing board.
Would you know of any other software that will do cycle record (as I
outlined) with Win 98 software and a P233 computer?

Thanks again!

Eric