completely new to a Mac... need help.

[whentomorrowfails]

Okay, so after fighting for a year to get my Traveler to work on my laptop, i finally gave up! I have been wanting a mac for a long time, but had been hesitant due to the cost factor, not just the cost of the machine, but also the fact that i have thousands in audio/video software, plus all my Adobe and Macromedia stuff, that is meant to be on a Mac, but i have them all for windows. anyways, all things in mind i decided to just find something cheap, and used. and i did. it's a G4 Quicksilver (i believe) and it only has 512mb of ram, and a 40gb hdd and it's running Tiger OSX....but, i am pretty sure that it would handle the recording side of things, and i'll just do the editing on my VAIO laptop. anyways, to the meat of this post.

i am not really sure exactly what software i am supposed to download off the MOTU site, because there is 3 or 4 different downloads to choose from (as far as drivers go). i am not sure how to go about installing them and/or uninstalling them. i downloaded the first one on the list, and this was the first thing i did with this computer before even just checking it out and getting a feel for a mac etc etc, after i did that, i plugged in my Traveler, and i am getting nothing. i don't know how you go about installing hardware like you can on a PC, and i'm assuming that if i had installed the drivers right and all, then it should have recognized the Traveler right off the bat, but i got nothing. i do realize that there is a possibility that maybe the built in firewire is bad, possibly, but i have nothing else to plug into it to see, all i have is a video camera that uses a 4-pin.

any walk-throughs would be excellent. as i'm completely and totally a Mac virgin, and i need to get this Traveler running, or i'm getting rid of it. thanks in advance to whomever can help.

[echohaus]

First of all, go to the little apple in the upper left hand corner, click on it to get a drop down menu, and select "About this Mac"; a window will pop up telling you what OSX version you're using. On the Quicksilver, I'd say you probably shouldn't go any higher than Panther, version 10.3.9. Once you have that established, you can find the appropriate drivers at MOTU for your unit. If you stay on Panther 3.9, you won't be able to go any higher than DP 5.01. If you did want to go higher than Panther 3.9, you'll be into Tiger--the highest version of TIger is 10.4.11--which has minimum processor speed requirements; you can find these at Apple.com->Support->Specifications. Or, this link, for your machine.
Just as important, if not moreso, is GET MORE RAM. 512 will NOT accommodate a smooth-running OS and DP. Also, get a bigger HD for it...no smaller than 80 for the OS hard drive. There's a program called Carbon Copy Cloner--free--that you can use to copy your existing OS to the new drive. If there's nothing on the current HD that you want, then get the new drive and do a fresh install of OSX on the new drive. You can find Panther or TIger on eBay for less.
Get a second hard drive for the internal buss, to record on. You do NOT want to try and use one HD for OS, application, AND audio recording.

There's going to be some work involved, getting this machine up and running--same as any computer--but once you get it there, the sailing should be smooth.

If the video camera works on the Firewire ports, then the ports aren't bad.

[whentomorrowfails]

it's a 466mhz PowerPc G4 running OS X Version 10.4.11

and for another, i'm not new to audio recording on a computer, in fact i've been around it for pretty much my entire life (i'm 26) my dad started doing MIDI stuff way back in the day. i know a thing or two about computer based recording, just not with a Mac.

and another thing, it states in my manual for the MOTU Traveler, that the minimum requirements are as follows:
*A G3/300MHz Power Macintosh or faster equipped with at least on FireWire port

*At least 256MB (megabytes) r RAM (512 MB or more is recommended)

*Mac OS X (version 10.2 or later)

*A large hard drive (preferably at least 20 GB) <<<<----- i find this one funny considering i have to terabytes in externals for my laptop.

but that is what it says.

i am well aware of ram, and it'll happen, but it will only hold 1.5GB anyways. not only that, but i stated that this machine (at the moment) is only going to be used for the recording process, not any sort of audio editing. basically once the takes are good, they'll be dumped onto a DVD and taken over to my laptop where i'll put them Vegas Pro & Sound Forge.

i'm just not sure about how it's installing the software, and why the MOTU isn't be recognized at all. i'm used to being able to get into things in windows is all.

thank you for the response though!

[cuttime]

Does the Traveler power up? (LCD's light up)
If not , make sure the proper power supply is configured (switch on right side of unit).

Go to your applications folder and open MOTU Audio setup. Check the preference to launch on power-up. Select your default ins and outs.

Open Audio MIDI setup. Does the Traveler appear as a device option? If so, select it as default input and output devices.

If any of this helps, make sure you have the 1.4.9 FW drivers available off the MOTU website.

Let us know how this works.

[toofar]

RAM for that machine is cheap. Fill it up! This will have a lot to do with your limitations. The OS itself is using gobs of your existing memory.

Bill

[echohaus]

it's a 466mhz PowerPc G4 running OS X Version 10.4.11

Frankly, I'm surprised it's running 10.4.11. I didn't think the OS would work on that old of a processor.

and for another, i'm not new to audio recording on a computer,

I wouldn't know this, now, would I? You asked for Mac help, I gave it. I have to cover all bases.

in fact i've been around it for pretty much my entire life (i'm 26) my dad started doing MIDI stuff way back in the day. i know a thing or two about computer based recording, just not with a Mac.

Being that I see you're from Indiana, and I am an Indy native, and I'm probably about your Dad's age, there's a fairly good chance I know--or was acquainted with--your Dad. I'm sure we traveled in some of the same circles

and another thing, it states in my manual for the MOTU Traveler, that the minimum requirements are as follows:
*A G3/300MHz Power Macintosh or faster equipped with at least on FireWire port

*At least 256MB (megabytes) r RAM (512 MB or more is recommended)

*Mac OS X (version 10.2 or later)

*A large hard drive (preferably at least 20 GB)

The specs I pointed you to were in regards to OS X versus the processor. Nothing to do with the Traveler.

i am well aware of ram, and it'll happen, but it will only hold 1.5GB anyways.

My desktop only holds two, and I have 1.75 in it. Lots of tracks.

not only that, but i stated that this machine (at the moment) is only going to be used for the recording process, not any sort of audio editing.

Okay. Needn't be testy about it.
Besides, when setting up a computer for audio, always plan for more than you think you're going to do.

i'm just not sure about how it's installing the software, and why the MOTU isn't be recognized at all. i'm used to being able to get into things in windows is all.

Well, Apple OS will, in 99% of the cases, tell you where it's going to install, and sometimes--depending on the coding from the software manufacturer--give you the option to change that. Most likely, it has installed things in your Applications folder, accessible from the Finder window, column on the left. Generally, everything you need to use MOTU stuff is in the Applications folder. Make sure you download the MOTU Universal Audio Installer, and select both the Firewire and PCI options (might as well, you may grow into them). Find them on this page. Also, download the Traveler Firmware update 1.07, and the Firewire Drivers and Consoles, at the bottom of the page.

thank you for the response though!

sure.

[whentomorrowfails]

i'm pretty certain that the firewire ports on the mac i just bought are bad. it didn't recognize ANYTHING i plugged into it. not the MOTU, my video camera, or my laptop. it didn't even flicker or anything like it was trying to do something.

so i'm going to get a pci card i guess.

thanks for the help guys.

[Nigel Keay]

Try powering up the traveler first using using the external power pack (not the firewire buspower), then turn on the computer. It's in the traveler manual to do it in this order, and I think it's important - I've been having traveler recognition problems but seems to have resolved itself by following this powerup order. I'm told it applies to other firewire peripherals too, although Traveler is the only one I have.

[Dave Bourke]

The Mac polls all its buses at startup. That's why I always turn everything else on first, then fire up the computer.

Kind regards.

[whentomorrowfails]

okay, so apparently there's a special thing i have to do to get it to recognize my video camera (which in my opinion is kind of stupid, but whatever), in any case, my video camera is now recognized with my mac, via the built-in firewire ports, but still no luck with my Traveler.

also, in brainstorming for things that could be wrong, i have thought about the firmware for the Traveler itself. i know that on motu.com there's a mac and a windows section, they both have v1.7 firmware updates, is there a difference between them? is it necessary to rid the traveler of its firmware and start from scratch or is it universal between the two of them?

the other thing i have found in playing around:
i was told to reset everything to the default factory settings which i have done, and now i think there is some kind of communication between the two, but i'm not sure to what extent. and here's why:

if the computer is already on, and my firewire is plugged into the left firewire jack (looking at it from the back) and then i turn the MOTU on, it gets stuck on a screen that says "Initializing Setup Data". the moment i unplug the MOTU, it goes to its normal screen like everything is fine. i plug it back it and the screen freezes (in other words i can't navigate anywhere, or move the cursor or anything), and the light on the right-hand side next to "48" blinks.

so, i think, somewhere, they're communicating, i just don't know to what extent, for all i know i don't have the drivers installed right, Macs are so different from Windows i don't know how to look it up to see if they're installed right. however i do know a couple of things that are fishy:
1: on my laptop (since i couldn't get it to work on there either) whenever i opened up "cuemix" it wouldn't ever open, but it would always give me a message like "no MOTU device found" or something to that effect. and on here, i don't get that, in fact a window for it doesn't open up at all, the bar up at the top shows up, but no window of any kind. is that weird?
2: it the MOTU has never shown up in the sounds panel of my "system preferences" i am assuming that it should, am i right?

can someone walk me through this step by step? i need to first uninstall all the motu stuff on here (which i don't know how to uninstall drivers and such on a mac) do i just take them to the trash can? i need to start from scratch!!! and i need a complete walk-through, because i've followed the book, and it's what got me to where i am now.

[sbarkley]

I have been wrestling with this also. It does not matter whether the Traveler is bus powered or line powered. What seems to matter is which Firewire port you plug into on the back of the Traveler. Try using the port on the Right (as you face the back of the unit). If I use that one, everything works just fine, whether bus powered or line powered, powering up the MOTU after powering up the computer, etc. If I use the Firewire port on the Left, nothing works and the unit just hangs.

Let me know if you have a similar experience. I have gotten no help with this issue from MOTU, so I think we are pretty much alone in the wilderness out here, but right now, if I use the Right FW port, everything works ok.

[Nigel Keay]

After I made previous post on Nov.14 I had a series of piano recitals to record Nov 17, 18 & 19. First night Traveler was recognized immediately after turning it on first. Great, I thought, it finally works, just have to turn on Traveler first. Second night no recognition, so I tried the other port on traveler, turning the cable around etc. etc. It briefly recognized then quit after about 3 seconds. Kept trying starting up in different order, finally 30 seconds before recital began traveler stayed recognized.

Phoned MOTU tech support and got through second try. Their suggestion was to try a different firewire cable. I'd only ever tried using the cable supplied with traveler when bought new, as this was my first firewire device. So I went and bought a new Belkin firewire cable from local computer store; the plug fits much more firmly into the socket and the cable itself is more flexible, as if the plug on the cable supplied by MOTU was made slightly too small for the socket, their cable was also very rigid. Since buying this new Belkin firewire cable recognition has been 100%. Hard to believe that MOTU could supply a faulty cable with such an interface but seems to have been the case here.

[XSKY]

dito that... Just picked up the mk3 and the firewire cable was quite faulty...Used an old mac one and it recognized in a heartbeat.. Cant believe MOTU has this problem

[mr_me]

I presume you have confirmed the Traveller is a good one by trying it on your laptop, or another computer at least? My friend had 2 dodgy ones, the third has been rock solid - recognized every time first time. The firewire on those old G4's does sometimes blow as well. I've cursed my 828 Mk 1 many times, but it's always been the ports on the Mac stopping it from working, just because they work with other devices does not mean they are good.

[dogsbloodrising]

if the computer is already on, and my firewire is plugged into the left firewire jack (looking at it from the back) and then i turn the MOTU on, it gets stuck on a screen that says "Initializing Setup Data". the moment i unplug the MOTU, it goes to its normal screen like everything is fine. i plug it back it and the screen freezes (in other words i can't navigate anywhere, or move the cursor or anything), and the light on the right-hand side next to "48" blinks.

I am suddenly having this same problem... Did you ever find a work around? have done at least 100 resets to sytem defaults.