The Hobbit Surrenders

[Frodo]

Many of you know that I've been dealing with numerous shared issues with DP 5.11 and 5.12, as well as other issues seemingly unique to various versions of OSX on my MacPro 3G.

As of today I had no choice but to painfully conclude that the incessant kernel panics and DP crashes have gotten the best of me as my project deadlines and creative enthusiasm have been compromised and stifled. I've had symptoms of various degrees of seriousness since the end of March, and several MOTU tech reports since July remain hopelessly unresolved.

I have spent thou$and$ on new hardware and peripherals in an effort to resolve my problems, but system failures have about done me in. My creative energy and motivation have been completely sapped because of it.

It may be temporary or it may be decidedly indefinite, but I regret that I must set aside the MacPro and DP at this time. I've bumped my head on these issues on both the G5 and the MacPro for the duration of two summers, and I just can not continue in this manner.

I know not everyone is going through what I'm going through. To this extent, I'm at a complete loss for words.

So many of you have been SO helpful and courteous, and I thank you sincerely for the support and advice you've so generously offered over the months and years.

You folks are the best, and I wish you all every imaginable success.

"I've seen the Promised Land, but I may not get there with you..."

If I should be scarce around here, it's only because I've toddled off to Mordor to toss my Ring into the volcano.

A very special thanks to James for keeping this place alive!

Kindest regards,
Frodo

[Shooshie]

I am so, so sorry.

I'm not going to repeat here what I've sent to you in private, but suffice to say that I've been feeling your pain and wondering how long you can keep enduring the hardship that these bugs have been inflicting on you.

I can't imagine this place without you. You've been absolutely the best and most supportive friend a person can have, and you do that for everyone in this forum, unconditionally. You're an inspiration to us all, Frodo. There just isn't anyone who can fill your shoes.

I've got one more idea, and I'm going to communicate it to you in private.

You're the champ, my friend!


Shooshie

[buzzsmith]

Man, I wish I could help!

I look forward to the very informative posts that you and Shooshie (and others) contribute so regularly.

Frodo, I've been following your trials but not every detail...

From the "mouths of babes"...

Is it at all conceivable that maybe the actual MacPro machine that you have is defective?

Just a Sunday AM thought.

My best...

Buzz

[wheever]

Wait....what?

Dude, this isn't April 1st!

I don't think I knew you were having such trouble with your rig.

I'm guessing--given your overweaning knowledge of all things Mac/DP--That you've covered every conceivable troubleshooting base. So I probably have nought else to offer.

I'm sorry, dear hobbit. We'll miss you.

[Frodo]

Hey Wheev':

I'm not totally gone. I'll just be without a DAW for a while and will be scarce, partly due to embarrassment and partly due to the need to just get my work done somehow without the daily crashes troubleshooting routines.

Some days I can work for 12 hours straight. Other days, it might be 3 hours, and other days it might in 30-minute intervals between reinstalls and running utilities. I may have a couple of really good days and then I log on with all the optimism in the world, only to go through the same ordeal before the day is over. It's embarrassing, and I have no right to help others when I can't even help myself.

I'll peek in from time to time-- and if I ever get this debacle sorted out, I'll be back as before.

Thing is, if I find another solution that will work for me, who knows what that will mean if it happens not to involve DP or the Mac. For the moment, my current project will have to be completed without either.

I'm not considering any more hardware or software, and if anyone mentions anything akin to Digi, Digital, X, XP, PC, Pro, or the like, I think I'll just croak. There is no "reason" or "logic" to any of this (puns intended).

Scoring for live orchestra--- it's back to pencil and paper until a late date TBD.

Cheers!

[auptown]

My deepest regrets to you Frodo. I am one of many, many, DP users who owe you a lot, maybe even the fact that I am still a DP user. I think it was just yesterday that I saw you reply to a newbie about some typical start-up issues, and you did it with the enthusiasm and helpfulness that has characterized all of your posts as long as I have been on this forum.

You will be deeply missed here. I feel like this forum has always been unique in the respect and kindness that is (usually!!) shown, and I know that James has been great about enforcing this, but I would say that you, Frodo, have really been the heart of this forum.

The scary thing is, if things have gotten so flaky that you, one of the giants of the DP world, are forced over to Digi or Logic or Cubase or wherever you are headed, what does that say about MOTU and DP? I have been afraid of something like this, because it seems like MOTU keeps adding features and making changes, but not addressing the core issues of stability and speed.

I hope that MOTU sees this as a Code Red situation, and puts a freeze on all feature development and concentrates ONLY on bug fixes. It seems like there are plenty of known issues, and until those are corrected and we have a 100% solid and reliable platform, they should not add one single bell or whistle. It can be done, and I know that MOTU can do this if they make it a priority.

Frodo, I wish you all the best, you deserve it and have built up such a huge balance in your karma bank that you will no doubt have it!

And I feel sorry for Mordor, once you set foot in it!!

[monkey man]

Playing guinea pig. Pushing boundaries.
Monkey often warned you against playing this hard for too long.
You know it was tech trouble that finally (after maybe 20 years!) broke my spirit and enthusiasm years ago, don't you Fwoggy?
I know, I know... you had to try it.
It's probably about time you took a break from playing beta tester anyway; I'm impressed you lasted as long as you did!

You'll be back. We'll see you around here anyway, I'm sure.
Like attracts like, and like, well, we're all alike around here.

I'll be PMming your ass to make sure you're not lost to the ether.
We all need you, and I suspect you need us!
Enjoy the break from over-the-top geekdom, PwopellorHead Hobby.
Don't forget to pop in and say hi, lest we stray too far from the quest.

Dang. Can't believe I wrote that stuff - I hope I didn't sound too patronising.
Too many shocks lately for the apester.
Oh, Fwoggy!

[cuttime]

I'm at a complete loss for words.

[emulatorloo]

no choice but to painfully conclude. . .creative enthusiasm have been compromised and stifled.

Keep your head up, my friend. Technology be damned, you are who you are, your creativity shines thru no matter what.

I wish I there with you, I would rip your machine apart until we had it fixed.

ALL THE BEST -- please take care of yourself.

--

[monkey man]

"Never give up, never surrender." - Fwoggy B. Foote

[leigh]

Scoring for live orchestra--- it's back to pencil and paper until a late date TBD.

I sympathize with your situation, having been through something similar before. (I still experience it periodically with Finale, but that's another forum!)

If you really are going back to paper and and pencil, I highly recommend the Magic Writer pencil from Pacific Music Papers (818) 343-4223. My comp teacher gave me one and I was hooked!

Good luck and don't stay away too long, Frodo!

**Leigh

[zed]

I am very unhappy to read what I am reading.

This is bad, bad news. Things like this can really break a person. But I'm not sure that surrender is the best option... and yet, this whole life seems to be about learning to surrender and to accept the hand that you are dealt.

In 2005 I went through something quite similar, with kernal panics galore, and nothing working the way it should. And everytime things seemed to get better, and I became excited to work on something again, something else would go wrong. You sit in front of your computer screaming, crying and ripping your hair out. Meanwhile, the people in your life are developing opinions about the fact that you can't meet your deadlines... and yet it seems beyond your control. Everybody assumes that you must be doing something wrong, rather than seeing that you may be victim of circumstance.

I have spent thou$and$ on new hardware and peripherals in an effort to resolve my problems, but system failures have about done me in. My creative energy and motivation have been completely sapped because of it.

To this day, Mr Frodo, I have never fully regained my enthusiasm. And my creative momentum has suffered. Occasionally the same pattern recurs, with things going wrong right at the moment when I have forgotten about the torments of the past and am excited about working again. And then I'm dragged down again. It's so maddening.

I don't why this happens. My assumption has always been that it is the universe/spirit/god/love (whatever name you choose) is trying to guide me along a path, or just making the road more rough so the reward will be greater. I really don't know. Maybe trying to get me to stop spending so much time recording tracks solo, and instead seek out a working relationship with other musicians. Or maybe it is to get me away from using MIDI as a crutch? I am still trying to figure out why there seems to be such resistance, when I am a good person working on a good spirited music.

You are also a good person. Everyone in this forum knows how generous you are with your advice and your time. So why should you deserve this kind of hardship? It is so $#^&* hard to understand why things are sometimes this way. Sometimes even harder to accept, and yet things can become much simpler when you do.

Surrender is something we all must do... but surrender is not the same as giving up. Hopefully taking some time to regroup and reconsider your situation will ultimately put you onto the path you are supposed to be one. We all hope it brings you back here, at least some of the time.

Is it at all conceivable that maybe the actual MacPro machine that you have is defective?

I wonder the same thing. My disaster of 2005 was resolved with the purchase of a new Mac. Of course the old one was slower, but it also had something really messed up inside. It is VERY possible that some little element in your MacPro is causing all these issues. Why not somehow get another MacPro and test it for a couple of weeks... Apple will surely either help you out with this or give you a refund on the other.

"I've seen the Promised Land, but I may not get there with you..."

Don't kid yourself. You're getting there with us. You can surrender for the moment... but you're gonna get there if we have to drag you by your hobbit toes.

[Frodo]

I'm at a complete loss for words.

LOL!! Point well taken, cuttime.

... and on that note....:

The scary thing is, if things have gotten so flaky that you, one of the giants of the DP world, are forced over to Digi or Logic or Cubase or wherever you are headed, what does that say about MOTU and DP? I have been afraid of something like this, because it seems like MOTU keeps adding features and making changes, but not addressing the core issues of stability and speed.

Aupie-- your words are most kind and deeply touching. I drool when I read your sig-- which itself is a source of encouragement. I know there's something stupid going on somewhere under the hood, but I've just run out of hours to troubleshoot it at this point.

For that reason, I don't want my plight to discourage anyone-- at least not too much. Just watch your backs and stay vigiliant.

I would hope that my reports to MOTU have been helpful to them in some way, but we all know that certain issues must be widespread before anything gets done. As Frodo says in the movie-- "I must go to Mordor alone". He did that out of respect for the other members of his Fellowship.

Same in my case: I don't want to come here to grump about my system. I'd much rather spare everyone that annoyance. It's just so hard to even try to help someone else when I can't confirm tips and tricks with half the confidence I once had. I mean, these are the basics! I'm not even doing anything cutting edge. I'm just entering MIDI notes to port over to Finale.

That will change. It will get fixed. There will be no PT (definitely). There will be no Cubase (been there, done that). I have Logic but lack all desire and time to bend to its will.

It all has me wondering: what *would* I do if DP were no more? What DAW would replace it? I have no answer right now. I don't even like the question!!

..I'll be PMming your ass to make sure you're not lost to the ether.
We all need you, and I suspect you need us!
Enjoy the break from over-the-top geekdom, PwopellorHead Hobby.
Don't forget to pop in and say hi, lest we stray too far from the quest.

Hey Nicky-- as long as you're still flinging your poo in good form, I couldn't stay away for long without putting in a grin here and there.

Nope-- this is not about giving up. It's about changing strategies. One battle was lost, but the war is far from over.

...I wish I there with you, I would rip your machine apart until we had it fixed.

You know what, 'loo? I believe you, and I thank you for that! You're the best, man-- and on one of my trips to Iowa, I'm going to swing up your way just to shake your hand.

...If you really are going back to paper and and pencil, I highly recommend the Magic Writer pencil from Pacific Music Papers

They're just over in Reseda! So many people have recommended the Magic Writer-- and I'll be headed in that general direction soon to stock up on paper for printing over at Kelley's.

In the mean time-- here's my writing tool of choice! No RAM required!

[kelldammit]

In the mean time-- here's my writing tool of choice! No RAM required!

well, if you have issues with that method, i'll pass along perhaps the most wise troubleshooting tidbit i've ever heard:
"don't force it, just get a bigger hammer."


it is seriously disheartening to hear that the current round of nastiness has brought you so far down. like some others, i'm suspecting the machine itself at this point...but in the meantime, at least you DO have a fallback.
like everyone else, i've enjoyed reading your thoughtful, informative, good natured and enthusiastic posts since my arrival here. i'm not worried about you leaving us completely, because you know how threads here take on a life of their own (how many pages of the legendary "you're right"?!). i'm sure we'll be seeing you in some ridiculously long thread that has gone hopelessly OT...monkey poo a-flyin'!
when you're ready for the next round of frodo vs technology, you have many friends here, and i feel i can safely speak for all of us when i say that any of us would be happy to help out in any way possible...so please don't hesitate to ask!
in the meantime, do what you need to do...god's speed.

kell

[Phil O]

Sorry to hear this, Mr. Frodo. Have you tried more Ram? Kidding, just kidding!

Well I hope you won't make yourself too scarce around these parts and I hope all goes well with your project. I'm embarking on a huge project myself and I'm hoping that I'm not getting in over my head as I watch the calendar, so I understand the frustration you must be going through. Good luck, my long distance friend and keep your pencils sharp.

Phil

ps Pink Pearl eraser. No other will do.