Help! Mbox + Laptop w/ WinXP = Ack!

[MikeTEACHR]

Hello!

Long story short; I got an Mbox, new for $300. Woohoo, says I.

My laptop: Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705
1 Gig Ram
60 Gig HD
2.8 GHz
Windows Media Center Edition
No external drive as of now

I install Mbox and Pro Tools LE software. I installed this on a desktop with
less RAM and a smaller HD, and slower processing speed.

Problem: I play back one of the included sample tracks, and I get error
messages; regrarding Hardware Buffer Size. I forget the exact messages, and
will get them if needed, but long story short,

as the song plays it halts; error message comes up, and suggests INCREASING H/W
Buffer Size. I do. theres 256, 512, 1024 and one other lower sample rate.

So I increase to 512; same message

So I increase to 1024 sample; song plays then I get a different error message
saying to DECREASE the Hardware buffer size. It's saying 512 is too little and
1024 is too much.

Any suggestions at all on this? Is it the HD? I heard 7200 rpm is suggested for
MBox/Protools.

My work: Small radio-production type stuff. I don't imagine using more then 4-8
tracks for that work, and my home music has yet to demand more tracks then
that; i'm basically recording synth instrumentals.

Also: CPU Usage Limit? Suggestions? The manual gives the positives and
negatives about increasing and decreasing, but little on when to do which and
why.

LASTLY: Perhaps Mbox/Protools isnt the way to go for my Work, any other
suggestions are most helpful.

Thanx!! in advance. I know these are nebulous questions; but I'm jumping from
Sound forge 6.0 to ProTools, and for me, it's a big jump.

Mike
miketeachr@aol.com

[Jeffrey S. Long]

> My laptop: Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705
> 1 Gig Ram
> 60 Gig HD
> 2.8 GHz
> Windows Media Center Edition
> No external drive as of now
>
> I install Mbox and Pro Tools LE software. I installed this on a desktop with
> less RAM and a smaller HD, and slower processing speed.

So, is the problem with the laptop or the desktop with less RAM,
smaller hard drive, and slower processor? I don't understand what the
desktop has to do with anything. Did it work on the desktop or
something? Drivers up to date?

J

[mbenson]

"MikeTEACHR" <miketeachr@aol.com> wrote


> My laptop: Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705
> 1 Gig Ram
> 60 Gig HD
> 2.8 GHz
> Windows Media Center Edition
> No external drive as of now


That is more than likely a lot of your problem. Laptop internal drives are
SSSLLLOOOWWW. Probably 4200rpm.


> I install Mbox and Pro Tools LE software. I installed this on a desktop
with
> less RAM and a smaller HD, and slower processing speed.


Laptops are configured different than desktops for power conservation
reasons.
Your laptop probably has a mobile processor too, which is not the same as a
desktop
of the same speed.
One thing you might want to do in setting up a different profile(see below)
is turn
off all power saving features. I know on my Sony 1.7ghz , it cuts the
processor
down to around 850mhz.


> Problem: I play back one of the included sample tracks, and I get error
> messages; regrarding Hardware Buffer Size. I forget the exact messages,
and
> will get them if needed, but long story short,
>
> as the song plays it halts; error message comes up, and suggests
INCREASING H/W
> Buffer Size. I do. theres 256, 512, 1024 and one other lower sample rate.
>
> So I increase to 512; same message
>
> So I increase to 1024 sample; song plays then I get a different error
message
> saying to DECREASE the Hardware buffer size. It's saying 512 is too little
and
> 1024 is too much.


It sounds like you are running out of power. There is quite a bit going on
in those demos.


> Any suggestions at all on this? Is it the HD? I heard 7200 rpm is
suggested for
> MBox/Protools.


Get yourself an external firewire drive. They're cheap nowadays.


> My work: Small radio-production type stuff. I don't imagine using more
then 4-8
> tracks for that work, and my home music has yet to demand more tracks then
> that; i'm basically recording synth instrumentals.


I would forget about the demo stuff right now and just try working the way
you work
with what you have. 8 tracks with a few plugins should NOT bog down the
laptop
you have.


> Also: CPU Usage Limit? Suggestions? The manual gives the positives and
> negatives about increasing and decreasing, but little on when to do which
and
> why.


Set the CPU to the maximum(85%). Also, you might want to make a couple of
different profiles. One for everything, and one for audio only. In the audio
only profile,
turn off everything running in the background. When you start ProTools, it
takes over
whatever amount of processor is available. If you have lots of crap running
in the
background, that's less processor you have for ProTools.
You can also go here:

http://www.tascam.com/products/computer_recording/W2k_XP_Optimize.pdf

for some WinXP tweaks that will help you get better perormance.


> LASTLY: Perhaps Mbox/Protools isnt the way to go for my Work, any other
> suggestions are most helpful.


Only you can be the judge of that. I love my little MBox. When I'm on the
road,
it does just what I need it to do.
--
Mitchell Benson
OKC Backup
405.728.7005

[Chris Smalt]

Mike wrote:

> Any suggestions at all on this?


First check the Digidesign web site for updates. The software CD that
comes with the Mbox is pretty old, IME.


Chris

[Philip Perkins]

gottmusik@hotmail.com (Jeffrey S. Long) wrote in message news:<69cd9a1c.0308271306.688600ee@posting.google.com>...
> > My laptop: Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705
> > 1 Gig Ram
> > 60 Gig HD
> > 2.8 GHz
> > Windows Media Center Edition
> > No external drive as of now
> >
> > I install Mbox and Pro Tools LE software. I installed this on a desktop with
> > less RAM and a smaller HD, and slower processing speed.
>
Are you sure that your OS is compatible w/ PTLE? I thought most Digi
stuff wanted WXP.

Philip Perkins

[jd-10]

In article <1e7ce5af.0308271925.11e247ea@posting.google.com>,
philper@jong.com (Philip Perkins) wrote:

> gottmusik@hotmail.com (Jeffrey S. Long) wrote in message
> news:<69cd9a1c.0308271306.688600ee@posting.google.com>...
> > > My laptop: Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705
> > > 1 Gig Ram
> > > 60 Gig HD
> > > 2.8 GHz
> > > Windows Media Center Edition
> > > No external drive as of now
> > >
> > > I install Mbox and Pro Tools LE software. I installed this on a
> > > desktop with less RAM and a smaller HD, and slower processing
> > > speed.

Get a Mac.
--
JD-10