Monday, February 15, 2010

Chunk from Goonies...

knows more about computers than I do.

So I spent roughly $2,500 on recording equipment 2 weeks ago. The bulk of it arrived last week. The main components are a Digidesign Digi 003 Rack Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) featuring Pro Tools LE 8, a Hewlett Packard Pavilion PC with 22" 1080p HD monitor running Windows 7, 2 TB external firewire hard drives, and a Behringer EURORACK UB1202 Mixer.

So, on Friday, I got home early and started getting it all set up. I powered up the computer and installed the monitor driver, the USB wireless network adaptor, and both hard drives. I was now ready to install the Digidesign stuff (or so I thought). Insert install disk. Half an hour later, find out you needed to install QuickTime in order to do anything. System Restore. Install Quick Time. Re-insert PT install disk. Half an hour later, BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). System Recovery. Install monitor driver, USB wireless network adaptor, hard drives, and Quick Time. Look online to find possible solutions to problem. Actual Digidesign site worthless. Find message board that looks somewhat helpful but is poorly organized. Get pissed that you've spent $2500 on something and no one helps you get it working. Partition external firewire hard drive; realize you are in over your head. Insert install disk; BSOD with different error message. System Recovery. Install monitor driver, USB wireless network adaptor, hard drives, and Quick Time. Look online to find possible solutions to problem. Actual Digidesign site worthless. Find message board that looks somewhat helpful but is poorly organized. Get even more pissed that you've spent $2500 on something and no one helps you get it working. Futile attempt to switch firewire port to "Lecacy Mode". It is now Sunday at 9pm. Pick up hammer. Realize you are acting like Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction when he finds out she forgot the watch. Put ad on Craigslist offering to pay someone to set this shit up for you. Go to bed angry.

So that's where this is at. I've got 2 promising emails from people who seem to have the skills to help me. What's another couple of hundred dollars?

2 comments:

Ojo Rojo said...

Man I've been there. The same shit happened to me when I replaced the processor in my computer. I had to call in the cavalry too. It's my complaint against engineers. (BTW - how come nobody hates them as much as other professionals when they're creating just as much misery?) The write these instructions that fall just short of dealing with the reality of the situation. You're there trying to follow the instructions to the tee. Then you find out there's some mundane fucking step they left out of the instructions.

Snake Diggity said...

Exactly.

My real problem is that this company is selling a product to the general public. They probably sell several thousand each year. It would be SO simple for them to have a search engine or pick list where you go on their website and put in your model computer and it tells you if it's compatible and what possible issues you may have; but they don't have that. They don't have anything close to that. What's worse is that their customer service is open 10-4, Mon - Thur. GMAFB.

It's looking like I may be F'ed in my A, because technically Pro Tools does not support Windows 7, although from all reports on the interwebs, you can get it to work. A dude is coming over on Wednesday who knows; hopefully he'll get it done and only charge me a couple hundred dollars. At this point, I'm in too deep to call the whole thing off. I HAVE to get this shit working.

To your point as to why people don't hate engineers, I'd point to personal experiences. I mean, yes, engineers F people, but they do it while working anonymously for a large corporation. They're not like doctors, lawyers, mechanics, tow truck people, or apartment managers, where you have a one on one experience that shines a light on the fact that these people are using their exclusive knowledge to take your money.