Re: OT: gadget Labs

[Phaedebk@aol.com]

Hola, Luis,

    Mucho gusto!  They have some pretty happening equipment, especially if 
you're big into the Windows environment and like me, like to run multiple 
OS' 
or variations of an OS.  Found that NT4.0 was the best bet vs. '98, 
haven't 
tried it out on 2000.  With the Gadget Labs equipment, you do have to 
watch 
out if you plan on going from the computer to an ADAT or series of ADAT's 
as 
each ADAT is gonna chew up 8 of your output tracks.  (The MOTU doesn't 
treat 
the ADAT as another interface, thankfully, however, the software portion 
isn't quite as happening.)  

    I, also don't own one, as I went with MOTU (8 track beastie) and in 
some 
cases I've slightly regretted the decision as I'm locked to using Windows 
98, 
only.  Now, the one thing I've heard constantly is that they've been 
having 
problems with the hardware aspect of their card, mostly not fitting into 
the 
PCI slot or the distance between PCI slot and the back plate not being the 
proper length (this is frequently a very minor issue involving just a 
small 
bit of bending of the back plate of a card).  
    Also been hearing issues that are definitely Windows 98 related (need 
to 
totally blow away the box if an attempt with the initial release of 
Windows 
98 was used, otherwise the card won't EVER install).  Also the OSR 
releases 
of an OS seemed to take care of the issues concerning system lockups with 
Windows 98, too.
    Service Pack 5 for whatever reason (should really only affect a 
system's 
NIC's, and RAS, but you know...) seems to have fixed one of the issues 
with 
NT, concerning the card disappearing from time to time and if you were 
really 
hitting it with too much information at one go (i.e., burying the signal 
levels in the maximums) then you got a pleasant bsod.  Which was fixed by 
rebooting and cleaning out *.tmp and *.dmp files pretty quickly and then 
shutting down, and then powering up, again.

    One thing that helps out with all of these products is to keep 
everything 
SCSI, keep multiple HDD's (one of which should be the recording media, and 
the second should be editing media, outside of any drives for OS and 
applications).  Also keep the drives spotlessly clean (lots of defrags and 
chkdsk's or scandisks) and all of the same type/manufacturer, is a majour 
help.  

    Anywho hope this helps out a touch, 'tis time to go to work...

    Tap on, loop extended, gliss out,


        LeeohkinoWired.