A: Jam sometimes requires a "Patcher" that will allow it to recognize a CDR. On the Jam 2.5 Install CD-ROM, there is a folder that is labeled "Plextor and Yamaha Patches." Here you will find somes patches that might drive your unit. Just drag the contents of this folder into the Jam Folder that was installed on your Mac hard drive. The next time you launch Jam, your CDR should be found by the application. If not, you can find the most recent patches at "www.adaptec.com" for free downloading.

Q: What kind of SCSI card can I use with Pro Tools 5.0 and my new Mac G4? I'm only going to use it with my CD burner, not with external hard drives, so I won't be using it with Pro Tools.

A: For all G4s (both PCI and AGP Graphics), there is only one SCSI / Accelerator card approved: ATTO Express PCI SCSI accelerator EPCI-DC (ExpressPCI Dual Channel Ultra/WIDE HBA), with the following requirements: Firmware v1.4.4 f1, ExpressPro-Tools v2.x.x. Sync Rate must be set to 20 (10), ATTO ExpressPro-Tools System Init must be removed from the Extensions folder. ATTO files mentioned above are available at "http://www. attotech.com/software/ ".

We have found that when a different SCSI card is installed in G4/PT system and even when Pro Tools is not "using" that card (or a hard drive connected to it), that a number of problems arise. Most commonly, users get DAE errors -6042 and -6045 and playback or recording is interrupted. In some cases, this happens every time you try to play. Sometimes this only happens while bouncing to disk. Removing or replacing the problem SCSI card with the appropriate card will fix this problem.

Moral of the story? Don't put any SCSI card into a G4 with ProTools except for the specified ATTO card.

Q: I just got a notice that there is a major upgrade for my software. This is the second time it's been upgraded. I always seem to lose a few days installing and troubleshooting whenever I get one of these upgrades. Isn't there an easier way?

A: In general, the largest amount of frustration that we see customers face in Product Support is software upgrades. These often seem to be at the root of many problems we face: Either one is desperately needed or someone released one too soon.

A rule of thumb: When using a computer or other piece of equipment in your studio, (regardless of the platform Mac / PC or even stand-alone software like ADATs and DA88s), we make sure that all of the systems are running the absolute latest (yet most stable and compatible) revision they can. On a computer, we may give a new OS, like say a Windows or Mac OS, at least a few months before we upgrade because the first revision (i.e. OS 8.0 or Windows 98a) always has a few bugs that have to be removed. So typically we suggest giving them at least one revision (which usually happens within two to three months of a release date as in the case of MacOS 8.1 or Windows 98b) to fix the initial problems. Subsequently, one or two more may happen to fine tune the OS.

With stand-alone decks and instruments / modules, we usually suggest a similar approach. We check the manufacturers "Download" and "Tech" pages for the latest stable revision and will put it in all of the decks of that model via SysEx or a floppy download. Periodically, companies like Alesis and TASCAM will post two or three revisions within a week's time. We recommend you put the newest one in as long as you are not in the middle of a project. The worst time to do any upgrades is when you are halfway through a session, project, or a tour. If an item is stable and doing the job, wait until you come to a point where you can dedicate a few days off to take on such a task. Because if you don't and you decide to update in the midst of a session, you could crash your rig, or worse yet, have something happen that will cause you to loose material due to corruption.

As far as updates to software applications, we suggest you use an approach similar to the OS of a computer. A) Do this at a scheduled maintenence time and not during a session. B) Give a brand new version a little bit of time to hit the market before running out and putting it in your computer, especially one that is a "something point zero version" (i.e. 2.0), because we can almost guarantee that at least one revision will occur. C) Once you do upgrade, keep an eye out for every revision in the numerical series to ensure that you have the most stable and bug-free version. D) Always check the spec and compatibility before "just upgrading" because some computers, due to their speed and performance, are not always able to handle the most recent version of an application. At that point, a computer upgrade may be required to continue upgrading certain software.

Note: Manufacturers will keep you current as long as you are registered and take the time to check their respective Web pages for upgrades (often free), so take advantage of this. Having said all this, there are some companies out there that won't release any software until they are absolutely positive there are no major flaws in it (or even minor ones). When in doubt, please give us a call and we can tell you whether or not a specific upgrade has been stable or "buggy." We're always glad to pass along important information like this.