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Pro Tools 5.1 / Digidesign 888 24-bit Interface Help

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raoulduke

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I'm a total novice with both this hardware and software and I found the Digidesign manual really unhelpful. I found suggestions in the Pro Tools 5.0.1 manual that the device should be turned on before the computer. But every time I turn my computer (Power Macintosh 9600/300) on with the device on and attached, it stalls the SCSI bus. The hard drive powers on normally and then the cursor just sits indefinitely over the gray checkered screen (the cursory is not frozen).

The machine (which was designed as a Pro Tools rig in 97) has a second SCSI card with (I think) 2 VHDCI-68pin interfaces. I only have one cable to that interface, which goes to a regular HD68 connector. (That was just to be descriptive.) Attaching the device to that bus (which I think the DigiTest application suggested might be required) stalled the bus. I also attached it to the standard DB25 second Apple SCSI bus and get exactly the same result. Both buses work fine. I tested a CD drive on the VHDCI68 bus, and it worked. So maybe I have the device configured wrong (though I don't know how to do that without the computer being booted - is there a config disk?)?

[Also that second config was running through (what I'm virtually certain is; I think I actually bought it at some point) a centronics passive terminator.]
 
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Am I using the terminology imprecisely? It's a pass-through terminator (i.e., http://thumbs4.picclick.com/d/l400/...Pin-CN50M-CN50F-Pass-Thru-SCSI-Terminator.jpg) but it's only single-ended; could that be an issue? Maybe I should consider (next) running it through something. I think that CD drive I got has HPDB50 connectors, so I can run from the secondary bus to it and then directly to the 888 device; or if that doesn't have termination I can rig up an intermediary that does.

But if that's not what you were getting at, KC9UDX, let me know.
 
raoulduke said:
I'm a total novice with both this hardware and software and I found the Digidesign manual really unhelpful. I found suggestions in the Pro Tools 5.0.1 manual that the device should be turned on before the computer. But every time I turn my computer (Power Macintosh 9600/300) on with the device on and attached, it stalls the SCSI bus. The hard drive powers on normally and then the cursor just sits indefinitely over the gray checkered screen (the cursory is not frozen).

The machine (which was designed as a Pro Tools rig in 97) has a second SCSI card with (I think) 2 VHDCI-68pin interfaces. I only have one cable to that interface, which goes to a regular HD68 connector. (That was just to be descriptive.) Attaching the device to that bus (which I think the DigiTest application suggested might be required) stalled the bus. I also attached it to the standard DB25 second Apple SCSI bus and get exactly the same result. Both buses work fine. I tested a CD drive on the VHDCI68 bus, and it worked. So maybe I have the device configured wrong (though I don't know how to do that without the computer being booted - is there a config disk?)?

[Also that second config was running through (what I'm virtually certain is; I think I actually bought it at some point) a centronics passive terminator.]
Click to expand...

um... are you SURE that is a SCSI connector on the 888? Digi used the same connector to connect outboard boxes to their nubus cards, and it ISN'T SCSI
 
That does not look like a terminator to me. There's no such thing (or at least shouldn't be) as a pass-through terminator. A terminator needs to be at the end of the bus. Specifically, for SCSI, you should have one at each end.

This is an active terminator:
30n3-05510_06.jpg


What you have looks like a simple gender changer.

Keep your bus simple. Two devices; the computer and the drive, for now. Both of those things should have built-in termination, which you'll need to make sure is enabled.

If not, it would be best to obtain a couple of active terminators. In my opinion, if you're going to be working with SCSI, you should have an assortment of them anyway.
 
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(No. It is. The one you posted *is an active terminator. The pass-through is a passive terminator...)

lol. Al it looks like you're right. I got both machine and interface from the same person (he gave me the interface on top, so I just assumed the machine was still prepped for it). It looks like up to three PCI cards may be missing from the original config. The manual (http://akarchive.digidesign.com/support/docs/888_24_IO_Guide.pdf) says this:

"5. 50-pin Interface Connector
This 50-pin Computer connector is used to
connect the 888/24 I/O to a MIX card, d24
audio card, Disk I/O card, or a DSP Farm
card. The necessary cable is supplied with
your Audio Interface. If you plan to connect
two 888/24 I/O Interfaces to a MIX
card or d24 card, a 16-channel peripheral
cable adapter is necessary. (This cable is
available from your Digidesign dealer.)"

So that suggests that the original card was removed, unfortunately, and that the interface cannot run on the SCSI bus - hence the stalling. And it looks like these cards are still way too expensive for this to be worth it to me just to screw around.
 
raoulduke said:
(No. It is. The one you posted *is an active terminator. The pass-through is a passive terminator...)
Click to expand...

The only terminator that I know of with two connections is for connecting buses with dissimilar widths. I'm positive that if you cut open what you have that there are no terminating resistors inside. It wouldn't make sense to manufacture a terminator that would go in between two devices.

I can't find a picture of a passive terminator, but I assure you they only have one connector; they are just generally smaller than the active ones.
 
I wonder if products like that are part of the reason so many people have inexplicable grief with SCSI termination.
 
My take is that you've got a device with a single CEN50 connector that has no internal termination and you want to terminate the SCSI bus--so this is sort of a Y-connector with one leg going to the device and the other to an internal terminator. Not great, but it's probably SCSI-2 at best and fills a need.
 
Lol. I don't think so. Yes Chuck, you're right. But I'm not sure use of such a terminator has ever made a difference.
 
DIGIDESIGN/AVID 888 BOXES ARE NOT SCSI! **DO NOT ATTACH THEM TO A SCSI BUS AS IT MAY BLOW THE 888's BUFFERS OR THE SCSI CONTROLLER**
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

As you've seen yes there is a NuBus or PCI card that by chance uses the same HD50 connector commonly used with SCSI.
The NuBus cards are quite plentiful as they were used with a variety of I/O interfaces and if you are not seeing them in the $25-$35 range for the bare board without the SCSI or DSP farm attachments then you're being taken for a ride. The 888 and related hardware has been phased out of professional audio use for over a decade and most refer to it as "powerful for the 90's, but extremely crude compared to modern alternatives." Nobody serious uses them anymore.

I have parts of a full-blown 24-channel ProTools setup that uses the NuBus cards and 888 boxes however at some point the NuBus expansion cabinet was separated from the host card I have and most of the DSP farm went missing, so I only have enough parts right now to make eight channels work with hardware DSP acceleration.
 
I got the 9600 for free along with the 888 from the original owner. I feel like he was the one who if not told me strongly implied it ran though the SCSI bus - but he hadn't used it in 15 years. I say free because I agree I'm not paying more than a pittance for a card. I may have found one.
 
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