Dont rename your OT folders + other mishaps

Rael · 2013-09-12T15:59:21.000Z

Hi this is a bit long…

Had the OT for over 2 years , intensive use and regular backups

But still able to F%%k everything up now and then

A while back my OT told me i had corrupt files or something like that and wouldnt fully load the project, i managed a workaround by saving the project as a new project “LIVE ERROR”

Since then i’ve 2 projects with the same data, LIVE and LIVE ERROR,
i thought id been working in LIVE ERROR since the mishap

Recently after a creative couple of days, thought id better backup to be safe
And since i had no use for the double projects i deleted LIVE

Fatal error! it turns out id actually been working in the LIVE project and it contained all my new samples that id recorded in,

SO that work was lost, but not everything new that id done

I then had the bright idea to change the name of LIVE ERROR to something else
cos i didnt like seeing the word error

Second error!, by renaming the folder, the OT couldnt find ANY of the samples,
i spent a few minutes re-locating them one by one (luckily the OT tells you which file is missing)

Before I realised that simply changing the project name back to how it was would solve the problem

and voila everything went back to normal

Just thought id share these frustrating experiences, as theres noone else in my world who gets this!

taiganaut · 2013-09-13T00:00:05.000Z

great
thanks

nothing is more frustrating than lose our or day/month of hard working

ChromeDanger · 2013-09-13T01:18:58.000Z

I managed to make my mpc’s cf card unbootable last week with a bad unmount (that’s what sh… nm).

I’m running a program testdisk to try and see if I can recover some stuff. Some of it was sort of backed up as ableton live projects, but I’ve lost a bunch of new stuff.

Anyhoo… that is all to say, I feel your pain, homie!

p.s. if any one out there knows about rebuilding fat 16 boot sectors / rebuilding FAT tables than LMK.

koyl · 2013-09-13T10:58:06.000Z

Great losses made me super paranoid when it comes to lectronic devices of any kind so what I do is:

I save the 3 latest instances of every OT projects on my computer. I always save the latest one at the end of every working session. (It also allow me to try to make big changes in a project without worries: if it sucks, I still have the older versions)
I save the samples inside the projects so it will be included in the backup versions on my laptop.
I subscribed to a online backup service which backup any folder on my laptop I want. I just check it and it willbe save and automatically updated “on the cloud”. So the latest 2 instance of any projects are not only save on my laptop, but also online (in case my laptop crashes, get stolen etc…)

I recently had an issue while plugging the OT on my laptop: the USB connection disctonnected suddenly and made the openned project unusable. I was happy to have a backup of the previous version.

And to prevent this, I now use a new super-paranoid tips:

I created a “Project Transfert”, which is an empty project that I open before connection the OT to my laptop with USB. At least now, if that problem occurs again, I won’t lose anything on a real project.

So yeah: always backup, then backup the backup, then backup the backup of the backup, then backup the backup of th… ;D

Rael · 2013-09-13T11:08:29.000Z

""koyl"":

So yeah: always backup, then backup the backup, then backup the backup of the backup, then backup the backup of th… ;D

Good advice, but requires lots of time and motivation

I think ill stick some backups on my Dropbox, i used to burn CD’s but im really too lazy
especially as a new save is needed at least every week

taiganaut · 2013-09-13T14:55:50.000Z

koyl

I experienced the USB problem with had make the machine to bug and made data errors unusable projet etc
there was the OT DD ejected prematurely and the OT frezzed

listen I found a way to fix that but I DO not know if it works only with mine

THe problem occured when I pluged the USB cable BEFORE switch on the OT

SO now

I switch on the OT and then plug the usb cable, and wire it to computer

no problem at all since

appart that

I had few OT frezzed bugs foolowing reload

these freezes damage the datas on the card

DO a save on an external disc at the end of every session like koyl said

and maybe make copy of samples in the projet

FOR that ?

Are you make the COLLECTING SAMPLES manip ?

ChromeDanger · 2013-09-13T18:50:51.000Z

THe problem occured when I pluged the USB cable BEFORE switch on the OT

SO now

I switch on the OT and then plug the usb cable, and wire it to computer

no problem at all since

Really!? I wonder if its just a coincidence or not. I may have to start doing this, my usb cable is usually always plugged in.

Thanks.

jonah · 2013-09-13T21:14:04.000Z

""ChromeDanger"":

I managed to make my mpc’s cf card unbootable last week with a bad unmount (that’s what sh… nm).

I’m running a program testdisk to try and see if I can recover some stuff. Some of it was sort of backed up as ableton live projects, but I’ve lost a bunch of new stuff.

Anyhoo… that is all to say, I feel your pain, homie!

p.s. if any one out there knows about rebuilding fat 16 boot sectors / rebuilding FAT tables than LMK.

did you try putting it in the octatrack?

ChromeDanger · 2013-09-14T23:22:46.000Z

Actually “testdisk” ended up working, in terms of getting the files I wanted off of it. But thanks for the suggestion!

koyl · 2013-09-20T12:08:41.000Z

[quote=““Rael””]

koyl:

So yeah: always backup, then backup the backup, then backup the backup of the backup, then backup the backup of th… ;D

Good advice, but requires lots of time and motivation

I think ill stick some backups on my Dropbox, i used to burn CD’s but im really too lazy
especially as a new save is needed at least every week[/quote]
Losing hours and hours of work definitely provides the motivation and makes you realize you’re actually saving time when you backup at the end of every sessions.
Dropbox should do it indeed but I don’t think you have to bother with burning CDs of your unfinished projects: this would take too much time and money.

The service I’m using is called “gotabackup” and the big advantage of it is, once you have configured witch folders it backs up, you don’t have to think about it. The only thing you have to do is dropping your projects into the said folders on your computer

koyl · 2013-09-20T12:12:09.000Z

""taiganaut"":

koyl

I experienced the USB problem with had make the machine to bug and made data errors unusable projet etc
there was the OT DD ejected prematurely and the OT frezzed

listen I found a way to fix that but I DO not know if it works only with mine

THe problem occured when I pluged the USB cable BEFORE switch on the OT

SO now

I switch on the OT and then plug the usb cable, and wire it to computer

no problem at all since

Interesting ! That may explain why I sometimes managed to get it to connect after changing the USB cable: Those times I probably forgot to turn the OT off & on again !

Thanks for the head up. I’ll try that from now on.

seenfromspace · 2013-09-20T16:33:16.000Z

I leave my USB lead plugged in too. I now unmount the OT from my Mac after file transfer and before resuming work on the OT as it’s liable to freeze if still showing as a drive in the Finder.

Allerian · 2013-09-20T19:56:08.000Z

One other tip, be careful naming projects with the Octatrack. Many of the extended characters will prevent folders from being copied or recognized as folders. After a few scary moments I’ve learned to stick with the alphabet and numbers.

taiganaut · 2013-09-28T17:53:46.000Z

what about the dash

koyl · 2013-09-30T19:16:48.000Z

I think I found the secret to make the USB transfert from the OT work everytime: buy a CF card reader.
You won’t have to use it, not even to unpack it.
The OT will sense its rival and work like a breeze…

I’m not kidding: I spent 23 euros on a reader: it’s still in its box because it now works everytime using the OT… These machines are ALIVE !!

bambrose · 2013-11-10T16:53:58.000Z

Suddenly, inexplicably a month after buying my Octatrack the USB functionality has stopped working. Typically 2 hours before a show. This is bullshit.
Anyone got any ideas about what I can try (I don’t own a card reader)

METAGEIST · 2013-11-11T06:51:02.000Z

[quote="“bambrose” date=“2013-11-10 16:53:58"”]
Suddenly, inexplicably a month after buying my Octatrack the USB functionality has stopped working. Typically 2 hours before a show. This is bullshit.
Anyone got any ideas about what I can try (I don’t own a card reader)
[/quote]

You probably tried some things to fix it. This would be my steps :

(1) disconnect usb cable, restart Computer, try again
if the problem persists, do (1) but restart ot first
still no connection? change usb cable, to see if the one used may be broken
if this does not help, contact Elektron support

good luck!

bambrose · 2013-11-11T11:02:43.000Z

""METAGEIST"":

[quote=“bambrose”]Suddenly, inexplicably a month after buying my Octatrack the USB functionality has stopped working. Typically 2 hours before a show. This is bullshit.
Anyone got any ideas about what I can try (I don’t own a card reader)

You probably tried some things to fix it. This would be my steps :

(1) disconnect usb cable, restart Computer, try again
if the problem persists, do (1) but restart ot first
still no connection? change usb cable, to see if the one used may be broken
if this does not help, contact Elektron support

good luck! [/quote]
Cheers Metageist,
Thanks for your reply, As you guessed I’ve tried all of these. I’ve also run the hardware test from the startup menu, and this confirmed ‘USB OK’… Which makes me hope that it is a software issue, and not a hardware one. Thankfully I backed up the card a few days ago, so haven’t lost everything.

bambrose · 2013-11-11T15:24:19.000Z

No response from support yet. Has anyone else ever had this issue ? will formatting the card (this will lose me hours of work but I don’t mind doing it if it resolves the problem) resolve it does anyone know ?

Cheers

edit.
Reformatted the card. In itself this did nothing. I then carried out an OS install via midi, and then rebooted the Octatrack and computer and it works !! Thank god for that