I haven't done it via FTP, but have read that it doesn't work. The explanation made sense when I read it, but I couldn't explain it now if I had to.

What I plan to do is this:
1) I've gotten a LiAn RH58 drive adapter. Costs around 35.00 US and an online search will find a source, or you can go to http://www.directron.com/discount.html which is where I got mine. This is the OEM for the carrier Mackie uses.
2) I installed it on the secondary IDE channel of my PC. NOTE: Make sure if you already have a device there that it's the slave, not the master as the removable bay in the mackie is set up to be master.
3) Insert a wualified drive in the removable bay, and use the project manager to copy the project to the removable.
4) Transfer the removable media to the bay you have installed in the PC, and use your favorite backup software to archive the project(s) to CDR.

Reverse the steps for a restore.

NOTE2: I haven't done the whole round trip backup/restore yet, and won't need to for another week or so.

Of course the official strategy promoted by mackie is to use M-90 media are the archive.

It works I have done it. I use retrospect backup and archive to cdr. Having the carrier in the pc is sweet. You could do it ethernet but its an extra transfer. If you want to store it on your 80 gig drag the named project over to your drive and stick it in a folder. To put it back drag the project to the hdr and place it in the hdr projects folder.

Taht's really good news, Zeuss. I still haven't gotten a round tuit. Things are really slow for me these days.

Oh well, I guess this is a good time to do some PM (preventive maintenance)around here.

Revised 5/18: Well you motivated me to install the LianLI and it works just fine. I've still got to find a way to mount the right side more solidly, the drive cage in the computer case only has screw holes on the left. The right is pring tension which makes the adapter kind of wobbly.

I guess it depends on the drive cage/computer. I have an hp pavillion and it mounted pretty solid. The only thing that I don't like about archiving this way is that it takes forever so I usually backup while I am in a session so I can let it go while being there. The transfer rate is about 13 megs a minute and doubles on transfering back. I also verify everything which retrospect compares the files on the HD to the files on the cdr so it doubles the already long time it takes to do this. So in the end its either be cheep and spend some time or just get a bigger drive and transfer the project to that. I am looking at a tape backup system but they are expensive for the good ones. I am pretty sure that the orb setup is slow as well.So maybe getting a huge ide drive and charging clients for a spot might be a way to go. Figure how much space you have and divide by a typical album. Just an idea. OR buy a bunch of ibm drives for a hundred a pop and sell them for cost to the artist that really wants to archive. 9 out of ten times the artist knows they won't ever need to go back to the project ever again after they are sure they like the mixes and have no problems with me erasing the project from the drive. But I always backup to the removable after a session for safety.

-Z-

Zeuss, I'm a computer geek by day, and while the huge drive looks attractive at first, you've kinda got all your eggs in one basket that way.

I will archive to CDR from the computer, since it's an essentially offline process anyhoo. As long as the HDR isn't tied up.

I'm also thinking that bundling the drive into the rate may make sense when I'm getting some of the more serious clients. I've seen the same thing so far with the caliber of client I'm getting, once it's mixed they're done with it, no recalls so far.

Larry,
Since your a computer geek by day is there anyway of getting the transfer rate any faster when going from the HD to the cdr? I am only getting about 13 megs a minute.

-Z-

No easy way to improve the speed. If you have a 12x burner, and the software is defaulting to something less on backup, set it to burn at 12x. You could sacrifice the verify, but for critical material that's not really an option.