Fairlight FAQ Crisis Management Though the Fairlight is less crash-prone than many workstations, you still need a good set of troubleshooting techniques. by Jayme Parker The Fairlight is a dedicated sound-editing machine and, as such, is less susceptible to crashing and file corruption than many other tools. Nevertheless, the post-production environment puts even the most robust system to the test, and problems do arise. To deal with them, you need a good set of tools to troubleshoot and restore the system – as well as plenty of patience. Let’s look at common MFX3 hang-ups and some ways to fix them. Sound Card Lockup Symptoms: Unusually high or low levels. Distortion of sounds that weren’t previously distorted. Solos or mutes not working. Solution: Reset the sound cards using <Blue>Stop. This will disable any solos or mutes that were previously enabled. Simply reset them by double-clicking their track keys, and you should be set to go. Otherwise, reboot the system. Keyboard Lockup Symptoms: Keys won’t work Play or Jog inoperative Solutions: Reboot the MFX3 keyboard using <Ctrl><Shift><Rep><Edit>. Reload the keyboard software: simultaneously hold down the 123 keys while powering up the keyboard using the switch on its back (MFX3) or executing a cold boot (MFX3 plus). The keyboard will prompt, "Waiting for Application Software". Type "MFXLOAD" <ENTER>. These keyboard procedures will empty the keyboard RAM, causing you to lose all of your custom keyboard settings and unsaved macros. This is one more good reason to back up your macros whenever you modify them, using <Blue>Edit Macro — File — Save As — (Your File Name). There is a bug that doesn’t permit you to choose the drive on which you’d like to save your macros at this time, so be sure to steer to the preferred drive using <Proj> prior to saving the macro. You may reload your macro file (*.MK) by selecting it and using <Blue>Edit Macro — File — Load. Restore any custom keyboard settings you might have had prior to resuming work, since reloading the keyboard software resets the keyboard to factory defaults. Damaged Space Allocation Table Symptom: This dread message appears with an error beep upon opening a corrupted project file. In case you were wondering, it happens because the actual disk space allocation information becomes inconsistent with the information logged by the operating system, and parts of the project may occupy another place on the drive. This error can result from minor glitches, especially when working with multiple drives, and it is usually reparable. However, when this error is the result of spinning down a drive with an open project, more radical remedies, beyond the scope of this article, are necessary. Sometimes even with those, the file will be unrecoverable. Although your project appears to be intact when this error occurs, it is important to repair this problem immediately, or risk irreparable damage to your file. Solution: Close all projects. Turn on Repair Mode by typing opt m -r <ENTER>. Be sure to type a single space just before and just after the "m". The Fairlight will respond with "MFX Options…" just below the command line. The Repair Mode is now on. Open the project that reported the "Damaged Space Allocation Table" error. While opening the project, look for a message that reads "Damaged Space Allocation Table Repaired". Close the project. Turn off Repair Mode by typing opt m r <ENTER>. Again, type a single space just before and after the "m". Open the affected project. The file has been restored if no error message appears. Otherwise, take two aspirin and proceed immediately to the E.R. The above remedies should help in most cases. But prevention is the best medicine, and you should always keep incremental backups of your work. That way, if all else fails, you can still resort to <Blue>Backup — Restore.   Jayme Parker helped pioneer the application of digital sound for motion pictures using the Fairlight CMI in 1981. His recent credits include 'The Thin Red Line', 'Deep Blue Sea', 'The Cell', 'American Outlaws', and 'Driven'. Jayme welcomes comments and suggestions via email   Reprinted from The Motion Picture Editors Guild Magazine Vol. 22, No. 3 - July/August 2001   Guild Home | Magazine Home | Top of Page   Copyright © 2001, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700