Adding a PCI FireWire card (available at stores like Best Buy, Office Depot, Fry’s,
etc.) might give better results than using your motherboard’s on-board FireWire
port. But avoid combo USB/FireWire cards, as some users report iffy results with
these.
Remember that RIP requires its power supply. RIP
cannot
be powered from the
FireWire bus.
Connect FireWire devices while the computer and device are powered-down. In
theory, you should be able to hot-swap FireWire devices; in practice, this isn’t
always true, with potentially disastrous results (e.g., a fried motherboard).
Follow installation instructions to the letter. Sometimes you need to install the
software first, as with RIP, and sometimes you need to connect the device first.
Power-up the FireWire device before turning on your computer.
Mac owners, upgrade to at least OS X 10.4.10. FireWire performance is much
improved compared to earlier versions.
Dedicate a FireWire port to audio devices, and don’t run other devices on the
same port.
Use a high-quality cable. If the cable gets crushed or stepped on, it might not
work.
If you do encounter problems, don’t bang your head against the wall trying to
troubleshoot without first checking the Gibson web site. There may be known issues that
can be fixed with a simple driver download, or by disabling a conflicting device.
