On/Off/Record Control when External Power Is Applied (7-Series)

Q: In my setup it is crucial that I use the External Power On/Off and Record function. I would like to investigate the possibility of recording directly to an external FireWire drive with using this function. Will this pose any problems?

A: Due to the time required for FireWire media to mount to the 7-Series recorders, the External Power On/Off and Record function will not work with attached FireWire drives. This has been confirmed with Sound Devices XL-DVDRAM, various external FireWire hard drives, and FireWire CompactFlash card readers.If you are set to record to external drives only in the Rec: Media Select Setup Menu option and are using the External Power On/ Off and Record function, expect to receive this notice upon start up, "Please select recording media via menu and/or insert CF or connect EXHDD." The 7-Series recorder will not enter record mode. Once the external drive mounts you will then need to press the record button to begin recording.

If you are set to record to multiple drives via with the External Power On/ Off and Record function, expect that recorder will enter record mode immediately upon booting, writing only to the selected internal media (internal hard drive and/or CompactFlash) and not to the external media. The external media will begin recording once the media has finished mounting and the record button is pressed. The external media will not begin recording in the middle of a take.