Jean-Charles’ 20U rack - see more in the story below.Jean-Charles, who built the Pro Tools Prefs & Database Helper app for Mac users, has reached out to the Pro Tools Expert community to explain what has happened recently. I will let him explain:

Thanks to everybody for your support and comments for my Pref & database Helper.

You may have noticed that my web site is down. I learned it on the DUC. I did not had time to troubleshoot it, but it mysteriously happened when I changed my internet provider.

I also did not modified my softwares in the last two years, and on a completely «unrelated» matter my second kid is now two years old.

I would like to have time to update my software and recode them in cocoa. I even bought a book on cocoa programming. I still have to find the time to open it.

As far as I know, I’m a good sound editor, an OK mixer for TV shows, a very good tech support tech but I’m not a programmer. In September 2011 I started to work for Solotech here in Montreal in the video department. I now setup racks of video servers, network switch, fiber optic transmitters, dedicated DSP (as in audio it’s better than just native) processing machine. I really like the technical challenge, the huge quantity of new things to learn.

Now when I build a rack of servers it may go on the road for two years with close to no maintenance. Everything I learned about patching in sound studios is concentrated in two 20 units racks.

I still love ProTools and I will upgrade to 11 and work with it, but not as my primary job.

I now have to maintain and upgrade 88 windows computers with 4 different softwares, only 4 MacPro, 20+ laptops, 33 dedicated servers, ?? control computers, more than 40 dedicated DSP machines, more than 140 video over optical fiber transmitters and kilometers of optical fiber (and all the network switches). All of this is scattered all around the globe. And everything (well, most of it) is heavier than a mouse, so it’s good for my health.

I will not receive any nomination for a Gémaux award, but when a tour tech looks at a rack I made for him and say it’s magical, I feel very good.

I’m glad that Peter Gates created and shared his PT Prefs as I can’t maintain my own pref & database helper. As for my own, I hope that nobody needs it.

I will still read Pro Tools Expert and the DUC on a regular basis. I may sell my ProTools license but only to upgrade to HD native.

As for now I’m happy to work with a great (and big) team that can prepare all the equipment that goes on a tour (light, sound, video, rigging).

Thanks again, Jean-Charles

Jean-Charles, on behalf of the community, we would like to thank you for all the work you put into the Pro Tools Prefs & Database Helper app that has made life so much easier for Pro Tools users over the years. We will also continue to host the 2 versions of your app for anyone who wants to use them.

I wonder if you would be prepared to pass on the source code of your app to Peter, especially as it could help him implement the Backup & Restore feature you had in your app. If you would contact us via our Contact page, then we can make the necessary introductions.