How do I open the tray on my external CD or DVD recorder in OS X from the keyboard?

Try the freeware Ardiem. http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14491 It is a utility that installs a button on the menu bar and allows you to define a hotkey to open and close the tray of external CD & DVD drives. For OS 10.2 and newer. LaCie is providing this info as a courtesy. We do not support or guarantee the software.