Topic: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

hello, was having problems with speed up on playback.  i was told to increase the buffer size to 1024 for 192khz recording and upload the latest driver, this has done the trick and i am playing safe at 96khz 24 bit for now.  new problem, on the latest driver, i cannot select less than 2048 samples at 96khz.  when i select a lower value, the ff800 resets itself and my daw session sample rate to 44.1khz.  please help

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

Strange, yesterday I made 2ch recording at 384 samples at 192kHz (2ms). I think I got one dropout in a whole hour. Latest driver and hardware, win7 32 bit. Be shure you are not using more than 8 adat channels at 96 kHz and 0 adat channels at 192 kHz.

3

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

> when i select a lower value, the ff800 resets itself

You disabled system sounds?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

thank you both for the replies.  i am not using any adat channels, just 3 analogue inputs and system sounds is disabled.  after my post, i kept the daw open to finish a session, when i closed the session, i got the blue screen (first time since i loaded the new ff800 driver).  i am a newbie and any suggestions would be much appreciated.  is there any explanations on the new settings for the latest ff800?, i do not understand all the paramaters and perhaps i have set something wrong.  many thanks

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

More details about your system would be helpful.

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

thanks kas,  details as follows:

windows xp 32 system with intel core 2 duo, 3ghz with 4gb of ram.  hard disks are defragged and clean, the firewire card has a t.i. driver, latest version, rme latest drivers. many thanks.

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

hi everyone, problem still driving me nuts, i will start a new thread as the title of the problem has moved back to the speed issue

8 (edited by kasaudio 2011-02-18 16:00:02)

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

Hello!

At first I would check whether FF800 has nothing to do with windows system sounds. Means you have to select onboard audio playback and record device as a default. Disable windows sounds. Close all audio related programs except your DAW (like messenger... which occasionaly beeps).  Use only one DAW with your fireface at first.

Second, I would check about the latest drivers directly from manufacturers.

Third, I would use DPC Latency checker and check whether your system appears ready for realtime audio. With winXP average latency should be around 30-50us and peak below 150. Red bars are bad with xp. If there are periodical peaks, disable device by device and look after. Wireless network interfaces seems to be problematic ones. By disabling device, I mean disabling it in a device manager not just turning it off. After DPC L checker shows as described, you are ready for FF.

Fourth, I would try different FW cable.

Fifth, I would use simple DAW at first. The simplest as possible (VSTHost), just to check whether your fireface runs correctly. At first try with 44.1 or 48 kHz and then with higher rates. With XP and 48 kHz you should be able to use 96 samps and 384 samps @ 192 kHz.

Which driver and firmware version do you use?

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

Hello Again Kas,

all system sounds are off.  i do have a wireless usb adapter that was on whilst the sessions were being recorder.  i have disabled it now but the playback speed issue still persists.

i have updated all relevant windows drivers using device manager i.e. the firewire 800 card but not directly from the manufactureres, i will look into this.

the dsp latency is very low, it is well in the green even with a daw running and using the internet and it stated it was suitable for playing back audio.

will try a different cable.

i will try a simple daw although i have had this problem with both adobe audition and cockos reaper (my current daw).  firmware is 2.77 which i beleive is the latest. the driver is 2992.  i tried the latest 3X but had problems with the ff reseting the sample rate back to 44.1khz plus blue screen issues.

thanks again for your help, give yourself a cold beer and a star.

10 (edited by kasaudio 2011-02-18 18:57:25)

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

Hm, strange. I found driver 3.014 to work great with win xp, but 2.992 was great also. I'm concerned about bluescreens. I've never had any with the latest drivers and xp. To achieve your sistem run properly with FF, there should not be any bluescreens. It is something really wrong here. As I understand, sound you hear, is at wrong pitch. Is it clean or it crackles also? What is the configuration of your hard drives? Use IDE mode instead of AHCI !!

If possible, try with different computer running xp also.

11

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

I dusted off my XP rack computer to perform some 192 kHz tests with the Fireface and 3.014. No problems at all, no BSODs.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

thanks for your replies.  the system plays back at the wrong pitch so you get 'the pinky and perky' effect.  i can fix this by taking the pitch down in the daw to 0.25.  the problem is then you cant do anything usefull, mixdown for example, as that then plays back at a higher speed.  no pops, crackles or dropouts are present, its all clean just too fast.

as i stated before, when i first played back the sessions they worked fine, then blue screen, then the playback speed problem.

i also have media monkey i use to play back wav files and higher.  this works no problem through the ff at different sample rates.  i never have media monkey on at the same time as my daw as this does cause problem.

i will check the hard drive configuration and still need to get hold of a spare lead.

p.s. is there a support service where someone can access my p.c. over the internet and have a look around?, cash waiting.

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

That happens only at 192 kHz? You recorded audio at 192 kHz. And than playback of the same recording results in playback at wrong pitch by factor 4 (you take pitch down to 0.25?) ?:-O! If there are no dropouts that means FF800 runs at 192Khz * 4. That's not possible. Even with 96 kHz.

14

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

Exactly. The only logical explanation is that the recorded file is indeed 48 kHz with wrong header. You should have the settings dialog open while working and check the shown sample rate regularly.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

hello again, the problem has occured at 192khz and 96khz.  both times i have made sure ff settings master clock is showing the same sampling frequency as the daw, which it does.  the problem is it is not consistent.  i have successfully recorded at both 96 and 192.  other times both 96 and 192 play back ok then, when the project is reloaded is plays back at the wrong speed.  i have just started a new session at 44.1, and it plays back fine.  i have disabled the wireless usb adapter as advised and will see how i get on.

the wrong header idea is interesting, is there any way i can change the header?, i know this isn't solving the problem but may, at least, enable me to 'fix' any speed issues.

thanks again for your support.

16

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

There are several ways to examine and change the header. A free tool:

http://www.railjonrogut.com/HeaderInvestigator.htm

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

thanks for that, will investigate.  in the meantime, something new and strange has happened.

1. disabled wireless usb
2. went for a walk and had a cup of tea
3. reloaded the previously fast playing 96k projects, they played at the correct speed!! but, the ff clock was at only 44.1k
4. reloaded the previously correct playing 96k projects, they played slow now.  changed the pitch on the daw to 0.459 i.e. 44.1/96 and they played ok
5. re booted the pc and ff
6. reverse of the above i.e. the previously fast was fast but the ff clock was now 96 and the previously ok was ok.

aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggghh.

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

Hi,

You work with FF800 in Master mode or in Auto Sync ?

make an simply test with sine tone done in 96 and 192 kHz
and playback check in FF Settings dialog and other software
does this works ok, check freq, if it doesn't maybe the FF800 needs repair.

regards S-EH

19

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

He wrote in a different thread what most probably his problem is - too many different programs running at the same time. One of them will change the sample rate somehow...

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: cant get buffer size below 2048 at 24bit 96khzwith latest FF800 DRIVER

hello Hanson, thanks for the reply, the unit is in clock mode master, its a simple configuration of just 4 analogue ins, a single ff.  regarding the possibility of conflict, i will un install the only other program using asio (media monkey) and retry.

you guys have given me a bit to chew over now, thanks again everyone for your knid support.  i will let you know how i get on.