Amended system config at bottom of post:

Ok, well since my last post the problem has gotten worse. Now the problem of losing communication between the FF800 happens very often, including when just launching PT 9.03. I am also now on mac os 10.6.7. Now also happens on 44.1, where I do most of my sessions.

Furthermore I am now gettting the same problem whilst running Logic studio.

I have followed to the letter all the steps re turning off airport, bluetooth,spotlight, time machine etc. deleted all plists,pref etc.

The problems still seem to be exacerbated when using the spdif out from my motif but that alone will not cause it. I have downloaded all the latest drivers from RME and have also tried reverting back to older drivers i.e 2.62.a right up to 2.93.

Also when I install a new driver the spdif light stays stable for a few minutes then it starts to blink. Sometimes I will also hear "clock noise", kind of a sssh noise while using the spdif from motif to ff800.

Finally, when the red light comes on on the ff800, indicating lost connection from host, and I open up the fireface settings window they system clock setting shows not 44.1 but 181773 hz?

My research indicates this may actually be a hardware/power supply problem and not a software prob--just to further muddy the waters . Bizzarely enough somtimes after 2hours of "on time: it will become somewhat stable again, which is not my experience of power supply issues

Any thoughts on where to go would be appreciated. As it is right now, I do not want to try to do anything with any other person /group until I can regain some modicum of system stability-----well yes I kind of can ---by reverting back to my 003----lord help me when that is the new standard of stable but truth is it has been, but is even my well used 50+ year old ears can hear a difference between the two units.

BTW I will be cross posting this to the pt9  forum even though  I suspect this is more an rme issue---but at this point who knows. I've put many many hours into trying to get this working as solid as it was 6 months ago---I just want it get it fixed.

TIA

B
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MacPro os 10.6.7. dual Quad-core 2.8. 6GB ram four internal drives/four Lacie D2 external drives. 003R Factory, PTLE 7.4 +8.0 MPTK 2/Waves NPP/Izotope Ozone/Melodyne Studio/Reason 4 Non PT stuff== RME fireface 800/Cubase 5 Yamaha motif XS8 etc. etc.

It is a pretty old one, I bought it used over three years ago, and I think the owner had owned it for a couple of years so around five  years?   If I posted a s/n I guess that would help.

As I said it seems to be  happening more frequently and yes sometimes even opening itunes can crash the connection.   Generally, when it seems to have to work a little harder
that is when it will lose connection and the clock reading goes crazy.   I have not tried a different fw 800 cable but I may try it with the 400 port.   

Again if I leave it on for  a few hours it seems to get more stable.   

Are you thinking it may be a power supply issue?

Any way to definitively test the power supply short of just rebuilding it?

The only other firewire device is the mlan connection from the motif,   I will disconnect and see if that helps.   Any idea why the spdif light keeps randomly blinking.   Seems no matter what I do re clock mode or source  it falls out of lock .

thanks for the suggestion.

B

Two days with the mlan disconnected and no crashes so I guess firewire interrupt wins the debate.   No problem if I am working in PT but a bit of an issue if I work in cubase using the mlan