• Registered: 2011-03-24
  • Posts: 8

Topic: expresscard 34 firewire

Hi everyone, I need some advise and google is failing me. I am picking up a new mbp next week and I am thinking of adding an expresscard 34 with more firewire ports. Any known good manufacturers? Sonnet or Belkin or somebody else? Another possibility is the Sonnet Yin Yang firewire hub, anybody with experience of this? I need them to work with my fireface 400.
Thanks,
Sandro

  • Tomte
  • ADAT user
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-01-12
  • Posts: 21

Re: expresscard 34 firewire

Exsys is working fine here. Don't know if it's available in your country.

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: expresscard 34 firewire

Lacie should work, too. Question is why you need the additional FW anyway? Try with the one first and only when it doesn't work shelf out the extra money.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,672

Re: expresscard 34 firewire

Not to forget Dawicontrol


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2011-03-24
  • Posts: 8

Re: expresscard 34 firewire

Thanks Daniel, I'll check Dawicontrol. Timur, I use my mbp in a lot of different configurations, sometimes a lot of different external hdd, sometimes an external dvd writer etc and I like having a dedicated port just for the fireface. My old mbp had 2 ports (400 & 800), now I keep switching cables. A bit shy with Lacie products, I used to buy them almost exclusive, but I've had a run of really bad firewire cables from them. Ideally I'd like an expresscard with 1 800 and 1 400, but I can't find those. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.

Sandro

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: expresscard 34 firewire

Your old MBP did not have 2 FW lanes! tongue It had an internal hub that offered two external ports, but in practice that's the very same as just connecting your external devices in a chain. Just make sure to put all FW800 device together and connect those to the MBP and then put the FW400 device at the end of the chain.

Buy an ExpressCard with 1x FW800 + 1x FW400 would be the same as with the old MBP, you get one (1!) FW chipset with an internal hub (for example LSI ones have 3 internal ports on their hub as far as I remember the chipset specs, but it's still only 1 FW lane).

Like I said, try it first and only when you experience issues shelf out the extra cash. wink

  • Registered: 2011-03-24
  • Posts: 8

Re: expresscard 34 firewire

I know it was just the 1 fw lane, but as I said, it was very convenient to have the port. Anyway, quick update, I bought a Lacie expresscard 34, 2x fw 800 and it works great. The flat Lacie 800 to 400 cable was not so great, I returned it. It would work for 20 to 30 minutes, then lose the connection to my fireface 400 (red host light, no input output) for a minute , reconnect etc. Belkin and generic from g-tech cables work fine. Thanks for the feedback,
Sandro