• Registered: 2011-07-26
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Please help! Connect both 400&800 with only one firewire 400 port

Hello,

I browse all the Internet and I can't find the solution, only cases where 2 FF800 are connected. I really need your help.

I've got a FF400 and a FF800 with only one Firewire 400 port (Macbook). I understood that it is not possible to connect them in daisy-chain by Firewire because of firewire 400 bandwith limit.

I then connect the FF800 by firewire 400to my computer and connect the FF400 to FF800  by ADAT.

I first connect the FF400 by Firewire, go to Totalmix and select preset 1 (which seems to be the stand-alone mode). I save in the internal memory and disconnect the firewire link and turn off the FF400.

I then connect the FF800 by Firewire, go to Totalmix, select preset 1 and save internally.

And it doesn't work, impossible to have any sound off the outputs of the FF400 (they are OK in Totalmix playback).

I think this is a routing problem in Totalmix, I tried a lot of things, impossible to set up the FF400 to have sound in outputs.

I wonder if maybe I'd better connect the FF400 by firewire and the FF800 by ADAT on it in order for them to work ?

Thank for your help!

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,783

Re: Please help! Connect both 400&800 with only one firewire 400 port

The preset will not route analog in to ADAT out, you need to do that manually in the mixer or matrix.


Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2011-07-26
  • Posts: 3

Re: Please help! Connect both 400&800 with only one firewire 400 port

Thank you very much for your fast answer!

Are you talking about the preset 1 in the FF400 or the FF800?

The point is that I only want to use the analog outputs of the FF400 for summing via ADAT from my DAW. I'm not sure to understand if I need connect the analog ins and the ADAT outs.

Which 'cases' do I have to connect in the FF400 Matrix please before saving internally and connect it by ADAT to the FF800 ?

I'm sorry but I really don't understand which ones I have to connect, even if I spent a lot of time in the user manual and on the web...

Thanks for your help.

  • Registered: 2010-07-31
  • Posts: 123

Re: Please help! Connect both 400&800 with only one firewire 400 port

Why isn't it possible to connect them via the FW400 connectors?

To me, WHICHEVER way you connect the FF800 and FF400 together, the computer to FF800 Firewire connection will carry the full bandwidth of the FF800 + FF400 channels. That is, if the FF400 is providing 8 channels and the FF800 10, the FF800 is feeding the bandwidth for 18 channels to the computer, regardless of whether the connection between the FFs is ADAT or FW.

Therefore, you are better using FW400 to connect the FF400 to the FF800, and be able to use and control ALL the facilities of BOTH at TotalMix.

On music hiatus, so RMEs have gone to homes where others can enjoy them.
  • Registered: 2011-07-26
  • Posts: 3

Re: Please help! Connect both 400&800 with only one firewire 400 port

Thanks Patanjali!

It works just fine with Firewire connection and the aggregate device function of Mac0SX!

I'm happy with this solution.