Topic: RME FF800 has got a ghost in the machine

FF800 with kernel 3.00 using with a macpro tower 2008 on 10.6.8   This unit has bee dead stable for years but tonight,  total weirdness.   Example.  Listening to a tune on itunes.  I decide to play along with my motif plugged into spdif 9/10.  the minute I start to play the keyboard , the computer audio thru out 1 and 2 goes haywire, one channel cuts out and then both and then it comes back.  Outputs and assigns randomly start and stop.   Hardware? Software? Spirits?   Any thoughts would be appreciated.   If I have omitted any pertinent info please ask.   The FF800 is my lifeline between my mac and the rest of my studio!

much thanks

B