1 Topic by Starkid84 (edited by Starkid84 2017-07-11 03:33:48)

  • Registered: 2017-07-10
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Defective Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI???

Hello everyone, I purchased a second hand Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI card with AEB4-O.  Currently I am in between interface upgrades, and I had head such great things about RME's readability performance, considering I already have outboard and external converters I though I'd try one of the PCI cards (I have 2 pci slots on my mother board).

Anyway after attempting to get everything routed, I believe that I was sold a defective card. The unit seem to have trouble (pops, clicks, intermittent locking, and sample rate sync issue) when attempting to sync to any master device at 88.2 and most notably at 96khz.  41.1, 48 all seem to work, but when selecting 88.2 and 96, I get all kinds of errors.

- I have custom Ross Martin PCM4222 X2 for my primary AD

- I have a apogee Rosetta 200 as my DA

- I also have a M-Audio Profire 2626 I wanted to use for additional ADAT channels

I have tried syncing the PCM4222 as the master clock to the 9652 with spdif, and spdif out of the 9652 to my rosetta 200 for playback.  Every other sample rate works fine, but when switching to 96khz I get intermittent lock/no lock error where the 9652 'SyncCheck' readout shows "SPDIF In" bouncing between "Lock" and "No Lock" every few seconds or so. Also at the same time in the Hammerfall setting window the "Sample rate" header blinks red,  while the the phrase "current 88200 hz" also blinks to the right of the sample rate window.  I get similar issues with 88.2.

With that same setup with the Spdif signal being sent to the Rosetta 200,  there is an erratic blinking of the rosetta 'narrow wide' light (this light normally stays solid and indicates if the unit is synced properly). The rosetta sample rate selection lights also flickers erratically between 44.1 and 176.4. 

I have tried slaving the 9652 to the rosetta 200 and the profire 2626, to rule out my Ross Martin 4222 AD as the culprit.  The results with my other two interfaces were similar, the 9652 will not sync properly to the rosetta at 96k, and the profire as the master also had a gamut of errors relating to sample rate switching.

I've tried slaving the 9652 using different methods: coaxial spdif, adat/optical cables, and bnc wordclock cable.  No configuration works as expected with 88.2 and 96khz, except when the 9652 is set to internal. 

When both the coax and adat cables are connected going from my PCM4222 AD, and both coax and adat cables going of the 9652 out to rosetta 200 as DA (the 9652 set to ADAT, I successfully select 96khz and can play audio through a media player at 96k, but when opening my DAW (presonus Studio One 3.5) I still get playback and system errors such as complete loss of system wide audio when switching sample rates.  This type of error requires a reboot to restore the 9652's playback.

I've tried numerous combinations of settings, different cables, updating firmware, trying older drivers, removing all daughter boards, re-seating in the pci slot, none of that made any difference.  The unit only works as I would expect it to when set to it's internal clock.  I have not had any sync issues with the other gear involved.

Does this sound like the this 9652 card is defective?  Or is there something else I am missing?

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Defective Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI???

> when switching to 96khz I get intermittent lock/no lock error where the 9652 'SyncCheck' readout shows "SPDIF In" bouncing between "Lock" and "No Lock" every few seconds or so. Also at the same time in the Hammerfall setting window the "Sample rate" header blinks red,  while the phrase "current 88200 hz" also blinks to the right of the sample rate window.

In that moment you should have changed the card's sample rate to 96 kHz. It's all in the manual.

https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/wi … er_4_e.pdf

Also check the card's firmware, it should be v108 (Settings dialog About).

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

3 Reply by Starkid84 (edited by Starkid84 2017-07-11 10:30:00)

  • Registered: 2017-07-10
  • Posts: 4

Re: Defective Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI???

MC wrote:

> when switching to 96khz I get intermittent lock/no lock error where the 9652 'SyncCheck' readout shows "SPDIF In" bouncing between "Lock" and "No Lock" every few seconds or so. Also at the same time in the Hammerfall setting window the "Sample rate" header blinks red,  while the phrase "current 88200 hz" also blinks to the right of the sample rate window.

In that moment you should have changed the card's sample rate to 96 kHz. It's all in the manual.


Also check the card's firmware, it should be v108 (Settings dialog About).

Thank you for your reply.

The card is already the latest firmware (revision 108), for the HDSP 9652 it is under the 'global' tab instead of the 'about' tab.

I read the manual, but nothing in it addresses my issue.  The issue is that when I switch my master device to 96khz, the sample rate box reads "96000 Hz", but directly to the right states "current: 88200 Hz" and flashes between Spdif and Internal, never syncing to the Master clock at 96. (See pic below)

http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag256/staypuff39/HDSP%20ERROR%2096K_zpswotvuqoh.jpg


Manually clicking and setting the dialog box to 96000 Hz does not change anything.

4 Reply by MC

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Re: Defective Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI???

In that pic the incoming SPDIF signal is 88.2 kHz. Check your external devices!

Also 64 samples is too low, usually, for reliable operation at 96 kHz. Try with 256 until you have a stable setup.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

5 Reply by Starkid84 (edited by Starkid84 2017-07-11 20:21:59)

  • Registered: 2017-07-10
  • Posts: 4

Re: Defective Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI???

MC wrote:

In that pic the incoming SPDIF signal is 88.2 kHz. Check your external devices!

Also 64 samples is too low, usually, for reliable operation at 96 kHz. Try with 256 until you have a stable setup.

Hello again, just a little more info on this issue that I should have mentioned in my first post... prior to posting here I had been working getting this card to sync properly for 3 days, and have tried every logical setup and setting, I am a IT/computer tech (I work on software and hardware) and am working from a custom built computer.  I am not new to electronics or pro audio interfaces/hardware, I have double and triple checked for user error on my part.


In regards to your reply,

I am aware that the HDSP THINKS that the incoming SPDIF signal is at 88.2, but it is not!  I've been using this AD clock as a master clock for years and it is indeed set to 96Khz, and actively sending out @96Khz sample rate.  There is a read out right on the front of the unit, and sample rates can only be changed by cycling through from 32-192khz.  Again the HDSP works with every sample rate and locks fine (Sample rate verified on ALL connected devices) cycling though 41.1, 48.2, 88 (88 is glitchy) 96 will not sync properly at all.  I assure you it's not my Master device sending another sample rate.  To test that point I just successfully slaved my profire 2626, and Apogee rosetta 200, and all sample rates are working via spif no sync errors on any devices.

Also, prior to posting here I had already have tried EVERY buffer rate from 32 - 4096 samples, and it made no difference.  I run a i7 machine at 4ghz, so running 96k sessions at 64 samples is not an issue for my system, I regularly run a my firewire profire 2626 at 64 samples with a full mix. I bought the HDSP 9652 card for its low latency performance, thinking I could get even lower/better latency from a pci card.

Also up until last night I only attempting to get a stable playback at 41.1 and 96k (the only two sample rate I work at). After failing to get 96k to sync to a master device, I decided to test playback AND recording at 41.1 and I immediately noticed something else seemed odd.  The recorded signal coming in to the HDSP via Spdif, is about half the volume that it should be, and seems to also sound strange (dynamics are wrong and transients are smeared, and frequency response sounds slightly strange as if it were filtered on the high and lows).  I normally record with a Sony C800G>Neve 1073>LA3A, so I am very familiar with how this chain should sound, and recording through HDSP sounded "off".  This was confirmed by going back to my old setup and recording with my Master device via Spdif, the sound was back to normal.

So, for all intents and purposes this card is unusable.  I will assume that it is defective, given the range of sync problems and sound of recording. 

Thank you for your input!

  • vinark
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Re: Defective Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI???

Could be a defective break out cable for the spdif. Might even be a dirty contact on the d-sub. can you measure the break out cable? Any chance you could try spdif over optical? I am not from RME, just a HDSP9652 owner trying to be helpful!

Vincent, Amsterdam
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  • Registered: 2017-07-10
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Re: Defective Hammerfall HDSP 9652 PCI???

vinark wrote:

Could be a defective break out cable for the spdif. Might even be a dirty contact on the d-sub. can you measure the break out cable? Any chance you could try spdif over optical? I am not from RME, just a HDSP9652 owner trying to be helpful!

Yes, I tried spdif over optical, adat in works well, but still shows anomalies with sending spdif out via adat or break out cable.   Thanks for you help though!