1 Topic by markospolydorou (edited by markospolydorou 2020-04-24 05:51:08)

  • Registered: 2020-04-24
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Topic: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

Hello everyone,

New to the forums here so please forgive me if these questions have already been asked.  I've searched every where for a solution to my problem but can't seem to find anything similar to the situation I'm experiencing with my newly purchased Mac mini in conjunction with my set up.

I'm running an RME UFX with a Dangerous Dbox into a new 2018 Mac mini.  I know I know... there have been known issues with the Mac mini but all the issues I saw dated back to the beginning of 2018 through till middle of 2019.  Most of the posts regarding the issues were almost a year old as well so I figured the issues have been resolved by now.

My first issue is with my routing from the RME to the Dbox.  Before the Mac mini, I had this rig hooked up to my late 2014 MacBook Pro.  I followed the instructions from Dangerous Music and set up total mix exactly as I was shown.  I set my main outs to outputs 13/14 AES and I was off to the races.  All my system audio came out the DAW function of the Dbox and all my summing was sent to SUM as intended.

After setting up my Mac mini today, I noticed that my RME was not behaving in the same way with my Dbox as it had with the MacBook Pro.  The main system output seems to be coming out of AN 1/2 and setting my main outs to AES does not send any signal through my AES connection.  I'm wondering if this is a clocking issue or perhaps an issue with the newest driver which I installed from RME website.  I can't seem to wrap my head around this.

I tried to turn off the UFX and power everything back up to see if it would sync but still nothing.  With my MacBook Pro, I had AES working flawlessly and "SUM" on the Dbox would only have signal going through it if I routed my track outputs in Ableton to the respective Dbox SUM inputs.  I'm puzzled as to what's going on and I even replicated the exact same settings in TotalMix FX that I had on my MacBook Pro.

I also don't know if it has to do with the issues surrounding USB 2.0 devices in the Mac mini usb 3 connector so I'm hoping  someone can shed some light.

My third and final issues is with the Mac mini restarting itself at times and saying there was an error and to report it to Apple.  I'm again assuming it has to do with the RME hooked up to the USB 2.0 device since apple says this error comes up when there is an issue with hardware. 

Can anyone assist or shed some light?  Anyone have a similar set up?  I can't return the MacMini but I can trade it in for something else in the next two weeks but for the price I figured this machine would be a power house for ITB production.

Look forward to hearing back and hoping I can find a solution.

Thank you

  • Registered: 2020-04-24
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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

bumpity bump bump

Anyone?  Really hoping to get some answers as I'm on a bit of a deadline with the return policy.

3 Reply by cyrano (edited by cyrano 2020-04-25 18:24:32)

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

It seems the Mini is missing a UFX config file. Have you checked routing in TotalMix?

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  • Registered: 2020-04-24
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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

cyrano wrote:

It seems the Mini is missing a UFX config file. Have you checked routing in TotalMix?

Hey cyrano,

Thanks for the post.

I tried resetting totalmix fx routing and configuring the inputs and outputs again but still nothing.

I looked at both totalmix fx settings on my MacBook and Mac mini and they are identical.

If there another option i should be checking or trying?

5 Reply by MC

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

Setting Main to AES: did the Main level meters then show a signal? If so you might have plugged the XLR into the analog output instead of the AES output. Also the Dbox must have an indicator that it receives an AES signal. Yes/No?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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6 Reply by markospolydorou (edited by markospolydorou 2020-04-26 15:44:49)

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

MC wrote:

Setting Main to AES: did the Main level meters then show a signal? If so you might have plugged the XLR into the analog output instead of the AES output. Also the Dbox must have an indicator that it receives an AES signal. Yes/No?

Hey MC,

Thanks for the response.

Connections on the Dbox did not change from my MacBook to the Mac Mini.  All I did was unplug the USB cable from the Macbook and plug it into the Mac Mini.

No signal coming from AES when changing main to outputs 13/14. Dbox is showing a signal coming in on Analog 1/2 and sound only comes out when the SUM option is selected.  Selecting DAW which should output the AES signal, has no sound.

I'm so confused.  I didn't touch any of the configurations from my previous set up in terms of hardware connectors.  it was working fine on my macbook.

I'm also getting a notification that the settings are mismatched from the hardware when total mix loads up which i never got before.  Thi all starting happening after i updated the device to 3.60 firmware and latest driver on Mac mini.

I’m also getting a message that says:

“Your computer was restarted because of a problem.  Click report to see more detailed information and send a report to apple.”

I’ve attached a link to a document which shows the problem details and system configuration.... it's long and have no idea what any of it means.  It's a text document but it opens in word and messes up the text.  Not sure who else to send the report.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AtxZ-eIRC9dSgvBBHOb … A?e=EMTTkD

7 Reply by MC

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

Once again (as you didn't answer my question): Setting Main to AES: did the Main level meters (the ones in TM FX Control Room section) then show a signal? If no level meter activity then there is no routing to Mains = AES.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

8 Reply by markospolydorou (edited by markospolydorou 2020-04-26 17:58:26)

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

markospolydorou wrote:
MC wrote:

Setting Main to AES: did the Main level meters then show a signal? If so you might have plugged the XLR into the analog output instead of the AES output. Also the Dbox must have an indicator that it receives an AES signal. Yes/No?

No signal coming from AES when changing main to outputs 13/14. Dbox is showing a signal coming in on Analog 1/2 and sound only comes out when the SUM option is selected.  Selecting DAW which should output the AES signal, has no sound.

Hey MC,

I did answer your question.  Please read the above.

And again, nothing has changed in terms of hardware inputs and outputs from UFX to Dbox.  My units are in a rack and all I did was unplug my USB from my MacBook and plug it into the MacMini when I got it.  That's it. so it can't be a connection issue if it was working fine on my MacBook prior to purchasing the MacMini.  I get AES output when plugged into m MacBook with no issues.

9 Reply by MC

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

I read the above and don't get it. Level meters active or not?

You claim to have copied the original TM FX routing to the new system, but my impression is that there is nothing routed to the AES output.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2020-04-24
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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

I just checked the back of my inputs and outputs.  AES Out is going to DAW IN on Dangerous Dbox.  Not a cable situation.

I'll double-check the routing again in TotalMix FX and get back to you MC.  I've gone over them a number of times but will confirm.

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

I also just re configured TotalMix FX as per Dangerous' guide but input is still coming in on 1/2 instead of AES on Software Playback section.  I see what you mean about routing the software playback to AES but shouldn't the computer audio be coming in on AES?  This is how the MacBook  output and it left my 1/2 channel open.

Just weird that it's not the same way I set it up.

12 Reply by markospolydorou (edited by markospolydorou 2020-05-03 17:02:55)

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

MC wrote:

I read the above and don't get it. Level meters active or not?

You claim to have copied the original TM FX routing to the new system, but my impression is that there is nothing routed to the AES output.


I got it!  I had to re-route audio on the RME via MacMini Audio/MIDI Setup.  You have to configure the speaker outputs to point to AES L&R in order for it to output properly on TotalMix FX.  SOLVED.

Now, what about the error notice I'm getting?

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

Still getting the error message popping up on every start up.  Is there any known issues with the Mac mini and UFX causing system restarts?

14 Reply by MC

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

This message?

> I'm also getting a notification that the settings are mismatched from the hardware

That's an older UFX, right) Any errors shown in the display?

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=25810

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

15 Reply by markospolydorou (edited by markospolydorou 2020-05-03 18:26:21)

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

MC wrote:

This message?

> I'm also getting a notification that the settings are mismatched from the hardware

That's an older UFX, right) Any errors shown in the display?

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=25810


No.  This is a system hardware issue on Apple's side.  I made mention of it in Post #6.

“Your computer was restarted because of a problem.  Click report to see more detailed information and send a report to apple.”
I’ve attached a link to a document which shows the problem details and system configuration....

it's long and have no idea what any of it means.  It's a text document but it opens in word and messes up the text.  Not sure who else to send the report.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AtxZ-eIRC9dSgvBBHOb

It may also be my USB hard drive but that is connected to tb3 connectors.  So only other error could be the UFX mounted on the usb 3.0 port.

16 Reply by MC

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

If you Google for it you will find tons of hits. I doubt this has anything to do with the UFX.

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Matthias Carstens
RME

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17 Reply by markospolydorou (edited by markospolydorou 2020-05-06 15:01:35)

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Re: UFX + Dangerous Dbox + Mac mini 2018

MC wrote:

If you Google for it you will find tons of hits. I doubt this has anything to do with the UFX.

I have googled it but the programing code it spits out is long. 

What I am finding is that the error message apparently is due to some hardware connected to the mac mini.  So far all I have is the Glyph Harddrive, RME UFX, and a wireless mouse and keyboard hooked up so just narrowing things down.  It very well could be the UFX but I have no way of knowing unless I ask about the code or see if anyone has had similar issues.