1 Topic by sirhans (edited by sirhans 2020-05-03 14:39:33)

  • Registered: 2020-04-27
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Fireface UFX+ optical SPDIF in doesn't work, missing pitch control

Two problems.

First, I am trying to get optical SPDIF from my Realtek onboard soundcard into the Fireface UFX+. Tried at 96 kHz, 48 kHz, 44.1 kHz. 24 bit. This worked perfectly on my old Fireface 800. Now I just get "No Lock". It's attached to the ADAT 2 input, but I also tried the ADAT 1 input. The optical cable does flash red so I don't think the cable is damaged. I have set "Optical 2 In" to "AES/SPDIF" in MADIFace Series Settings. I have attempted changing the Sample Rate of the UFX+ (normally I keep it at 96 kHz like the desired input). I have attempted changing Clock Source to "AES". I have tried setting AES Format to "Consumer". I get nothing.

Second, according to the manual there is supposed to be a Pitch setting in the Clock area of the settings, but it's not there. I'm pretty sure it was there with the old Fireface settings dialogue, but it's now missing in the MADIface Series Settings.

Edit: In general the Settings dialogue doesn't look like or have the same names for settings as the manual suggests. According to the manual for example Clock Source should be set to "Optical In", but I don't even have that option.

  • Registered: 2020-04-27
  • Posts: 7

Re: Fireface UFX+ optical SPDIF in doesn't work, missing pitch control

Okay number 1 was a user error. I still had the protection caps on the optical cable, which didn't allow it to go all the way in. Strangely that wasn't a problem with the Fireface 800, but now it works.

Problem 2 is still there ofc.

  • ramses
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Re: Fireface UFX+ optical SPDIF in doesn't work, missing pitch control

Clock: who is clock master and who is clock slave in your setup ?
Did you ensure to configure the UFX+ to use SPDIF protocol instead of ADAT protocol ?

Its also possible that your PC can't read the clock from optical...
In this case the PC has be become clock master, as the UFX+ does not have a built-in sample rate converter.

Then you need to perform these steps:
- cabling: PC -> TOSLINK -> UFX+
- UFX+ to read clock from optical
- UFX+ to be set from ADAT to SPDIF protocol

Pitch is not available anymore in the new MADIface driver, its incompatible with the used USB transfer modes if I remember correctly. If you need that with the UFX+ then you need to use the Thunderbolt driver which still supports pitch.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • ramses
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Re: Fireface UFX+ optical SPDIF in doesn't work, missing pitch control

sirhans wrote:

Okay number 1 was a user error. I still had the protection caps on the optical cable, which didn't allow it to go all the way in. Strangely that wasn't a problem with the Fireface 800, but now it works.

Well I have my doubts that it worked on the FF800 with protection caps.
How could it be possible to work ?
I have e.g. black protection caps, light can't go through it.
Even if you would have transparent plastic caps, the dampening would be so big, that I have doubts that this could work.
Maybe you used so much force that there was a hole in the protection cab.

But well .. this is really a masterpiece to forget those caps on the cable ...

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Fireface UFX+ optical SPDIF in doesn't work, missing pitch control

sirhans wrote:

Second, according to the manual there is supposed to be a Pitch setting in the Clock area of the settings

In my manual it says (Thunderbolt only), and the screenshot with pitch slider has a clear 'RME Thunderbolt Settings' in its title. So you use USB, not Thunderbolt.

sirhans wrote:

Edit: In general the Settings dialogue doesn't look like or have the same names for settings as the manual suggests..

I bet it has. If you look at the correct picture.

sirhans wrote:

According to the manual for example Clock Source should be set to "Optical In", but I don't even have that option.

Quote:
Clock Source
The unit can be configured to use its own clock (Internal = Master), or one of the input signals (Word, AES, ADAT1, ADAT2, MADI optical, MADI coaxial).
/Quote

I don't find 'Optical in' in the German or English manual.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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