1 Topic by klaviernatum (edited by klaviernatum 2024-06-10 00:41:06)

  • Registered: 2024-05-25
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Petition for the revision of the Fireface 800 Driver on Monterey

Hello Dear RME Users and Developers!

Despite the fact this issue has been exposed many times here in the forums and also on external forums and social media with no satisfactory solution, would you guys please sign this petition?
https://chng.it/DBcTsPLXhX

Basically points to solve the solid and stable usage of the Fireface 800 via Firewire 800 on a Mac Pro 5,1 running Monterey.
We are many having this issue, and just don't wanna throw our beloved interfaces away...

Thank you so much,
Trusting on RME!

Mac Pro 5,1
Monterey
Fireface 800
  • From: Haimhausen
  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 239

Re: Petition for the revision of the Fireface 800 Driver on Monterey

IMHO; If you update to Monterey on a MacPro 5.1 (officially only supported up to Mojave) you also update the firmware for the internal Firewire card. Then the Firewire will not work well with the Fireface 400/800.
If you buy a PCIe Firewire card, for example this one https://www.startech.com/de-de/karten-adapter/pex1394b3
you have no problems anymore.

Regards,
Audio AG Support

Audio AG Support's Website

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,774

Re: Petition for the revision of the Fireface 800 Driver on Monterey

This is apparently not something that could be fixed with a simple driver update. Please try the suggestion above first.

You've made your point here, please don't post the link all over the forum.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2024-05-25
  • Posts: 7

Re: Petition for the revision of the Fireface 800 Driver on Monterey

Audio AG Support wrote:

IMHO; If you update to Monterey on a MacPro 5.1 you also update the firmware for the internal Firewire card. Then the Firewire will not work well with the Fireface 400/800.
If you buy a PCIe Firewire card, for example this one https://www.startech.com/de-de/karten-adapter/pex1394b3
you have no problems anymore.

Hi and thank you for your answer!
I have a couple questions now:
1. is this internal firewire firmware permanent? or if I return to Mojave, Catalina or Big Sur, Firmware version will update again to that respective OS?
2. Would it be better to use a Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter into a new PCI thunderbolt card instead of this redundant Firewire PCI card? My Mac already has 4 FW perfectly working ports...
3. If it is a firewire firmware update problem, wouldn't be better to just maintain somehow a previous firmware into Monterey?
4. Are you therefore assuring its not the RME driver but the FIRMWARE VERSION of the Monterey the problem here to all of us users of the FF800 on Mac Pros 5,1?

Mac Pro 5,1
Monterey
Fireface 800
  • Registered: 2024-05-25
  • Posts: 7

Re: Petition for the revision of the Fireface 800 Driver on Monterey

RME Support wrote:

This is apparently not something that could be fixed with a simple driver update. Please try the suggestion above first.

You've made your point here, please don't post the link all over the forum.

Thank you for your reply!
Understood.
But please, lets keep in touch.
I even talked to Martin Lo (principal mastermind behind Open Core for Mac Pro 5,1) about it,
and his reply was this (I can attach the screenshot of the conversation via mail if you will):

"I have little knowledge about audio interface[s].
But it should be quite impossible that the boot loader cause those noise.
And I agree that the driver should be the biggest suspect.
But if that's the driver related, then either manufacturer can fix it, or someone can write the driver by himself."
(I can attach the screenshot of this conversation if you want it via mail).

We affected (by apple) users are interested in using our interfaces as native as possible (without the need to buy expensive PCI cards or adapters, nor changing our perfectly working units that have served us for many years. And I believe you (we) RME as a community together with the Mac Pro community can get to a perfect fix of this issue, helping others to troubleshoot and thus being able to enjoy a few more years of all of this before the tech paradigm shifts hard towards who knows what!

Mac Pro 5,1
Monterey
Fireface 800

6 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,596

Re: Petition for the revision of the Fireface 800 Driver on Monterey

klaviernatum wrote:
RME Support wrote:

This is apparently not something that could be fixed with a simple driver update. Please try the suggestion above first.

You've made your point here, please don't post the link all over the forum.

Thank you for your reply!
Understood.!

Seems not.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,774

Re: Petition for the revision of the Fireface 800 Driver on Monterey

Open Core is not an official Apple solution. We are not going to try to "fix" the driver to adjust to whatever it might be doing to the system. If the native FireWire ports appear to have issues in this setup, the easiest and likely cheapest solution would be to get a supported FW card, possibly even second-hand.

Please mind that you are using an audio interface that was developed and introduced 20 years ago on a computer that may be almost 15 years old. While both of these can still be used, and while you can create an environment where they will happily cooperate, maybe you should reconsider your expectation of being able to run the latest operating system here. And if you do not wish to do so, but instead insist on using unofficial software to make that work, at least be prepared to deal with certain side effects and necessary workarounds. A PCIe FireWire card would be a really simple solution. I don't even know if a Thunderbolt solution would be supported here..

An interface like the FF800 can only work as well as the system it's connected to. No driver can fix or compensate issues introduced by an unofficial way of squeezing a modern operating system onto what is essentially legacy hardware.

Also, I'm not even sure what the exact issue might be. Consider that it could also have to do with the old Mac simply not being fast enough to run Monterey smoothly. And audio performance apparently wasn't something the Open Core developers even considered.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website