1 Topic by samnew2rme (edited by samnew2rme 2017-12-25 16:20:20)

  • Registered: 2017-04-30
  • Posts: 5

Topic: NYC RME home studio assistance

Hi Fellow RME Users,

I'm not sure the best place to post this so I'll start with the TotalMix FX forum. I'm relatively new to RME (UFX+), having previously been a MOTU user. I have a home studio (my set up follows this post at the bottom) and have studio issues that have finally beaten me. I've read the manual, watched the videos, and dealt with tech support. Unfortunately, with all the different components (hardware and software) of a home studio and my limited understanding of the tech within the tech, I simply can no longer pinpoint what is going on.

For example  1) I have random signal dropouts but only playing certain songs that have only 3 instruments so it can't be overload and 2) after unplugging and re-connecting my studio my Roland JV-1010 sound module now is playing a different scale structure and I don't know how to re-set it. Those are a few issues, not including the basic operation issues that I'm pretty frustrated with.

It's likely (or possibly) not a TotalMix issue anymore, and maybe not even an RME issue, but I don't know where else to look. What I need is a professional (a REAL professional -- I've hired a couple people off the internet who do home studio work, but inevitably someone say "Oh, I don't know how that piece works..." and leaves me with the problem.)

I'm looking for an RME/TotalMix/Logic Pro/Mac/Midi (Juno and Kurweil) expert who also understands how DAWs works and the intersection of all the gear. At this point, I need someone who can come in and trouble shoot all the gear and how it interacts so that I don't get something like "Oh, it's probably your computer..." or "Oh, your interface is probably the problem..." or "Oh, your software is too old and I don't how that works...". I need someone who understand the structure behind it all.

I live in NYC and I'm sure there is someone in this city but I don't know how to find the real tech professionals. If anyone can point me in the right direction that would be very much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Best  J.

iMac 27”  (2011) i7 Quad Core w/ 32gb ram & Sandisk X400 SSD w/Firewire 800
Apple Mountain Lion (10.8.6)
Logic Pro 9.1.8
RME UFX+
Juno Stage 76 keyboard / Kurzweil PC1x 88 keyboard / Roland JV1010 sound module
G-tech 7200rpm hard drive (virtual instruments) / Glyph RAID 7200rpm (record audio path)
Native Instruments Komplete 10 / Synthogy Ivory
Focusrite ISA One preamp / Focusrite Liquid Channel
MOTU MT4 Midi interface
Samson Headphone Amp
Neuman TLM 103
Rode NT1A

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2017-12-25 18:35:49)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,107

Re: NYC RME home studio assistance

A few general recommendations

> after unplugging and re-connecting my studio my Roland JV-1010 sound module now is playing
> a different scale structure and I don't know how to re-set it.

This has most likely nothing to do with UFX+ / TotalMic, pls. contact Roland Support.

> I would edit your start post and give it more structure, to bring it more to the point

Some proposals to make it easier for yourself and  everybody involved to handle your case:

1. Mics are irrelevant for this case, pls delete

2. Focusrite ISA One, Liquid Channel, the 2 keyboards and the headphone Amp
are most likely connected behind the UFX+, right ?
Things like clicks and dropouts happen usually during the transport of data between
recording interface and computer or inside of your computer (Apple OS, driver, CPU load and what not).
So I think all the things connected behind your UFX+ you can completely exclude from your problem.
Check it on your own ! Turn each of the devices off, one by one.
Then check, whether the reproduceable drops are gone. Most likely not.
Then you can simplify your case further by deleting the 5 devices, which have no relevance for the audio drops.
This also makes troubleshooting easier, where to focus at.

3. Unplug the Motu Midi Interface, connect the stuff via UFX+ midi port.
I assume this won't change the issue as well, then delete the Motu from the list.
But I would keep Motu Midi Interface removed for the time being to simplify your setup.

4. you need to detail how your USB and Firewire interfaces are connected,
what is connected where or what is chained behind each other

5. You need to detail whether / where you use USB Hubs.

After having a much better and more "to the point" overview we need to look what you could / should could next.

Important is that you make only ONE change at a time (!!!) and then re-check your reproduceable audio clicks.
Only this way its possible to identify what action changed the situation !!

I think you should be able to:
a) describe more precise and document your current status, that you can come back at any time to this setup
b) then start simplyfying your setup "piece by piece" and re-test after each step to see,
what all is NOT related to the dropout problem.

All this removed stuff that didnt change / solve the problem you can then completely descope
from any further troubleshooting activities, which makes the problem easier to handle and
more evident in what direction further troubleshooting needs to go...

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2017-04-30
  • Posts: 5

Re: NYC RME home studio assistance

Hi Ramses,

Thanks very much for replying. I really appreciate that you took the time to weigh in. Here are  few details in reply:

1. I agree re: contacting Roland. Not necessary because I did a factory reset and that solved the issue. But, and this refers to my global issue, I did nothing other than unplug all the cables (literally all of them) and reconnected them all. Suddenly, my Roland was playing an odd scale that required a reset.

2. Though I listed all my gear (I forgot to include a DBX 286s) nothing other than the iMac, the UFX+, the keyboards/sound modules and the headphone amp are turned on. The problems exist independent of those units.

3. I use the MOTU Midi Interface because I have the 3 keyboards. I'm not sure how to plug 3 keyboards into the back of the UFX+, which has only  an in/out configuration.

4. The UFX+ is connected to iMac via Firewire 400 into Firewire/Thunderbolt adapter, which is an RME sanctioned method.

5. I use a USB hub but only for iLok, license keys, mac keyboard.

6. Hard drives are connected via USB directly to back of iMac.

I know none of this makes sense. Even more so because when I first bought the UFX+, I successfully set and recorded songs without a problem. But there was always "crackling" and instability on the mic preamps 9 and 10. I sent it in for repair and was told they couldn't duplicate and returned the unit. When I got the unit back, I plugged it in exactly as before, then started experiencing dropouts (actually, that's not accurate -- during playback of software instruments, for example, I will hear a faint "click" and the volume  of a given instrument (not all of them, mind you -- say for example, just the bass) will drop significantly for a bar or so, then "come back.") and other playback and record issues.


I think that's why I am looking for a studio/DAW software/midi/RME expert (is it an RME issue? Maybe? A Logic issue? Possibly? An iMac problem? Who knows?) that is someone (other than me) to isolate these issues. I'm a songwriter and this is just beyond me.

All I know is months ago, I recorded (at great effort) several songs that I need to use and for some reason, now have inexplicable issues. So frustrated...

4 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2017-12-26 00:23:41)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,107

Re: NYC RME home studio assistance

> 3. I use the MOTU Midi Interface because I have the 3 keyboards. I'm not sure how to plug 3 keyboards into
> the back of the UFX+, which has only  an in/out configuration.

For troubleshooting / finding the root cause you do not need 3 keyboards.
As I said, simplify the setup so that the root cause becomes better visible.
Disconnect everything which is not really required.

> 4. The UFX+ is connected to iMac via Firewire 400 into Firewire/Thunderbolt adapter, which is an RME sanctioned method.

Cannot be. The UFX+ is an USB3/thunderbolt recording interface. Not Firewire.

Lets focus now on this:

1- What RME recording interface do you have ? UFX, UFX II, UFX+ ??

2- To what port on your iMAC is the RME recording interface  connected ?
USB2, USB3, thunderbolt ?

3- How long is the cable which connects the RME recording interface to your iMAC ?

4- Did you try already another cable ?

5- Are you sure you didnt connect the UFX+ to an USB HUB ? It needs to be connected via USB3 cable straight to the iMac

6- If there are other USB3 ports on your iMac, can you try whether it works better on the other USB3 ports ?

7- What RME driver version do you use ? Pls tell the version number.

8- If I remember right with Apple iMac its not possible to configure smth like ASIO buffersize.
Is in Apple nothing compareable like a buffersize to be configured ?

9- As I have no Apple .. I always forget ... as there is no ASIO driver in Mac OS X ..
Does the UFX+ eventually need to be set into Class Compliant mode ?
Is Class Compliant mode set on the UFX+ or not ?

10- MADIface driver has an USB debug modus.
If you open the RME driver setting dialog. Please watch USB diagnosis.
It shows you USB transport errors, shall some occurr.
If you let this window open ... and you repeat your usual testing to trigger the bug.
If the clicks / audio drops appear, do you see the USB Diagnosis error counter to count errors ?

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