• Registered: 2018-01-22
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Cannot install new drivers/TotalMix, and cannot uninstall old ones.

Been half a year since I've had my new computer, and I still can't get my HDSPe system working with it.

Tried installing the new 4.22 firmware, said it finished installing, but could only find DigiCheck. TotalMix nowhere to be found. Plugged in my Multiface to my HDSPe PCIe card. Red light, cannot connect to host, device nowhere to be found on my computer settings. Tried plugging in my Digiface to the PCIe. Same thing.

Tried running the flash updater. Run the exe file, and no prompt comes up. That isn't normal is it? Don't even know if it updated. Both Multiface and Digiface not connecting to host.

Try uninstalling. Find RME Hammerfall DSP (WMD) in app list, but it's version 4.2.1.0. Try uninstalling. Prompt comes up saying "Error - Installation failed."
Find RME MadiFace USB is also on my app list. Version 0.9.634.0. Tried uninstalling that. Same prompt comes up saying "Error - Installation failed."

I've spent so much time and money on this RME setup, I would just like it to work for once. Please help. I honestly do not have the time to do a fresh install of Windows, which seems to be my only option, and I don't have the time to keep fiddling with these interfaces and settings when I bought it based on RMEs reputation to "always work".

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Cannot install new drivers/TotalMix, and cannot uninstall old ones.

I would recommend to contact support and let them help you finding out what's going wrong by a remote session on your computer. First thing to check is if the HDSPe PCI is present in Device Manager at all.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2018-07-22 12:40:33)

  • ramses
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  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,398

Re: Cannot install new drivers/TotalMix, and cannot uninstall old ones.

I think there is something wrong with your board. This was already the suspicion in this thread from January: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=26608

Then you asked in May for feasible coffee lake boards in this thread: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=27149. As there was nobody with such a board answering you, I proposed to take a normal sized ATX board from an (usually) good brand, but I can't give any guarantees for products that I do not use / do not maintain.

Now it seems to me that you changed your mind and want to stay with your old / existing HW solution.
Understandable that you don't want to spend more money, but I fear that this won't bring your any further.

BTW .. Which HDSPe card do you have in particular ? There are different models out. I assume AIO ?!

I made already myself the same experience getting bad HW (bad designed mainboard from MSI). First I had issues with a Focusrite Firewire 400 based solution (Liquid Saffire 56 and Focusrite OctoPre). After switching to RME it was still not ideal. Final solution was to build myself a Xeon based system, ECC-RAM, simply build of quality components that are also being used in Enterprise environments. This mixed with consumer HW (GPU, SSD, HD), but build on a very solid base (server mainboard).

If I may make a proposal: you would most likely get quickest progress, if you would get a turnkey PC optimized and tested for Audio, from companies like i.e. da-x or Xi machines. These people have the knowledge and spent already all the efforts to preselect hardware components that work reliably with each other without side effects.

They offer tested turnkey systems and give you also support on this final turnkey solution. Especially this is I think important for you, not having to dive to deep into system HW design & troubleshooting and to be able to simply enjoy the quality of RME components based on hardware which is proven.

BTW .. building a real stable audio PC was never a simple job, by simply picking any random PC hardware, putting it together and "hoping" to get good results. Some / Most people simply have luck in the selection of their HW components. Some people like you simply have bad luck doing so. I personally think that this started already with picking special mini-ITX mainboard. ASRock as company for mainboards would also not be my 1st choice.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2018-01-22
  • Posts: 7

Re: Cannot install new drivers/TotalMix, and cannot uninstall old ones.

MC wrote:

I would recommend to contact support and let them help you finding out what's going wrong by a remote session on your computer. First thing to check is if the HDSPe PCI is present in Device Manager at all.

Thanks, I might just do that. Good to know I have that option.

And no, I could not find the PCIe present on device manager. I'll play around with it later today and have a look. TotalMix should still install itself whether or not the PCIe is detected though, right?

My main concern isn't really the HDSPe system. I've sort of given up on it. My main concern is being unable to uninstall the old drivers, and being able to install TotalMix correctly. I just bought a USB Digiface as one final chance with RME, and I'm worried the old firmware might affect it. I've bought the Digiface USB before, and though it worked,it didn't work well. I was hoping the new firmware might change things. I've also bought a video card, to see if that might improve interface performance. I'm afraid once I get the Digiface, the drivers and TotalMix will not install correctly. But I guess I'll wait until I get the Digiface to see if that's the case.

  • Registered: 2018-01-22
  • Posts: 7

Re: Cannot install new drivers/TotalMix, and cannot uninstall old ones.

ramses wrote:

I think there is something wrong with your board. This was already the suspicion in this thread from January: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=26608

Then you asked in May for feasible coffee lake boards in this thread: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=27149. As there was nobody with such a board answering you, I proposed to take a normal sized ATX board from an (usually) good brand, but I can't give any guarantees for products that I do not use / do not maintain.

Now it seems to me that you changed your mind and want to stay with your old / existing HW solution.
Understandable that you don't want to spend more money, but I fear that this won't bring your any further.

BTW .. Which HDSPe card do you have in particular ? There are different models out. I assume AIO ?!

I made already myself the same experience getting bad HW (bad designed mainboard from MSI). First I had issues with a Focusrite Firewire 400 based solution (Liquid Saffire 56 and Focusrite OctoPre). After switching to RME it was still not ideal. Final solution was to build myself a Xeon based system, ECC-RAM, simply build of quality components that are also being used in Enterprise environments. This mixed with consumer HW (GPU, SSD, HD), but build on a very solid base (server mainboard).

If I may make a proposal: you would most likely get quickest progress, if you would get a turnkey PC optimized and tested for Audio, from companies like i.e. da-x or Xi machines. These people have the knowledge and spent already all the efforts to preselect hardware components that work reliably with each other without side effects.

They offer tested turnkey systems and give you also support on this final turnkey solution. Especially this is I think important for you, not having to dive to deep into system HW design & troubleshooting and to be able to simply enjoy the quality of RME components based on hardware which is proven.

BTW .. building a real stable audio PC was never a simple job, by simply picking any random PC hardware, putting it together and "hoping" to get good results. Some / Most people simply have luck in the selection of their HW components. Some people like you simply have bad luck doing so. I personally think that this started already with picking special mini-ITX mainboard. ASRock as company for mainboards would also not be my 1st choice.

I have the HDSPe PCIe bridge for the multiface/digiface.

Honestly money isn't the problem. Availability of mobos is. When I built the PC, z370 was the only option. And the Asrock was the only one with Thunderbolt. And I don't think quality is the issue. the Asrock board is one of the best mini-ITX z370 boards out. Recently the new H370 boards have come out, so I might try those, though it seems like a waste of my 8700K. I think I'll wait until the release of the z390 boards to test out mobos though. I've just bought a graphics card to see if it stresses the CPU less, and gives the interface better performance.

Full sized boards are out of the question. When I moved from laptop to full sized PC, my main contingency was the size stay small. So it has to be mini-ITX.

6 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2018-07-22 16:26:22)

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,398

Re: Cannot install new drivers/TotalMix, and cannot uninstall old ones.

I think the best is what MC already suggested, RME support to validate the installation.
The support mail address you can get from the webserver.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14