• Registered: 2018-07-23
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Fireface UFX WDM audio dropouts

Let me start with saying my fireface UFX+ is the best audio interface I've used in 30 years, almost couldn't be happier with it. Lately I've been noticing a problem specifically with the WDM drivers I think and I'm having a hard time figuring out what's going on. I have two outputs configured as a speaker out in the RME WDM device configuration dialog and the machine has been experiencing audio dropouts when I play audio from a webpage (youtube, etc) through that WDM device. If I make the monitor the default audio device, no dropouts. Can't figure it out. No problems with Cuebase playing / recording multiple channels. Anyone see anything like this before? Anyone have some advice? - I'm running driver 0.9673 & firmware rev 49 -  Thanks in advance.

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,886

Re: Fireface UFX WDM audio dropouts

While the audio drops appear, do you see USB transmission error in the driver settings dialog ?
See handbook chapter 39.3

From the driver version number I deduce you are connecting via USB3, correct ?
Which USB port are you using ?
The one coming from Chipset or from a 3rd party USB controller like ASMDEDIA ?
Did you try other USB ports that are compatible, see handbook chapter 39.3.

A few more information would be helpful like:
Apple, PC ?
CPU, Mainboard ?
OS / version ?
Using Harddisk or SSD ?

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

3 Reply by dennisfld (edited by dennisfld 2018-07-23 18:46:37)

  • Registered: 2018-07-23
  • Posts: 4

Re: Fireface UFX WDM audio dropouts

SOLVED - I realized I left out a few details after I submitted this yesterday, thanks for helping me think it through methodically and suggesting I RTFM.

I'm running Windows 10 Pro v1803 on an Intel Hades Canyon NUC - NUC8I7HVK - Core i7-8809G - 32G DDR 2400 Ram - 1TB Samsung 960 EVO SSD

I was seeing USB errors in the RME driver settings tool, where the center number would increment every time I heard a dropout. I had the UFX+ directly connected to the PC and tried moving it to other rear ports (there are (4) in the rear and (2) in the front), but I didn't try disconnecting other devices. I had a usb3 hub plugged in to a different port on the pc, had my Keyboard,Mouse, my Cuebase iLok, and a WiDi bud (ble midi rx for a wireless keyboard) on it. Disconnected the hub (and everything on it) and errors are gone, plugged the iLok and keyboard-mouse back in directly and still no problems. I have the nuc attached to a rackshelf and can't reach far enough in to connect the widi bud directly in the rear so I moved it to one of the front (2) ports and all is still well.

Hub's going in the garbage, actually I could have overtightened a tie-wrap around that usb cable going to the hub recently and I wonder if that could be related. I'm surprised that that could have affected the RME that was directly connected but yeah, its one bus, one controller. Makes sense. Thanks for the help.

4 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2018-07-23 18:40:10)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,886

Re: Fireface UFX WDM audio dropouts

If you want more flexibility for USB3 ports

Sonnet USB3-PRO-4PM-E
https://www.heise.de/preisvergleich/son … 79334.html

The cards drivers are programmed to use a more efficient driver model called MSI: "message signalled interrupts".

For my win7 installation I used the driver provided by Sonnet.
In Win10 the driver are already included.

I can run two UFX+ and one ADI-2 Pro attached to this card, and have no issues anymore with USB hubs, etc.

Best is to take this card using a PCIe x4 socket, as you have then 4 times full USB3 communication bandwidth.

FL1100 chipset is fully supported by MADIface driver, see handbook.

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

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,443

Re: Fireface UFX WDM audio dropouts

> Hub's going in the garbage

I don't hink the hub is faulty. IMHO you use the WiDi now on a separated port. You can check the internal USB structure as explained in the UFX manual.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2018-07-23
  • Posts: 4

Re: Fireface UFX WDM audio dropouts

The NUC is a small formfactor pc, doesn't have much expansion possibilities (has thunderbolt 3 though). I'm using it in a portable recording / smaart system tuning rig and really just need it to be reliable as it is.

I was considering getting a thunderbolt 3 PCI expansion chassis, to add a different card, but I'll probably keep that out of the portable rig and build a new PC for it instead. Thanks for the recommendation of the sonnet card, I'll definitely keep it in mind.

  • Registered: 2018-07-23
  • Posts: 4

Re: Fireface UFX WDM audio dropouts

Hi Matthias, I was thinking the same thing, suspecting the WiDi, but I'm only seeing one USB 3.0 host controller in Windows device manager and the WiDi is on it with the UFX+ now, the only thing that is different is that the hub is disconnected.

In testing today I downloaded "USB Device Tree Viewer" https://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtreeview_e.html and it shows the one Intel USB 3.0 host controller with my external devices and the intel bluetooth controller connected to it. The tree viewer tool shows a second ASMedia USB3.1 controller with nothing connected to it, I'm not sure what's up with this controller, I realize the RME drivers aren't compatible with an ASMedia controller but I'm assuming this controller is only connected to the usb-c port and thunderbolt 3 ports.

It's been error free for more than an hour, I'm hopeful that the issue's resolved. I'll post an update if I find out anything else, might try reconnecting the hub and seeing what changes here.

Thanks,

Dennis