1 Topic by zinzin (edited by zinzin 2019-12-29 18:02:45)

  • Registered: 2014-03-07
  • Posts: 27

Topic: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

i got a problem ...

everytime i work with my FF400 logic pro x freezes, makes some continous noise like "pfiiiiii" and i have to shoot my macbook down manually. the macbook does not restart but makes 3x "piep" and only after some rebooting comes alive again. but logic freezes again.
when i am working in my flat with only headphones and without the ff400 audiointerface logic pro x works perfectly for hours.

this is my data:
macbook pro 15" mid 2012 – mojave 10.14.5 – logic pro x 10.4.6 – latest rme drivers

strangely when i work with my older macbook and the ff400 logic works perfectly.
older macbook pro 15" late 2011 – sierra 10.12.6 – logic pro x 10.4.2 - rme drivers from 2017

now my only solution would be to erase my new macbook completely and install my old system, my old logic and the old rme drivers ...

i can't work on my older macbook pro because it gets hot very soon and the ventilation/fan is on almost all the time, it's the model with the grafic card problem. so i have to use the "newer" 2012 macbook pro.

has anyone else problems with new logic/osx/versions/drivers on older macbook/ff400?

any suggestions welcome!

2 Reply by MC

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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

Did you try the other FW connector of the FF400? Did you try a different FireWire cable? Does the FF400 us its own power supply and is set correctly to do so with the switch on the back?

The FW port of the MacBook Pro 15" might be half damaged (still working but not perfectly). Same could be true for the FF400, but is unlikely as it works on the other computer.

Another theory: If the MacBook Pro would work with an older OS then Apple might have screwed the FW drivers in the newer OS for that exact hardware model (surely not a common problem).

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • Registered: 2014-03-07
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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

i've tried another firewire cable but i doubt it's the cable or ff400 as with the old macbook pro and old system it works stable.

it "could" be the newer macbooks firewire input ... but i am more inclined to believe its the system.

can i delete all the rme drivers from my newer macbook manually?
and when reinstalling them, do i have to have the ff400 attached? i have no internet in my studio therefore when installing the drivers i always did it in my flat without the ff400 connected.

i could always transfer my whole older system to my newer macbook but i would prefer not to as it takes a whole lot of time ...

4 Reply by MC

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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

Manual uninstallation is described in the manual. Installation does not require the hardware to be attached. Actually I haven't tried this for a long time, maybe the latest Security&Privacy changes require the hardware to be there on a reboot. But you do have a USB thumb drive, right?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2014-03-07
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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

MC wrote:

Manual uninstallation is described in the manual. Installation does not require the hardware to be attached. Actually I haven't tried this for a long time, maybe the latest Security&Privacy changes require the hardware to be there on a reboot. But you do have a USB thumb drive, right?

thanks, will try.

  • Registered: 2014-03-07
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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

ok i uninstalled all the drivers and installed them new - nothing.

than i swapped harddisks: from the old working one to the new not working macbook pro. nothing, did not work. so it's not the os x system.

i think it will be the firewire input as you suggested. it's the only thing left ...

so two things: change the firewire input on my macbook (no idea how much that could cost) or ... buy a new fireface with usb :-)

7 Reply by MC

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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

Alternative: TB to FW adapter.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

8 Reply by zinzin (edited by zinzin 2019-12-31 10:12:22)

  • Registered: 2014-03-07
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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

MC wrote:

Alternative: TB to FW adapter.

Yes, i‘d like to try this first. Thanks! But currently have the thunderbolt input occupied by the monitor vga > adapter.
I searched a bit for a dock that takes vga and firewire to thunderbolt but couldn‘t find. Any tipps for a working dock?

Do i have to buy a firewire > thunderbolt adapter, go with that into a docking station that can take hunderbolt and vga and then go into my macbooks thunderbolt input? Will that work?

9 Reply by MC

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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

A dock makes this - it's still for testing first - much too expensive in case the issue lies somewhere else. Also I don't know the current state of docks with FireWire. And TB2 docks are not popular anymore.

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Matthias Carstens
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  • Registered: 2014-03-07
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Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

another try: changed the ram because 3x piiiiep could be the ram, says the internet.
so with the ram from my older macbook it worked for an hour than again "piiiiiiep" and everything frozen ...
i disconnected the firewire cable and so the audiointerface but it did not work either ...
gonna try again in some minutes in my flat with just headphones and no audiointerace as up until now it worked in that modus.

i begin to think its the macbook as a whole to be cursed not the system, the ram, the fw input ...

  • Registered: 2014-03-07
  • Posts: 27

Re: FF400 not working with mojave, but working with sierra

so my newer macbook pro works perfectly for hours when mixing on my sofa with headphones and withouth the rme fireface400 ...

i got myself a firewire > thunderbold adapter to try, tried it and it worked for 5 minutes than the same problem: macbook freezes and emanates "eeeeeeeeeck!"

so i am lost now ... my rme firewire 400 works perfectly with my older macbook pro (but the fans are on all the time as it gets to hot), but does not work with my newer macbook pro.

- the same firewire cable works with the old one, so its not the cable
- i put the ssd with the system and logic on it from the old to the new macbook: did not work
- i changed the ram on the new one, did not work
- i tried a firewire to thunderbolt adapter with the new one: did not work
- i did a complete reinstall of the system (mojave) a month ago, did not work

- should i install the old sierra system? the one on my older macbook pro?
- should i "buy" a ucf and try the usb connection? i could always return it within 30 days if i doesn't work

i would like to stay with rme as i was always satisfied with it ...