• Registered: 2020-01-09
  • Posts: 5

Topic: HELP! Fireface 800 suddenly became noisy after switch to Thunderbolt

Hi RME gang...

I just bought a spanking new MBP which came with Catalina installed.

It only has Thunderbolt 3 connections so I've done the TB3 <*adapter*> TB2 <*adapter*> FW800 <*cable*> FW400 multi link which has worked fine. 

It's worth mentioning that I use a Fireface400 linked by ADAT&FW400 to a Fireface800 (for more inputs).  I have created an aggregate device for these.

My Fireface400 & 800 are linked by a firewire 400 cable (so the computer can see it) and then they are synced by ADAT optical cable on Adat1.  Running at 96khz sample rate usually.

I was running this exact same setup on my 10yr old MBP.  The only difference is the new adapter chain to utilise TB3 connection.

I have an Arturia Drum Brute with 8 channels of mono coming out the back and going into the inputs 1-8 on the back of the fireface 800.   On the old system... this was perfect.  No problems.   On the new system, there is suddenly a significant amount of noise.  I have the 8 channels on listen in Ableton and the noise is now tangible even at low volumes.  Track by track its not too bad but when summed to the Group it is CLEARLY visible and audible.  On the RME Total Mix I can also see the noise.

Doesn't matter if I change the sample rate and I'm also not receiving any noise from the fireface 400 which is the master.

Anybody have any idea what this is about?  It's driving me a bit potty!

Many thanks

Simon

  • Registered: 2020-01-09
  • Posts: 5

Re: HELP! Fireface 800 suddenly became noisy after switch to Thunderbolt

Ok I've been trying everything and it seems to be related to overdose of USB activity.  Nothing to do with the RME.  As soon as I disconnect my DrumBrute from the USB hub, the noise vanishes.  My old Macbook Pro had usb ports which I had two Anker hubs running off with all my midi controllers (maschine, rumbrute, komplte kontorl, xstation, ms20 and a whole bunch of other stuff). 

Obviously I've had to buy ANOTHER multi hub to go from Thunderbolt to multi USB so I could still plug in my two powered Anker USB hubs. This seems to have created a bit of a sh*tstorm of electric feedback.   Currently using the USB for all midi clocking so that's not ideal.  Will update if I find a workaround.  I'm brand new to all this Thunderbolt USB-c business so am figuring out some weird stuff about how placing the power cables in different positions affects reliability and performance.   

If this is off topic, feel free to tell me to shut up.  Just thought someone else might find this useful to know this IS NOT an RME issue.

  • vinark
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 2,831

Re: HELP! Fireface 800 suddenly became noisy after switch to Thunderbolt

Don't shut up! Good info, thanks.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
BFpro fs, 2X HDSP9652 ADI-8AE, 2X HDSP9632

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,665

Re: HELP! Fireface 800 suddenly became noisy after switch to Thunderbolt

The topic to search for is Ground Loop. It is not about overloaded USB. Your setup now is different to before, and you now suffer from said ground loop getting audible. The easiest fix might be to check the power supply of the Drum Brute. Isolate it or get a different one without earth connection. If that power supply is an isolated switched power supply you need to isolate USB, disconnect USB bus power, or get a linear power supply.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

5 Reply by fluxsmith (edited by fluxsmith 2020-02-03 08:39:50)

  • Registered: 2020-01-09
  • Posts: 5

Re: HELP! Fireface 800 suddenly became noisy after switch to Thunderbolt

You star.  Thank you very much for the search term I needed.

Having read up, I tried moving plugs around to separate the ground loops sources to see if anything made any difference.  No joy.

I then read some more and was about to buy one of these Ifi iDefender thing for about $50 and then realised I could try one last thing.  For some reason, I thought I needed to plug my Mac's power supply into the new (IBESI 11 in 1) USB-C -> Everything else hub in order to give it maximum power to run everything else. 

Silly me. 

Both my Anker hubs are powered so they didn't need the boost.  The only thing running off that hub which isn't self powered was a couple of ssd drives which don't need that much oomph.

I simply removed the Mac power cable from the IBESI hub and plugged it directly back into the Macbook Pro.

PROBLEM SOLVED!   

**EDIT**    I did have to play snakes and ladders for a while as the IBESI was cutting out under the power usage of the SSD's so I moved the SSD drives to the powered hubs and a few of the least power consuming midi controllers were moved to the now unpowered IBESI multi hub.

Thanks for your help.  Now to ROCK ON with clean sound!   

cool cool cool cool cool