• Registered: 2021-11-15
  • Posts: 1

Topic: FF400 and FF800 over ADAT

Hello World from Germany,

I have trouble with FF800 and  FF400.

FF800 is choosen as master and connected via FW to my MBP.

What I want: Expand FF800 with the FF400 via ADAT

What I have done:

FF400
SPDIF In -> Coaxial
Clock Mode -> AutoSync
SPDIF Out -> Professional (based on manual everything but not Optical if we want to use Adat Out)
Preferred Sync Ref -> ADAT
World Clock Output -> Single Speed
Samplerate ->48kHz
Limit Bandwidth -> Analog (should only affect Firewire connection Bandwidth..)

FF800
SPDIF In -> Coaxial
Clock Mode  -> Master
Preferred Sync Ref -> Adat 1
SPDIF OUT -> no check
Badnwidth Limid-> Analog + SPDIF + ADAT1
World Clock Out-> Single Speed
Sample Rate 48kHz


I read out, made the settings and then stored them to the devices. Read them back to double check.

Wire Connection:
FF400 Adat Out to FF800 Adat In1
FF400 Adat In to FF800 Adat Out1

Also have the BNC connected and pressed the Termination switch on the FF400 (ligth is on)
In Addition I have FF400 connected with a firewire cable to the FF800 800port.

I can now see signals from the AdatOut (ff400) in the TM of the FF800.

(FF400 I routed AN1..AN8 to OUT 11...Out18 and set Outputs to 0dB)
So Basically i have what i want. So i flash TM settings to FF400.
Power off the FF400.
In Addition store Fireface settings for both units and also flash the TM settings to the units.
disconnect the BNC and the Firewire Cable...
make a powercircle for both units... And got no audio comming from ff400 to the ff800 via adat.
Termination switched off (ff400)...

Both Fireface Settings read out by reconnect ff400 via firewire to the FF800 (tried it also with 2 Macs to be able to get independently access to both units )
FF400: AutoSync Ref: Input Adat 1 Freq. 48Khz; Prefered Sync Ref: Adat (SYNC); System Clock, Mode: Slave, Freq: 48kHz
FF800: AutoSync Ref: Input Adat 1 Freq. 48kHz; Prefered Sync Ref: Adat1 (SYNC); System Clock, Mode:Master Freq. 48kHz

So why do I get no Audio?

Also if i reconnect the BNC and switch on the Termination switch of the FF400 I get no Signal in the TM of the FF800... Only if I dasychain them based on a firewire cable...

I hope i basically do somthing wrong.

Thanks for the Support!

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2021-11-15 16:39:19)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,863

Re: FF400 and FF800 over ADAT

This has been explained certainly a dozen times on forum, you could also search for that by looking for keywords like "clock master" or "clock source".

Nevertheless, quick intro to the topic:

Word Clock cabling is not needed in such a setup, so the WC settings / cabling is not needed here.
"Clock mode" is invalid, in the RME driver settings you will find a field callled "clock source", this is the relevant one to configure.
Clock source "autoscync" and "master" are invalid choices for clock source settings.
Therefore I have doubts, that you configured it correctly.

If you want
- FF800 as master, then set clock source to "internal"
  - connect FF400 ADAT OUT to FF800 ADAT IN if you want to transfer audio from FF400 to FF800
- FF400 as clock slave
  - connect FF800 ADAT OUT to FF400 ADAT IN with a TOSLINK cable
  - in the driver settings for the FF400 set clock source to "ADAT"

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