Topic: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Hi,

I've been using my Hammerfall Multiface with a 2007 Mac Pro all these years, and I've come to love the combination.

I am moving to a different continent and I think it's time to say goodbye to my Mac Pro.

Here's a question: is there a way to somehow connect my Hammerfall with the Macbook?

I understand that Macbooks don't have PCI Express slots but wondering if anyone has thought of a smart workaround to make an amazing piece of hardware (Hammerfall) work with newer tech from Apple?

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

You'd need some external enclosure for the PCIe or Expresscard HDSP interface...

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

can you please point me in the right direction?

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

And Daniel, will a PCI or PCIe card ever work with M1 macs, even if in an external enclosure?
I am asking for the OP, because as far as I remember PCI cards never worked on OSX (hackingtosh) cause there were never any osx machines with PCI only PCIe, so those work on OSX intel. But as long as there are no M1 PCIe machines will the drivers work anyway. Sorry if I am wrong but it would be expensive for the OP if he got an M1 macbook only to find out it will not work with an external enclosure.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
Babyface pro fs, HDSP9652+ADI-8AE, HDSP9632

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

PCI cards are not compatible at all, PCIe cards are ready for Thunderbolt and compatible to the M1 Mac.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

…yep, absolutely…i have this enclosure for my hdspe card (+ multiface) and get absolutely mindblowing performance… https://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo … rview.html
a session that i was only able to run safely (for live performance) at 256 samples buffer i‘m now able to run at 64 samples buffer…

7 (edited by menych 2022-05-05 22:52:32)

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Scheffkoch wrote:

…yep, absolutely…i have this enclosure for my hdspe card (+ multiface) and get absolutely mindblowing performance… https://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo … rview.html
a session that i was only able to run safely (for live performance) at 256 samples buffer i‘m now able to run at 64 samples buffer…

THANK YOU.

So just to be clear, you have the PCIe card in the enclosure-- and you connect the enclosure to your mac via what interface?

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Another question is: if you had to choose between the original Multiface in an enclosure vs. a new Babyface or Fireface UCX II, which would you go with?

In other words, is selling the original multiface and buying the new interface worth the performance as opposed to just buying the enclosure and going with the tested interface I've come to love?

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

I would go with a new one 100% sure. That is if costs would be roughly the same or affordable. Only if money was the issue I would stay on the multi. BTW I have 4 hdsp cards 2 9652 and 2 9632 and one Babyface pro FS. Performance of my BF is equal latency wise, but sound quality a step up.
Hence the choice.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
Babyface pro fs, HDSP9652+ADI-8AE, HDSP9632

10 (edited by Scheffkoch 2022-05-06 17:53:38)

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

…i didn‘t „upgrade“ to a new usb interface since there were (are?) usb driver problems even on macos (eg they switched to a different usb connector company or something like that which resulted in several problems) and pci express (=thunderbolt) always was the most direct and native solution in my opinion…i have my multiface1 now with my 5th computer and for me that‘s a proof how reliable this team is…
you just put the hdspe card (pci express) into the sonnettech enclosure (i also deactivated the fan so that it‘s dead silent), connect your multiface via the firewire cable and the sonnet enclosure via a thunderbolt3 cable direct to the m1…done
i also take the whole team on the road since the sonnet enclosure is absolutely robust…happy rme camper here…✌️
P.S.: i‘m so convinced about this solution that i‘d put a rme aio pro into the sonnet if somehow my hdspe card stopped working…

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

I was that convinced too, until I had a hdsp and BF pro FS, on the same system and could compare. But of course, if you have a computer with bad usb you are in trouble.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
Babyface pro fs, HDSP9652+ADI-8AE, HDSP9632

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Hey Scheffkoch, I'm with the same dilemma and about to buy the Sonnet Echo Express SE I TB3 PCIe, Desktop, 1, but when I'm trying to install the latest driver on my M1 it states it's not compatible with my OS version. How did you solve this? Thanks!!

Slot

Scheffkoch wrote:

…i didn‘t „upgrade“ to a new usb interface since there were (are?) usb driver problems even on macos (eg they switched to a different usb connector company or something like that which resulted in several problems) and pci express (=thunderbolt) always was the most direct and native solution in my opinion…i have my multiface1 now with my 5th computer and for me that‘s a proof how reliable this team is…
you just put the hdspe card (pci express) into the sonnettech enclosure (i also deactivated the fan so that it‘s dead silent), connect your multiface via the firewire cable and the sonnet enclosure via a thunderbolt3 cable direct to the m1…done
i also take the whole team on the road since the sonnet enclosure is absolutely robust…happy rme camper here…✌️
P.S.: i‘m so convinced about this solution that i‘d put a rme aio pro into the sonnet if somehow my hdspe card stopped working…

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Which driver, which OS, which card?

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Hey Daniel, that was FAST!!!!!
I am with an M1 2020, Ventura 13.6 and am trying to install hdspe_272. My card is a HDSPe PCI and my outboard box is a Hammerfall DSP Multiface.

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Ok, I've found something else on your homepage. I must say that my HDSPe PCI has been working on a Mac Pro with OS 10.9.5 and hasn't been updated in YEARS, neither FLASH nor Dirver.

Could this be the way:

1. Update FLASH with my old Mac Pro 10.9.5 with fut_mac_dspe.zip

2. Connect HDSPe PCI via Sonnett SE1 and plug in the Hammerfall, and then use driverkit-info-hdspe.html and follow the instructions on the Support Document, as in: Startup Security Utility, Boot in Recovery mode, Install the latest Kernel Extension Driver on macOS with Apple silicon chipset, Click „Allow“ Kernel Extension Driver under System Preferences / 'Security and Privacy', Update Device Firmware on your Mac, and finally Install DriverKit Driver & Click „Allow“ under System Preferences / 'Security and Privacy'?

Sorry for the long message, I'd really love to be able to continue using my RME as it is really superb!

Thank you!

spend

RME Support wrote:

Which driver, which OS, which card?

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Besides a short period of those widely discussed USB issues some years ago on an older intel Mac, I found both the USB and Firewire drivers to be rock solid with most interfaces I tried (Fireface 400, 800, UC, UCX, UCX II, UFX II, Babyface Pro) on a MacBook M1.
Only on the UFX+ I recently had some playback issues. But that was through USB 3.0, while all the other mentioned interfaces work with USB 2.0. I just connected via Thunderbolt then and the issue disappeared.
According to some posts in this forum, some users currently have dropout issues with the brand new UFX III through USB 3.0.

Long story short:
I would either go with a Babyface Pro FS or UCX II, depending on your channel count / DSP / standalone functionality / portability needs. And if you need the newly announced room correction and crossfeed, I would wait a little until it gets announced which interfaces will support those features.
If you're looking for the cheapest solution which will just work fine: a used Fireface 400 or 800 will still work on an M1 on the Firewire Driver, through FireWire to Thunderbolt, and Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt 3 adapters (might sound dodgy, but is a rock solid connection).
It would probably cost you less money than the Sonnet Echo Express alone. It's just a question how long Apple allows kernel extension drivers on new Macs, as they require to reduce some security standards.

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

Hey, just wanted to stop by and thank you for the suggestion. I got me a Fireface 800 off ebay and it works flawless.
Thanks again...

hselters wrote:

Besides a short period of those widely discussed USB issues some years ago on an older intel Mac, I found both the USB and Firewire drivers to be rock solid with most interfaces I tried (Fireface 400, 800, UC, UCX, UCX II, UFX II, Babyface Pro) on a MacBook M1.
Only on the UFX+ I recently had some playback issues. But that was through USB 3.0, while all the other mentioned interfaces work with USB 2.0. I just connected via Thunderbolt then and the issue disappeared.
According to some posts in this forum, some users currently have dropout issues with the brand new UFX III through USB 3.0.

Long story short:
I would either go with a Babyface Pro FS or UCX II, depending on your channel count / DSP / standalone functionality / portability needs. And if you need the newly announced room correction and crossfeed, I would wait a little until it gets announced which interfaces will support those features.
If you're looking for the cheapest solution which will just work fine: a used Fireface 400 or 800 will still work on an M1 on the Firewire Driver, through FireWire to Thunderbolt, and Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt 3 adapters (might sound dodgy, but is a rock solid connection).
It would probably cost you less money than the Sonnet Echo Express alone. It's just a question how long Apple allows kernel extension drivers on new Macs, as they require to reduce some security standards.

18 (edited by filouzito 2024-03-02 20:11:29)

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

menych wrote:
Scheffkoch wrote:

…yep, absolutely…i have this enclosure for my hdspe card (+ multiface) and get absolutely mindblowing performance… https://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo … rview.html
a session that i was only able to run safely (for live performance) at 256 samples buffer i‘m now able to run at 64 samples buffer…

THANK YOU.

So just to be clear, you have the PCIe card in the enclosure-- and you connect the enclosure to your mac via what interface?

Just a question :   he have some other choice of model and brand compatible? It's for use with my new Macmini M2 pro

Re: Original Hammerfall Multiface for Mac Pro and Macbook Pro M1

…sorry, but i only can comment on caldigit as this is the one i have…regarding the first question: the connection between the enclosure and my m1 pro is done via a thunderbolt cable…