There are many threads in the forum that deal with clocking, you could also have a look there.
Furthermore, the manual contains useful information about clock synchronization and clock status, please read ch 6.1,11.2, 20.2:
https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/mface2_d.pdf,
https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/mface2_e.pdf.

Only one clock master in a setup
In a setup, there is only one master clock, the clock signal can be passed to the next device via all available digital outputs (ADAT, SPDIF, AES, MADI) or via word clock.

The configuration of the clock is done in the driver settings:

• For the clock master, you configure clock source = "internal”.

• For the clock slaves, the port where the clock signal arrives.

So, in your case, via coax. SPDIF from Multiface II v2 to Multiface II v1.

ASIO buffer size
In the driver settings, you have to consider that both interfaces have to be set to the same ASIO buffer size. Otherwise, there will be a slight track offset when recording in the DAW.

Check clock synchronization between Multifaces
At this point, I would stop and post a screenshot of the clock status of both interfaces in the forum. Then check if the clock slave (Multiface II v1 in your setup) reaches not only the status “lock” but the status “synch” via coax SPDIF, only then the two interfaces are clock synchronized.

Word clock as an option
[Note: as an alternative, you could also use Word Clock between the two devices, if it should not work with SPDIF for some reason. Use a BNC cable with 75 Ohm].

Continue with FF800
If this works, you can carry on and pass the clock signal to the FF800 either via ADAT or Word Clock. You need a working Firewire connection to the FF800:
— RME Firewire ASIO driver installed and
— Firewire legacy driver for Windows, see https://www.studio1productions.com/Arti … wire-1.htm

Then you can fully manage the FF800:
— to configure it as a clock slave to receive the clock signal either via ADAT or Word Clock (with a 2nd BNC cable) and
— to be able to configure routing.

Proposal: use the ADAT ports of both Multiface
Since the FF800 has more than 8 channels, you could even consider using more channels by routing
— 8 channels through ADAT1 of FF800 (towards Multiface II v2), connect both directions (2 TOSLINK cables)
— 8 channels through ADAT2 of FF800 (towards Multiface II v1), connect both directions (2 TOSLINK cables)

Check clock synchronization on FF800
Again, you should post a screenshot of the clock setup and the clock status in the driver settings of the FF800. No matter if the clock arrives at the FF800 via one of the two Multiface (via port ADAT1 or ADAT2) or via Word Clock, the status must be “synch” again.

The Setup:

Multiface II v2 (clock master) --- ADAT OUT ---clock->----- ADAT1 IN ----- FF800 (clock slave, getting clock from ADAT1 IN)
    |                                         --- ADAT IN------------<------ADAT1 OUT---- FF800
    | (SPDIF or WC)                                                                 
    |
Multiface II v1 (clock slave) ----- ADAT OUT --------->------ADAT2 IN ----- FF800
                                           ----- ADAT IN -----------<------ADAT1 OUT---- FF800

A few words on using Word Clock (WC)
An option is to use Word Clock for the whole setup, but it doesn't bring more quality, so is no must. It creates only more efforts in terms of having to use two more BNC cables, to connect them properly from device to device and to terminate it properly at both ends.

Windows – Audio for DAW and applications supporting ASIO
This is fully independent of Windows sound settings. ASIO fully bypasses the Windows audio infrastructure and gives you fastest and most reliable access to your recording interface.

In your DAW and all other applications that support ASIO, you can load the Multiface ASIO driver and access all channels of both cards. You can reach the channels of the FF800 via the ADAT interface of both cards if you have set the routing on the FF800 according to your wishes. The FF800 would also work in standalone mode, but I would prefer to be able to optimally manage the FF800 at any time via the Fireface connection.

Audio for Windows and applications NOT supporting ASIO
For Windows and all other applications that do not support ASIO, you must set up WDM-compatible drivers in the driver settings. Don't set up too many of them. Actually, you only need them for the two analog ports AN1/2OUT on the main interface (clock master), where the two active monitors are connected.

This creates a WDM device for this port AN1/2OUT in the Windows Sound settings. You set it up on Windows as the default audio device so that Windows, YouTube, and everything else that doesn't support ASIO can output audio to the Multiface.

here is the two hammerfalls driver windows.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3rFTQUh98dL9DYRq9

but when im inside ableton there is still no sound outputting to totalmix, im not sure how to make sure, that the primary multiface is getting ssignal from ableton, i simply dont know how i would set any of this up right, anyway, no matter what i tried i only got it working for 5 minuts in ableton last night, after i reinstalled the pcie drivers for the hammerfalls... then after trying to turn on the ff800, everything went down the drain and i cant seem to reproduce the settings again...

Thanks for the flowers and as a side note, I also know such problems which keep you busy until after midnight

It looks like that from the screenshot that you posted.

Let's put Firewire aside for a moment and clear on this: are at least the two Multiface cards running stable without Firewire?
Clock synchronization working? DAW working?

If Ableton has issues, I would suggest cross-checking with another DAW program like Reaper or a Cubase Demo Version.
Not that your Ableton installation has issues, and you start chasing shadows, although your RME setup with the two Multiface cards is fine.

Do not change too many things at once, get a smaller setup into stable state (2 Multiface) and if this works, then concentrate how to get the FF800 added on top. Either with Firewire connected or if this is not possible, then try to preconfigure the FF800 alone in a 1st step: store the desired routing from/to ADAT1 and ADAT2 and then use the FF800 in stand-alone mode without Firewire connection, to avoid any Firewire issues which you do not get fixed.

What happens exactly? What is not stable?

Why not? The SPDIF connection serves the only purpose of clock transfer.
You are free to route, e.g.,
— 8 analog channels                          through ADAT1 to Multiface II #1
— 4 Mic channels and other channels through ADAT2 to Multiface II #2

But this is no must, and you do not need to do this all in one step.
I would 1st concentrate to get
a) the two Multiface stable and next
b) to get at least one ADAT connection back and forth working to, e.g., Multiface II
I would connect ADAT with two TOSLINK cables back and forth so that you can receive audio but also send audio to analog outputs of the card.

1st "daw and wdm"

Windows has plenty of sound, but i just checked that ableton is still not outputting when i tried just now, i have tried to enable asio mmcss in both hammerfall and ff800 drivers, to see if this makes a change(i just turned off the pc for a while, to see if the totalmix outputs resets and the mmcss setting is doing anything to help).

Also enabled/dissabled other settings in global tab on HF driver, that i thought made sense maybe. Multi client op. And stuff like that.

From what i read in here on the forum(seems like it has something to do with layout of channels via asio), i think that could work around this ableton issue, but im not sure, i have to check.

2 "clocks"

All clocks and adat are synced now, no noise at all, i found extra toslink cables and everything is apparently speaking together nivcely besides the ableton output last i tried, but let me check again after i boot the pc again with the mmcss asio setting on.

3 "ff800 connectivity"

Your right, i should focussed on getting the ableton issue out of the way first, but i hope turning off the system and making some global settings, that ableton vil now behave. There was full connection to ff800 via both adat 1 and 2, via firewire also, clocks synced perfectly between all interfaces.

I stored this setting in flash on the ff800 in case i have to unplug the fw400 from ff800.

4 "stable ff800"

I dont think i had enough cablebrain to input all the right clock settings in the correct places back then, but it seems like evrything is running smooth regarding that now.

5 "ableton audio and totalmix"

I have edited all interface wdm's to a total of 1, on the primary HF v2. But that didnt seem to do anything with the ableton problem, i read some thread in here last night about a similar setup with 2 pcie cards, where it was mentioned that shared pcie lanes could have been an issue, so last night i tried shifting dsp cards and my firewire TI pcie card around, that together with reinstalling the hdspe drivers, made the multiface setup work in ableton for 5 to 10 minuts before i tried turning on the ff800 to test if adat and the preamp channels worked, but then because of clock issues, noise was booming on almost all channels not in use.

I just remebered this, but i was so tired at that point last night/this morning, that i didnt really knew what i was messing with anymore and i forgot it untill now.

Should i try to replicate that process? Maybe try to reinstall hdspe drivers and see if that makes the order of channels in totalmix do the right thing again with ableton?

In a minut i will boot the pc and test if everything up untill now is still synced and connected properly, with asio mmcss hopefully doing something good in ableton, can you confirm that that setting might be of use to this combo?

edit:

everything seems to be working great now, apparently MMCSS asio stuff did some good, or else the computer just had to be turned of for a while, everything is still synced together between interfaces and ff800 is still connected to the firewire TI card, so hopefulle everything continues like this...

is there any way to save all of these settings as a sort of preset file? i hope i can remember for next time an issue occurs, but would be nice to have it saved somewhere safe

Regarding MMCSS.

I think whether you choose MMCSS should make only a difference whether you get audio drops or not. But not that the setup doesn't work at all with or without.

I would read some of Timur Born's nice postings about this topic, here is a forum search:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/search.php?s … 1575375847

In particular, these two threads, which will give you some background:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 98#p136398
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=25822

And again, if Ableton doesn't work, simply use MusicBee player or DAWs which are known to work good.
There, you can configure to which outputs you want to send audio. Or get Reaper or Cubase.