1 Topic by dave.basek (edited by dave.basek 2022-10-06 09:19:15)

  • Registered: 2022-10-06
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

I've recently moved from a UFX to the Digiface USB on a Dell Precision T5810 running Cubase 12 in Windows 10 x64

With the UFX I can run all channels I/O no problems at all, additionally I can run an 'in the box' session with a Dangerous Audio Source with no issues.

Unfortunately with the Digiface USB no matter if I'm running ADAT or just the headphone output - I get intermittent glitches that manifest like a metallic screech at unpredictable intervals (at the same level as the output volume).

I've tried using the onboard USB 2 and USB 3 ports and I also tried a USB3-PRO-4PM-E that I had lying around - still the same issue.

I've tried the Digiface USB on my laptop (10th gen i7) and it seems to work fine.

The Dell T5810 has a E1660 v4 Xeon, 64gb 2400mhz RAM with a PCIe NVME adapter 3Gps Samsung drive with W10x64 latest update and Cubase 12 Latest update. BIOS & Windows tweaked accordingly for DAW.

Has anyone experienced similar issues? I'm trying to move back to 'out of the box' using multiple Pulse 16's connected via the Digiface USB so very keen to get this working.

Any ideas?

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

Any USB transport errors if you keep driver settings Window open?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2022-10-06
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Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

Thanks for replying Ramses, I have to plead ignorance here. Is this part of the settings interface?

When using the digiface as a stereo OS sound output - I don't have any issues running any media players from windows, even when run Latency Monitoring software.

The problem only seems to present when using Cubase 12 and the Digiface (I don't have any other DAW to test).

  • ramses
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Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

What sample rate do you use, and what is the setting of the ASIO buffersize?

When you compare playback via audio player vs. Cubase:
— do you use ASIO for both use cases, or what driver is in use for the audio player?
— do you work with the same sample rate and ASIO buffer size for both use cases?

If this is equal/comparable... The audio traffic of the driver over USB/FW/TB is the same, independent of the number of channels that you use in the application (there is only one exception: HDSPe MADI FX card with optimizing driver because of the high number of channels).

As normal audio players do not require much performance for playback...
Does Cubase maybe need more performance?

Which energy profile do you use? How are DPC Latencies?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2022-10-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

Thanks - I will test and report.

Trawling through other posts I came across a similar issue from about 2017 with a HP Z series machine (similar spec to mine) and the UFX+ which identified the potential for issues with NVidia GFX cards - I'll try this too...

  • Registered: 2022-10-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

Problem solved.

The issue was xHCI for the onboard USB.

Interestingly - disabling this in the bios means that the Sonnet Allegro USB3 card works with the DigiFace without glitching too

I can now return to being a happy 20+ year RME customer yikes)

7 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

Can you please give a more detailed description on how you fixed it, for other readers in need? Thanks.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2022-10-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

Sure thing.

Entered the BIOS of the Dell T5810 (f12 key > enter bios), locate the USB settings (to find the XHCI option); select disable.

that easy.

9 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

Thanks.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2022-03-22
  • Posts: 35

Re: Digiface USB Dell Precision T5810 glitching

That's interesting re. the screeching when that setting is enabled. It should of course have been disabled for OSes that natively support USB3 - like Windows 10 - but I would have expected the system to still function.  Thanks for posting, it's something to look out for in BIOS settings.