• Registered: 2024-02-28
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

Hi! Im contacting you today cause we are experiencing a solid issue in our post-production studio.

We use a 1610pro going to a Digiface AVB, going to our MAC PRO 5.1 2012.
We took the time to follow every tutorial/manual on how to set up our hardware and their AVB connexions in order to work. What we are experiencing is that everything is running beautifully for a random period of time, sometimes hours, sometimes 10 minutes... then we hear a little "pop" from our monitoring system (surround Genelec) and the signal is gone, both speakers and headphones. After that the sound comes back randomly, sometimes it takes a minute, sometimes an hour.
Recently we realized that when we unplug and plug again the headphone on the front of the 1610, we get the sound back on the speaker system..

We tried a lot of things including other wires, manual IP adress, clocks.. etc but Im afraid I cant really identify the problem without a professional.

Thanks in advance.

Brice Chevallier

  • waedi
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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

The Mac is older than AVB, wich MacOS is running ?

M1-Sonoma, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2019-04-21
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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

They use the digiface avb…
So this is not a question of how old it is…

  • waedi
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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

mruebsamen wrote:

They use the digiface avb…
So this is not a question of how old it is…

Apple has implemented AVB into the MacOS, I don't know wich one it was but I think it was after 2012, that's why I think the computer is outdated for this.

M1-Sonoma, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Max
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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

@waedi: user is not using Apple's native AVB. The Digiface AVB is a USB audio interface, at least when connected via USB. Apart from that, that Mac should be capable of running 10.10 or higher, even Mojave.

However, IMO that Mac does not have USB 3.0, or has this been added as an extension card?

@BriceChevallier, I would recommend going through that setup with RME support, just contact them directly by mail. They will probably start out with confirming if the level meter actually shows level on the corresponding outputs while you experience the problem, and if not, if there is any red section on the the screen of the M-1610 Pro. Depending on the outcome the investigation would continue on either device side.

6 Reply by BriceChevallier (edited by BriceChevallier 2024-04-05 16:03:25)

  • Registered: 2024-02-28
  • Posts: 7

Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

Hi and thanks for your replies guys!

Here are more infos about our set up :

- The studio is running with a Mac Pro 5.1 from 2012, the last 5.1 with built-in USB 3.0 at the back of it and the OS Big Sur.
- Our system is a 5.1.2 Genelec using the GLM software active calibration
- The Digiface AVB is plugged in USB and is the master clock, while the 1610 is slave.

The routing seem totally fine, nothing on the front/ or the web pannel of the 1610 is in red and every meter are correct while it's working.
When this "pop" happen and we lose the glm system, the sound remain in the headphones but super low and completely altered.

We did contact our canadian RME partner to signal the problem, they never heard about something like that before.

  • cigame
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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

Did you ever activate AVB in network preferences?
I have an old MacBook Pro 17" where I tried out AVB  and set the hook on AVB.
Since then, Logic stopped recordings randomly and in the Activity Monitor there was an avb process running which may have caused this.
I reset network to non AVB and everything went back to normal.

UFX+, FireFace 802 FS, Digiface USB
12 Mic, M1610 pro, Micstasy
MacBookPro M1
Logic Pro X

8 Reply by BriceChevallier (edited by BriceChevallier 2024-04-05 16:34:28)

  • Registered: 2024-02-28
  • Posts: 7

Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

Hello cigame, in Network, the Digiface AVB is showed and green "connected"

Just to clarify, I dont have any direct AVB connexion to the Mac Pro, the Digiface AVB is taking care of it.

cigame wrote:

Did you ever activate AVB in network preferences?
I have an old MacBook Pro 17" where I tried out AVB  and set the hook on AVB.
Since then, Logic stopped recordings randomly and in the Activity Monitor there was an avb process running which may have caused this.
I reset network to non AVB and everything went back to normal.

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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

I know you are connected via USB but if your ethernet is configured to AVB, that might cause some trouble, at least in my case...

UFX+, FireFace 802 FS, Digiface USB
12 Mic, M1610 pro, Micstasy
MacBookPro M1
Logic Pro X

10 Reply by cigame (edited by cigame 2024-04-05 17:21:42)

  • cigame
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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

Simply look in your Activity Monitor CPU for "avbdeviced"

UFX+, FireFace 802 FS, Digiface USB
12 Mic, M1610 pro, Micstasy
MacBookPro M1
Logic Pro X
  • Registered: 2024-02-28
  • Posts: 7

Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

Ethernet port on the Mac Pro 5.1 aren't native avb, so the avb isnt activate.

12 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-04-05 19:28:41)

  • waedi
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Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

AVB is a network software and every ethernet port will work. Checking the activity monitor is a good idea.
Of course the ethernet port of the MacPro is native AVB as soon AVB is activated.
Open the AVB controller via terminal : avbutil --controller
Use the AVDECC Matrix to route signals
AVDECC Connection Matrix
https://support.presonus.com/hc/article_attachments/360076442852/Connection_Matrix.png

M1-Sonoma, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

13 Reply by BriceChevallier (edited by BriceChevallier 2024-04-05 19:43:13)

  • Registered: 2024-02-28
  • Posts: 7

Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

As I said before, this whole process is done in the RME AVB Controller between the Digiface AVB and the M16010 PRO, Im not using any direct AVB connexion to the Mac.

And no, the ethernet from a mac pro 2012 isn't AVB native, you need a SONNET ethernet pcie e or a thunderbolt to ethernet adaptor.

  • Registered: 2024-02-28
  • Posts: 7

Re: Monitoring issue with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO

Hi everyone,

Here is a video of the problem in action.  https://youtu.be/hPskv4wec9M
I've ran this test on my Mac Mini 2018 with Digiface AVB + 1610 PRO. No in hooked, only a stereo genelec in the 1/2 OUT TRS.
I've lost sound after about 8 minutes of playback, you can see when it's poping, the 16 IN metter are poping too!