You use the HDSP ExpressCard? With which firmware version?

I am experiencing full system panic crashes. This has not happened on this machine before today, after hooking up the Multiface.
This is just from trying to preview a wav file using the space bar in finder to test audio - it doesn't play even one second before crashing. I don't have any DAW or other audio applications open.

The crash log includes this:

loaded kexts:
com.RME.driver.HDSPMADI    4.13

I've never had an issue with using space bar to playback files in Finder - it's a handy tool.

I've tried a standalone instance of Kontakt and I've tried VSTs in Cubase - silence. Until it starts doing the thing in the image above which I can only compare with feedback. I forgot to mention that when this happens there IS sound - a high pitched tone. This is why the software output analog 1/2 is muted in TotalMix. I can't remember now if the Analog Hardware Outs are showing nothing because I muted the Software outs, or if they were showing nothing irrespective of the muting. I'll have to check tomorrow again. I've checked the analog inputs and those seem to be working fine - i can see the levels moving up and down on the input channels.

I have a deadline approaching so this is becoming quite stressful.

I'm sure you'll understand when I say that is a completely unsatisfactory response. The Sonnet and Thunderbolt cable are brand new. The idea that one should need to somehow source a second Multiface and ExpressCard (and computer!) to diagnose a problem is not only impractical, it's simply not possible.

I have a feeling the answer may lie in the drivers. Can anyone indicate which drivers and firmware are optimal for this setup?

Is it possible that the problem could lie in the power supply? I have had to use a different psu, which has worked perfectly, after the RME supply just died for no reason.

Hello
I'd like to pick this up again, please - I am sure there is a solution or answer to be found. The year has been busy and I am only now finding time for investigating this again.

I have since tested the Multiface on a Win 7 machine which has an ExpressCard slot (this is the only machine I had access to). It performs perfectly. No glitchy pulses and no screeching whine, no crashing. I have also corresponded with Sonnet, sending them system reports etc, and their assessment is that the Sonnet is performing correctly over Thunderbolt - no errors detected. MacOS is able to recognise and access the Multiface. The RME HDSPe range, and specifically the Multiface II, is listed as tested and compatible in their compatibility listings https://www.sonnettech.com/support/char … egacy.html

The behaviour on my Macbook Pro remains problematic, though. The device connects, the Totalmix and HDSPe settings open up as expected. It is only when attempting to use the device (ie playback any audio, from any application, including the test function in Audio Midi Setup) that there is suddenly a massive problem. There is a pulsing buzz/click in the audio channels, which soon turns to a screeching whine with channels peaking way into the red (as in the screenshot posted above.) Soft disconnecting the I/O Box through the HDSPe Settings app has no effect. If I hot remove the ExpressCard, or unplug the Thunderbolt cable, the whining stops and the meters reset to zero (which is expected). If I immediately reinsert the card or plug in the Thunderbolt cable, macOS recognises the Multiface and it is immediately available as an audio device again BUT this time there is no audio at all. No pulsing or whining - no activity on any channels. If I restart the machine, I will experience the pulsing/whining again.

I am running Soundsource and can see audio activity on those meters when I play an audio file which matches what I would expect to see when playing that file, so there is indeed normal audio activity within macOS. But either there is pulsing/whining or nothing is happening after a re-connect as described. The pulsing/whining has zero correlation to the audio being played. I have tested with and without Soundsource running and it makes no difference (in fact, I only installed Soundsource after this problem was first encountered.)

These are the current details in the HDSPe Settings on macOS:
RME HDSPe/AES/RayDAT/AIO/MADIface
Mac OSX Driver 4.24
Multiface (22766171), Rev 20

TotalMix FX is ver 1.83 macOS (1)

This may be important - the original power supply failed and I am using a 3rd party supply. Bearing in mind that the Multiface is working perfectly on the Win 7 machine with this same power supply, could there be something problematic on the power front when connecting via the Sonnet & Thunderbolt which would cause these symptoms?

Thanks.

Sample rate is set to 48k normally in my setup. I can change this setting in Audio Midi Setup and in HSDPe settings - if I change one, the other changes automatically.

This time around the following is happening, the error is triggered and I get the screeching whine. If I soft disconnect the I/O box in the HDSPe Settings it stops. If I reconnect it continues. But, if I disconnect, then change the sample rate, when I reconnect the whining remains stopped until I play back audio then it happens again. Disconnect -> change sample rate -> reconnect, it is silent -> play audio, it screams. I've tried every sample rate from 32k to 96k.

I am also noticing now that when this happens, it seems to be always spiking at various levels in the SPDIF and/or ADAT channels, and creating a whine in the analog 1/2 outputs. There is nothing connected to the SPDIF or ADAT (in fact, I have disconnected the monitors completely to avoid damaging them with the noise - I've just got headphones plugged in to have some form of monitoring.

And just now I noticed visible glitches in the HDSPe UI and on my desktop.

I cannot install the latest driver revision (4.25) because the installer crashes on opening. But I don't see anything in the release notes which would make a difference. I wonder if rolling back to an earlier driver would help?

I've just tested something else: I can run live audio (guitar with DI box) into the analog inputs and it performs normally. The input is visible on the totalmix meters, and audible through headphone and analog output monitoring if I route to the analog outputs using the matrix.

That means the issue is only on the software playback channels ?

Your Totalmix version is 1.83, the actual version is 1.97
you can download Totalmix separate and replace the old one.

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 26#p223726

Scroll down to the download link for Mac

Well that seems to have made things worse, actually. I restarted and tried audio playback again. Now the machine instantly reboots to the "Your computer restarted" screen. It's happened twice in a row and I don't want to keep doing it because it may damage the laptop and/or OS. The TM window again shows spikes mostly (if not only) in the ADAT and SPDIF channels. I can't take a screenshot because the laptop basically freezes and it's gone.

Would it make sense to try roll back the drivers, flash the card with an older version? I don't understand the Driverkit method - is this something to be tried?

No one has commented on the power supply, so I assume this is not an issue, especially seeing that it works on the Win 7 machine.

I'm only managing to investigate this in my spare time, which is limited. I really appreciate your replies!

Only install the 425 driver. It will do all the work. Just follow the readme text file.

It is possible your computer / MacOS doesn't have this security feature and the driver will work as is.
Try install and reboot.

4.25 works here and there is no reason it shouldn't. One issue might be that you still have the KE driver running in the background, the other that you flashed the wrong firmware - 4.24 and 4.25 are DK and need firmware 21, with 20 the driver does not find the interface.

> The DK is listed as for MacOS12

Where do you see that? I see:

macOS 11 or up HDSPe Series Kernel Extension Driver, 2024-10-18, driver_hdspe_mac_425.zip
Version 4.25, for macOS 11 and up. Supports Intel and Mx. See readme for installation notes.