• Registered: 2010-03-02
  • Posts: 16

Topic: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Hello,
I Borrowed a FF800 to join my FF400 in order to be able to record 3 Adat Sources at the same time into my Macbook pro 10.6.3 in Logic Pro9.
My fireface driver was already installed and recognised FF800 fine. Following RME Tech support advice, i Ran a Wordclock cable from my FF400 output into FF800 WC input with termination. WC Led lighted up and drivers setting was ok making FF400 Master and FF800 Autosync with preffered Sync input the WordClock port.
So everything was ok, I opened Logic Pro 9 and in Preferences>Audio im only able to select FF400 driver or FF800, so i wasn't able to Choose Fireface Driver like i usually do in PC and get all inputs avaiable from both cards.
I Thought this could be something in the Firmware of the 800 being out-date. So i downloaded the Flash tool and ran it. i think it was 1.67 and was updated to 2.70 or something like that.
After I update Firmware on FF800 i lost the WC input in FF800, it seems it doesn't recognize FF400's WC. To test what was going on, i used the same cable in FF400 OUT into FF400 IN and WD Led was lid, i repeated this step but in FF800. FF800 WC out straight into its own WC in and WC led was lid as well, but i cant get it from FF400 WC Out into FF800 WC in... Weird hummm??
Then i opened Logic Pro and nothing improved when trying to get both FFs inputs at once... Is this due to the driver incapacity to do this?
Any Help is highly appreciated!
Best Regards,
Pedro Cruz

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

In Mac OS, you have to create an Aggregate Device in Audio/MIDI Setup to access 2 audio devices at the same time.

http://www.apple.com/pro/techniques/aggregateaudio/

Regarding Word Clock, make sure the 400 is in Clock Mode: Master, and the 800 is in Clock Mode: Autosync / Pref. Sync Ref.: Word Clock In.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2010-03-02
  • Posts: 16

Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Jeff wrote:

In Mac OS, you have to create an Aggregate Device in Audio/MIDI Setup to access 2 audio devices at the same time.

http://www.apple.com/pro/techniques/aggregateaudio/

Regarding Word Clock, make sure the 400 is in Clock Mode: Master, and the 800 is in Clock Mode: Autosync / Pref. Sync Ref.: Word Clock In.

Hello,
Yes it is, like i said, The cabling and driver setup was made and FF800 was reading FF400's WC and was lock to it. seconds after i did the flash update, turned off FF800 like i was asked to, and WC led didnt Lid anymore. Thats wy i did the loopback WC test, making each card feed its own WC input, and that worked...

  • Registered: 2010-03-02
  • Posts: 16

Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Hello Again, Thanks for the Aggregate advice, ill check that soon.
But Meanwhile i can confirm that i lost WC Input on FF800 after i Flash Firmware to the latest version.
I cant get WC input on FF800 even with a simple setup like:

-FF800 only connected to Macbook using FW800 to FW400 cable.
-Wordclock Out from Focusrite Octopre Le into FF800 Input, trying different cables to make sure it is not the cables
-Then i tried FF800 running stand alone without FW cables, and i cant get the WC input LEd to Lid or flash...

The only way i can make WC Input LED to Lid is making loopback from WC Out into WC In. This way WC in LED gets Lighten up.

I also forgot to mention i got a 20000000 error while flashing unit on mac, and the flash now present in FF800 was made on PC where it says that Firmware is Updated.
Can this be something that happened when error occurred?

Praying for an answer
Best Regards,
Pedro Cruz

  • Jeff
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Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Hi Pedro,

The last Windows firmware version is 2.77, the last Mac firmware version is 2.70. The Mac driver works fine with version 2.77, so there is no need to flash.

Trying to flash a lower revision firmware to the unit anyway will give this error code, and the lower rev firmware will not be written to the unit. You can check for yourself, in the About tab in the Settings app, that the FF800 still shows v2.77.

That being said, I tried it just like you, and still have no problem (after failed flash, and restarting the unit) on the FF800 with Word Clock input sync from a FF400. Try activating the 75 ohm termination switch, and try a different BNC cable.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

6 Reply by PedroCruz (edited by PedroCruz 2010-06-24 19:56:25)

  • Registered: 2010-03-02
  • Posts: 16

Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Hi Jeff,
Thanks for all your help so far, but definitely this is something "inside" the unit and it can only be in the software side.
Last Tests i did was:
FF800 in stand-alone getting clock from Focusrite Octopre LE and different cables. No WC IN with and without 75Ohm Termination
FF800 in stand-alone getting clock from FF400 and different cables. No WC IN with and without termination aswell
FF800 WC Out into WC In, WC IN LED is always on with any cable, with or without termination...

More complex test with wierd results:
FF800 Master and Stand-Alone. Sends WC to FF400 that is in Autosync and a WC cable goes from FF400 to FF800 WC In, and the Led Locks to WC Input on FF800.
So it seems to me that the FF800 does not read any signal from WC Input that is different than its own internal Clock. Making FF400 slave to FF800 and get a WC signal into FF800 which is the Master it reads the WC Signal....
Weird right?

should i film it and post in youtube or send by youdentit maybe for you to take a look? i might be able to do that if it helps...

Ill be waiting for your reply,
Thanks for all the help and attention!
Pedro Cruz

  • Jeff
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Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Please explain what you mean by "No WC IN", does that mean the LED blinks? Did you set the unit to Autosync, and then flash settings to internal memory before booting the unit in stand alone mode?

I don't see how it can be a bug in software. I have the same driver and firmware as you do.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

8 Reply by PedroCruz (edited by PedroCruz 2010-06-24 21:22:21)

  • Registered: 2010-03-02
  • Posts: 16

Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Hello again,
I mean with that, that Led doenst even blinks. not with focusrite LE and FF400. no LED activity at all.
The only activity in WC LED is when i plug FF800 WC out from BNC Plug straight into WC In, Then the LED goes straight into full on... doesnt even blink like when its locking to the signal. goes from off to on... And, also worked like that when i did that "complex" (but not that complex) test...

Also i would like to recall that, before i flashed the unit, WC Led was behaving normaly... if it was an unlock signal in WC in, Led was blinking, if it was locked it was always on.
After flashing the unit, the first thing i notice after reboot the unit, is that WC Led didnt turn on as it was supposed to, because i didnt turn FF400 off, nor even disconected the WC cable.

  • Zapp
  • Zapp
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  • Registered: 2007-06-11
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Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Hi!
Have you ever flashed the current settings (needed for stand alone operation) as described in the manual chapter 26 on page 54?

Regards
Zapp

Regards
Zapp
  • Registered: 2010-03-02
  • Posts: 16

Re: FF400 + FF800 Flash Update / WordClock Wierd behave/ No shared inputs

Hi Zapp,
Yes i stored the driver settings in the flash memory of FF800 in order to keep my settings...
The thing is, flashed or not, Master or Autosync, the WC Led reacts to the signal input whatever setting are flashed or in driver. Even if the Preferred Clock source is Adat, if you have a signal input on WC input the WC Led reacts to its signal by blinking or staying Lid.
The thing here is that, WC is not detected by FF800 when im using an external WC source. And i only have reaction by the FF800 hardware(WC LED) and software ( Lock or Un-lock message in preferred clock source) when signal at the input is the same as in Internal Clock of the FF800...
I think this is it...