• Registered: 2010-10-25
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Hello all,

I am having trouble with my new Fireface UC module.  I have an audio recording application that will not run in Windows 7 so I have installed the "XP Mode", provided by microsoft that provides an XP virtual machine.  I have my application installed and working but I cannot get the Fireface module to work in the VM.  It shows up in the device manager under sound, video and game controllers but has issue with the driver.

I have verified the hardware on another system running XP so it's not hardware.   The 'RME Fireface UC' shows in the device manager once I select to attach it from the VM but Windows cannot load the driver (error of 'code 39', Windows cannot load the driver for this hardware)

I tried both the driver provided with the device on the included CD (version 9.38.0 3/30/10) and the latest from the website (version 9.60.0 10/21/10).  All looks like it installs correctly but upon reboot I get the dreaded yellow ballon with the exclamation mark in the device manager.

I was hoping that someone might have some suggestions that I could try.

Thank you,
Rik

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Don't quote me - but I believe XP-Mode won't work with Firewire devices.  Feel free to correct me if I am mistaken - but another forum I frequent came to this conclusion after trying to get a Firewire audio device running in W7-64 under XP Mode.  There were some conflicting reports, but I don't think it will work...

Hopefully I'm wrong.  I'd love to take back good news to the other forum I post on!

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
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  • Registered: 2010-10-25
  • Posts: 2

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Thank you for the reply but this is the FireFace UC module using USB.  I had been using the Fireface 400 (firewire) under XP but now I have to move to Windows 7 so I bought the UC figuring I could use USB in XP Mode Virtualization.  No luck yet though.

-Rik

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

DOH!  I missed the "UC" part - Sorry.  The "Fireface" name always gets me into Firewire mode...

Could be a similar issue with the way RME is accessing the USB bus (not like a standard USB Thumb Drive IIRC).


cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
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  • From: New Milford , CT USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 347

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Hi,
USB audio devices tend to need a lower level access that the XP Mode USB virtual driver will allow.
Even if it found and loaded the driver it most likely won't work.
You play back sounds though XP Mode via the Microsoft virtual driver. This sends audio out via the Windows sound mapper so what ever is set as your default windows audio output will play back sound from the XP Mode system.
I would not expect any more than the most basic audio functions to work well if at all.
XP Mode is really just designed for general legacy business apps.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

ChrisADK's Website

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Hey Chris,

Do you know if this is generally the case for Firewire Audio Interfaces under W7 in XP-Mode as well (with a Firewire Audio Device that only has drivers for XP)?

Thanks for any clarification

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
2x Multiface / 2x Digiface /2x ADI8
  • From: New Milford , CT USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 347

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Hi Randyman,
Fire wire deices won't work on a Virtual OS. This has to due the way virtualization works I guess.
This will be the case on a MAC running a virtual PC OS also. Anything that needs low level access and near real time audio will tend not to work well.

If you do not install the USB device on the main OS side then it works slightly better but nothing near real time.
You could use something like old legacy audio apps that don't need low latency or higher than 16 bit 44.1/48k support in a XP Mpde setup.
The software and hardware being used would need to have directx/MME support  to work.

Personally I don't see the point of the XP Mode or any other virtual OS setup for any audio production. Really only would seems useful for legacy business software.

In the vast majority of cases I've seen the older software will run fine in Win 7 32 or 64 bit unless it requires a proprietary piece of hardware that does not have a Win 7 compatible driver.


Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

ChrisADK's Website

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Makes sense to me.  Thanks for the clarification.  Some people at another forum were trying to get a Firewire device that only has XP drivers to work in W7.  One of the posters claimed to have it working via XP-Mode with good low-latency performance, but never posted back once I questioned him about it.  Go figure wink .  I recommended they stick with XP since W7-32 will eat up more of the useable 3.5GB RAM than XP would, and *if* it was actually working under W7 "XP Mode", the VM is likely causing a large performance hit versus running the driver native in XP.

Also - quick Q - is the /3GB switch available on W7-32?  It's not for me personally - but I know a few others that run W7-32 and were curious (I'd think W7 wouldn't be happy with only 1GB of OS address space).  For me it's W7-64 or XP - and I just retired my last XP box! :-)  Sorry for the off-topic comments - but they are loosely related...

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
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  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

I managed to get Sonar running in Parallels Desktop via ASIO4ALL and direct WDM or WASAPI. With OS X this can make sense for quickly checking something without wanting to do a full reboot into bootcamped native Windows.

One more case where virtualization really works is with pure Midi apps like MidiOx.

  • From: New Milford , CT USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 347

Re: Fireface UC with Windows XP Mode (running on Windows 7)

Hi Timur,
AH cool. Maybe OSX allows for more direct hardware communication or something with virtualization.
Did you have the device driver  installed on the OSX side also or just in windows?
Was this XP or Vista/7 running on parallels?

Run Sonar ins xp mode before but could only get it to work with the built in virtual driver.
This was fine for checking opening playing old projects but not for actually recording and such.

I've gotten USB Midi stuff to work in it but not if I had the driver installed on the main OS.
Thankfully this isn't something that everyday people arn't trying to do. The number of support calls woudl make me shoot myself.

Chris

Chris Ludwig | ADK Pro Audio
www.adkproaudio.com
https://www.facebook.com/adkmg

ChrisADK's Website