• Registered: 2010-11-13
  • Posts: 13

Topic: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Hi,

I own two computers:
  * Win7, i7 Quadcore 3GHz, Asus P6T SE, 12GB, 256GB SSD
  * WinXP, Laptop, Pentium M 1,8GHz,  Dell Precision M60

both installed with newest UFX drivers (USB: 0.961, FW: 3.031, firmware: 338_107_332

When I connect the UFX via firewire, I can use super low buffer settings and can record 28 tracks with 44/24 without any issues ON BOTH COMPUTERS!!!! (and so does my old FF800... always worked nicely on both systems...)

when I try the same via USB, both systems show errors (in RME driver window), and lost asio buffers. Laptop is worse than new PC, of course.
No, I dont use any USB Hub inbetween. Yes, I have tried different USB ports on the systems.
No, there are no other applications running. Yes, I have disabled all WLAN/LAN and other stupid services not needed.

For recording, I use Samplitude11 Pro, but also WinAmp playback crackles!



any ideas??? what else can I do?   sad


greets,

Mike

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,551

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Use FW... cool
Or is there a specific reason why you wish to use USB?


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-11-13
  • Posts: 13

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

well, yes.... that was one of the MAIN reasons to switch to UFX. There are too many laptops out there with USB.
And FW is dying anyway, IMHO. Further, for my understanding, the fw-protocol isnt as good as USB, especially when it comes to interleaved error correction. Well, but right now, I would only need error correction for USB, not FW sad

dont you have any hint or idea? does nobody else have ANY issues with USB? unbelievable....
could I send you any logs, whatever?

thanks!
Mike

  • Registered: 2010-11-13
  • Posts: 13

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

does really nobody have any issues with USB? no crackles? no asio lost buffers?

impossible!


thx,
Mike

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,551

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Your 1.8 GHZ Pentium M may simply be too slow here for USB operation, this is well below the official system requirements. Everything else is a personal experiment, and may or may not work, depending on the kid of audio tasks you run.
Have you tried higher latency settings?


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2010-11-13
  • Posts: 13

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Hi Daniel,

yes, I have used with the highest buffer settings (2048) and USB via my new Win7, i7 Quadcore 3GHz, Asus P6T SE, 12GB, 256GB SSD as well... so it's not only the old laptop....

any tricks, or other ways to test?


regards,

Mike

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,551

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8933

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • From: Poland
  • Registered: 2010-12-21
  • Posts: 7

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

mkropfbe wrote:

Hi,

I own two computers:
  * Win7, i7 Quadcore 3GHz, Asus P6T SE, 12GB, 256GB SSD
  * WinXP, Laptop, Pentium M 1,8GHz,  Dell Precision M60

both installed with newest UFX drivers (USB: 0.961, FW: 3.031, firmware: 338_107_332

When I connect the UFX via firewire, I can use super low buffer settings and can record 28 tracks with 44/24 without any issues ON BOTH COMPUTERS!!!! (and so does my old FF800... always worked nicely on both systems...)

when I try the same via USB, both systems show errors (in RME driver window), and lost asio buffers. Laptop is worse than new PC, of course.
No, I dont use any USB Hub inbetween. Yes, I have tried different USB ports on the systems.
No, there are no other applications running. Yes, I have disabled all WLAN/LAN and other stupid services not needed.


greets,

Mike

Hi Mike,
I have almost exactly the same problem. "Big" computer with DuoCore and Laptop Pentium M.
USB gives errors on both but firewire allows to make perfect recordings (I use laptop for this, as I record classical music in varied places). BUT... when I start my Cubase 5, I can hardly move a mouse. And have to explain the musicians that convulsively jumping cursor doesn't affect the recording itself! A bit embarrassing, isn’t it?...
Well, I know, my old Pentium M is bellow the requirements and I need a new one.But before I buy one, I would like to be sure that it will really help. (I mean laptop with USB only as it is no sense to pay much more for express card when USB should work as fine as FW. But wil it??)
I also started the topic:
http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9642
Greetings-
Grzegorz

  • Registered: 2010-11-13
  • Posts: 13

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Hi Grzegorz,

thanks for pointing out that I'm not the only one...  sad

I have tried the software proposed by Daniel Fuchs (RME), but it didnt show any real issues (latency) with my big computer... the dropouts remain.... I have to do the test with my laptop as well, so stay tuned...

greets,

Mike

10 Reply by Dom

  • Dom
  • AES/EBU artist
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2007-05-06
  • Posts: 128

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Yes, USB connectivity is one of the main reason I would switch from my Multiface II/ FF800 to the UFX. If the USB connectivity has problems then I would have to think again.

Please keep us posted on how it is going mate.

  • Registered: 2011-01-13
  • Posts: 2

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

hi!

I have also troubles with my new UFX. I installed all new drivers. USB has bad performance. at 512 Saples Buffer, the CPU is nearly full, it crackles... can't use it.

FW works a little bit better but in comparison to my old FW interface (Focusrite Saffire LE), the UFX is much slower... i can't understand that. I thought it's now getting better with latencies and performance. But its getting worse. Maybe my FW Chipset is not compatible....but till today i recorded everthing perfect via FW with 6 in 8 out MS Latency. There was nearly NO CPU use with my old FW Interface on Buffer 128.

I think i have to give it back....   or wait on an MAYBE update for my chip/system...

I know ...my PC is not the newest machine but till today it worked perfect....but i needed better AD/DA Conversion...thats why i hoped the UFX is the best choice. :-(


My System:

WIN XP pro (2002) Servicepack 2

Intel Core Duo 2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13 GHz

3,25 GB Ram

running CUBASE 5

12 Reply by Dom

  • Dom
  • AES/EBU artist
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2007-05-06
  • Posts: 128

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Is it really that disappointing?

Sounds of me really strange for RME gear.

  • Registered: 2011-01-13
  • Posts: 2

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

Dom wrote:

Is it really that disappointing?

Sounds of me really strange for RME gear.

Yes it is... I bought and installed a new FW PCI Card (Dawicontol, 50 .- €) with a Texas Instruments Chip,... thought my VIA FW Chipset was the Problem.... but nothing changed....same Problem again...

but...i tried everything with the same Cubase Project... newer had the idea of opening a new Project ;-)

But something changed when i opened a NEW init cubase project....... now, with FW400 Connection and the new FW Card, the CPU usage looks much better.... maybe the other project had an error in CPU performance!?...i don't now... strange...

...now the CPU Problem with FW is solved somehow... but the PERFORMANCE is still very bad.... minimun 512 Samples Buffer....and bad latencies.... my old Saffire LE had much better latencies with 128 Samples Buffer.

USB Performance is still bad. FW is much better...

I was so sad about that, ....now i bought a new PC (Quad Core i7 950, 3,06 Ghz, 12 GB Ram, ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 with USB 3.0, SSD 128 GB, Win7 64 Bit, ) .... i hope my new RME UFX will perform better on the new PC under win 7 64bit...

of course, there is still the Problem with Cubase 32 bit and the limited use of ram, the missing 64 bit Support for my UAD 2 card... (i will try it with Jbridge)...

But newertheless....i think there will be an overall improvement of performance with my new DAW...

i'll see tomorrow...

14 Reply by Dr Tone (edited by Dr Tone 2011-01-31 15:22:44)

  • Registered: 2010-04-01
  • Posts: 65

Re: UFX has errors with USB, but none with FireWire

I'm running an i7 system, with multiple USB devices.  Fireface UC, Keyboard, Mouse, game controller, scanner, hub plugged in.  Absolutely zero issues, and no USB errors.  I've also made sure the UC is plugged into a USB port that put's it on it's own hub in the device manager.

Cubase gives me no issues with low samples.  Presonus Studio One isn't as nice, it doesn't like low sample and the USB interface.

My DPC latency never spikes, runs along happily at 150 max, no matter what I do.  Moving mouse, checking email etc etc.

If you are getting any spikes at all even if they are still only in the green or orange, you have driver issues and they need to be resolved.  It's critical to get the dpc latency completely under control if you want to do super low latency stuff with low samples, especially with USB.

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