• Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Topic: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Hi

I have a strange problem with my FF 800 in standalone operation with a cd player via spdif.
Sound is overdriven and distorted. Amp inputs clips like I hit the limit. When I plug the fw 800 cable in problem goes away. Seems the units own flash memory won't store my settings and I send far to much level into amp. Funily if I just turn the Macbook down the sound stays ok. But if I start the FF 800 without computer it produces a distorted sound.

Regards Johan

  • From: Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 441

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Hi,

SPDIF at -0- in TotalMix, check with sine tone
to be sure and in FF settings dialog "Autosync" active !?

and do you Flash both TotalMix and FF settings dialog ?

regards S-EH

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Thanks for input. I have set the level at 0 in Totalmix and Autosync is active. Before I had the spdif input (11 and 12 in totalmix at -3) It is routed to analog 1 and 2 which connects to the integrated amp using unbalanced phono leads with adapters. The FF 800 unit finds the clock signal from the cd player and syncs to it in slave mode. I then store it. I also save the totalmix setting. It sounds great with computer. Now I will test without.

Johan

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

No it sounds awful. I think it is in the digital domain. Somehow spdif can't maintain sync without computer. But the sync indicator lights upp green.

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Which firmware version is in your FF 800?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Now it seems the crackling sound is a mixup of 48 khz and 44. The cd player is a multiformat hi res player. It sends out 48 via spdif and optical by default so I changed the DDS to recieve a 48 clock signal instead. I think optical will go up to 48 that is upsamplad to 96 if one wants. Right now I use electrical. I will look into firmware soon. Now it seems to work. Knock on wood. HeadScratch

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Units own firmware is 2.77a. Mac OSX kernel driver is 2.62a.

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2007-05-21
  • Posts: 4,620

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

If you sync to the digital input (Autosync), then DDS has to be inactive. When you activate DDS it overrides the other clock settings.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Problem is back again. DDS active or not. If I keep the power on the unit it stays fine. When I turn the unit off and then turn it on again without connection to MBP it sounds very weird. I can only barely recognize the right channel. Left is dead. That cannot be explained with poor sync alone. I will try it with a different player.

10 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Is there a reason that you use a driver from 2008?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

I have updated firmware to latest spec. I've tried another player with spdif. Same result. It sounds so good with FW 800. But I sometimes want to use it as a AD-DA and pre amp without having to hook it up to FW.
Surely it has someting to do with the internal CPU and the firmware.
Can anobody confirm if their FF 800 works in standalone mode?

12 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Can you please clarify what you did? You updated the firmware? Or the driver? Or both? To what version exactly?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Firmware is updated to 2.89. Driver is the one supplied with Mac I got in December. If there are any OSX updates that RME firmware requires I will look into that tmo.

Regards
Johan

14 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

No, ok, let's check this on our side.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Sorry Mac driver is 2.89. Firmware is the latest.

16 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

We have checked this on both Windows and Mac and found no problem. You configuration can be flashed and works stand-alone. So it seems you do something wrong (you really flashed!!! TM mixer state in the Options menu?) or the unit is broken somehow.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-01-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: Distorted FF 800 standalone operation

Unit has been shipped back to the dealer Thomann. They adviced me to send it back. They have a 30 day money back guarantee. If there is nothing wrong with the unit and I was in the wrong they may send it back. I have no wish to wait for a month to get it repaired in any case.