• Registered: 2011-10-17
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

Hi everyone,

If I post here, it's because I've exhausted all my other options. I have recently purchased a second Fireface 800 (I've had my first one for over 4 years) and am looking at using them both at the same time in order to record drum sessions (I like to use a lot of mikes so I need roughly 15-16 simultaneous channels).

I've read the manual, read all the related posts here and watched the Youtube video tutorials and have tried all possible configurations, yet my problem remains. Here's what's happening:

My two Firefaces have the latest firmeware update (2.77) and my drivers have also been updated (3.0.59  or something like that) and both can be used individually without any issues.

All the drivers and channels appear and are available in my DAW (I work with Sonar 8.5 Producer and Sonar X1 Producer Expanded), yet, when I use my main soundcard (the one defined as "internal" (master)) as the main out, the audio engine is not producing any sound at all (and the peak meters remain dead in the DAW).

But when I switch the main outs to my slave soundcard (I've used word clocks, adat, you name it to synch them), then I have sound and everything works perfectly, except of course that when I select the INs of my master soundcard, I cannot record any sound at all.

And yet, I can see in Totalmix that there is sound coming in, but for a reason I cannot understand, it just won't go from the Totalmix driver to the DAW.

This is a very strange issue and I haven't found any threads mentioning such a problem, so I don't know if someone has experienced something similar and can help me, but I sure hope so.

Please note that I record in 192khz so using ADAT cables with one sound card as a standalone is not an option as ADAT is limited to 48khz. Anyway, I have tried this configuration during my tests, and I had jittering issues at 48khz, while I never had any such isses for 4 years working at 192khz.

Extra info: I have 2 Firewire 400 and 2 Firewire 800 ports on my computer, and I have the cables, and I've tried the various combinations.

So, that's about it! Let me know if you need any extra info, and I'm looking forward to reading your replies!

Cheers!

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 24,902

Re: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

ASIO?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-10-17
  • Posts: 5

Re: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

Oh sorry, I forgot to mention that very important piece of information: yes, I use the ASIO drivers!

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

Still your description is a bit unclear. Please use DIGICheck to verify that ASIO is giving the correct signals (or any other ASIO capable software). Also note that where you set the clock to Master that unit is not automatically becoming card number 1. The card order is fixed, the first tab shows card 1, that is the one with the first channels in ASIO and the one that should be set to Master.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-10-17
  • Posts: 5

Re: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

OK I will have to try DIGICheck tonight.

As for the cards, I know very well which one is number 1 and which one is number 2 (drivers and all, I've made more than enough tests to ensure that). But what I've noticed is that the user manual says the card with the smallest serial number will automatically be considered # 1 but the opposite happened in my case.

Could this be part of the problem?

Thanks!

  • Registered: 2011-10-17
  • Posts: 5

Re: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

Hi Matthias,

I used DIGICheck tonight and the channels from soundcard #1 read UFL for underflow, which indicates right there that there is an issue.

But I managed to find a work around. When DIGICheck is open, if I close soundcard #2 and then reopen it, all of a sudden, all the channels of both my soundcards become active and everything works fine. I even tried recording 20 simultaneous channels in 192khz and I had no issue at all.

I can close my DAW and reopen it and the channels remain active and available, but as soon as I shut down and restart my computer, sound card #1 has the same issue, but the same work around works. I've tried it 7 times in a row and every time, I manage to "wake up" my sound card.

So I can deal with the situation on a short term basis, but I'd still like a more permanent solution. Do you have a clue as to what may be causing sound card #1 not to communicate from TotalMix to the DAW or DIGICheck, yet, when I stop and start sound card #2 WHILE DIGICheck is open, everything starts to work miraculously?

Looking forward to reading your answer!

Cheers!

Max

7 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

Please try again with the upcoming driver 3.061 (today or tomorrow). It might fix these problems.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-10-17
  • Posts: 5

Re: Using 2 Fireface 800 and connectivity problems

Hi Matthias,

Thanks a lot for the follow up! I'll try the new driver as soon as it is available.

Cheers!

Max