• Registered: 2012-08-22
  • Posts: 4

Topic: FF 400 Mixer is not working

I run ableton live and recently bought a ff 400. I have an iMac running os x 10.5.8 and i downloaded the proper driver off the rme website. The host light on the device is on and i plugged in a moog sf into the different inputs on the front of the interface and it is showing that its recieving signal. The problem is when i open the mixer. If another program that has to do with audio like iTunes/live/youtube is open then mixer will minimize instantly. It continues to do this over and over. If i start my computer and open the mixer it will stay maximized until i open up my daw/itunes. The mixer also never shows that its recieving signal except a couple of times when i installed an older driver it showed it was recieving signal on the mixer but again if i open live it minimizes and stops functioning. Obviously ive tried several diff drivers and ive tried the original drivers. Also i am getting the error 20000000 when i tried updating the flash driver. i have yet to hear what this thing sound like and the anticipation is killing me. can anyone help

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 24,921

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

The current FF400 driver is version 3.06, but 3.10 would work too. They include two mixers, and only the 'Fireface Mixer' will work with the FF 400.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-08-22
  • Posts: 4

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

okay i have the "firefacemixer" and i have got sound from external devices going through fine. The problem is when i open up ableton live or itunes the fireface mixer closes/minimizes and when you open/maximize it just closes in about 4 or 5 seconds. i have played music on iTunes and ableton and for the 4 or 5 seconds the fireface mixer is open i can see its not recieving any input from iTunes/ableton.

  • Registered: 2012-08-22
  • Posts: 4

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

Any help?

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 24,921

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

Not sure why you are so centered to the mixer. It seems not the mixer is the problem, but the whole communication via FireWire. Can you record or playback something at all? If not, then the problem is not the mixer...

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-08-22
  • Posts: 4

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

i see what your saying and no i cannot.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,565

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

How old is that iMac...?
http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1475

Regards,
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 9

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

Hi MC,

He's focussing on the mixer because this is the obvious sign of trouble. It all works fine until a host app is launched and then it quits within seconds. It doesn't matter what version is installed – 2.62, 275, 3.06... The Fireface just won't sync with the host app, this can be seen in the Fireface control panel's master section which shows a clock rate of something wacky like -1074356.

As for the link to the other thread, the 'workarounds' are not satisfactory. The firewire 800 to 400 connection which is claimed categorically as being a solution is not so; it's an irrelevant improvement which causes host sync to fail sporadically rather than constantly. And connecting via a hard drive? No thanks!

Such a shame that industry stalwarts such as Apple and RME won't play nice. I'm lucky I've also got a Mac Pro which does work, alas not the iMac.

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,565

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

The issue and the workarounds concern a certain generation of iMacs and Macbooks, around 3 years old now. This is not a general issue of " Apple and RME won't play nice", and it's also no longer an issue with current iMacs. Apart from the solution with a disk driver, there is always the Lindy FW repeater cable.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2008-05-07
  • Posts: 9

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

Yes I know. But just because it's no longer an issue with current iMacs, it doesn't make the issue go away for three year old iMacs. Perhaps I'll try the repeater cable. I'm reticent to throw money at it after I took MC's (emphatic) advice to use an 800 to 400 firewire cable. This does NOT work.

Thanks anyway...

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,565

Re: FF 400 Mixer is not working

That is unusual - we did not mention it without reason, it works normally...
Try the repeater, but maybe there is something else going on.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website