Could you please suggest one or two cardbus / pcmcia firewire adapters, as I cannot find anything mentioning a texas instruments chipset in specs.

Thank you!

I've just tried with another notebook and I've faced the same problem, exactly.
The notebook is LG E500. I've tried with onboard firewire:

   Vendor: 0x1217 (O2Micro Inc)
   Device: 0x00f7 - (1394 Open Host Controller Interface)

and with Firecard 400 from Unibrain -cardbus firewire interface- also (mentioned in the previous post), but no luck.

NOTICE: I've noticed that the Firewire controller on desktop has it's own IRQ, while on both notebooks it is shared across some devices (including the cardbus controller in the case of the cardbus firewire controller). I don't know if this is of importance, however I've tried to switch the IRQ, but Windows won't let me (options greyed out) -even if I switch the HAL to Standard PC through device manager and disable dynamic allocation of IRQs. Since we're talking about notebooks, there is no option to switch PCI slots, and in the case of my notebook there is no option in the BIOS where I can disable ACPI, or assign IRQs to some slots, or reserve any. Any ideas?

By the way my long live (~5years) perfect windows setup is collapsing within a few days, because of the modifications (ie. I don't know if there is a way to reinstall ACPI HAL). The LG E500 is a clean install thing, in case you've wondered.

I would appreciate some help from you, pros.

   Is RME Fireface 400 MIDI partly unusable in notebooks?

Thanx.

No I haven't installed special drivers for the unibrain card. Actually I don't think there are an special drivers, anyway (at least there aren't any at http://www.unibrain.com ). Also, I've tried switching the driver windows automatically chose (Texas Instruments OHCI...) with Generic OHCI with no success in the case of MIDI trouble.

Thank you.

Nothing to do with power, I've tested it. I've even attached the device to another 12V DC adapter with no luck on my problem.

On desktop it works. On notebooks it doesn't. And we're talking about the latest firmware as mentioned in the first post (answering to your question).

Are you suggesting that I send the device back?

Please, notice that Presonus Firebox that I have tried with the same notebook worked just right. Only some problems with MIC Pre 2 (noise) and that's why I upgraded to RME.

I don't want, however, to spend money and more troubleshooting time in Firewire or USB MIDI-only interfaces, just in case you suggested anything like that.

I would also like your opinion about this (specific):

   1) FF400 midi in 2 corrupted: http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=735

and that (more general):

   2) Dell XPS M1710 / Fireface 800 Problem: http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=672

Do you think that the threads above relate to my problems? Actually thread #1 looks almost the same, differing only in that I have the same problem in both MIDI Inputs, while posters of that thread only have problems in MIDI Input #2. But they mention that they switched the interface with a new one and problems were gone!

Thank you and, please, forgive my aggresiveness, but it's been three months now that I'm spending my time troubleshooting various things, watching the market and spending money for a simple AUDIO/MIDI interface that will do the job right! Also, regarding the Fireface, thomann.de's 30 days money back guarantee is ending...

OK latest findings:

The stage piano I've been using for the tests is sending MIDI clock and that has been congesting MIDI input.

I've made some tests using another keyboard, deactivating MIDI clock transmission, occupying both MIDI Inputs of FF400, playing with... sample rate (!) and here are the results:

When connected to a notebook (I have tested 3 PC notebooks already) -while audio input (many inputs simoultaneously with low buffers/latency) has no problem at all- massive (although normal for everyday application) MIDI data get congested (buffer fill?) and errors come up in the DAW:

90 00 3D    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 61  Channel 1
90 40 3E    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 62  Channel 1
90 40 38    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 56  Channel 1
90 00 3A    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 58  Channel 1
90 00 3A    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 58  Channel 1
90 40 38    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 56  Channel 1
90 40 3D    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 61  Channel 1
90 00 3E    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 62  Channel 1
90 00 3D    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 61  Channel 1
90 40 3E    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 62  Channel 1
90 40 38    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 56  Channel 1
90 00 3A    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 58  Channel 1
90 00 38    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 56  Channel 1
90 40 3A    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 58  Channel 1
90 40 3D    Note On          E3 (mi3)    Velocity: 61  Channel 1
90 00 3A    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 58  Channel 1
90 00 38    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 56  Channel 1
90 00 3E    Note On          C-2 (do-2)  Velocity: 62  Channel 1

There is a pattern in the errors above if you notice (value: 0x40 & 0x00 and velocity: ~< 0x40), BTW. Also, if the problem comes up and I continue to send MIDI data (play on the keyboard) without interruption, I continue to get these errors. I have to pause playing for a second or two, in order to be able to receive correct MIDI data again (having those Note On events sound until I do a MIDI reset in Cubase). This is telling me that a buffer fills up and, until it is free again, errors are transmitted.

What's more, playing with audio sampling rate (!) I've noticed that the higher the sampling rate is, the more infrequent the congestion is!!! What does audio sampling rate has to do with MIDI??? The result is the same whether I send the MIDI data back to my stage piano, or play a VSTi, or just record silently the damn stream!

So, in order to "safely" reproduce the problem I use 44.100, with MIDI In #1 connected to my stage piano (Yamaha P-140), with MIDI Clock transmission ON, Active sense transmission ON, tempo at 280bpm, and MIDI In #2 connected to my other keyboard (Yamaha PSR-37!) with Active sense transmsission ON. The first one or two chords I play on either keyboard trigger the error. Of course, I get the error even if I use 96.000 with only 1 keyboard connected with no MIDI Clock transmission but it is more infrequent (maybe after a while having used sustain and some chords), but the setup is practically useless to record or play anything.

I have to admit -repeating myself- that there are no such problems with the Desktop PC (VIA PCI firewire, own IRQ).

Please, add your comments!

Is there anything that is out of tune in FF400 (regarding buffers, maybe)?

In case it is not FF400's fault, is it possible that there be an option in the Settings dialog for MIDI decongestion (?), before final transmission to the PC in the price of a couple of milliseconds of MIDI latency?

I don't know how drivers are handled, but wouldn't it be right for such a product to have it's own MIDI drivers giving MME and DirectMusic Options? Would this solve anything?

I would like some answers on the previous posts, also, please!

PS. I remind you that I use Firecard 400, Cardbus Firewire adapter,  from Unibrain (TI TSB43AB22A, chipset), which brings exactly the same results with a SUNIX (VIA Chipset).

It is not one computer. It is 3 notebooks (+my brother's) including 4 firewire interfaces (2 on board and 2 PCMCIA) !!!

Am I the only one, really? ( http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=735 ) Those guys expirience similar problems. On one computer it worked, on another it didn't. They tried your bugfixes, and for some it worked, for others it didn't. They exchanged the FF400 for a new one and problems went away.

Come on you guys! I have spent more hours troubleshooting the machine than you have answering the whole forum! You can do better than that I suppose. Here are so many data posted. And you skip 90% of my questions, also!!!

And here is another feedback from the developers (which are in easter holiday as well). Please try with limited bandwidth, like Analog+Spdif. Would be interesting to know if this removes the issue.

Yes... I have the same problem, but just on midi-in 2. About one year ago I spent many days trying to troubleshoot the bug but no way. I tried different keyboards (Roalnd Yamaha Korg Novation) and different computers (two laptop PCs and a MacBook Pro). I used Midi-ox to understand something more about the MIDI signal path and I sent the data to my dealer, with my FF400. They couldn't fix it and they said I was the only one having this problem... so the solution for me was (and is) NOT USING MIDI-IN 2. But now there are other people experiencing the same issue. Let me know if you could solve the problem Ndiam...

I would like to bring this case to light, again, in case someone is interested. (?!)

Thank you.

hey Nikos, you never mentioned what midi keyboard you are using....

yamaha psr-37 old stuff
yamaha p-140 stage piano

the keyboards are no prob.
only factor, the sustain pedal, which throws many fast signals and with clock online and keys pressed / released it congests more. but it's not a reasonable solution to turn off clock, or stop using the sustain pedal. the congestion is going to happen anyway.

Hi!Same problem here!Yamaha p70 in FF 400 midi in 1 playing Galaxy Pianos II from Kontakt 4.FF 400 midi out 2 to Kurzweil K2000's midi in.I think it's a midi buffer problem.When I stop the drum track to K2000 and playing "less" piano notes everything is fine.Same set up but with ESI Quatafire 610 instead FF 400 works briliant though it doesn't sound so good like with FF400.

Still nothing???:(

same  problem but not with RME.
I did find the cause:  active sense data send by my old yamaha P140, which I can't turn off, and i makes my protools go crazy, and no way to filter it in protools. Or does anyone know how to do this ? (Somebody managed on a yamaha kx 88 but no luck yet for p 140

midimonitor  is a small utility program that monitors the midi setup.  I have an MPK controller working fine, an M-audio key 88 working fine, and an M audio 4x4 going crazy getting midi from my yamaha pt 140,  sending real time system information like midi clock and especially active sense data....