• Registered: 2012-12-30
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Topic: TCO with MFace install problem

TCO with MFace install problem
Running W7 on Asus p5ke motherboard.  Running Nuendo 4.3, all sessions 88.2 typical.

Three multiface boxes, all v1.
I have a HDSP TCO, one PCIe with a 4-pin power cable, three PCI HDSP cards.

I have tried using the PCI cards in both the PCI slots and the PCIe slots with PCI-to-PCIe StarTech cards, which have worked for non-TCO use.

About tab: the TCO says it is revision 8.  All drivers and firmware update, 3.31 and 55/18

I have searched the forum exhaustively, and have experimented with trying the hdsp cards in various computer slots.

Once I was able to see the TCO option in the Clock Source dialog.  Now I cannot get it to show, despite my troubleshooting.

The TCO will read known good incoming LTC, but I can't get Nuendo to sync with the TCO as an asio audio device for ASIO positioning protocol.  I have locked to ADAT machines recently with this current setup, so I believe I've got the nuendo set up properly to sync.

The order of the multifaces on the Hammerfall DSP dialog always comes up with the PCI slots first, then the PCIe slots, so the HDSPe with TCO attached is always multiface 3.  I've moved them around in various configurations, but nothing brings up the TCO clock option.

I have word clock going from the TCO to the multifaces, but haven't gotten the TCO to behave well enough for anything to clock without jumping from 88.2 to 96 etc.

2 Reply by MC

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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

Does this work if you remove the other two Multifaces? And do you get the TCO dialog (tab and page) at all?

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Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • Registered: 2012-12-30
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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

I tried using only the one HDSPe and TCO with one MF, and had all the same problems.  I will attempt the same scenario again to make sure of this.
Yes, I always get the TCO tab in the DSP hammerfall panel regardless of what cards are used in any slot.

thanks

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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

> Once I was able to see the TCO option in the Clock Source dialog.  Now I cannot get it to show, despite my troubleshooting.

I don't know why that showed up, but it makes no sense and should not. The MF with PCIe card does not support internal clock. That's why you have to use the external word clock cabling, and thus the correct setting in the dialog is Word Clock In as clock source. But I will check this again.

Using only one card I would be astonished if the APP option in Nuendo does not work.

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Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • Registered: 2012-12-30
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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

I have tried again with one card and TCO.  the TCO tab appears with the one multiface.  TCO sees incoming LTC, shows correct time, will make wordclock from it. 

However, Nuendo will not do anything with APP, like nothing's there.  Astonishing.

Multiface never shows timecode, only "-- : -- : --" on Hammerfall DSP settings dialog, lower right.  With all three going, same for MF1, and MF2 and 3 show "Card 1"

I have not gone to the troubleshooting task of trying just the one card but in each of the available PCIe slots, to see if that makes any difference.  Is that worth exploring?

6 Reply by MC

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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

No, that won't change something. The  "-- : -- : --" might mean there is a bug somewhere. Unfortunately we can not test/check that setup before 8 January.

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Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

My first tests reminded me on how all this works ;-)

The field 'Time Code' only shows ADAT Sync Time Code. The TCO does not show up on the card's tab, and there is no TCO option as clock source (which there is with the other RME cards supporting the TCO). In Cubendo if you chose ASIO Positioning Protocol there is no info anywhere. The only thing you can do is start external sync. If the project follows then APP is received.

That said I can confirm that the combination Windows Multiface or Digiface via HDSPe PCI with TCO will not supply APP. This will hopefully be fixed next week.

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Matthias Carstens
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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

The fix is now available:

- Driver version 3.32 adds TCO as clock source setting for Multiface and Digiface. This will cause locking to word clock if supplied from the TCO to the box.

- Firmware 20 for HDSPe PCI adds more precise positioning with APP. This feature had been added to the other cards earlier already.

- Not related but interesting: firmware 20 also adds the new routines that improve compatibility to newer computers and PCIe power management.

https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/hdsp_wdm_332.zip

https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/fut_wdm_dspe.zip

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Matthias Carstens
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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

Excellent!  I feel like I got my own driver, thanks for making it work with the older stuff I have.

I'm going to try using it for real, but going in I have some questions-

While syncing cubendo to APP, If I clock source the TCO-related MFace to TCO, that will keep everything in "perfect" sync to LTC?  In most cases LTC will be 30fps SMPTE from analog tape.  The other two MFaces I should word clock sync from that TCO-connected MFace?

It seems to work, , will VSO and stay synced.  although I'm getting dropouts and cubendo sync drops in the same spot everytime...maybe bad TC on tape or something else in my system, will troubleshoot.

Thank you.

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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

Yes, the other MFs are just synced by SPDIF, ADAT or word clock from the TCO-connected MF, or by the usual WC cabling with T connectors. Time code/LTC is needed only in one unit.

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Matthias Carstens
RME

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Re: TCO with MFace install problem

Great!!
Now the APP works very well, fast lockups and stable s/r...but (always there's a BUT) could you tell me why the sync stops at bpm change in the project (cubase sx 2.39), and sync again after a second or a bit less? And it always happens in the same way (same stop point and same sync restart) every time I play the project.
I don't know much about this stuff, but it seems to be something like a MIDI activity during the BPM changes that interferes in the sync procedure.
Obviously there's no MIDI activity in that point of the project...
Anyway TY
3FRS