• alz
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Topic: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

Hi all,
help needed  with a strange issue.
I have a PCIe HDSPe interface card HW rev 20 connected to an old multiface 1 box running on windows 7 sp1 , the drivers installed fine and I updated the firmware to latest without issue.
However I am getting continuous crackling and random pops from all outputs the HDSP mixer shows continuous noise from all input channels.
Changing the latency makes no difference and swapping to different PCIe slots did not work either.
The really strange thing is that after leaving the PC on for 20min+ the noise subsides to a click every 5 seconds or so instead of the continuous noise straight after boot.
Any ideas?
The noise is so bad the system is totally unusable in its current state.

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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Re: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

Set the Windows Power Scheme to "High Performance", the default "Balanced" is generally unsuitable for DAW use.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind … -questions

If that doesn't help, LatencyMon may help track down bad drivers on your system.

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8933

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • alz
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Re: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

Hi Jeff , thanks for the quick response.
I had already tried the High performance power scheme it had no effect, I have just run LatencyMon and it came back with a reading of 182us absolute maximum averaging 100ish with some fluctuation on the graph.
It states that this system should be able to stream without dropouts.

I have been in the bios and disabled everything in the CPU performance options section this made no difference.
I have checked the IRQ (52) and nothing else seems to have the same.
I am looking at the HDSP mixer as I type and I just noticed that all 18 input channel meters are rhythmically bouncing with no audible sound, while there is nothing no noise at all from the playback section, the output channel are having random but infrequent Ovr(clipping) flashes while showing no levels on the meters.
This is the standard behaviour after the computer has been left on for some time but there are relatively few audible clicks coming through my monitors.
It really does sound to my ears like digital pops and crackle but the mixer behaviuor reminds me of earthing issues/feedback so im very much stumped on how to proceed.

  • alz
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Re: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

I just flipped the multiface over and realised that the midi out light is flashing randomly as well????

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

Did you try a different FireWire cable? And an external power supply?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • alz
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Re: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

Hi MC

I just tried a different firewire cable and it would not even detect the box was connected are these cables(with the same sized ends) all the same or do I need a certain type?
also what voltage does the PSU need to be? I have a universal that will work for testing purposes.
cheers

  • alz
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Re: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

OK Thanks all I tried another FW cable I had lying around and it worked!

AAaaah silence truly is golden :-)

The only issue now is the working cable I have is 0.5m long!
So can I use any 6pin to 6pin firewire/IEEE-1394 cable?
I have my eye on this one

Ebay FW cable

Would this be a suitable replacement?

thanks for all the help guys I had heard that the RMA forum was a place filled with wisdom and love and now I have experienced it first hand.

8 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: (HDSPe card with Multiface 1) random clicks crakles & pops win 7

Any FW cable will work. Either you got two broken ones, or the FW-port on the old Multiface is broken and therefore only works with the very short cable, or it is a power supply problem.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website