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RME User Forum → Tips & Tricks → Workaround for Fireface/iMac problem
Has this approach been researched and approved by RME? Is it pretty certain that the FF800 will work with the new iMac's through the fw800 port?
Yes and yes.
Dear Mathias,
Is this workaround valid also for the latest model of Macbook Pro?
Thx.
Regards,
Maurizio
Hi Folks,
For those that don't want to deal with Boot Camp, Windoze, etc., there's a much easier way to tell which chipset you have: boot the Mac in single user mode by holding down Command (the "Apple key") and 'S' while booting (just after the startup tone). There will be a line about your firewire chipset; if it indicates "TI" then you've got a Texas Instruments controller as opposed to the newer Agere.
I thought my new MacBook Pro was one of those affected based on problems with other audio interfaces (Presonus, Echo) - haven't tried my FF800 with it yet as it's my main studio interface. Anyway, my machine is one of the "hybrids" that has the GeForce 8600M GT graphics board AND the older/better TI Firewire controller.
So, not sure what that means - I may just have a funky logic board. Oh joy - I get to schedule an appointment with a "genius" at the Apple Store ;-(
Hope this helps someone!
Jim Daneker
www.whinecellarstudio.com
I just bought a iMac- 20", 2.4 gh,1G, and I will be using the fireface 800. Just want to clarify that I need to buy the firewire 800 cable to get this working? Or do I need to buy a external harddrive?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Dave
And could anybody recommend where the best place to buy the neccesary gear is ( high quality, but a good price)
Thanks
Anybody out there?
I asked the same question on 1-21-2008, and Mathias from RME answered "yes" to just using the FW800 connection on the new IMAC, no need for using a FW800 drive.
I've found Apple to have good quality FW cables for pretty reasonable, but you can get them from a lot of sources.
Here's a link to tigerdirect:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=784538&CatId=71
Belkin has high quality cables that cost a bit more...you can buy direct from them at: http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductP … _Id=164538
I asked the same question on 1-21-2008, and Mathias from RME answered "yes" to just using the FW800 connection on the new IMAC, no need for using a FW800 drive.
I've found Apple to have good quality FW cables for pretty reasonable, but you can get them from a lot of sources.
Here's a link to tigerdirect:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=784538&CatId=71
Belkin has high quality cables that cost a bit more...you can buy direct from them at: http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductP … _Id=164538
Thank You so much for the response!
I think I will go with the belkin, hopefully it fixes the problem!
Thanks
Im considering buying a FF400 as a replacement for my MOTU 828mk2 USB but my Imac has a Lucent chipset. Correct me if im wrong but is the only RME firewire-device now working with Mac the FF800 on the FW800 port?
I also own a Liquidmix(which is working perfectly btw) so im a bit sceptical about the daisychaining bit.
Hi,
I have the new iMac 2.4ghz Intel Core 2 Duo (this model has the Lucent Firewire interface) and I'm experiencing audio drop-out and glitches with a Fireface 800.
I've tried the workarounds in this forum - hubs/different ports - without success.
I swapped the F800 for an M-Audio Fastrack USB and had the same issues so I'm reasonably sure this is a Firewire/drive throughput issue.
I'm running 10.4.11 and thinking about updating to Leopard in the hope of a better firewire driver.
Any ideas?
Thanks.
Harbour Music
Hi all
So I'm another one who fell for the "whichever Mac I buy it's bound to work with my RME Fireface 400" delusion... I just upgraded my 1Ghz G4 Powerbook (which worked flawlessly with my FF400) to one of the alu-iMacs (20-inch, 2.4Ghz etc), which sure looks pretty 
Sure enough, when I installed the drivers and tried to use the FF400, I encountered all the same problems that people have described in this thread. After some disbelief when I read the explanation for the problem (the change in the FW chipset) I tried the workaround daisychaining the FF400 off a FW800 drive. At least I can now get some sound in and out, but I'm concerned about the way it works.
So I have two questions, really:
1)
Can anyone who's been working with this workaround for a while confirm that it's solid and you don't get any nasty dropouts or glitches? i.e. How reliable is it?
2)
What's the current situation regarding a more permanent solution and is such a solution likely to come from RME or from Apple? (this is aimed at the RME admin people, if possible)
Thanks
Hi all.
1) Is it at all possible to get the new imac 2,4 GHz - 20", 3GB + logic 8 pro and the FF400 to work together??
2) would swapping the Imac out with a new macbook pro or mac pro give a better result - is it only the new imacs that have that chipset problem?
THANKS
Baekbo
Hi all.
1) Is it at all possible to get the new imac 2,4 GHz - 20", 3GB + logic 8 pro and the FF400 to work together??
2) would swapping the Imac out with a new macbook pro or mac pro give a better result - is it only the new imacs that have that chipset problem?
THANKS
Baekbo
YES. try first the 9/6 firewire adapter from 800 to 400 and if that does`nt work then try a hub or taking it through a firewire800 hardrive. I think somebody got it to work with the 20" model with only the adapter cable but I with a 24" model had to go for the harddrive.
Thanks. FF400 works fine except........will post question
Hi a newb to this forum. im a electronic musician just starting out and wanted to take my studio music to the live arena.
i cannot do this since the fireface 400 is having the problems ive read about here in this forum. i did the command s test to reveal i have the agere chip - well i think thats what it is, as someone esle said in a post it reads luscent something.. so its not TI for sure. im not sure of this but it seems im the only macbook user to be experiencing this here, all i have seen are imacs and mb pros except for some forums at apple where they state it affects both mbs and pros. so therein lies the problem of not being able to do the fw800 work around.
should i hold off my live setup and waste time wating for a solution that may never come or should i sell my beloved ff400 and downgrade to something that uses usb 2, eg. digidesign mbox.
hi there,
just one basic question: a Firmware update for the latest alu iMacs has just been released (iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.3). Downloadable at http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/.
Can it possibly be the solution, or part of the solution we all iMac/FF400 users were waiting for? Or shall we expect more specific FW chipset/driver related news from Apple?
Advice: if any of you is planning to update his machine's firmware anyway, please read carefully how to accomplish the installation process successfully or how to restore it (Firmware Restoration CD 1.6): updating the firmware is a delicate procedure!
ciao D.
no change in result after updating, the ff800 is still not turnig up on the 800 port, on the 400-port all lights now start blinking..
error is still hardware-mismatch after starting playback 
thanks a lot.
OT: does yr nick name have something to do with Wire album "154"? If yes, great quote!
ciao Davide
even though i have the album(good stuff!) the nick is actually Sharon Stones self proclaimed IQ. I did an album on delsin under that name and some other geeky stuff 
my iMac is going back the the store btw, seems my first hunch was right and the FW800 port on it is fried. just bought a brand new Iomega FW-hd and its also not showing...
Theyre probably gonna replace the logicboard, im gonna beg them to find me a TI-chipset..
im not counting on it though...
...at least one!!! http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?sto … 0112345855
no surprise ... installing the new iMac firmware update on my iMac DIDN'T change a thing concerning our frustrating firewire/iMac-problem. hm ...
So that is why I get the pulsing thing on the Firewirew-setting icon...there is a problem with the recognition by the new Mac Pros. The problem in the boonies is not having access to a nearby store and the machine won't reconfigurate to the old 2.47 system after trying to reload and to get the Mac to shut down I have to go to Applications and dump both Firewire icons. So getting an 'external harddrive' is the only way to go? Genklag
Apple are sending back my imac saying the FW800 port is ok
so the workaround for the FF800 on an iMac is not working here, not directly 800 to 800, not with 800 to 400 not hubbing through a drive and of course not on the 400 port...
food for thought i reckon, still no workaround it seems...
Can you please stop confusing readers with invalid statements? The 'workarounds' have been verified by Apple, even with their own hardware. As I can't remember to have seen a post from you where your FF ever worked, it should be more than obvious that it is simply defective. It needs no workaround but an exchange/repair.
the FF800 works without problems if i connect the 800 port(both ports) of the fireface to the 400 port of both my Dells with a 9 to 6-pins cable.
also, connecting the 400 port of the FF800 with a 9 to 6-pins cable to the 800 port didnt work(the fireface wasnt picked up).
the 400 port works great on both my dells as well.
With the risk of confusing even more, the fireface is now working perfectly on a 2.16 Macbook with the Lucent chipset(they seem to have been using this longer than i thought, its a fairly old rent-a-book i got from the Apple dealer while they where looking at my iMac's firewire-ports)
And its running perfectly on a 6-pin to 6-pin cable with the time-machined install from my iMac.
And Matthias, its really not my intention to confuse anyone or to make bold(or blunt) statements. But its a very confusing stuation for a lot of people and im trying to get some perspective on what the situation really is(strictly lucent related, or strictly Lucent and iMac for starters and which workaround works in which situation) That way i can figure out what to do next about this and start making some music again...
Th iMac is back home from Apple, and the Iomega drive now shows up on the 800-port. The Fireface isnt im afraid, hooked it up to the 400 port on the drive and the 400 port on the fireface like recommended, but the host light stays red. When i unplug it and plug it into the Dell, its working without problems.
Im running out of options im afraid, and the workaround is not working here. Ive followed all specific instructions and i feel ive clearly shown that its not simply one of the ports which is defective on either the FF or the iMac. Apple has checked the 400 and 800 port, and all three ports on the FF work on my Dells(on their FW400 port)
in short, here are my findings(yes, again...)
-The Fireface does show up when i connect it to the 400 port(and the 400 and 800 port of the FF) of the iMac, but resets when i start playback.
-The Fireface does NOT show up on the 800 port(red hostlight stays on).
not on 800 to 400 connection
not on 800 to 800 connection
not when i plug it into the back of my Iomega FW-HD
The HD does show up on the 800-port
The Fireface DOES work when i
-make a 400 to 400 connection with both Dells on XP
-Make a 400 to 800 connection with both Dells on XP
-Make a 400 to 400 connection on a 2.16 Macbook with Lucent chipset
-Make a 400 to 800 connection on a 2.16 Macbook with Lucent chipset
The iMac and Macbook are both running Leopard and install on both is identical(Timemachine)
Please advice on further steps, im going in circles here.
@154
If you're 154 then you're also Newworldaquarium, in which case please allow me to say - Rox rocks! Nice work, mate.
Doesn't help much with you're firewire problem, I know.
Cheers man, and it does help. It reminds me of the fact that my MPC is a more trustworthy companion than this whole Mac-business. Maybe i should adress the firewire issue when its fixed and go retro till that happens :-)
it might take a long time before its a smooth transition into the magic world of the DAW
now where did i put my jazdrive....
ed:
http://www.radtech.us/Products/ProCableFW400800.aspx
would this cable solve any problems????? i 'd like to use a straight cable, without adaptors interfering..
thanks, K.xxx
If I hub the FF400 through a FW800 Drive like the Macpower Pleiades for example am I still able to use the HDD for audio purposes (sample libary) at the same time? Is there enough bandwith for the FF400 and my Harddrive?
Can anyone please tell us the exactly model of a firewire external HD that worked with ff400 ??
Hi,
just bought a brand new iMac 3.06GHz, 24" + Logic Studio and was sooo much looking forward getting my new studio off the ground. Then realized that there are issues with the iMac and the FF400 ((
Followed the advice to get an 9-6 pin converter FF cable.
!! Seems to work now, RME-FF400 hooked up via converter cable to FF800 port of the mac!!
Have also bought an FF800 HD, which allows for chaining another device behind.
Western Digital MyBook Studio Edition 320Gb, it comes even with the 400-800 convert cable which is alone about $30. I'll check now if chaining w/ the Harddisk works. Will get back then.
Just another item, it works for me when chained with the FW800 Harddisk.
This is the one I have used:
http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=371
Hope this may help someone else.
Can anyone please tell us the exactly model of a firewire external HD that worked with ff400 ??
I've got my FF400 chained to a Lacie d2 Quadra 500GB.
iMac 2.4GHz 20" --- FW800 --- Lacie d2 Quadra --- FW400 --- Fireface 400
Works great, no problems at all for the last 3 months with Logic/Traktor/iTunes/Quicktime etc.
I've just picked up a FW800-FW400 cable as well and it seems to work connected directly with that too, although I haven't tested it so much.
Hope that helps.
Correction:
The FW800-FW400 cable is not working for me. It was quite a cheap one, though. ed:
Mini G2 2.5" SATA Hard Drive Enclosure - USB2.0/FW400/FW800 - http://www.streetwise.com.au/product_in … ts_id=6421
Do you think a 2.5" case like above would have a Firewire hub built in like those bigger WDs/Lacies?
I prefer 2.5" drives as they run on lower power and don't whine as much as 3.5" drives. But I was thinking in the meantime just using the Mini G2 as a Firewire hub without a hard drive installed.
I've tried the Firewire800>Fire400 cable thing and it wasn't a cheap cable and while the FF400 can now playback audio, I do get audio drop outs. The unit's red Host led lights up momentarily and the sound cuts out for a second and then goes back to normal. I am presuming the unit is rebooting or something.
laskiouros wrote:Can anyone please tell us the exactly model of a firewire external HD that worked with ff400 ??
I've got my FF400 chained to a Lacie d2 Quadra 500GB.
iMac 2.4GHz 20" --- FW800 --- Lacie d2 Quadra --- FW400 --- Fireface 400
Works great, no problems at all for the last 3 months with Logic/Traktor/iTunes/Quicktime etc.
I've just picked up a FW800-FW400 cable as well and it seems to work connected directly with that too, although I haven't tested it so much.Hope that helps.
I forgot to say that this particular hard-drive seems to work well as a hub for the FF400 even when it's switched off.
Which is nice.
HI everyone, I'm new on the boards here so I am not clear about the problems everyone is having with the iMac and FF800.
Here's my gear:
Aluminum iMac 2.4ghz, 4GB ram
FF800
Digidesign 003
My FF800 ALMOST works with my iMac. I connect the Mac and FF via ADAT.
My Mac sees the FF and can even record, but it has clicks and pops all over the place. I'm currently running the FF800 through a Digidesign 003 firewire 400 port and ADAT. I've also tried to connect the FF800 directly to the Mac via firewire 800. Both had the same results.
The recordings sound sweet, except for the clicks and pops making it completely unusable.
Any help would be.....helpful!
AL.
I forgot to mention, I set the FF800 as the master at 48khz and the 003 clock source as ADAT optical. Pro Tools is also set at 48khz and 24 bit. I do not have a word clock cable hooked up.
Thanks,
AL.
I'm back with an update:
I have since tried hooking up the word clock, but still the same problem. I also disconnected the ADAT and tried SPDIF, but no luck. I even tried to use the 003 as the master and FF800 as the slave, but no luck. I have tried firewire 800 and 400 cables. I have tried every possible configuration, and it still does not work.
Possible reasons:
-Bad cables
-doesnt like the driver
-doesnt like my iMac
-faulty unit
-doesnt like Pro Tools 003
-I'm not smart enough to hook it up
Any suggestions would be nice.
I suspect the 003 vs. FF800 is resulting in bandwidth contention - does the FF800 work fine via Firewire800 when all other Firewire devices are unplugged?
Unfortunately that computer only has one controller, and no possibility to expand. You can experiment with the "Limit Bandwidth" setting for the Fireface, or if it still doesn't work: set it up for standalone use and connect only through the ADAT port.
I just bought a new iMac (with Lucid firewire chip) and I can't get my Fireface 400 to playback on the 400 bus at all. The 800 bus works but with drop outs everytime iTunes changes song. Please see my other post for more details...
Hi!
New member here. I?m thinking of getting a iMac 24" 3.06GHz (or 2.8GHz, don?t know yet). I have now a PC with Fireface800, but I want to switch to Mac.
So it?s been I guess a year, since this problem was discovered? So I?m wandering, is all this hassle now in the past? Or is it still unsolved and I?ll have misery and tears if I buy the iMac to work with my Fireface800? I?m really scared about this.
I hope someone could shed some light on this situation, where things are now...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! :censored
I guess the problem is still there, I can?t believe it!!! I mean come on Apple/RME, it?s been a year or even more since this was discovered and it is still not fixed! Shame on you!
The driver installation went fine, but when I try to choose Fireface800 as my main input/output the notorious red led comes and it says "The selected device has no input/output controls". In playback there is silence as expected, but it played some millisecond cuts here and there with the red light on.
Been using my 400 with a 800 cable with great success, still i wonder if
theres hope for fix? is this even a question of software or simply not
fixable? maybe theres new insights to this.
Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and I don't own a mac, but I seem to have the same problem. Just bought a xxodd(aka clevo, sager)860tu notebook and when I tryed to playback through the FF800 or the desktop konnekt 6 I get a lot of strange sounds every now and then. Recording doesn't seem to work at all; no sound coming in. Luckely I still have my old fujitsu .... I will try to make the soundcards work with a expresscard/firewire but I have to order one.
BTW I use sonar 6.
Any help would be highly appreciated!
Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and I don't own a mac, but I seem to have the same problem. Just bought a xxodd(aka clevo, sager)860tu notebook and when I tryed to playback through the FF800 or the desktop konnekt 6 I get a lot of strange sounds every now and then. Recording doesn't seem to work at all; no sound coming in. Luckely I still have my old fujitsu .... I will try to make the soundcards work with a expresscard/firewire but I have to order one.
BTW I use sonar 6.
Any help would be highly appreciated!
What happens when you increase the latency setting in the Fireface Settings?
Clicks and noises can result from either processing load on your computer's processor, processing load within the Fireface itself, or both. Raising the Fireface's latency should allow it to process audio noiselessly. You can try to optimize Windows as much as possible (disabling wireless connectivity and hardware, reducing any graphics processing to minimal levels, turning off any intrusive operation that requires much disk access such as a Virus Checker, plus any of the other optimizations detailed elsewhere in this thread), and see if you can garner any improvement that way.
alexoosthoek wrote:Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and I don't own a mac, but I seem to have the same problem. Just bought a xxodd(aka clevo, sager)860tu notebook and when I tryed to playback through the FF800 or the desktop konnekt 6 I get a lot of strange sounds every now and then. Recording doesn't seem to work at all; no sound coming in. Luckely I still have my old fujitsu .... I will try to make the soundcards work with a expresscard/firewire but I have to order one.
BTW I use sonar 6.
Any help would be highly appreciated!What happens when you increase the latency setting in the Fireface Settings?
Clicks and noises can result from either processing load on your computer's processor, processing load within the Fireface itself, or both. Raising the Fireface's latency should allow it to process audio noiselessly. You can try to optimize Windows as much as possible (disabling wireless connectivity and hardware, reducing any graphics processing to minimal levels, turning off any intrusive operation that requires much disk access such as a Virus Checker, plus any of the other optimizations detailed elsewhere in this thread), and see if you can garner any improvement that way.
Hi Frank, thanks for the reply!
I've allready tried every possible latency setting with no results, can't even listen to a cd. Wireless is disabled, no virus scanner running; all the tips and tweaks done. The sound is not clicks and noises but a lot of nothing with some noise every now and then. I suspect the firewire connection of being the bad thing, especially because the desktop konnekt won't work either. Both cards work fine on pc and fujitsu notebook. BTW I'm using XP home.
gr. alex
Hi ALL and specifically RME product line management,
I just want to share my latest experience on the FF400 together with an iMAC 24", 2,8GHz, 2MByte RAM, (purchased July 2008). Just got the FF400 today. Nice package, nice first impression, a real printed manual, all required cables. So far so good.
I am happy that I prepared myself by checking the last 4 weeks (!!!) all important bloggs and other Firewire device websites, and reviews. So I feel like an expert now :-)
First experience:
So I installed the drivers and connected fresh out-of-the-box the FF400 through the standard Firewire 400 cable with the iMAC. Kernel crash, no proper bootphase. Hard reset, re-boot and no connection to the host. Red light all the time... Ok, I expected it, I was pretty much relaxed :-)
I checked the plain firewire 800/400 (9 pin to 6 pin) cable connection from iMAC to the FF400 - same experience... kernel crash.
Lacie HD inbetween iMAC and FF400:
Then I put a Lacie Quad D2 Firewire based HD inbetween (800-->800 Lacie 400--> FF400) and ping! Worked flawlessly, very stable and reliable. Switching off the hard disk itself and using it as a hub btw causes better performance than having the HD active. I run "Mainstage" with 256 samples at 192kHz. Works even with a heavy effect workload.
Also fine works the Lindy 3 port repeater.
I have a recommendation to RME:
Please put at least a simple Firewire repeater cable (such things exist) into the package, or put this cable as a "Mac workaround cable" into your shop for let's say 24.99 or so... This would dramatically improve the out-of-the-box experience, and would avoid pissed-off user, who are not wiling to spend days or even weeks prior to purchase a potentially not working device...
I am serious!! Since we are talking here about a hardware issue, and obviously not a RME software driver bug, it should be RME's interest to get around this issue. Fingerpointing to Apple does not make sense at all, and will make the entire story even worse. React as a relatively small company (compared to Apple), and provide a simple solution for the next couple of months. Maybe it will disappear/it's not required since Apple will get other FW chips into their devices. There are btw other high-end Firewire devices available, that work flawlessly. So technically it should be doable.
Other than that I like the FF400 and the driver so far works without any issues. The design of the FF400 is fresh, and it seems to be valuable, no plastics shit. Good work!
Please don't get me wrong, but customer experience and out-of-the-box experience today count. You should know it.
Thanks and regards from Germany
-ulicarlos
LLSIII wrote:Has this approach been researched and approved by RME? Is it pretty certain that the FF800 will work with the new iMac's through the fw800 port?
Yes and yes.
Hi Daniel/Matthias, I'm not a mac-user but could you tell me, please, if this would work with a jmicron firewire chipset(JMB380). If that's what it takes I'm willing to buy any external hdd with all the possible firewire connections :-) Btw, the connection to the notebook(clevo 860tu)will be FW400, but if necessary ..... and the same chipset is in control of the expresscard slot.
Any help woud be highly appreciated!
Regards,
Alex
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