• FAC
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  • Registered: 2012-04-01
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Topic: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

Dear all,

As many of you I'm encountering "drop out", "pop", "click"... while making music. No surprise here, I'm using the on board firewire port of my motherboard which is VIA and of course it shares same IRQ than other devices... Well all ingredients to have poor audio quality...

So, I'm not an hardware computer expert and I found my self spending too many time to resolve hardware problems instead of simply making music in a flawless way. Thus, as many of you I've decided to install a dedicated FireWire card in my modern computer (Intel Cpu Core i7, SSD, 16gb ram, MSI Mb P67A-GD65, Windows 7...) but I'm completely lost on all informations available on this forum or on internet: threads are old, information are not clear, some card works for one and does not work for another one, TI are the best chipset but some models does not work...

Could you please recommend me a modern Firewire Card (1394b) that is certified to work with the FireWire 800?

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  • FAC
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

Dear RME,

Could you please advice us some modern Firewire cards (1394b) certified to work with the FireWire 800?

Regarding the number of issues due to the firewire connection you should propose to the user a list of Firewire cards supposed to handle a perfect communication with the Fireface 800 and put this list in bold in front of your website. smile I've bought my card more than 1000€ and I can't make music in a flawless way... I've already contacted the support by mail, no answer...

Best,

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  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

First, you don't need FW800 (1394B) unless you are chaining FW devices together. One Fireface 800 works perfectly fine with FW400. Secondly, do you want PCI or PCIe? Basically, you are safe with any FireWire only card (no USB combo) using the Texas Instruments FW chip. SIIG is using the chip in their FireWire cards.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

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  • FAC
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for feedbacks!

- So the Fw800 port is limited to 400 Mb/s?
- I'm looking for PCIe.

I've read somewhere that someone has encountering bad issues with a card having TI chipset, it seems that there are different versions of the chipset. No?

Why don't you propose to users a list of compliant cards? It will be more clear and will save precious time to the musicians.

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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,558

Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

The port is not limited to 400 mb, but the FF800 does not even need that much bandwidth... FW800 is not "faster".

Also, a Firewire card alone will not solve all potential performance issues of your computer, therefore a list of "compliant" cards can not gurantee a perfect audio system. There is no "certification" or list of specific criteria that would ensure "compatibility".

If you build your own computer system, you will need to deal with the selction and configuration of hardware and software, and also with system tuning (for advice, please see the Tips & Tricks section of this forum). If you do not wish to do so, the alternative would be to buy a turnkey system from a specialised supplier of audio PCs.

I am not aware of different versions of TI chipsets, and none that would be problematic.


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

6 Reply by FAC (edited by FAC 2012-04-02 19:51:31)

  • FAC
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

So, even if the list of "compliant" cards could not guarantee a perfect audio system I think the idea of the list is something to consider. Jeff proposed the company SIIG and I found the following card on this website. May I ask you and users to complete the list? And of course the following materials will not guarantee an issues free configuration.... It's just a first path...

SIIG DP FireWire 2-Port PCIe - NN-E20012-S2 TI Chipset

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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,558

Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

I have no objections to users posting FW cards that they have found to work well, but we won't entertain an official list.
That said, Dawicontrol cards usually work well, too, at least I am not aware of problems.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • FAC
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

Thanks for the link Daniel smile

Dawicontrol Firewire Cards

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  • FAC
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

I've contacted some computers store in Belgium and nobody can provide me a descent firewire card with TI chipset...

Any idea where I can buy this card in Belgium?

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  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

It's not in Belgium but I know this one works :-)

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)
  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 23

Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

FAC wrote:

I've contacted some computers store in Belgium and nobody can provide me a descent firewire card with TI chipset...

LaCie brand should be available in Belgium (they have a European office there). I have LaCie PCI and PCMIA cards with TI chipset, and they work fine.

12 Reply by FAC

  • FAC
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

Tom McCreadie wrote:
FAC wrote:

I've contacted some computers store in Belgium and nobody can provide me a descent firewire card with TI chipset...

LaCie brand should be available in Belgium (they have a European office there). I have LaCie PCI and PCMIA cards with TI chipset, and they work fine.

I had a look to the website and the product is out of stock... I've seen a lot of Lacie's products in many stores here so I hope I'll find a card this week. smile

Lacie FireWire 800 PciE TI

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13 Reply by zigor (edited by zigor 2012-05-03 08:04:47)

  • zigor
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

Hi FAC,

I had just the same problem as you have : it was perfectly solved by buying 2LaCie cards, one for my laptop, and the PCIe for my main computer. Up to now, they work flawlessly(about 6 months).

One warning, though, the laptop card is an R34 Express Card format : it NEEDS a specific power supply of 1.5A @12V. It is currently available from LaCie but when I bought it, that was not mentioned in the specs, leading to many problems...

All works fine now, and the sound of the Fireface 800 is a beauty.

  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 23

Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

zigor wrote:

One warning, though, the laptop card is an R34 Express Card format : it NEEDS a specific power supply of 1.5A @12V. It is currently available from LaCie but when I bought it, that was not mentioned in the specs, leading to many problems...

FWIW, with my LaCie laptop card (PCMIA, though) I don't need to use the LaCie power supply. The single FF400 power supply, plugged into the FF400, powers both FF400 and card just fine.

  • zigor
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Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

Tom McCreadie wrote:
zigor wrote:

One warning, though, the laptop card is an R34 Express Card format : it NEEDS a specific power supply of 1.5A @12V. It is currently available from LaCie but when I bought it, that was not mentioned in the specs, leading to many problems...

FWIW, with my LaCie laptop card (PCMIA, though) I don't need to use the LaCie power supply. The single FF400 power supply, plugged into the FF400, powers both FF400 and card just fine.

You're right, the PCMIA cards are powered by the laptop slot. That's why I didn't initially use a PS with the R34 Express Card...and could not record onto the laptop! After my complaint, LaCie mentioned th PS must be used with this card, but only in the PS technical description. When looking very closely at the R34 body, one can see a minute socket for the 12V...but one needs good eyes!

  • Registered: 2012-08-07
  • Posts: 1

Re: RME Fireface 800 - FireWire card recommendation

I have the same problem. I have an MSI motherboard, i7, 8GB ram, FW800 TI chipset, Win7 64bit and I cant get it to work flawlessly.
I have updated my FireFace800 with the latest drivers and firmware.

Is there something wrong maybe with the MSI motherboard? Should I get a Lacie FW?