• Registered: 2010-07-31
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Topic: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

When I connect a single Fireface 800 or 400 to a TI XIO2213A based Firewire 800 card, like the Syba SD-PEX30009 or SIIG NN-FW0012-S1, they work perfectly with Amplitube 3 and Cubase 7+.

When I connect my Fireface 800 AND 400, either individually to the card outputs or daisy-chained, they work with IK Mulitmedia's Amplitube 3 configured with IO from both cards.

However, when I open Cubase 7+, the Host LEDS on both interfaces flash for a couple of seconds, and when I open a project (just open, not play), I get:

a) constant flashing of the Host LEDs on the Firefaces, and

b) a never-ending stream of dialog boxes telling me that there were different sample rates and asking me to select how I wanted to handle it. Neither selection was palatable and neither solved the problem.


This occurred with either Firewire card with both:

a) Gigabyte GA-X58-UD4P, i7-920, 12GB, Win 8.x Pro, 3081 RME driver

b) Asus P9X79-E WS, i7-4930X, 32GB, Win 8.x Pro, 3081 and 3084 RME drivers.


When I used the GA-X58-UD4P's on-board Firewire from its TI TSB43AB23 chip, these problems didn't occur.


I have raised this issue in the Cubase forums as well.

On music hiatus, so RMEs have gone to homes where others can enjoy them.

2 Reply by MC

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Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

You had configured unit 1 as master and unit 2 as slave to the wc or other signal coming from unit 1?

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Matthias Carstens
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  • Registered: 2010-07-31
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Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

The 400 (unit 2) is the clock master, feeding the 800 (unit 1), which is the same as when feeding the Firefaces from the old TI chip on the GA-X58-UD4P.

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4 Reply by MC

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Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

The first unit in the Settings dialog should be set to Master/Internal clock. Please try that.

Also 'is the same' is not the point here. If you change the interface ports then the driver is reset and your settings might no longer be the same. That's why I asked whether master and slave are still configured accordingly.

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Matthias Carstens
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  • Registered: 2010-07-31
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Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

OK. I reversed the clock flow to as you suggested:
-- Unit 1 = FF800 = Master
-- Unit 2 = FF400 = Slave.

With Amplitube, selecting ANY connection from either Fireface gives no Host flashing or dialog boxes.

With only one Fireface connected and in Cubase, selecting any inputs or outputs is Ok as well.

With both connected and in Cubase:

a) Selecting only FF800 inputs or outputs is OK.

b) Selecting ANY (even only) FF400 input or output results in Host flashing (on both Firefaces), and repeated mismatched sample rate dialog boxes.


None of this occurred with the older TI chip.

On music hiatus, so RMEs have gone to homes where others can enjoy them.
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Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

I tried the two TI XIO2213A cards (Syba and SIIG) together, and in Cubase:

a) No Host flashing

b) No repeated dialogs

c) Very short audio dropout every three seconds, with lots of crackles (but no ASIO CPU spikes).

This is basically what I got when I used the SIIG card driving the FF800, and the Asus motherboards VIA 1394a chip driving the FF400, though without the crackles.

Note that Amplitube has no such audio issues in this scenario either.

To me it is looking like Cubase does not like something about the dual 1394 audio interface setup, but particularly goes troppo if they are both on the same card.

At any rate, all the scenarios involving the new TI chip do not work when there are two audio interfaces. Again, none of these issues occurred with the old TI chip on the Gigabyte motherboard.

On music hiatus, so RMEs have gone to homes where others can enjoy them.
  • Registered: 2010-07-31
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Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

OK, tried out some tests with Reaper.

Reaper test setup:
a) i7-4930X 3.4GHz, Asus P9X79-E WS, 32GB
b) Syba SD-PEX30009 PCie 2x1394b+1394a, TI XIO2213A
c) SIIG NN-FW0012-S1 PCie 3x1394b, TI XIO2213A
d) Input into 800 on ports 9 and 10 (mics).
e) Inputs into 400 on 3 and 4 (line).
f) Both channels set to out on the 400, ports 1 and 2.

Basic testing with Reaper shows:

a) Selecting any port on the 400 does not throw the syncing out at all (unlike with Cubase).

b) If both Firefaces are on the same card (either Syba or SIIG), then the recorded sounds are very distorted.

c) If the Firefaces are on separate cards, 800 and 400 either way round, the sounds are all perfect, with NO periodic short dropouts (like there was with Cubase).


OK, me thinks there might be some funnies going on with the RME driver and the XIO2213A, as they are the common components, though the disparate behaviour with Cubase, Reaper and Amplitube is cause for concern.

I have reported these results on the Cubase Issue thread as well.

On music hiatus, so RMEs have gone to homes where others can enjoy them.
  • Registered: 2010-07-31
  • Posts: 123

Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

Matthias, someone on the Cubase thread wrote that you do not recommend connecting Firefaces by separate connections to their own 1394 ports, but rather use daisy-chaining.

Is that true?

If so, with what TI chipset(s)?

On music hiatus, so RMEs have gone to homes where others can enjoy them.

9 Reply by MC

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Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

No, not true. It always depends, and both ways of cabling should work. Of course YMMV.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

10 Reply by Patanjali (edited by Patanjali 2014-02-27 10:16:48)

  • Registered: 2010-07-31
  • Posts: 123

Re: Cannot use 2 RME Firefaces with Cubase 7.x.x and TI XIO2213A

WORKING NOW!!
Like with Reaper, Cubase only works with the Firefaces on separate TI XIO2213A PCIe cards.

The issue I had with the periodic dropouts was....... Ozone was not authorised and it was doing its demo mode 'prevent you from really using me' thing.

Why I think I missed it was:
a) No dialog box requesting authorisation was displayed when I opened the project.
b) The dropouts were occurring even when the plugin was bypassed.
c) I thought the dropouts were meant to be every 10 seconds if not authorised.
d) Mercury retrograde, but now near its end.

I must have accidently accepted the demo mode after I installed it with the new computer build a couple of weeks ago.


The good news
So I get to continue to use TWO Firefaces at 192k. REALITY bites!!! big_smile big_smile big_smile

Sorry, but there was a particular person on my Cubase thread for this issue that kept trying to tell me that my problems were because I was using:
a) Two audio interfaces (he didn't know that the RME driver could do that, but still discounted that later on), and
b) 192k, and put unnecessary pressure on the system.

The reality that it all worked previously did not seem to faze his need to keep pushing his theories.
My motto is that 'REALITY trumps theory EVERY time!'.


Some people just can't get their head out of their own a*** when dealing with things outside their reality
The strange thing was that the supposedly 'helping me' contributor kept trying to push that it was stupid for anyone to use multiple audio interfaces. Well many RME users have been doing just that for years. Mine was to have I/O in two different locations (mix area and the studio).

So you are all obviously fools if you dare to do that. You need to go get yourselves certified and locked up IMMEDIATELY!! wink wink wink

On music hiatus, so RMEs have gone to homes where others can enjoy them.