Bristol_Jonesey


Kevo asks a very pertinent question on the previous page - does your FW interface have a TI chipset?

If not you need to get rid and install one that does.

Depends... if the A&H likes the older TI chipset or not... TI used to be the "gold standard" when looking for a FW card... these days, not so much... check out the RME site for more info... some cards like newer "TI card" will be utilize a PCI-PCIe bridge, which I can imagine may cause it's own problems. Other chipsets, such as the LSI/Agere FW643 run native PCIe... 

http://www.rme-audio.de/f../viewtopic.php?id=10371

So, not like the good ol' days where you just go with the "TI card", and you're all set... depends on which specific TI chipset, etc.

 

It should be noted that if your system does not have the Texas Instruments Firewire chipset (seeing as how your system is a Dell I'm assuming that it probably does not) and you want to hang onto your current interface investing in a quality Firewire card that incorporates the TI chipset is a a rather inexpensive solution. Will it solve all your problems? Not sure... but as you can see all the fine and highly intelligent folks here seem to be coming to the same conclusion.

Installing such a card is rather easy if you have an available expansion slot. I'm not a computer tech but I'd imagine that a PCIe card would be optimal.

Otherwise take a look at some of the quality USB 2.0 interfaces available. I think they are even releasing USB 3.0 interfaces now but I'd personally avoid something like that because it's still pretty new for audio applications and USB 3.0 requires some attention whereas 2.0 just works.

I feel your pain in that I really wished things worked right out of the box but sadly I realized very quickly that that is not the case. My personal story:

I spent over a year researching, saving up my money (I lost my career due to debilitating injury so I literally had to starve myself), learning how to build my own system, carefully examined all my DAW software options (ended up with Sonar X1) and when I finally had everything all set up and installed I had severe crashes doing the simplest of tasks like just adjusting levels. I was heartbroken. I came here to the forum desperate for help because the tech support email servers were down (which made me feel even worse) and a few folks came along and offered me their advice.

The issue turned out to be that even though I had thoroughly researched my computer parts and THOUGHT I had made sure that my motherboard was appropriate for my old Layla Echo 3G the ASUS board I had used BRIDGED PCI. For high demand stuff like audio NATIVE PCI is what is needed. The motherboard manufacturers stopped making their PCI slots native as PCI became a legacy connection. So after all my effort and spending I had to spend another $300 for a new interface (Scarlett 18i6 which works great). I did eventually get a hold of CW tech support over the phone and they helped me out with some optimization stuff as well and now I can actually use the Layla if I want but I still stick with the Scarlett because it is rock solid and the mic pres/high z sound much better.

The point is even I as an EXTREMELY meticulous and overly cautious lunatic who had a high end tech friend advising me along the way (she knows computers stuff at a genius level but doesn't do audio) still ended up having stuff bugger up on me.

Things are working now though and I'd like to think I am much wiser for it. However I do indeed get very angry that I had to go through that and continue to be paranoid about every little thing I do to that system. It just isn't right. That is unfortunately the current state of digital audio and no matter what hardware/software you are using there are going to be potential problems. That's why companies like ADK and StudioCat are in business. I wish I could have afforded one of their systems but sadly I cannot as is the case with most of us.

I try not to let on and many folks here have commented on how nice I am but I can be a very angry animal when it comes down to it. I keep that stuff off of here though because really computers and music making requires patience and effort. If I freaked out on here every time my rage welled up or someone ticked me off... well... I don't think too many people would talk to me anymore and that would suck.

lol

Why I just typed all that up... IDK... but seriously look into some nice Firewire cards. It seems your problems have worsened progressively with more modern applications so the newer programs are likely just taxing your firewire set up to the point it's just barely able to function.

Cheers.

Yes... don't use an old style PCI card. Get a PCIe card if that is the route you are going to take.

Like I said... the legacy "bridged" PCI on my motherboard almost turned my $600 Echo interface into a paperweight.

Also for this studio I use the Allen & Heath ZED R16 firewire mixer with the latest driver and matching firmware.
After the clean install of Win 7, all of Dells own applications and tools was gone and the Non relevant tasks are set to manual start and are inactive when Sonar runs. there is no antivirus.

I use a ZED-R16 on my main DAW and also have had it attached to my currently "Under construction" mobile set up which has a HP Elitebook 8760w at heart. (Waiting on the flightcase for the ZED)

Both work great and will run all day at 64 samples.

A few things ZED-R16 specific to note.

First make sure you are in ASIO mode. WDM is garbage and will only expose 8 of the 18 in/out.

Secondly you definitely don't want the latest drivers. Although I didn't run them for long enough to find out if there are issues with pops/crackles there were definitely other issues on my systems. Mainly a lag when starting playback, arming tracks etc.

The version that does work correctly is V3.5.5. I have filed a report with A & H.

Thirdly - the ZED is definitely sensitive to FW chipset type. My main DAW on board FW is a TI chipset and works fine. My laptop isn't and doesn't work at all. A FW express card with TI chipset fixed that.

The ZED-R16 is an absolutely fantastic interface and the only thing I would ever even consider swapping it for is it's big brother the GS-R24. I also think Sonar is a great DAW that certainly does every thing I ever require of it without a hiccup.

YMMV of course.

HTH

Ti chip is very important when it comes to firewire

I'm sorry I haven't read all the posts,but the words "Dell XPS" caught my eye,and hmm,I unknowingly bought one of the i7 2630qm Sandy Bridge XPS 15" Laptops at my join date,and lets just say,I ended up building a custom made desktop[signature],VERY soon after,due to having no end of hassle.

Dell,and like minded[?] brands[especially the desktops-Scott,or Jim Roseberry could explain?] were NEVER mean't to be Daws,the craziest thing is with X2 NOW -the laptop I'S ALL I USE NOW[95%]

But it took a lot of bluescreens/shutdowns,complete unexplained weirdness,and no end of it,to get it,to the sometimes semi reliable machine I use daily now,and X2 is at least as stable[and uses less cpu][NOW]as X1D Expanded was,with a few niggles[copy-drag- paste,works every second attempt].

I researched for ages before getting the desktop,and as this laptop slowly[?] wears out[the touch pad is getting un-responsive]I'll be super glad I bought the lean mean overclocked desktop,to move to,even though it's Sandy Bridge[Ivy is NO better-Scott from ADK assures!]and it is now 2 years from when the cpu was released,and it's good for at least another.

Good Luck,hopefully the exactness of your issues can be worked out,it can be done,but...
Bob


Ps Ahh,I kinda get it after reading some more[???],oh well,and just so anyone who could care to know,I hang on Gearslutz all the time,I especially like the name,and it's nowhere near the deal people seem to make it out to be YMMV?

New Song on soundcloud-ok.

I been up a good 30 or so,good night chaps. FacePalm!!! I've now had some much needed sleep,yes my Dell XPS Laptop is a totally cool daw with X2a,and to say that Dell desktops are truoblesome,was just a tad stupid......any computer brand can be made into a great daw,and with FireWire it's Texas Instruments for sure[just one of the SUPER IMPORTANT pieces of info,gleaned from "Jim Roseberry",and"Scott@ADK's"postings!]

Its just if I'd had to do,what I did back in April 2011 again[when when I first got into "my digital dog n pony" I may have shopped differently,and like I said 95% of X2 use is this L502x Laptop,and MOST of the trouble I had was "user error" or "user do not have clue",for instance I love my new N.I.KA6 USB Interface [best performing sub $300 interface in Oz arguably],but I am getting blue screens[3 in 3 months]that I was not getting before when using ASIO4all with line in,is it the "interface"?? I don't know,and a reboot always comes back fine,and all of the shutdowns were while on the net,with MSE,and no virus's etc detected.

Anyway,hope all is well again in Denmark!

I have a 3 year old Dell and it works great for audio. I have never had a hardware related problem with it. The only Sonar problems I've had have been either bug related or clashes with other running programs eg virus protection etc. 

I will reallocate the drives and check the firewire interfaces. i dont know what TI is but I guess Google is ment for something... :)

FWIW, If you're running a Firewire audio interface... and having major stability issues (and you're not sure you're using a quality Texas Instruments chipset Firewire controller), the machine is likely not... and that is almost surely the problem.

A Firewire audio interface connected to a controller that's not 100% compatible can yield anything from poor performance... all the way up to complete instability.

In the scores of posts I've seen over the years where folks are having problems with a Firewire audio interface, the *vast* majority were not using a quality Texas Instruments chipset controller.

Aside from the PC itself, the audio interface is the 2nd most critical component to a rock-solid DAW.

Sitemester: when your ready to work this out !! Pm me I will sort it out !!

Sitemester: when your ready to work this out !! Pm me I will sort it out !!

Firewire audio interface with "rogue" Firewire controller.
Replace with quality TI chipset unit... and the problem is solved.