Mac mini 10.9.5 vs 896HD

[davernoise]

I have two of the original 896HD that I'm trying to run on a Mac Mini OS10.9.5, running Reaper.

When using one, at any sample rate I get an occasional, intermittent digital noise that lasts for about 1 second. Some times after 4 minutes of recording, sometimes after 14 minutes, sometimes after 30 minutes, and sometimes not at all.

When I firewire them together, the above happens, as well as them drifting apart,with almost 1/2 second of delay between them.

I use the same Motu's with a Mac tower 10.5.7, running Cubase 5 with no problems.

Any guesses?

[mikehalloran]

All sorts of guesses. None of these are answers since you've only told us the symptom, not the problem. However, the right questions can often help you find the problem. Let's see if any apply.

Have you downloaded the latest drivers?

Are you setting them up as an Aggregate Device in Apple's Audio MIDI Setup.app or not?

What is going on in MOTU Audio Setup.App?

What is your clock source and why aren't both devices seeing it?

Fortunately, you have it working on another machine. By comparing setups, the problem may be obvious. One can hope, anyway, right?

[davernoise]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply.

I somehow missed the driver update from last October. Downloaded / installed. I'm going to record a few one hour test sessions and see what happens. I'll let you know.

And thanks again!

[davernoise]

All sorts of guesses. None of these are answers since you've only told us the symptom, not the problem. However, the right questions can often help you find the problem. Let's see if any apply.

Have you downloaded the latest drivers?

Installed the latest drivers.

Are you setting them up as an Aggregate Device in Apple's Audio MIDI Setup.app or not?

Yes, Aggregate Device in Apple's Audio MIDI Set-up.

What is going on in MOTU Audio Setup.App?

Motu #1 clock set internal, Motu #2 set to Motu #1 clock.

What is your clock source and why aren't both devices seeing it?

I can't be certain the they aren't seeing the clock i.e. I haven't noticed the little green lights on the Motu losing sync.

Fortunately, you have it working on another machine. By comparing setups, the problem may be obvious. One can hope, anyway, right?

I recorded two sets the other night. One set was 35 minutes. Ran like a dream. The other set was 50 minutes, and had 5 incidents of digital noise and drifting. Geatly appreciate any guesses. Thanks!

[davernoise]

Also, I was watching my Activity Monitor and noticed that the Audio MIDI Set-up had the “App Nap” set to yes. I called Apple, and they said there is no way to disable “App Nap” on the Audio MIDI Set-Up in 10.9.5.

Is the the cause of all my problems?

[mikehalloran]

Close Audio MIDI setup when you are done with it.

MOTU Audio Setup.app, likewise, should be closed when you have finished setting up your system. If you don't have to open it for each session, uncheck the box for "Open when hardware is detected".

There are some video cards' firmware that have issues with MOTU Audio Setup if left open for a long time. Yours shouldn't be one of them (mine is). Since the workaround is easy, close the app when done... I will be surprised if this turns out to be the problem since you don't have a 2008-2010 Mac Pro or iMac.

Check your cables. Burnish each connector by unplugging and connecting three times. A less than perfect connection can easily be the culprit. If going through a hub, try direct. Swap cables if you have extras.

Otherwise, it sounds like a clock issue. I would search the .pdf manual for every instance of "clock" and see if something suggests itself.

[davernoise]

Giving up. Selling the mini mac.

I've tried the Motu896 with an external clock, with the internal clock, disabled 10.9.5 AppNap, and the thing won't record audio without glitches.

Maddening as I have the same set-up running on a Mac tower 10.5.7 with no problems.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

[alexkorallov]

Hi, I have a problem with the Motu 896hd loses sound for a few seconds, and then running, and it is constantly going on in any audio playback, help !!! I do not know what to do.
The drivers are installed, all the connections are checked, I do not know what's going on (

Computer MacBook Pro 15 late2011 osx mavericks, connected via FireWire 800 adapter - 400
Sorry for my English))

[rockitcity]

...When I firewire them together, the above happens, as well as them drifting apart,with almost 1/2 second of delay between them...

To me, this seems to indicate a clock problem. What clocks are the interfaces set to? Is one interface slaved to the other, either with a Word clock cable (BNC connector) or via optical cable? The fact that they are drifting apart means they are not locked to a common clock source, and you will get pops and then noise as they drift apart from each other. Is it possible that one interface is set to a different sample rate from the other?

Selling the Mini seems like an extreme solution to the problem, but if you have the system working on another computer, maybe you should just use that instead.

[mikehalloran]

Hi, I have a problem with the Motu 896hd loses sound for a few seconds, and then running, and it is constantly going on in any audio playback, help !!! I do not know what to do.
The drivers are installed, all the connections are checked, I do not know what's going on (

Computer MacBook Pro 15 late2011 osx mavericks, connected via FireWire 800 adapter - 400
Sorry for my English))

Do you have any plugins running in Demo mode that you have forgotten about?

[alexkorallov]

No, this occurs even when listening to music or movies.
Thank you.