Could I be unlucky and have 2 faulty 424 cards?

[lorngus]

And you expected a positive response with a topic title like that? No chance.

well, I have posted a few times regarding my issues inc messages tech support which they have NOT even read!!!

so after months and months of trying..
3 different 424 cards
every different version of a 64bit driver I could find
several clean installes of windows 7
3 different pc's with different motherboards and graphic cards
3 different 2408 units (2 were mine one borrowed for tests)
different wordclock cables
different firewire cables
every pcie and pcix slot in every machine I tried was tested

so, in every case the 2408 unit that is not directly connected to wordclock (ie locked to the pci bus) pops and clicks!

If I set the pci card to master and slave my digital desk the digital distortion on every channel is horrendus!

I also have an RME 96/52 card and that works without a hitch 'everytime' but only has 24 channels (I need 48, hence the 'upgrade')...

now, I have stripped and built machines and system for years (20 in fact).. I not an expert but I am not a novice either.. and if anyone has advice I will always try it.. thats how you learn!

But after deciding that becuase my 2x 424 cards were bought 'used' from ebay I took a chance they were faulty and bought a 'brand new' one for £260.. not after all the previous expence I have gone to trying to get this thing to work 'as is should' and the fact that motu are not even bothering to read my email.... well, don't you think you would be a little sick right now?

[lorngus]

Had you been smarter, and had a bit more of emotional intelligence, we all would probably be helping you now.

Good job!

well read my previous 'smarter' posts! did you help or offer any advice??? no!!!!!

and if you just want to respond to my post with you 'ever so' smart retorts go ahead if it makes you feel better!

of course I am crying like a baby and being emotional.. I've just thrown another chunck of money at this problem...how would you feel???

[FMiguelez]

You mean your previous threads?
Because the tone of this one isn't particularly attracting much help for you...

I ask again, have you tried calling MOTU?

[lorngus]

While you are doing that, you can also tell me - do the MOTU cards have firewire connections and show up in IEEE1394 section of device manager? Just curious as to the answer and will help my thoughts.

yea they have do firewire connections but they do not use firewire protocol! they do not show up as IEEE1394 in the device manager!

It's a pcie card with 4 x firewire (called audiowire) slots!

[lorngus]

You mean your previous threads?
Because the tone of this one isn't particularly attracting much help for you...

I ask again, have you tried calling MOTU?

yeap, my other thread! sorry!
here http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 14&t=48110" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

nope, I have not called motu directly, just 2 techlinks which have not even been read!

[Michael Canavan]

To be fair to MOTU here I set up an ADAT lightpipe system with an RME Hammerface card in a G5 connected to a macbook with an RME Fireface 800 receiving the ADAT. The system worked, but it was a crapshoot whether it got pops and crackles. Wordclock issues are a PITA, what I would do is talk to a local pro high end music shop and get them to loan you a dedicated wordclock device, that way you can eliminate if that's the problem.
If that does turn out to be the problem then usually in a situation like you have (don't know MOTU's software for this but it should), you can either have the computer or the directly connected 2408 be the wordclock master.

[Michael Canavan]

Plus if you can call, do so, almost all larger music software and hardware companies are horrid with email, only the small plug in developers seem to be on top of support email.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Ok. My apologies. I hadn't noticed you were on a PC. There's the problem right there...

[James Steele]

Motu... YOU SUCK!

After months and months of head banging and today taking delivery of a BRAND NEW 424-PCIe from you UK dealer at a cost of £260 (yes I am a compleate idiot) what do I find... still pops and clicks everywhere!

I have eliminated the PC (having tried it on 3 different models with different mother boards)
I have eliminated my 2 x 2408 units .... oh what's the point in going through all of this again!

as Arthur Conan Doyle said ..."Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth"

and this is the only conclusion that can be possible!
YOUR DRIVERS SUCK BIG TIME!
(unless I have 3 defective 424 cards?????)

I'm moving back over the RME (I regret ever stepping away from them and into your direction).. RME, a proper company.. a company who has the respect of their users and who respects them by actually reading their tech support emails!

You have cost me alot of money and I will make it my duty to warn every single person away from your products and crappy service!

Hey guess what? YOU SUCK. This is a user run FREE board and don't you come here and PISS ALL OVER IT! I don't give a rat's ass how pissed off you are at MOTU, get a grip or I'll delete your ass. Thanks.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I didn't see that coming...

[James Steele]

P.S. Merry Christmas!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

And a happy new Mac.

[AnthonyS]

You mean your previous threads?
Because the tone of this one isn't particularly attracting much help for you...

I ask again, have you tried calling MOTU?

yeap, my other thread! sorry!
here http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 14&t=48110" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

nope, I have not called motu directly, just 2 techlinks which have not even been read!

Techlinks are not answered in the timeliest manner. A phone call is definitely a better bet.

Also, you're a little vague regarding your system specs. I see "Windows 7, 64 Bit", but no mention of processor speed, RAM, etc etc. Maybe a little more info from you would help!

just sayin'!!!

[Fishmed]

thanks for taking the time to reply.

I have already tried your suggestion my friend. But every time I set the motu card to internal and my desk to slave the digital distortion is horrendus!!! regardless of which 2408 unit (or pci card) I set to spit out wordclock (i.e. master)!

I know for a fact that the apogee workclock card in my desk is ok as I used it with a RME 96/52 for 4 years with no problems at all (as slave and master)... to be honest I am near the end of the line with motu! as a last resort (because both my cards were used) I have decided to buy a 'brand new' pcie card from an official motu dealer here in the uk. If this does not solve my problem I expect to get a full refund and after that I will be selling all of my motu gear and going back to RME with their MADI interface! It's going to cost me a small fortune but for 3 months now I have been trying to solve this problem and the motu tech's are just ignoring me ...

I just wish I could turn back the clock... I'd save a load of cash and heart ache! after this chapter is over I will NEVER touch another piece of motu gear ever again.... sorry for the rant!

I understand your frustration. In an attempt to understand your setup better I have a couple questions:

1) What equipment do you have attached to your MOTU units (digital and analog)?

2) If you only run analog signals to both 2408 units does it still click and pop?

3) Do you get the clicks and pops during recording, playback, or both?

4) What DAW are you using? Are there any settings in it that might be set wrong?

Here is my setup just to let you know where I am coming from:
- PC running Win 7 64bit
- Main software: SONAR X1 & Sound Forge 9
- MOTU PCIe-424
-- Audiowire devices:
Audiowire 1: 2408 mkII connected to an Alesis HD24 via the lightpipes.
Audiowire 2: 1224 connected to analog effects
Audiowire 3: 308 connected to digital effects

My settings for the PCI Audio Console:
- Samples per buffer: 1024
- Clock Source: PCI-424: Internal
- Use WaveRT: Not checked

I use the MOTU PCI ASIO settings within my audio software.
As mention earlier I have all of my digital devices (even the 1224 & 308) connected to the 2408 via BNC cables. I have also set each of the non-MOTU digital devices to read their clock from the wordclock input. If I ever hear clicks and pops, then I know one of my device word clock settings got changed.

Sonar and MOTU ply well with each other. If I have a project in 44.1 or 48 within Sonar, then the MOTU card switches on the fly and updates the sample rate on all digital devices connected to it. Since I let my DAW set the sample rate, the PCI Audio Console’s Clock Source has to be set to PCI-424: Internal. Any other setting for me would be a headache to deal with, so for the most part, it all works flawless.

I say all that to ask this, what sample rate are you using and does your DAW update the sample rate of the PCI-424. If so, does all of your digital gears’ sample rate change? It only takes one bad devices setting to screw it all up.

If you have multiple digital devices, turn all off except the MOTU and one other device. Get their clocking issues resolved and then move on to the next digital device, repeating the process until all is well.

I know you may have already tried that troubleshooting process, but I thought I would mention it just in case.

[lorngus]

thanks for you responce and input!

ok, I am going to write up a comprehensive list of equipment etc...and steps I have taken.. bare with me!

one thing I did notice... you said you had all your gear connected to your 2408 via bnc.. does that include all the audiowire connected to you 424 card?

if so, why did you did that! did you experience problems before you did that? I was of the understanding (according to the manual) that all autiowire connections get their wordclock from the 424 card as long as one has a wordclock source!

thanks again!