2408mk3 & PCIe424 clicks & pops

[tuubert]

Has anyone had a problem like this:

Audio playback clicks and pops randomly (even with one mono track playing) on every 2408 output stereo pair and the next output channel (eg. audio output through analog1-2 clicks and pops and causes analog3 to click/pop). Nothing is routed to this next odd output, it just clicks. Same pattern with all output pairs from analog1-2 to all ADAT output pairs exept ADAT bank C7-8, because its the last one.
The clicks become louder with a louder signal.
Same thing happens also when monitoring signals through Cuemix (with no DP open).

These clicks are also present on recorded audio (in both AudioDesk2.0 and DP 5.01, before and after the OS update 10.4.6-> 10.4.7).

Doesn't matter what the input is. Tried all the different synchronisation and buffer combinations with no luck.

In 2408 standalone mode (going in analog and out through ADAT) there is no problems.

So, I suspect driver (latest) or hardware (brand new PCIe 424) failure.
What to do?

[toofar]

I had a similar problem quite a while back, which I got rid of by moving the PCI card to an adjacent slot. Not the fix I would have preferred, but the problem has not returned. It might be worth your time to at least check to see that the card is seated well.

I recall the manual saying to use a certain slot, but I think that has more to do with the subsequent numbering of the interface that appears in the PCI software.

Bill

[tuubert]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I did move the card from slot(8X, middle) to another(4X, furthest from the graphics card), but with no help. I'll have to check again maybe.

Maybe the PCIe card (relatively new product) is the problem????
How much are these 324 and 424 cards faulty, I seem to read quite often about it?

Thanks for replies!

[PedroCruz]

tuubert, how many tracks are you using? and what format?
im having exactly the same problem here...
After formating the System HD the clicks always starts after 10minutes of listening a 40 tracks project at 24/41 or 24/48 with a 1h40m duration (all tracks)(live concert)... and after that even in winamp or windows media player, listening to some mp3 i still have clicks in out 1, 2 and 3...
i notice it gets worse if you reduce the buffer size... it seems to me that 1024 samples buffer size its not enought for this big projects
Ps: im using PCI-424 (non-express) and tryed both latest driver and older driver (v3.65) and did not succeed
Cheers

[resolectric]

Be sure you have connected the module to the Nr. 1 port on PCI424, otherwise you'll surely get clicks and pops, loss of sync, etc.

PCI424 #1 port is the one nearer the multipin connector.

[tuubert]

well well.
the clicks are gone at the moment. Why? I cannot tell.
Quite weird.

I tested the system by recording (at 44k1/24 in DP 5.01) 8 tracks incrementally, reaching 72 or 74 tracks total, playing back all that, some plugins on, surfing the net at the same time, synced to either ADAT lightpipe or internal, several buffer settings, but couldn't get any of the behaviour described earlier.

So maybe its gone. I hope.
If it comes back I'll contact MOTU and the retailer.

[toofar]

Be sure you have connected the module to the Nr. 1 port on PCI424, otherwise you'll surely get clicks and pops, loss of sync, etc.

PCI424 #1 port is the one nearer the multipin connector.

Just for the record, I use ports 2 and 3 for my two 2408s and never have any of the problems you mention. Number 1 port is unused.

Not trying to be contrary here, just that it might fix someone else's troubles to give it a try.

Bill

[resolectric]

Connecting to port 1 before all others is in the Manual, so, you're not being contrary, at least not to me.

First time i connected my 24i/o i had problems similar to the ones described. Fixed by using the correct port.
Same has happened with other users.

[toofar]

hi resolectric,

I also set up my system following the "port 1" advice of the manual, but months later when I started getting clicks and pops, I read in other threads that other folks had fixed it by changing ports. I tried it and it worked. The only down side that I can see is that my first 2408 is labeled as being the second, and my second is labeled as the third in the PCI config panel. I guess that if I needed all four ports at once there might be trouble, but so far so good.

Bill

[tuubert]

The clicks are back. somebody here had a similar issue and MOTU had confirmed that he had a bad PCI card.

I haven't tried different ports, and I wouldn't mind doing so if it was my own personel equipment, but I prefer having a fully functional card because this is in a commercial studio.

So I'll try to get it changed.

[auptown]

Just a thought, but does anyone think that if an external box (2408, etc) is a clock master, it must be connected to Port 1 on the 424 card?

And a related question, what is the clock master, as shown on the MOTU PCI Setup app, in the systems that are having clicks?

[meteo]

i have the same problem here. does anybody solved it?

[jytymy]

Bought a Motu 2408 MK3 about a month ago and have the same problem....random click and pops.

I have an Yamaha O2R96 with TDIF cards connecting to Motu and if I plug a mic into any channel, the clicks and pops end up on the adjacent channel. It's NOT a clocking issue as the folks at Motu tried to tell me. I tried every single configuration possible...Motu as master clock, O2R as master clock, I have an external Rosendahl sync generator I tried using as the master, I tried connecting my Apogee Ensemble to it via ADAT and the same thing every single time. It even seems to escalate when a signal is picked up by a mic. I even ordered another MOTU unit and the problem persists.

Then I found this thread and thought I had a solution...I moved the PCIe card to the other slots in my computer and the problem still persisted. I even changed my TDIF cards to ADAT cards and the still have the problem.

I returned it today and decided to buy an RME PCIe instead.

Sorry Motu, but this product sucks. I should have trusted my instincts. I have yet to like a single Motu product.

[wylie1]

I'm having the same issue and been pulling hair.
I've been using the same setup for yrs and this just stated happening out of the blue when launching DP7.2 after about 5-6 minutes.
I'm thinking its got to be software related because I've tried everything hardware that could cause it.I can't tell when it started because I only use the 2408mk3 for tracking but I think it was after I updated to OSX 10.6.8

[jytymy]

I don't think it's a software issue at all....I think it's definitely hardware related as it clicks and pops it even if I have no software running.

The Motu in stand alone does not click or pop, but as soon as you connect another piece of hardware to it the problem begins. If the popping was consistent then I would conclude that it's a clocking issue, but it's so random. Sometimes it doesn't pop for 15 minutes. Other times, it's non-stop. What's really odd too, is that the pops end up on the adjacent channel of the last channel I'm using....if I plug a mic into channel 23 the pops end up on channel 24. So weird.

I went so far as to even bring in a couple engineer friends of mine to have a look (because I thought I was overlooking something) and they were stumped as well.

Anyway, I'm wiping my hands clean of it. Took the unit back and ordered the RME cards.