Firewire

I have a Metric Halo pro audio interface (extremely expensive, phenomenally high quality converters) connected to my build via the motherboard firewire port. It stops working completely every day or so and I have to do a full power-off and reboot to get it back. I think I'm finally going to have to try a PCIe firewire card. What's the latest and greatest advice in this area? Anybody have a model they recommend in particular?

heddhunter said:

I have a Metric Halo pro audio interface (extremely expensive, phenomenally high quality converters) connected to my build via the motherboard firewire port. It stops working completely every day or so and I have to do a full power-off and reboot to get it back. I think I'm finally going to have to try a PCIe firewire card. What's the latest and greatest advice in this area? Anybody have a model they recommend in particular?

Click to expand...

PEX1394B3 PCI Express card by Startech is used with success by many forum members.

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Express-FireWire-Adapter-PEX1394B3/dp/B000WCT5HK

Seemed like it was working OK for a few days but the interface was unresponsive last night, requiring a full power down/reboot. Dammit. We'll see if it keeps happening.

Hi !

Have a look at my Master Audio Build (in my signature). I had lots of problems with the VIA FireWire, until I found the adapter listed in my build. Since then I disable FireWire in BIOS. Here it is:

StarTech's 2 Port Firewire 400 Pci Card - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012VRBPI/?ie=UTF8&tag=tonymacx86com-20

I also tried with the StarTech model previously mentioned by trs96, but it had an issue with shutdown/reboot, and I completed my build with the adapter listed in my thread.

I'm using a MOTU 828mkIII, works like a charm. Also working without issues with a M-Audio FW1814 and a M-Audio ProFire 610.

My two cents !

ultrazone said:

Have a look at my Master Audio Build (in my signature). I had lots of problems with the VIA FireWire, until I found the adapter listed in my build. Since then I disable FireWire in BIOS. Here it is:

StarTech's 2 Port Firewire 400 Pci Card - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012VRBPI/?ie=UTF8&tag=tonymacx86com-20

I also tried with the StarTech model previously mentioned by trs96, but it had an issue with shutdown/reboot, and I completed my build with the adapter listed in my thread.

I'm using a MOTU 828mkIII, works like a charm. Also working without issues with a M-Audio FW1814 and a M-Audio ProFire 610.

My two cents !

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input! I've disabled the VIA motherboard FireWire and am using the Syba TI card now. Exact same behavior which leads me to think it's not related to the FireWire chipset. Do you know what chip is in your StarTech card?

The good news is using the Syba card now allows my computer to sleep/wake almost perfectly! That's a nice bonus, although as it's a studio computer, sleep is not a real priority.

Maybe I should try upgrading the Gigabyte motherboard to UEFI. Or maybe the Metric Halo drivers are just allergic to something in Multibeast? Unfortunately I don't have the money to get a new audio interface just to test (I got the MH from a friend, actually I have two different models of MH, both of which exhibit the same behavior). I might be able to borrow an Apogee interface. It's a shame as the Metric Halo sounds phenomenal and has a good amount and type of I/O ports to function in my studio. (I have it running ADAT optical i/o to another side of the room so I can use some other speakers/monitoring positions, for example.)

heddhunter said:

Thanks for your input! I've disabled the VIA motherboard FireWire and am using the Syba TI card now. Exact same behavior which leads me to think it's not related to the FireWire chipset. Do you know what chip is in your StarTech card?

Click to expand...

I believe it is related to BIOS and/or some weird incompatibility among components... Anyway who knows...

heddhunter said:

The good news is using the Syba card now allows my computer to sleep/wake almost perfectly! That's a nice bonus, although as it's a studio computer, sleep is not a real priority.

Click to expand...

Then you're done!

heddhunter said:

Maybe I should try upgrading the Gigabyte motherboard to UEFI. Or maybe the Metric Halo drivers are just allergic to something in Multibeast? Unfortunately I don't have the money to get a new audio interface just to test (I got the MH from a friend, actually I have two different models of MH, both of which exhibit the same behavior). I might be able to borrow an Apogee interface. It's a shame as the Metric Halo sounds phenomenal and has a good amount and type of I/O ports to function in my studio. (I have it running ADAT optical i/o to another side of the room so I can use some other speakers/monitoring positions, for example.)

Click to expand...

I'm on UEFI BIOS with my Z77X-UD5H and I've experienced problems. Regarding MH drivers, I wouldn't suspect of them, but if you try other interfaces you could double-check them.

My advice is to stay with the Syba card, if you're happy with it. Hope it helps!

ultrazone said:

Then you're done!

Click to expand...

Well, I'd trade working sleep for working audio interface

I'm on UEFI BIOS with my Z77X-UD5H and I've experienced problems. Regarding MH drivers, I wouldn't suspect of them, but if you try other interfaces you could double-check them.

My advice is to stay with the Syba card, if you're happy with it. Hope it helps!

Click to expand...

I'd be happier with it if it actually fixed the problem.

heddhunter said:

I have a Metric Halo pro audio interface (extremely expensive, phenomenally high quality converters) connected to my build via the motherboard firewire port. It stops working completely every day or so and I have to do a full power-off and reboot to get it back. I think I'm finally going to have to try a PCIe firewire card. What's the latest and greatest advice in this area? Anybody have a model they recommend in particular?

Click to expand...

According to this thread, the only compatible Firewire card with a true PCIe interface (as opposed to using a PCIe->PCI bridge) is the Startech PEX1394B3. It's based on an LSI/Agere chipset, the same one Apple used in its computers when they still had Firewire.

nobodynose said:

According to this thread, the only compatible Firewire card with a true PCIe interface (as opposed to using a PCIe->PCI bridge) is the Startech PEX1394B3. It's based on an LSI/Agere chipset, the same one Apple used in its computers when they still had Firewire.

Click to expand...

Interesting. Thanks for the tip!