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  1. #1

    Default Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    Hoping somebody has an idea for this one - Last week everything worked okay.

    Started up the SAW/XP machine today and I can't get the RME Multifaces to set to 44.1k.
    When I first open the Card settings window, the System clock shows 44.1k as it should, but after a brief pause (and before the two cards show sync), the system clock changes to 48k.

    The AutoSync reference box above the system clock box shows 48k initially and then stays at 48k. I'm used to seeing it at 48k initially, but it always changes to 44.1k when the system clock shows 44.1k (as it normally would).

    SAW won't play back my recent 44.1k live recording at the correct speed unless I reset the session sample rate to 48k. And SAC won't go live until I set its sample rate to 48k - I usually run it at 44.1k as well, although I don't usually have it open unless I am recording in the studio (I'm editing and mixing today - so no need for SAC).

    The pc is an XP machine and has worked flawlessly for the past 3 years. I've got a pair of RME Multiface interfaces hooked up to two HDSP pci cards, running all analog inputs and outputs (except for a spdif loop on card 2, which I unhooked while attempting to troubleshoot the issue). There is nothing at all hooked up to the ADAT I/O.

    I suspect that the problem isn't SAW or SAC and I'm not even sure that it's the RME, since there's no way in their gue that allows me to set a sample rate manually... I suspect the issue is with the computer, but haven't a clue where to begin searching. I tried reinstalling the RME drivers and reset the interface boxes (unplugging the FW cables for a few seconds as they instruct), but that didn't help either.

    I haven't had to deal with anything like this for ages and don't have a very good understanding of what can be wrong to be able to figure this out on my own.

    I'm hoping somebody here has a clue of what's wrong. I may post this in the RME forums, but started here where I'm more likely to get a timely response or two (as the RME forum has usually been really slow to respond in my experience).

    The first image shows the initial settings of the system clock and AutoSync Ref boxes in the lower right corner from when I first open the thing.
    The second image shows the system clock change to 48k after it syncs with the other card (I guess?).
    Anybody have a clue as to what's gone wrong?
    Is there other information needed in order to diagnose the issue?


    ------ hmmmm. just noticed the spdif freq box is showing 32k..... I've never noticed what it usually shows, but that seems odd to me. Especially since I disconnected one side of the rca cable loop I usually have hooked up on card 2.


    Name:  RME Clock Issue 1.jpg
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    Name:  RME Clock Issue 2.jpg
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    Last edited by UpTilDawn; 03-03-2018 at 12:01 PM.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    You generally should try setting the clock to Master on the first card and then you need to connect a sync reference to the second card set to autosync... I use the spdif out to the spdif in from card 1 to 2... then set the autosync reference on the second card to spdif in.

    Setup in that manner will let SAW and/or SAC control the clock setting based on what you set in the software.

    Bob L

  3. #3

    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob L View Post
    You generally should try setting the clock to Master on the first card and then you need to connect a sync reference to the second card set to autosync... I use the spdif out to the spdif in from card 1 to 2... then set the autosync reference on the second card to spdif in.

    Setup in that manner will let SAW and/or SAC control the clock setting based on what you set in the software.

    Bob L
    You are so right - and I do usually have card 1 set on Master, but with WC as the preferred sync ref., which works fine usually. I think I took these screen shots that show card 1 in autosync instead of Master after I had been fooling around to try and fix the problem.

    At any rate, your post suggested something to me and I went back and tried opening an audio file in media player. Since the file was 44.1k, the HDSP settings changed back to 44.1k as they should be... finally.
    Now SAW and SAC can open and play properly again and the HDSP settings are holding. I even hooked the spdif loop back up on card 1 and now all clock settings on the HDSP card are correct again.

    I'm not sure what the cause of the problem is, but this sort of thing generally is only a temporary thing and the HDSP display resets itself whenever I open it to check. I started having a slight disruption here and there after I began using Izoptope's standalone RX program. It seems to want to grab on and hold the system settings at 48k after I've closed it (when working with 48k files). So I've gotten in the habit of opening the HDSP panel, checking that it goes back to 44.1k and then moving on to my work in SAW and/or SAC.

    This time, I had not used RX at all since the last time I used SAW a few days ago, so everything should have been okay - as far as I understand it. I wonder - could my recent installation of VLC media player have caused this latest wrinkle? I don't recall when I last used it, but installed it recently... say in the past month.

    Is there some sort of hookup change, or some procedure I should be considering to keep this from happening again?

  4. #4

    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    If you have the default audio player setup in Windows to be the first two channels of your RME, then everytime you play a file locally or from a web page, the RME will toggle to the files samplerate and stay there... then since you did not have the card set as master, SAW / SAC cannot change the rate to its needed rate.

    Consider leaving the RME out of the Windows default setup... let the internal soundcard handle that thru small computer speakers... or run a line out of it back aroiund into two channels of the RME.

    Bob L

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    I'd like to add that the sound card sample rate will be affected by playing non-matching sample rate files in the SoundFile Player, since the Player does not perform sample rate conversion in real time like the Multitrack does.

    conversely, playing a file with the desired sample rate should get the user back on track.

    not saying that's what happened in your case, just an fyi for anyone reading.

    thanks

    Last edited by rEs; 03-05-2018 at 05:47 AM.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob L View Post
    If you have the default audio player setup in Windows to be the first two channels of your RME, then everytime you play a file locally or from a web page, the RME will toggle to the files samplerate and stay there... then since you did not have the card set as master, SAW / SAC cannot change the rate to its needed rate.

    Consider leaving the RME out of the Windows default setup... let the internal soundcard handle that thru small computer speakers... or run a line out of it back aroiund into two channels of the RME.

    Bob L
    I see what you're saying about the default windows setup - I will revisit this in a couple weeks, after this current project is done. I haven't hooked it up the way you suggest, because I'd have to give up 2 of my 16 input channels. Maybe I will reinstall the 3rd card/box and use it for that channel pair, since I've cut the studio setup down to 16 inputs from the previous 24.

    I do normally keep the 1st RME card set to master - I was trying different settings to get the thing back to normal, when I took the screenshots, I think.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    Quote Originally Posted by rEs View Post
    I'd like to add that the sound card sample rate will be affected by playing non-matching sample rate files in the SoundFile Player, since the Player does not perform sample rate conversion in real time like the Multitrack does.

    conversely, playing a file with the desired sample rate should get the user back on track.

    not saying that's what happened in your case, just an fyi for anyone reading.

    thanks

    Thanks for the reminder.
    I don't normally run into this issue, since I typically record and playback 44.1k/24 bit. But there are the occasional instances when I do need to work with video/audio tracks recorded at 48k.

    In fact, I think that part of the problem may be that I had been working in Izotope RX with some 48k files last time I shut down..... now that I think about it some more. The system usually kicks back to 44.1k when I start working in SAW and SAC, but this time it didn't for some reason I don't yet understand.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    SF Bay Area
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    1,509

    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    Quote Originally Posted by UpTilDawn View Post
    I see what you're saying about the default windows setup - I will revisit this in a couple weeks, after this current project is done. I haven't hooked it up the way you suggest, because I'd have to give up 2 of my 16 input channels. Maybe I will reinstall the 3rd card/box and use it for that channel pair, since I've cut the studio setup down to 16 inputs from the previous 24.

    I do normally keep the 1st RME card set to master - I was trying different settings to get the thing back to normal, when I took the screenshots, I think.
    What RME cards are you using?

    If they are 9652's you may not have to lose any channels to add audio from your motherboard.

    Assuming your motherboard has an SPDIF connection on it, you can connect that directly to your 9652 SPDIF connection on the master card.

    The SPDIF connection shows up on the RME card as another pair of inputs separate from the 16 external ADAT IO
    ---------------------------------------
    Philip G.

  9. #9

    Default Re: Sudden Problem setting sample rate

    Quote Originally Posted by cgrafx View Post
    What RME cards are you using?

    If they are 9652's you may not have to lose any channels to add audio from your motherboard.

    Assuming your motherboard has an SPDIF connection on it, you can connect that directly to your 9652 SPDIF connection on the master card.

    The SPDIF connection shows up on the RME card as another pair of inputs separate from the 16 external ADAT IO
    Nice idea for sure and the Multiface does indeed have spdif, which I have set up as a loop back on itself. But this pc's motherboard doesn't have spdif, far as I know. Maybe I will look up the specs and see if there's something onboard that can be tapped - when I finish the current project, that is. It's an old core 2 desktop HP I got from a liquidator a couple years ago.

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