How to connect both RME Fireface 800 and Fireface 400 to work together ?

MrTNT · 19th August 2008

Hi Friends,
We have here in the studio RME Fireface 800 and Fireface 400,
and PC with Windows XP & SP2,
and we wish to connect both FF800 and FF400 to work together. How to connect them ?

a) Fireface 800 via FW800 cable/adapter to PC FW port, and then Fireface 400 via FW400 cable/adapter to FW400 port of the Fireface 800
( Fireface 800 is "the master and first", direct to PC,
Fireface 400 is the second )

b) Fireface 400 via FW400 cable/adapter to PC FW port, and then Fireface 800 via FW400 cable/adapter to FW400 port of the Fireface 400
( Fireface 400 is "the master and first", direct to PC,
Fireface 800 is the second )

Is option (b) possible ?

For the option (a), is Windows XP & SP2 stable & OK with the FW800 connection ?
( In the previous period we have used only the FW400 connection from Fireface 800 to PC. )

Thanks,
all the best,
MrTNT

Veck · 8th November 2010

*bump*

Does anybody know if this works?

ivmike · 8th November 2010

Does Windows support aggregate audio devices like Mac does?

Greg B · 11th January 2011

I have used them together by connecting both to the computer via Firewire and connecting the two of them via ADAT. For me it was actually the Fireface UC and FF800, but I believe the FF400 wouldn't be any different than the Fireface UC for that purpose. I had two different instances of TotalMix open (one for each interface) and at the time I just routed the FF800 channels to the FFUC through the lightpipe, so essentially the FF800 just became an extra set of preamps and converters.

defce74 · 13th October 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg B

I have used them together by connecting both to the computer via Firewire and connecting the two of them via ADAT. For me it was actually the Fireface UC and FF800, but I believe the FF400 wouldn't be any different than the Fireface UC for that purpose. I had two different instances of TotalMix open (one for each interface) and at the time I just routed the FF800 channels to the FFUC through the lightpipe, so essentially the FF800 just became an extra set of preamps and converters.

I know this thread is old but as it describes exactly my own setup I thought I'd share my experience with this:

I have a similar setup but with an ff800 and ff400. they are connected together via optical adat in and out and both are connected via firewire 400 to onboard firewire ports on a PC running windows 7. As I have been having occasional stability issues with this setup, I have just purchased a TI firewire 400/800 PCIE card which I'll use to connect the ff800 to the PC via a firewire 800 connection. I am hoping this will resolve my stability issues

Tuberizer · 13th October 2011

Here's the manual:

http://www.rme-audio.de/download/fface800_e.pdf

Make sure to check p.30 (Win) or p.46 (Mac).

defce74 · 13th October 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuberizer

Here's the manual:

http://www.rme-audio.de/download/fface800_e.pdf

Make sure to check p.30 (Win) or p.46 (Mac).

Thanks read that and followed the procedure but in my case I am connecting a ff800 and ff400, not 2 ff800s. For me it has been working but I was experiencing stability issues (occasional dropouts, crashes). Obviously I am not able to connect my ff400 to the PC via firewire 800. do you have any suggestions?

Broken_English · 13th October 2011

Connect both units each via Firewire... Open Totalmix for the 400... Route the analog channels to the Adat outputs.... Make the physical Adat connections from the 400 to the 800... Route a test signal thru the 400, and make sure you see levels in TM for the FF800... Disconnect the FW cable from the 400 (optional... if you wanna run in Standalone mode, not necessary)... and use FF800's Totalmix window for your main routing...

Or... pick up a Raydat and feed it Adat signals from both units...

defce74 · 13th October 2011

yeah functionally I have everything working fine I'm using 2 adat cables for I/O between the firefaces no problem ... the only issue I have is with the stability. when I'm in my DAW (ableton live) every hour or so I experience a dropout where my signal turns into noise. when I reset my sample rate it works again but I then have to reactivate my inputs in the DAW.

I'm hoping it was a firewire chipset issue rather than a fireface connectivity issue as I was using the firewire ports on my motherboard. I've just bought a PCIE firewire 800/400 card (TI chipset) so I'm hoping this will resolve the issue.

thanks Daniel

Tuberizer · 14th October 2011

Not sure but I think in the manual for the FF400 you will find how to connect it to a FF800.

19th August 2008	#1
MrTNT Gear interested Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 27 Thread Starter	How to connect both RME Fireface 800 and Fireface 400 to work together ? Hi Friends, We have here in the studio RME Fireface 800 and Fireface 400, and PC with Windows XP & SP2, and we wish to connect both FF800 and FF400 to work together. How to connect them ? a) Fireface 800 via FW800 cable/adapter to PC FW port, and then Fireface 400 via FW400 cable/adapter to FW400 port of the Fireface 800 ( Fireface 800 is "the master and first", direct to PC, Fireface 400 is the second ) b) Fireface 400 via FW400 cable/adapter to PC FW port, and then Fireface 800 via FW400 cable/adapter to FW400 port of the Fireface 400 ( Fireface 400 is "the master and first", direct to PC, Fireface 800 is the second ) Is option (b) possible ? For the option (a), is Windows XP & SP2 stable & OK with the FW800 connection ? ( In the previous period we have used only the FW400 connection from Fireface 800 to PC. ) Thanks, all the best, MrTNT

11th January 2011	#4
Greg B Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 796	I have used them together by connecting both to the computer via Firewire and connecting the two of them via ADAT. For me it was actually the Fireface UC and FF800, but I believe the FF400 wouldn't be any different than the Fireface UC for that purpose. I had two different instances of TotalMix open (one for each interface) and at the time I just routed the FF800 channels to the FFUC through the lightpipe, so essentially the FF800 just became an extra set of preamps and converters. __________________ Greg Blaisdell Engineer - Musician - Pro Audio Sales www.ProAudioToys.com - GEAR SALES! www.RackRecording.com - STUDIO SAVE 20% Off All Beesneez Microphones this Month with Coupon code "beesneez"

13th October 2011	#6
Tuberizer Gear addict Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 341	Here's the manual: http://www.rme-audio.de/download/fface800_e.pdf Make sure to check p.30 (Win) or p.46 (Mac). __________________ We're not in this alone.

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8th November 2010	#2
Veck Gear maniac Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 205	bump Does anybody know if this works?

8th November 2010	#3
ivmike Lives for gear Join Date: May 2008 Location: Second Largest French City Posts: 788 3 Reviews written	Does Windows support aggregate audio devices like Mac does?

13th October 2011	#8
Broken_English Gear maniac Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 237	Connect both units each via Firewire... Open Totalmix for the 400... Route the analog channels to the Adat outputs.... Make the physical Adat connections from the 400 to the 800... Route a test signal thru the 400, and make sure you see levels in TM for the FF800... Disconnect the FW cable from the 400 (optional... if you wanna run in Standalone mode, not necessary)... and use FF800's Totalmix window for your main routing... Or... pick up a Raydat and feed it Adat signals from both units...

13th October 2011	#9
defce74 Gear interested Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 3	yeah functionally I have everything working fine I'm using 2 adat cables for I/O between the firefaces no problem ... the only issue I have is with the stability. when I'm in my DAW (ableton live) every hour or so I experience a dropout where my signal turns into noise. when I reset my sample rate it works again but I then have to reactivate my inputs in the DAW. I'm hoping it was a firewire chipset issue rather than a fireface connectivity issue as I was using the firewire ports on my motherboard. I've just bought a PCIE firewire 800/400 card (TI chipset) so I'm hoping this will resolve the issue. thanks Daniel

14th October 2011	#10
Tuberizer Gear addict Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 341	Not sure but I think in the manual for the FF400 you will find how to connect it to a FF800.