Yamaha i88x / mLAN FAQ...

[hgen]

Got a big wrap today for my Acoustic Guitar sound, by an Engineer mixing some Tracks for me at a big Studio. He asked me how I got the guitar sound. I told him it was an $100 Ashton Acoustic, a $50 Cad GXL1200 mic and my $250 i88x. He thought I was pulling his leg, he thought it was a high end chain!

[The Marrvel]

Where do I set the front gain pots so that the i88x inputs are at unity?

[junior]

Just a headsup - new UB Mac drivers were recently released:

mLAN Tools and Drivers

v 1.1.2
-support for OS X 10.5 Leopard
-reduced CPU load / fixed CPU spiking
-solved minor problems

[junior]

Originally Posted by The Marrvel

Where do I set the front gain pots so that the i88x inputs are at unity?

Hey, Marrvel. have you tried calibrating your ins/outs with a multimeter?

[mrhooks]

CPU spiking not fixed for me, G5 1.8 3GB RAM, 10.4.9. In general, CPU usage is lower, and the spikes are less often, around every 16 seconds instead of every 10 or so. But the spikes themselves are actually worse, from 35-40% CPU to over 50%. That's doing a 2-in/2-out connection at 48k with the AutoConnector.

I also don't like that, in the AutoConnector, they got rid of the key command to load our own .mlc files.

Okay, I was able to open the .mlc file I was using with the Graphic Patchbay. Still spiking, but it's down to around 25%, occurring every 20 seconds or so. Opening it requires a couple of extra steps compared to using the previous AutoConnector (clicking Apply and closing the Graphic Patchbay window), which kinda sucks.

Now I'm finding that, with either one, even though the lights on the i88X look like it's connected to my Mac, it really isn't. No sign of mLAN in the Sound PrefPane, sound still going through internal audio, etc. Tried a clean install, no good. Ugh. Luckily I kept the .zip of 1.0.6 (and it doesn't even require a reboot after install). I don't think I was even aware that there was a 1.1.1, or maybe there was a reason I didn't install it. If anyone still has it, I wouldn't mind getting a copy to try out.

[junior]

Thanks for letting the rest of us know. Just a couple thoughts - not sure if it'll help you or not...

-Have you tried -completely- uninstalling your older mLan install before installing the new ones? There is a list of files to remove in the installation guide. Also, might be good to repair permissions after the install.
-Have you tried updating to 10.4.10 or .11? FWIW, I've heard that the spikes are reduced in Tiger, but pretty much taken care of by Leopard.
-Have you tried resetting your hardware?

Let us know if you have any luck. I'm gonna give the new driver a shot when I upgrade to Leopard. Hopefully, when I get some time this week

[mrhooks]

I used the script, didn't help at all. I haven't tried upgrading to 10.4.10 or 11...there was a reason why, although I can't recall what that reason is anymore. Right now, I'm not so worried about the spikes as I am just getting the new driver to work. I'm actually a little torn - the new driver reportedly has no random offset issue, but the spikes were a little better for me with the old driver. Non-spiking CPU usage was low enough already that the improvement with the new driver isn't that big a deal to me.

I'm not sure what you mean by resetting the hardware. You mean that Factory button thing in the AutoConnector? If so, I did that too.

I'll probably upgrade to Leopard once I make sure my plug-ins work, and I find icons I like enough to replace Leopard's fugly icons.

And I registered at mlancentral.com so I can maybe let someone at Yamaha know, but every time I login, nothing happens. I'm in the user database, because if I enter an incorrect password, it says so, but when I get it right, it just goes back to the main page without logging me in. Just dandy.

[junior]

Rather than running the script, you may have better luck removing your older files and folders by hand:

/Applications/mLAN Tools/
/System/Library/Extensions/Yamaha1394AudioDriver.kext
/System/Library/Frameworks/mLANEnablerFramework.framework
/System/Library/Frameworks/mLANQtFramework.framework
/Library/Application Support/mLAN/
/Library/Audio/MIDI Drivers/Yamaha1394MIDI.plugin
/Library/Receipts/1394AudioDriver.pkg
/Library/Receipts/1394MIDIPlugIn.pkg
/Library/Receipts/mLANEnablerFramework.pkg
/Library/Receipts/mLANQt.pkg
/Library/Receipts/mLANAutoConnector.pkg
/Library/Receipts/mLANGraphicPatchbay.pkg
/Library/Receipts/01XHAL.pkg
/Library/Receipts/Presets.pkg
/Library/Receipts/i88XHAL.pkg
/Library/Receipts/mLAN16EHAL.pkg
/Library/Receipts/MY16mLANHAL.pkg
/Library/Receipts/NCP08HAL.pkg
/User/(Account name)/mLAN/
/User/(Account name)/Library/Preferences/com.yamaha.autoconnector.plist
/User/(Account name)E/Library/Preferences/com.yamaha.mLAN.GraphicPatchbay.plist

I copied this list from the 01xray.com site. Hope it helps...

BTW, a third party runs their website, so you may want to try re-registering. I had trouble too but it finally worked when I tried a different user name and email address. Go figure...

[oneartist]

Good to see everyone's still here,

I have a pair of powered Mackie 1530 three-way SR speakers connected to the outputs of the i88x. The 1530's have no sensitivity controls. If I use samplitude with ASIO drivers, I can control the output voltage, but if I select WDM drivers to get sounds from PC players, I have no volume control. The first time I connected to a web site it about blew me out of the room. Even using Media Player, the very lowest volume adjustment is too loud. I tried using the headphone out, but I can't get any output from the headphones using WDM drivers, 7&8 are the only outputs active.

Any suggestions,

Chuck

[junior]

Maybe something like this?

A Designs Audio - Atty Passive Stereo Level Control

[oneartist]

Thanks Junior,

The ATTY could also be used to adjust gain control for my dbx 260 driverack. You are supposed to adjust gain through-out your system, but since the Mackie's don't have a gain control this has never been possible. The ATTY would go in line after the 260.

Chuck

[oneartist]

Hello Junior,

Maybe you can help. My daughter took the computer I had mLAN drivers on and I'm trying to load tools onto another computer. I can't get past this message:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"mLAN Tools 2.0 with different file configuration has already been installed.
To update mLAN Tools 2.0 by using this installer, cancel the installation, uninstall the existing one, then execute the Setup again.
Clock on [Add or Remove Programs] in the Control Panel to uninstall the existing mLAN Tools 2.0."

I removed the old files using "Add/Remove" I also did a search for all mLAN files. Many of them were Mazilla related. I even uninstalled Mazilla Firefox.

I'm guessing that when I did a repair/reinstall of windows about 8 months ago, some of the files may be on the HD but not visable to search. I can't get past this message using the original i88 instalation disc or the updated 162 file.

Any help appreciated,

Chuck

[junior]

Hey, Chuck. Sounds kind of weird to me with the Firefox stuff. The only thing I can think of would be to check this page for all the files you need to remove before doing the install:

Unistalling older mLAN Tools - 01x Forums. Discuss 01x issues with people all over the world. - Forums powered by UBB.threads™

Then, I'd restart and try the install again. If it still doesn't work, I'd try backing up all my important docs and reinstalling the system again, then install the mLan Tools. Kind of a pain, but at least you'd be dealing with a clean slate.

Hope it helps and good luck!

[oneartist]

Junior,

Thanks for the quick response.

Yes, this is strange. I did the Yukari registry removal system and there is no trace of mlan tools or Yamaha visable. I think it's time for a reinstall. I havn't had a good computer war for some time. Kids play computer games. When adults try to get a computer to cooperate, it's war!

Chuck

[oneartist]

To update, the link Junior sent mentioned looking further for any other instances of mlan. I found the missing file at the end of Microsoft in the registry. It was not part of the Fukuri search but I found it. All is well.

Chuck

[junior]

Cool! Glad you found the registry entry without having to reinstall everything from scratch. Hope it works well for you now!

[kzkingsley]

Does anybody know how long it has been since the Linux drivers were updated? I would love to use Ubuntu on a laptop for tracking on location, but I can't find any other success stories on the web. I have had nothing but success installing Mlan Tools for the past 3 years under a dozen or more XP installations, but I feel like I have no troubleshooting skills on linux..

[dublup]

hello. i cant seem to get any sound when using the i88x with acid pro. Any suggestions?

[rockum]

Originally Posted by dublup

hello. i cant seem to get any sound when using the i88x with acid pro. Any suggestions?

are you using asio or windows media drivers?

[tribeofenki]

asio, please...

WMD come from the Redmond OS

[kzkingsley]

Hi all, I've got my i88x/mLAN running on Windows 7. I tried it last year on the beta and it didn't work, but that seems to have been cleared up in the final version of W7.
Anyway, I'm having a lot of problems when the clock is set to mLAN. Something is happening every few minutes to make the mLAN clock light flash and lose sync while listening to music. This happened in XP on my old machine (and on my laptop using an expresscard firewire chip), but I figured a modern processor or more memory would clear that up. Nope. I'm using a TI card but I've also tried the onboard one and had the same problems (also tried switching between regular FW driver and the "(legacy)" ones in W7). Has anybody else using mLAN 1.6.3 experienced these problems? I honestly feel like when I was using the previous driver it did not happen. Is downgrading possible? I can't even find 1.6.2 anywhere online.

This only seems to happen when I'm listening to music in a media program (Winamp, MediaMonkey, Media Player Classic, etc); not when I'm recording.

[CGBrian.M]

Hi Guys,

I apologize for the ignorant noobish question, but...

How exactly do I go about connecting the i88x to my MacBook Pro's audio line/in port? I just want to use the two preamps, which is the only reason I bought this unit 5 years ago.
The i88X currently works just fine for me under Snow Leopard 10.6.3, but I want to prepare for the future as Yamaha does not support mLan anymore, and Junior mentioned that the two preamps can be tapped.
Could I use this? Monster Cable | Stereo Mini Male to 2 1/4" Male - | 101987
Or this? Buy Live Wire 3.5mm-Dual 1/4" Y Cable | Audio / RCA Cables | Musician's Friend
Is it possible to get a connector for the S/PDIF on the i88X, as the MacBook Pro's audio in supports that as well?

Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided.

Brian

[tribeofenki]

Originally Posted by CGBrian.M

How exactly do I go about connecting the i88x to my MacBook Pro's audio line/in port?

Well, unless you use it as audio interface - as most of users do - you still can connect to the linein BUT beware that all the magic from the two pres could well be erased. Your statement implies you are using the device as external audio - connected thru an audio cable to the Mac.

The joy and fun here is on a different basis: install the yamaha and mLan drivers to get 8 in/out and the two DM2000 pres. Once set, leave it in your workflow IMHO


"The i88X can be used as a stand-alone 18-channel computer I/O, or as an expansion device in an mLAN network. Because the i88X is mLAN compatible, users get the added benefits of integration with over 40 mLAN licensee company products including the Yamaha 01X."

[CGBrian.M]

Originally Posted by i604

Well, unless you use it as audio interface - as most of users do - you still can connect to the linein BUT beware that all the magic from the two pres could well be erased. Your statement implies you are using the device as external audio - connected thru an audio cable to the Mac.

The joy and fun here is on a different basis: install the yamaha and mLan drivers to get 8 in/out and the two DM2000 pres. Once set, leave it in your workflow IMHO


"The i88X can be used as a stand-alone 18-channel computer I/O, or as an expansion device in an mLAN network. Because the i88X is mLAN compatible, users get the added benefits of integration with over 40 mLAN licensee company products including the Yamaha 01X."

i604: Thank you for responding to my question, but I'm afraid I am more confused now than ever. I already use the i88X through the firewire connection to my computer, and it has been rock solid stable for over 4 years now. I'm just simply planning for the future since Yamaha will no longer update the drivers for this, or any mLan device.
I thought one could use a Y-cable from the insert points on the back of the i88X into the audio line-in of the macbook pro, or, use the digital (SPDIF) connections from the i88X into the SPDIF line in of the macbook pro. Are you saying that can't be done? Or, if it can, the preamps will not operate to their normal level?

Brian

[tribeofenki]

Hi Brian, I'm an ol'fag. Macbook classic here.

For the future you just need an Apogee interface or the RME Babyface that will connect to some of the i88x outs:
- Two IEEE 1394 connectors on rear.
- Co-axial digital stereo in/out on rear.
- Optical in/out on rear switchable between stereo S/PDIF and eight-channel ADAT.

The i88X's analogue and digital I/O can all be used simultaneously, for a total of up to 18 audio inputs and outputs. Hope to be clear, reviving an ol'good thread...

[kzkingsley]

Inexplicably, the i88x has been working flawlessly in Win7 for the past month (I gave up after having sync problems ala my previous comment in April). Maybe Windows released some sort of update that gave better stability to Firewire devices?

[saint360]

Originally Posted by kzkingsley

Inexplicably, the i88x has been working flawlessly in Win7 for the past month (I gave up after having sync problems ala my previous comment in April). Maybe Windows released some sort of update that gave better stability to Firewire devices?

kzkingsley, are you using the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Win7?

[oneartist]

[QUOTE=i604;5605389]Hi Brian, I'm an ol'fag. Macbook classic here.

For the future you just need an Apogee interface or the RME Babyface that will connect to some of the i88x outs:

I have an i7 laptop running Windows 7 32 bit. If I get a Babyface would I be able to use my i88x? It is now connected to a 5 year old XP desktop. I do like the Pres.

[tribeofenki]

I got a second i88x just for the pres.

[tripstation]

Originally Posted by mrhooks

CPU spiking not fixed for me, G5 1.8 3GB RAM, 10.4.9. In general, CPU usage is lower, and the spikes are less often, around every 16 seconds instead of every 10 or so. But the spikes themselves are actually worse, from 35-40% CPU to over 50%. That's doing a 2-in/2-out connection at 48k with the AutoConnector.

I also don't like that, in the AutoConnector, they got rid of the key command to load our own .mlc files.

Okay, I was able to open the .mlc file I was using with the Graphic Patchbay. Still spiking, but it's down to around 25%, occurring every 20 seconds or so. Opening it requires a couple of extra steps compared to using the previous AutoConnector (clicking Apply and closing the Graphic Patchbay window), which kinda sucks.

Now I'm finding that, with either one, even though the lights on the i88X look like it's connected to my Mac, it really isn't. No sign of mLAN in the Sound PrefPane, sound still going through internal audio, etc. Tried a clean install, no good. Ugh. Luckily I kept the .zip of 1.0.6 (and it doesn't even require a reboot after install). I don't think I was even aware that there was a 1.1.1, or maybe there was a reason I didn't install it. If anyone still has it, I wouldn't mind getting a copy to try out.

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