Apogee Ensemble (DROP OUT) vs RME FF800

phildog33 · 15th May 2008, 09:21 PM

Ive owned the Apogee Ensemble for one year now (coming from Rosetta 800), and was very happy until LEOPARD came out. For the past 6 months, this box is so temperamental, never holds sync with the firewire and ALWAYS dropping out of the FW bus. Apogee and Apple are all over these issues, for months now. And it has to do with having lots of RAM and using the firewire sound card. There is nothing to do but wait unitl late June for 10.5.3 update and then possible Apogee's new firmware/software to fix all this

My question is:... moving away from the Ensemble. Getting a FF800 RME. Ive never owned one. People seem to like it but Ive always stuck with Apogee in my studio

Can anyone chime in that has owned both the FF800 and either Ensemble or Rosetta, on what the biggest differences are. With sound quality and I.O

Thank you for the help. Im so sick of the ensemble, it has to go soon

P

GuitarGuy551 · 16th May 2008, 09:34 PM

I had the same problem with the ensemble. I have 8g of ram in my Mac Pro and it kept having kernal panics. It is an Apple driver issue, not an Apogee issue. APOGEE SHOULD WRITE THEIR OWN DRIVERS!!! However, the problem is only with the firewire 400 port. So, I bought a firwire 400 to 800 coversion cable and went straight into the 800 port. WALAAA!, No problems since. Try it and keep the ensemble, its the best unit out there. Sounds better than the fireface 800 in my opinion. So spend $5 on a conversion cable and have fun!

phildog33 · 16th May 2008, 09:47 PM

However you figured this out.. you are amazing

this has solved the problems!

thank you thank you

i will call apogee now and let them know that this cured the kernel panics

I am using the FW400-800 cable plugged into the front of macpro and its great with 16gb of ram

p

sonicdefault · 16th May 2008, 09:51 PM

This is uplifting just reading this! Always good to see problems overcome!

-SD

moma · 16th May 2008, 09:57 PM

with leo or tiger ?

cheers markus

phildog33 · 16th May 2008, 10:16 PM

IN LEO.. this is working great

i called apogee, jsut got off with Brett,

he mentioned that he tried this awhile ago and still gets kernel panics but i told him that its feeling MUCH better than it did with FW400

even maestro is quicker and faster, serious

P

GuitarGuy551 · 17th May 2008, 05:14 AM

Glad I could help! I was really happy when I found this out. For all of those who havn't figured this out, word is that the new update is coming in the next month, but I would buy a conversion cable!

liquidorange · 17th May 2008, 01:02 PM

any links to get this 400 to 800 type cable thanks!

15th May 2008, 09:21 PM	#1
phildog33 Gear nut Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 85	Apogee Ensemble (DROP OUT) vs RME FF800 Ive owned the Apogee Ensemble for one year now (coming from Rosetta 800), and was very happy until LEOPARD came out. For the past 6 months, this box is so temperamental, never holds sync with the firewire and ALWAYS dropping out of the FW bus. Apogee and Apple are all over these issues, for months now. And it has to do with having lots of RAM and using the firewire sound card. There is nothing to do but wait unitl late June for 10.5.3 update and then possible Apogee's new firmware/software to fix all this My question is:... moving away from the Ensemble. Getting a FF800 RME. Ive never owned one. People seem to like it but Ive always stuck with Apogee in my studio Can anyone chime in that has owned both the FF800 and either Ensemble or Rosetta, on what the biggest differences are. With sound quality and I.O Thank you for the help. Im so sick of the ensemble, it has to go soon P

16th May 2008, 09:51 PM	#4
sonicdefault Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: USA Posts: 982	This is uplifting just reading this! Always good to see problems overcome! -SD __________________ ...My 57 is only a few years old, but I'd like to think that someday my children can pass it down to their children. Killahurts

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16th May 2008, 09:34 PM	#2
GuitarGuy551 Gear interested Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 9	I had the same problem with the ensemble. I have 8g of ram in my Mac Pro and it kept having kernal panics. It is an Apple driver issue, not an Apogee issue. APOGEE SHOULD WRITE THEIR OWN DRIVERS!!! However, the problem is only with the firewire 400 port. So, I bought a firwire 400 to 800 coversion cable and went straight into the 800 port. WALAAA!, No problems since. Try it and keep the ensemble, its the best unit out there. Sounds better than the fireface 800 in my opinion. So spend $5 on a conversion cable and have fun!

16th May 2008, 09:47 PM	#3
phildog33 Gear nut Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 85	However you figured this out.. you are amazing this has solved the problems! thank you thank you i will call apogee now and let them know that this cured the kernel panics I am using the FW400-800 cable plugged into the front of macpro and its great with 16gb of ram p

16th May 2008, 09:57 PM	#5
moma Gear Head Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 71	with leo or tiger ? cheers markus

16th May 2008, 10:16 PM	#6
phildog33 Gear nut Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 85	IN LEO.. this is working great i called apogee, jsut got off with Brett, he mentioned that he tried this awhile ago and still gets kernel panics but i told him that its feeling MUCH better than it did with FW400 even maestro is quicker and faster, serious P

17th May 2008, 05:14 AM	#7
GuitarGuy551 Gear interested Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 9	Glad I could help! I was really happy when I found this out. For all of those who havn't figured this out, word is that the new update is coming in the next month, but I would buy a conversion cable!

17th May 2008, 01:02 PM	#8
liquidorange Gear maniac Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: new jersey Posts: 227	any links to get this 400 to 800 type cable thanks!