Focusrite 18i20 won't detect when switching on

[Kollen.col]

Hey guys,

My focus rite 18i20 does not detect USB until i switch it on/off at least 4 times for the USB detect light to glow. Is there a solution for this? Please help.

Cheer

Col.

[Kevin Vaught]

Have you tried a different USB cable or a different USB port on the computer?

[feliponk]

Can be a bad port or a bad cable, as Kevin said.

[Bill Denton]

Originally Posted by Kollen.col

Hey guys,

My focus rite 18i20 does not detect USB until i switch it on/off at least 4 times for the USB detect light to glow. Is there a solution for this? Please help.

Cheer

Col.

You are turning on your interface before turning on your computer, aren't you?

This is the correct startup procedure, as detailed in the manual...

[feliponk]

Originally Posted by Bill Denton

You are turning on your interface before turning on your computer, aren't you?

This is the correct startup procedure, as detailed in the manual...

Where in the manual Bill?, can't find it...

[Katherine_Focusrite]

You are turning on your interface before turning on your computer, aren't you?

This is the correct startup procedure, as detailed in the manual...

Not true. The Scarlett or Saffire can be turned on before or after booting the computer. Here in the office we are constantly moving interfaces between computers and storage shelves and almost never reboot. You should absolutely be able to connect the device to your computer, power it on and find that the driver connects.

I believe you are experiencing an issue we had with the 18i20 Firmware on MixControl 1.7. This was causing the unit to not seek USB connection to the computer about 80% of the time you powered it up.

Please run this update to MixControl 1.8b2 beta, which will update with a new firmware to correct the problem.

http://beta.focusrite.com/releases/scarlett_mixcontrol/

You will have to power cycle the unit until it properly connects to the computer and runs the update. You should then see this issue resolved.

Please let me know if you still have any trouble after this firmware update in 1.8b2 MixControl by contacting us directly.

http://us.focusrite.com/answerbase/contact

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Best regards.

Kat

[Bill Denton]

Okay, guys...I only have PT9 docs on this computer, but I don't recall seeing any changes in the PT11 version of this one:

003 Family User Guide - Page 21

Starting Up or Shutting Down

Your System

To ensure that the components of your

Pro Tools system communicate properly with

each other, you need to start them in a particular

order.

Start up your Pro Tools system in this order:

1

Lower the volume of all output devices in your

system.

2

Turn on any external hard drives. Wait approximately

ten seconds for them to spin up to

speed.

3

Turn on any control surfaces (such as Command|

8).

4

Turn on any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or

synchronization peripherals.

5

Turn on the 003 family interface.

6

Turn on your computer.

7

Launch Pro Tools or any third-party audio or

MIDI applications.

Shut down your Pro Tools system in this order:

1

Quit Pro Tools and any other running applications.

2

Turn off or lower the volume of all output

devices in your system.

3

Turn off your computer.

4

Turn off the 003 family interface.

5

Turn off any MIDI interfaces, MIDI devices, or

synchronization peripherals.

6

Turn off any control surfaces.

7 Turn off any external hard drives.

There is a somewhat more HD-Centric version on Page 15 of the Pro Tools Software Installation Guide.

And Katherine...you said:

Not true. The Scarlett or Saffire can be turned on before or after booting the computer. Here in the office we are constantly moving interfaces between computers and storage shelves and almost never reboot. You should absolutely be able to connect the device to your computer, power it on and find that the driver connects.

I don't know...maybe you guys have better drivers...or better luck...

Katherine...we all have our own approaches to tech support...I usually start with a "by the book" approach, and then try to distill it down so it's understandable to just about anybody who might stumble across it and not so onerous that it won't be used. My method is shaped by my IT day job, I'm sure you may find a different method better for you (or your organization).

Here's my thinking...you know and I know that USB is supposed to be hot pluggable, and within the realm of what the interface/protocol was originally designed for (cameras, printers, scanners, etc.) most people seem to have fairly decent luck with it. But I've seen problems when you get into the realm of audio interfaces and other more-demanding gear. And keep in mind that we're only talking about whether we press Button #1 first or Button #2...in either case both buttons have to be pressed. And in my own experience, you have a better chance of getting a good "connection" if you turn on peripherals first, computer last.

Your experience could well be different, and since we're talking about Focusrite products, if you don't know more about them than I do we're all in trouble so I will defer to your experience with the products at hand...

[feliponk]

Bill: the guide was for to the 003, and Firewire has been always a problem with the startup order.

USB is a lot different on that, and since the Scarlett is a powered unit, I would say the startup order doesn't matter here.

[Bill Denton]

Originally Posted by feliponk

Bill: the guide was for to the 003, and Firewire has been always a problem with the startup order.

USB is a lot different on that, and since the Scarlett is a powered unit, I would say the startup order doesn't matter here.

As I noted in my previous post...

There is a somewhat more HD-Centric version on Page 15 of the Pro Tools Software Installation Guide.

No Firewire there (or USB either), so it may actually be a Pro Tools "limitation" as opposed to an interface issue.

But, whatever...I'm old, from the generation that read manuals and followed instructions and did an appropriate amount of "background" study, and that's always worked for me.

And if something else works for you, go for it...

[Katherine_Focusrite]

Before I worked for this company I had a Liquid Saffire 56 and thought you had to turn the unit on before the computer.

I was using a Mac Pro on 10.6.8 and Pro Tools 9.

Any time I booted the computer first I couldn't connect the Liquid Saffire.

Then I upgraded the computer to Mountain Lion 10.8.5 recently. Now I can reload the Saffire at any time.

I believe this was down to the specific drivers for the firewire chipset on that motherboard in the Apple OS.

Point is that "standard configuration" should be that the units are capable of being connected with the computer on or off. However that doesn't mean every computer is always going to do things perfectly.

Again though, as the poster above said this relates MUCH more to firewire than USB.

Also we are using the Apple Core Audio Driver, rather than a driver made by us, so it is not down to the "Focusrite Driver" as we do not have one as of MixControl 1.8 onward.

In this posters case this was a bug in the Firmware version 608 in MixControl 1.7 for 18i20 that was corrected in MixControl 1.8 with Firmware 634. Had nothing to do with the driver.

Please let me know if I can assist you further.