Project Mix meltdown...help...

[carterobrien]

hello folks, well, I'm back, last time I was here I was getting help on a dysfunctional Octane 8 - I sent it to M-Audio and it turns out it wasn't me, the sample rate knob had been damaged in shipment.

However, just using it was also messing up my project mix - I got it back with a note saying it was fixed but that the knob was "out of alignment" - and plugging it completely screwed up my system.

even after removing the preamp's adat connection and restarting everything, protools stopped recognizing my project mix I've been getting the "HUI unable to communicate" error I was getting a few months back.

so after no amount of troubleshooting helped in terms of checking the peripheral setups in Protools and then also the project mix's settings, I uninstalled Protools and reinstalled - but the projectmix (even though it was getting the track name info correct) wouldn't communicate whatsoever with protools, and that error message kept returning.

I figured, ok, maybe it's the projectmix, and I need to uninstall/reinstall.

I can't uninstall (which is the advice I see went out recently)- I get an "that operation failed due to error 5364." I thought, hmm, well, let's try installing and see what happens - another error, "cannot open file "/Volumes/M-Audio Firewire.mpkg Cannot Be Opened (-43)

So I tried to upgrade the firmware through the ProjectMix Control, but it couldn't find it. Alas, the "Projectmix Firmware Upgrade Hardware is ready for an upgrade" appears to be the last thing I can get the Projectmix to display -

Now, I am getting absolutely nothing when I fire up the projectmix. I mean, nada.

I'm enrolled in one of Berklee's protools production courses, and this is frustrating to no end - any thing I can do???

Thanks,

carter

Mac OSX 10.5.8
2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Project Mix I/O
currently no Protools installed, was using 8.0

[bradch00]

OK, so my first suggestion would be to get the PM I/O back to factory installation shape, page 7 of the user manual explains the procedure for this. I would do that in stand-alone mode i.e. disconnected from your host. Download and install the latest driver (1.9.3, which I'm using with no issues).

Set the PM I/O into Pro Tools mode and see where you stand.

[carterobrien]

thanks Brad, alas, it won't even start in protools mode (I get a flashing cursor/square in the left corner of the tracks display), and since it won't talk to the Mac I can't download new drivers regardless.

can I ask which page 7 you are referring to? I have the PJM user guide and my page 7 is just a list of functions for each button/knob, etc.

I'm thinking this is the sign to finally go to the LE platform...

[bradch00]

Sorry, page 8....
Setup Button (SETUP): Pressing the SETUP button will access additional internal parameters, such as LCD Contrast, jog wheel calibration and factory defaults. To reset the unit to factory defaults (this resets the base running mode to Cubase and resets any data that has been programmed into MIDI mode), go into the SETUP menu on the device, press the lighted SEL key under the label "Factory Defaults," then press the lighted key under the word “Yes.” There will be a slight delay (2 seconds or so) as the unit resets itself, and then it will restart.

[carterobrien]

thanks, but still nothing - doesn't matter if I am holding down the setup button when I power up the PJM. any other force quit shortcuts you might know of?

[bradch00]

Not that I know of.... The PM I/O is not physically connected to the host at all, correct?

[sortasalient]

Alas, the "Projectmix Firmware Upgrade Hardware is ready for an upgrade" appears to be the last thing I can get the Projectmix to display

Hey Carter, I have a set up very similar to yours and am having HUI communication issues as well. I have another thread going on about it, so when I saw yours it seemed of interest. It sure sounds like your projectmix was trying to upgrade it's firmware and that process was interrupted, so now it's "lost"....lost meaning it's still trying to finish the firmware upgrade process but it can't because it's lost it's connection, and it's waiting to re-establish that connection. What brad said to do makes the most sense.....make sure the firewire cable that connects your projectmix to your mac is disconnected from your project mix, then power up the project mix. At this point I don't think it matters what you see in the LED read out as long as you can still get the set up button to work. If you can, hit the set up button and go through the steps brad laid out to do a software reset. If that doesn't work, I'd suggest that you contact M-Audio(as painful as that may be)and ask if there's a way to do a hardware reset for the projectmix. That may even involve new rom chips. I don't know that for sure about the rom chips, but I'm just saying.

The whole firmware upgrade for the projectmix is a mystery to me. I've tried several different drivers and it goes through some type of process but the hardware version numbers never change when I restart my projectmix. It would make sense that after you do an upgrade that you'd see a different version. Since I've never seen one, I'm assuming the hardware chips are rom and not ram, and whatever is happening is not a true firmware upgrade.

Also FYI, I've not been able to get the 1.9.3 driver to work with OS 10.5.8. I had to go back to the 1.7.4 driver to get PTMP to work.


iMac 24", 2.16 GHz Intel core 2 duo, 4 GB ram
OS 10.5.8
projectmix, 1.7.4 audio driver
PTMP version 8.0
OWC Mercury Elite Pro external drive - 7200 RPM, 500GB

[carterobrien]

thanks, and yes, that's exactly what happened- although I only even tried to upgrade the firmware in total desperation when nothing else would work.

the setup button doesn't work, so I guess I need to try M-Audio support. unfortunately I am getting behind every day with this Berklee course so I don't have the time luxury of even sending it in to get it fixed. :(

[malachymartin1]

Hi this just happened to me this morning ive been working on it with no result's. Have you found a solution yet? If so id like to know. Thanks mal

[DigiTechSupt]

If you uninstall Pro Tools and just install the ProjectMix driver, does it show up as an available Core Audio output?

[carterobrien]

If you uninstall Pro Tools and just install the ProjectMix driver, does it show up as an available Core Audio output?

I can't install/uninstall anything on the PJM, even though I was getting the green "OK" sign in the control panel that it was talking at 44100.

I either get just a flashing amber square, or nothing - I can get the update firmware message by holding the mute buttons on 1 and 3, but then it still can't talk to the Mac.

I ordered a profire 2626 this morning as I am desperate to get up and running so I can get caught up in my class - is this something M-Audio could fix if I send it in?

[DigiTechSupt]

I ordered a profire 2626 this morning as I am desperate to get up and running so I can get caught up in my class - is this something M-Audio could fix if I send it in?

I would think so! Definitely contact tech support, either by phone or with the email support request and they can get on the case...

[malachymartin1]

no it dosent show anything. Ive only had this 6months and would like to be taken care of as far as my warranty goe's. lET me know what else i need to do thanks mal

[carterobrien]

argh. so I have the 2626 installed, deinstalled/reinstalled protools and I am *still* getting the HUI powercycle failure sign. what gives? I have the new firewire cable, set peripherals to HUI for the 2626 (recognized just fine within PT), help....

:(

[Gaex]

Guys! Sorted out the problem! I screwed up the firmware update on mac, couldn't do a thing about it, blank display etc., so I connected the Projectmix to my PC laptop and did the firmware update on Windows, and it works! Theres some use for Windows then....;)

[3rdeyedezineworx]

Hi guys,
I'm new to the forum and don't mean to bring up old posts but I've searched hi and low and can't find any relevant answers to my problem. I am having a similar problem with the PJM however it was doing this even before I tried updating firmware. When I turn the PJM on it just says "Audio Latest Version of Firmware" but does not list the version. When I try to reset it all it does is scramble these letters around. I don't get any factory defaults display or anything. It also does nothing when I try to open it in any of the modes. Like I said I have searched hi and low for answers and although I have found similar issues, none of them are quite the same. Am I the only person with this issue? I'm about to throw my towel in here with M-Audio!

[pidge]

argh. so I have the 2626 installed, deinstalled/reinstalled protools and I am *still* getting the HUI powercycle failure sign. what gives? I have the new firewire cable, set peripherals to HUI for the 2626 (recognized just fine within PT), help....

:(

did you check the firewire port with something else like an external harddrive to see if the firewire port is ok???

and

you need to use a windows computer to do projectmix firmware update...

[3rdeyedezineworx]

Well evidently this was a hardware issue and I ended up having to send the thing in for a repair. I was hoping that it was just going to be a firmware updating error like many others have been having but unfortunately that was not the case here so... But I just wanted to share that in case anyone in the futuure has the same problem, so they don't spend an entire week trying to find solutions without any luck. But all is well now!