Mac Studio - Sonnet Echo Express III Pro Tools Error

[kaonashi]

Having an issue with Mac Studios and The Sonnet Echo Express III, read a bunch of posts but not seeing anyone with the error we're getting, seeing if anyone can shed some light on this;

Tech Specs
Mac Studio 2022 - M1 Ultra
Pro Tools 2022.10
Sonnet Echo Express III HDX Expansion Chassis

Issue
We upgraded some Trashcan macs to Mac Studios, connecting the Sonnet Echo Express III for our HDX cards TB2 using an apple USB C to thunderbolt 2 adapter to connect the Chassis to the rig.

Booting Pro Tools, we have this error message;
Unable to find an Audio Interface attached to the first HDX card. Please check the power and Digilink cables. Click Ok to rescan. Click Cancel to open the Playback Engine Dialog and select a different device.

On a test, this happens 4 out of 10 times, the times it doesn't happen pro tools boots fine. Reading through the forums, we purchased a thunderbolt 3 upgrade card to test further, the thinking behind this was that the old TB2 card in the chassis was incompatible with the Mac Studio, outdated or not enabling the new mac to pull enough power and enable proper connectivity between the 2 devices. But we're still experiencing the same issue. We've tested this with 2 different interfaces, Avid HD MADI & DADMAN DX32.

Everything points to the mac studio, we've tested this on 2019 Mac Pros (Latest Cheesegraters) and Mac Trashcans work fine. Also tested with different mac studios same issue, different pro tools versions (including 2022.12), & other sonnet echo express III chassis we have, the same issue...

Our chassis doesn't have the TB2 to TB3 switch inside of them, as they're gen2 chassis there's no requirement for the switch.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

[redmount]

did you solve your problem ?
I am considering moving from Mac Pro 5.1 (2010) to Mac Studio + Sonnet Echo Express III (HDX - 2 cards)...
Thanks for sharing
Raf

[redmount]

EDIT : looks like Sonnet Echo Express III is now a "legacy product".
Sonnet Echo III is the one to pick.

[jepmus]

Did you try this device ?
https://www.sonnettech.com/product/t...ade-cards.html

[Allar]

Hello!

Answer to the last reply: OP stated that they purchased TB3 upgrade card but it didn't help with the issue.

I'm currently having the same issue with iMac (2019) running Monterey. We have an optical TB2 cable running between Sonnet Echo III-D and iMac. On the iMac side we are using TB2-> TB3 adaptor. The error we are getting is the same: Unable to find an Audio Interface attached to the first HDX card. Please check the power and Digilink cables. Click Ok to rescan. Click Cancel to open the Playback Engine Dialog and select a different device.

I've tried reinstalling firmware of HDX cards, changing all the Digilink cables, swapping TB2>TB3 adaptor, re-installing Pro Tools and HDX drivers. 50/50 it boots fine and all other times we get the error.

I'm starting to think that it's the MacOS related issue OR the optical TB2 cable but since the OP tried with TB3 upgrade card without any luck then this might rule out this factor.

I'm curios what version of MacOS are you running on Cheesegraters and on Studios?

Hope we can find out the issue :)

[Darryl Ramm]

I have no personal experience with this problem and am not running HDX.

However I doubt this has anything to do with cabling and Thunderbolt adapters between the Mac and the Sonnet box.

What does DigiTest show?

Are all the HDX card power harness correctly connected?

Make everything a simple as possible. You don't say how many HDX cards you have, but start with only one installed, one short DigiLink cable to one (ideally Avid) HD interface or similar. Nothing else daisy chained. If that does not work test other HDX cards, other Digilink cables, other HDX power harness cables. etc. If you have a multimeter and basic electrical knowledge I'd be checking power supply voltages in the Sonnet chassis and at the HDX card power harness connections.

What interface is connected to the HDX? Do you know this works? Can you test it elsewhere to confirm? Yes even if it used to work. Test it with the DigiLink cable you want to use on this system.