Profire 2626 and Protools 7.4cs4

[Matt Radlauer]

Lenovo T60 Laptop - 1.8Ghz Dual Core (intel)
OS version - WinXP SP3
Pro Tools version - 7.4CS4
Amount of RAM installed - 1024MB

Interfaces - Profire 2626 & Focusrite 26 i/o connected via ADAT

Focusrite is set to standalone mode to slave off of the Profire at 88.2Hz.

I am unable to access channels 7-8 via "optical" from Protools. I have signal from the focusrite at the M-Audio control panel and can monitor signal on inputs 7-8 of that device.

Protools I/O setup has acknowledged the profire and 26 inputs.

Analog 1-8 is fine
Inputs 1-4 show up on "optical" 9-12, and inputs 5-6 show up at "optical" 17-18.

Am I missing something here or are we limited to 12 inputs? I have tired every variation I could think of. I feel like I'm missing something obvious here.

Thanks for your input!

[MDog]

ADAT lightpipe doesn't support 8 channels at 88.2K sample rate. I don't record at those sample rates so I don't have a specific solution, but that's what it sounds like to me. FWIW, I'm getting 26X26 at 44.1k.

Have you tried it at 44.1k sample rate to see if you get all the I/O?

[Matt Radlauer]

The Profire 2626 has 2 sets of ADAT i/o and supports the SMUX II protocol allowing for higher resolution.


8 Channels at 44.1kHz and 48 kHz = 16 I/O
4 Channels at 88.2kHz and 96 kHz = 8 I/O
2 Channels at 192kHz = 4 I/O

And again, I am getting signal to the M-Audio software, and able to route and monitor signal via the software. My issue falls within ProTools itself not seeing the last 2 channels of ADAT I/O. This is odd to me that 6 of 8 inputs work...

[xodiac]

actually it will support S/MUX mode IV (@ 192k) across both sets of Adat I/Os , but only allowing 2 channels. also, you might want to check the new device driver update for the unit. it had the following fixes/features.

M-Audio ProFire 2626 Driver 5.10.00.5073 Windows XP/Vista.
Updated release installer for Windows Vista (32-Bit) and Windows XP (32-Bit).:

-Fixed mixer and input routing issues.
-New Firmware 1.0.10.
-Made Optical SPDIF work simultaneously with coax SPDIF.
-Panel changes needed for optical/coax SPDIF driver changes.
-Fixed setting sync source to spdif coax and optical port b mode to spdif wont let coax spdif input to sync.
-Fixed Optical B to see samples rates higher then 48.
-Clocking Issue fixed.
-Alt-click on any one aux send row mute sets all such mutes to match the new value of the alt-clicked mute.
-ADAT B router and mixer sources are disabled when Optical is in S/PDIF mode.
-Stand-alone sample rate maintained correctly with respect to stand-alone clock source.
-Stand-alone optical port B mode maintained correctly with respect to stand-alone clock source and stand-alone sample rate.

[Matt Radlauer]

I do have the .5073 driver...PTMP wouldnt even see the Profire 2626 without the new driver.

I noticed that when I start up PTMP, the Profire is forced into Stand Alone Mode. PTMP is dictating sample rate, so when I first started PTMP and didnt change my session to 88.2kHz I was missing the other interface all together.

Changing the sample rate in PTMP got me to where I'm at now. 8 Analog I/O and ** 6 ** of the available 8 ADAT I/O.

My thinking at this point is that I'm missing something in PTMP. This is a bit frustrating...I mean if ADAT wasnt working at all, I wouldnt see any of the I/O, but the fact that I can confirm that both devices are synced together leads me to believe my issue is definately within PTMP itself.

[tash]

This is just my theory.

PTMP has limitation of 18 inputs and 18 outputs regardless of the audio interface used. @44.1K you get to use first 18 channels. I think PTMP somehow counts first 4 ADAT inputs as 8 inputs. ADAT @88.2K requires twice the bandwidth needed @44.1K. That doesn't mean a single input should be coundted as two inputs inside Pro Tools, but it seems like it does in your case.

The analog inputs are not affected because the sample rate won't affects numbers of inputs, so you get 8 analog inputs. but the first four ADAT inputs seems to occupy next EIGHT channels at least inside you system with the current setting. So now 1-8 (occupied with the analog inputs) + 9-16 (occupied with first FOUR ADAT inputs)+ 17+18(two more ADAT inputs).

It looks like a little bug to me. You might as well contact M-Audio or Digi to confirm this. Since the Last two inputs are properly counted as two like it should be, it has to be something minor.

I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's the only explaination I can think of.

[Matt Radlauer]

Ya know I was kinda thinking the same thing!! It seems ridiculous but its possible none the less.

I will change my slave interface around, see what happens and post the results shortly.

[Matt Radlauer]

Tash Good thinking on that...I set my slaved device to 44.1kHz, synced it up with the Profire and worked like a charm. It is indeed a bug.

It seems as though this is a PTMP bug not recognizing the ports, but it could be an M-Audio issue as well by not presenting the I/O to PTMP properly.

I'll contact them both.

Thanks for the help!

[MDog]

This is just my theory.

PTMP has limitation of 18 inputs and 18 outputs regardless of the audio interface used.

According to my Pro Tools 7.4cs4, I have 26 I/O. I only have one lightpipe device and one S/PDIF device so I haven't actually passed audio, but according to my I/O Setup page I have 26 ins and outs. According to Digi and M-Audio, the Profire 2626 is fully compatible with Pro Tools now. I think "fully compatible" may mean full use of the I/O now. Again, I have not actually passed audio through any input above 18, but it certainly shows up in the software.

The Profire 2626 supports the SMUX standard, that's why I said that at 88.2 samplerates you won't get 8 channels.

[Matt Radlauer]

PTMP shows 26 for me as well, and at 44.1kHz I can see the 8 available from my slaved device.

SMUX allows 4 channels at 88.2kHz per ADAT I/O port, so I should have 4 on A, and 4 on B...Well in my situation it 3/4 of the way works lol.

I'm pretty sure its a bug in either the driver or PTMP itself as Tash spelled out.

I can get along with working at 44.1kHz for now, but I prefer working at the higher sample rates. I'll have to see what DIGI and M-Audio has to say. Since cs4 just came out, it will probably be a while before it gets fixed.