Routing issue

[ThreeFingersOfLove]

Hello,

I am using the Routing application with my H-8000FW and I have noticed that when choosing a routing preset from within the application it changes the routing but the menu inside the H-8000FW is not updated to reflect the new routing.

So, I have Routing preset #10 Analog A-B and the outputs are ADAT, AES and Firewire. I use an optical cable from the H-8000 FW's ADAT to the RME Fireface 800 ADAT In and I see audio activity. I also use a Firewire cable to connect the H-8000FW with my laptop and although the driver is recognized, and Dice shows everything to work fine, I don't see any audio activity whatsoever inside Cubase. Of course I have selected Eventide Dice from within Cubase.

Any ideas what is going wrong?

Also is it possible to send the Firewire output (from within Cubase) to the ADAT output as well?

Regards,
Yannis

[nickrose]

 It doesn't sound as if the Routing application is communicating with your H8000.

Does it say "Demo Mode" on the title bar ? If so, click on the System menu (top left and go to "Comms Config" and be sure the correct thing is selected.

Otherwise, check cables and settings.

[ThreeFingersOfLove]

Hi Nick,

thanks for the suggestions. Routing is not in DEMO mode – it's the latest version. I have checked all the cables, here's how it goes:

1. Firewire from my laptop to the H-8000FW
2. ADAT from the H-8000FW to the RME – this seems to work fine
3. Word clock from the H-8000FW to the RME – this seems to work fine too.

In Dice the sampling rate is set to 96 KHz and mode is set to internal. When launcing Cubase (which is already at 96KHz) I get a message that the sampling rate has been changed to 96KHz (like I said it's already 96KHz) and then it switches the sampling rate on the H-8000FW to 44,1 KHz! So I get no audio, I change it back to 96KHz from within Dice, I mess around with the sync parameters on Cubase and no luck… 🙁

[nickrose]

 My guess is that you have to separate the issues:

1) Get the routing program working properly, meaning that the H8000 routing screens match what you see on the Routing program's display. You may still have a MIDI/serial issue here.

2) Once this is done, then worry about the Cubase. Your problem may be entirely a Cubase issue, in which case we can't help you much. It would be interesting to know why it tries to change the sample rate. Maybe the loaded project is set at some other rate ?

It's always worth re-checking the Control Panel settings, and trying to send/receive audio with the simplest possible configuration.

[ThreeFingersOfLove]

Ok, I have tested the communications' settings with VSig and they are fine. I can load and send algorithms without problems. The same settings are in the Routing app, when I click on a routing preset it does change the routing but when I press the Program/Routing button in the H-8000FW, I don't see any changes, the cursor is always at Routing #10 "Analog A-B", whereas if I select the Routing from the H-8000FW the cursor stays where it should.

Now with the Cubase issue. In the Dice app the available sync sources are AES, ADAT, Word Clock and Internal. I suppose that in Internal, the H-8000FW produces it's own clock and it should ignore any other clocks from any other input, right? However, I don't see how the H-8000FW can ble slaved to Cubase when the only connection between the H-8000FW and the laptop is the Firewire. I have also tried the opposite: I have set Cubase to receive external synchronization from the ASIO device (which is the H-8000FW in this case) and no matter what the project settings are, it always changes the sample rate to what Cubase has. In any case, I don't think it's a "Projects" problem because it changes the sample rate even before I open a project.

[nickrose]

 I think your Routing issues result from a misunderstanding – when you select the preset on the Routing program, this downloads the values to the unit. It does NOT load the routing preset on the H8000. You should look at the Input,Output,DSP A and B pages under SETUP and make sure the correct changes have been made.

I'm going to have to assume that your Cubase issues are unrelated to the Routing ones. You are right that when in Internal the H8000 ignores other clocks. Less so about slaving to Cubase – you can't do this. Either Cubase is slaved to the H8000, or it should be slaved to some other device to which the H8000 is also slaved.

But, Cubase can change the system sample rate – under ASIO there is usually a setting for this. This is what seems to be happening – but it's hard for me to know why. You may have to ask the nice Germans about this.

[ThreeFingersOfLove]

Nick thanks for the suggestions,

prior to sending an email to Steinberg I tried a simple thing: I started Cubase with the internal Full-duplex driver and after it loaded the driver, I set it to get external sync. Then I enabled the ASIO driver of the H-8000 FW and now I see audio activity both from external sources (analog ins 1 & 2) and from VSTs. So, it works even with this workaround…

However, with only one software synthesizer, the VST performance monitor shows occasional spikes… Also, when changing sample rates, either from the unit directly or from the Dice app, and even with no audio present, I get awful bursts of noise before the unit settles to the new sampling rate. I have emailed Eventide support – got from suggestions none of which seem to work. This needs to be fixed as soon as possible – just implement a mute or something! What is even more weird is that, despite the fact that the H-8000 FW and the Dice show 96 KHz with mode set to Internal, as soon as I load the H-8000 FW ASIO driver it changes the sampling rate in the unit to 44,1 KHz (which should not happen at all) but the Dice app still says 96 KHz!

Another question: is it possible to route the Firewire 1 (or 2) output of the H-8000 FW, internally using the routing app to the ADAT output? I have tried this by modifying the Analog A-B preset – but I couldn't find a way to do it.

Thanks a lot,
Yannis

[nickrose]

 Changing sample rates in a multipart system always risks causing a brief noise burst and should not be done lightly. It takes a short but finite time for different parts of this complex system to detect the change and to react to it, usually by muting until the system becomes stable. This is pretty much unavoidable. Sorry.

Don't know why the Cubase is changing the sample rate – this is beyond our control.

The erroneous 96kHz indication on the control panel is a reported bug which will be fixed in the next release.

Not quite sure what you mean by routing the FireWire output to the ADAT output. You can certainly drive them with the same source, but outputs cannot be connected to each other.

[ThreeFingersOfLove]

Nick:

as regards my last question, I have to apologize because I didn't phrase my sentence correctly. I would like to have the Firewire output available at the ADAT output (or SP/DIF but I prefer ADAT). Is this possible?

Regards,
Yannis

[nickrose]

 Hi Yannis

Sorry – still don't get it. Still too cold to think clearly..

Do you mean that you want the same audio on both outputs ?

[ThreeFingersOfLove]

Hi Nick,

yes, same audio on both outputs!

[nickrose]

 That should be no problem. Most of the factory routing presets feed the same "MAIN Output" signals to both ADAT and FireWire, for example, "Analog A-B".

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