Focusrite 18i6 problem with ADAT and Auria

For topics specifically about audio interfaces (USB, MFi, Camera Connection Kit)

Moderators: Corey W, Rim

Post Reply
thijs
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:15 pm

Focusrite 18i6 problem with ADAT and Auria

Post by thijs » Thu Jul 31, 2014 3:11 pm

Hi

Finally signed in at the forum here. Already have read here a lot but now it's time to come more active here.

Lately I am using Auria in this set-up:

Tascam FW1884 -> ADAT -> Focusrite18i6 -> Auria.

Unfortunately I experience 3 problems: 1)glitches, 2)connection problems with 18i6 and 3) yesterday, audio buffer problems.

1) looks like ADAT clock problems. 18i6 is put on ADAT source and sample rate is both the same. Are there any other suggestions?

2) after I recorded a song and press stop, tracks are being processed. If I wan' t to listen, I first have to disarm recording for every track. Is that normal? But then, if I wan't to record again I miss all the inputs in the Input Matrix. If I restart Auria or the 18i6 I have inputs again. Please advise.

3) With 4012 buffer I still got buffer errors. What can I do?

Thanks in advance.

Thijs
Netherlands

peteT
Expert
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:53 am

Re: Focusrite 18i6 problem with ADAT and Auria

Post by peteT » Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:03 pm

Hi Thijis,

Hope you managed to solve the problem. If not there is one possible solution for 44.1k and 48k (The 18i6 never worked @ 96k through the ADAT inputs - Focusrite never bothered to solve the problem!!).

As I say for 44.1k and 48k, one solution I have tried successfully is to clock the second unit off the 18i6 via spdif. Since there is no ADAT out on the 18i6 it is not possible to clock the other unit from the 18i6 via ADAT. I have done this successfully with the TC Konnekt Studio 48 with good results.

peteT

G-master G
Expert
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:04 am

Re: Focusrite 18i6 problem with ADAT and Auria

Post by G-master G » Wed Nov 12, 2014 7:30 pm

Hi there
I don’t have a solution to your problem but I do have a query of my own and I have taken the liberty of posting it here because:
• I also use an 18i6;
• I also use Auria on my iPad;
• I am also using ADAT to increase the recording power of my setup.

I have downloaded the latest iPad zero latency tracking settings from Focusrite and with the 18i6 connected to my computer I open the iPad settings in the Scarlett Mix Control.

The sample rate for the iPad settings reads 48k, the Sync Source reads Internal, and the Sync Status reads Locked.
Then I connect my Presonus Digimax D8 to my 18i6 and I set the clock to 48k and Internal. When I do this the Sync Status on the 18i6 changes to read Unlocked.

Then on the 18i6 I change the Sync Source to ADAT and the Sync Status changes to read Locked once again.
Everything appears to be just fine so I save these settings to hardware in the expectation that when doing so I set the parameters of the 18i6 unit.

Then I disconnect that 18i6 from the computer and I plug it into my iPad and do some recording and everything seems to be fine.

But then when I reconnect that 18i6 to the computer and read the settings in Mix Control the Sample Rate reads 44.1.
My question is: upon reconnecting the 18i6 to the computer, shouldn’t the Sample Rate read 48k as being the Sample Rate that I saved to hardware prior to disconnecting the unit from the computer?

Or put another way, why does it appear to be the case that the Sample Rate resets itself when the 18i6 is re-connected to the computer?

Thanks to anyone who can offer some suggestions regarding this curiosity.
Cheers
Grant

peteT
Expert
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:53 am

Re: Focusrite 18i6 problem with ADAT and Auria

Post by peteT » Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:11 am

Hi Grant,

I have had an 18i6 for sometime and have been using it successfully with Auria using it with TC Electronic Konnekt Studio48 through ADAT input @ 44.1 and 48k. It has never successfully worked at 96k which I have asked Focusrite about many times and they promised a fix. I manage to use it at 44.1 and 48k by keeping the Focusrite on its internal clock and setting the TC Electronic to clock off the Focusrite via SPDIF. This gets around the clocking anomoly where the Focusrite doesn't seem able to retain its external clock settings on the iPad. I think this may well be the source of the problems why the unit can't work in Auria @ 96k when using a similar set up. (Or it could be the way the Focusrite sees the channel count @ 96k - I had seen references on line to this possibility which RME seem to have got round).

If the unit you are using with the Focusrite has a SPDIF out and can send its clock through it while you are recording with the ADAT input then you may be in luck (at least for 44.1 and 48k).

Focusrite need to develop at least a basic interface for the iPad to help solve this problem. I somehow don't feel that the will is there (maybe their focus is more on their own iPad dock - needs to be wider). Hopefully you can convince them.

Let me know how you get on.

PeteT

G-master G
Expert
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:04 am

Re: Focusrite 18i6 problem with ADAT and Auria

Post by G-master G » Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:17 pm

G'day Peter

Thanks for the response. I don't have the S/PDF option; the Presonus Digimax D8 is a very no-frills unit that connects to the 18i6 via lightpipe and only has 44.1 and 48 kHz options.

All that having been said, I did a test run last night and everything went well recording-wise. I had no pops, clicks or crackles (and interestingly these only seem to manifest themselves at 44.1 not 48). Whilst Auria can accommodate both and my initial attempts to configure the iPad were at 44.1, I note that the Mix Control settings from Focusrite default to 48; I am not sure if there is a preference for the 18i6 to operate that this rate with an iPad but I figured that I would play safe and switch to using 48 kHz for iPad sessions and it seems to have worked.

Even though I configured the 18i6 for the iPad/D8 combination (48/ADAT) I am yet to re-connect my 18i6 to the computer to see what settings were actually retained by the hardware.

Additionally it seems that there have been others who have experienced this save to hardware issue and Katherine Kaplan has offered some advice about clearing settings to free memory in the 18i6 and also user JSOL re-installed an earlier version of Mix Control (1.2.128) which also seemed to help.

So in the absence of an S/PDF option I am going to try these 2 on the weekend.

I will let you know how it goes.

Cheers

Grant

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 54 guests