Sonar Platinum RME Fireface 800 Thunderbolt Connection Not Recording

[John Downing]

I have an RME Fireface 800 that I have used for years with Sonar Platinum.  Laptops now have no PCI Express card slots so I am trying to use it via firewire to thunderbolt adapter.

I can play projects that I have already recorded but can't record with a microphone.

Has anyone gotten the Fireface to record audio in Sonar?

[davet]

I'm surprised you got playback to work. The common wisdom over on GearSlutz is PC Thunderbolt to Firewire will never work. I was looking into this subject because I bought a new HP Laptop with Thunderbolt that was supported by UAD. I had considered jumping ship from my RME UCX to UAD Apollo but never pulled the trigger. So, I looked around for an adapter, cable or some way to experiment with Thunderbolt to RME Firewire.  All I could find was a Startech TB to FW box that was $300.00. Moreover all the GearSlutz talk on the subject said Nada, Ziltch, No Way, won't work. 

But hey, if you get working properly let us know!!

[Starship Krupa]

I have not personally, but if I wanted a platform for using a Firewire interface that was introduced in 2004 to record with a program that was discontinued in 2017, a Thunderbolt-equipped laptop would be a brave choice.

Heaven knows, I'm running FW interfaces that old on a computer that's actually equipped with Firewire ports with a DAW that's still supported and I don't know how long it's going to be before those little blue sync LED's just refuse to light up.

Good luck, and let us know if you get 'er working.

[John Downing]

Well, I got it working.  The problem was the RME was set for rear on Analog 7, which was my mic channel and I was plugged in to the front.

I am using the RME Fireface 800 with an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter  and a Thunderbolt 2 to Firewire 800 adapter and now it all seems to be working very well.  It is working on a LG Gram 17 and a Lenovo Yoga 13 through the USB C Thunderbolt port.

FWIW, I called RME when I was having problems and they said it should work fine.

Let me know if any of you get yours working.

[davet]

Thanks for the follow up. Lots of adapters involved. I'll check the RME forum to see if there's a significant performance increase  over USB.

[Bajan Blue]

Interesting - I have and use an RME Fireface 800 over Firewire, latest Windows 10 - there have been issues, such as when Windows updates it changes the Firewire driver from the legacy version (which seems to work the best on my system) to the standard driver.

All in all things are getting a bit lumpy on Firewire, so I am busy looking around for a USB interface - sort of decided on a USB3, just not sure of make yet. Was thinking of the Tascam Celesonic 20

But this work round does sound interesting - I don't have thunderbolt, is there a USB3 version would you know? If yes, i wonder if it would improve performance?

Cheers

Nigel