Topic: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Hi everyone,
as described in the title I´m having serious problems since I upgraded to OSX High Sierra. My DAW is Ableton Live 9 Standard.
The Fireface UC is causing constant heavy stuttering and dropouts while CPU is below 30 percent.
These problems only appear using Fireface UC as an external soundcard.
I have the latest Firmware and Driver installed. This is my Setup:

Soundcard:

RME Fireface UC
Firmware: v133
Driver: v3.03

Computer:

Macbook Pro
MacOS High Sierra Version 10.13.2
Processor: 2,5 Ghz Intel Core i5
Storage: 16 GB 1600 Mhz DDR 3

DAW:

Ableton 9 Standard Version 9.7.5 64 bit

Thanks a lot for any suggestions,

Felix

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

yeah... same problem here, same issue nobody knows. Presumably an OSX issue

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Download this application and put 10-20% load on your CPU while running Ableton Live.

https://www.bresink.com/osx/SystemLoad.html

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Hey Felix, I'm having the same problem with the Fireface UC on my MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016).

I even get dropouts outside of the DAW, while watching YouTube videos in Safari etc.

Did you find a solution yet?

Best regards,
bolandross

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Hey there,
no solution so far, extremly disappointing reply from RME Support quote" Problems of this kind are not known, please check your USB-Cable". I think it´s an OSX Issue, I got back to my NI Komplete Audio 6, and haven´t had any trouble since.
Gonna have to sell my Fireface UC :-(

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

I also have a UC and had these dropouts, distortion.
These went away with 10.13 3.
Now I am at 10.13 4 and everything is still running perfect.
So my simple suggestion is:
Systemupdate.

UFX+, FireFace 802 FS, Digiface USB
12 Mic, M1610 pro, Micstasy
MacBookPro M1
Logic Pro X

7 (edited by studiodc 2018-04-13 22:35:47)

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

I have a Fireface UCX on 10.13.4 and Live 10 and have zero problems with it under heavy CPU load (well, up until the actual VST starts to dropout, but that's not the interface) or light. It compares more than favourably with other USB multichannel interfaces (Scarlett series is my main comparison). No issues here at all.

I agree: update your OS, and check whatever else you have running. One thing that can cause glitchy audio is two different pieces of software (e.g. iTunes and Live) running at the same time at different sample rates. iTunes will *usually* run at the sample rate selected by Live, but I had a few times where if I started iTunes when the interface was on one sample rate and changed it in Live without closing iTunes, I'd get glitching. Short answer: with Live, it's best to have it be the only app accessing the interface at all. Take your system sounds off it, etc.

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Exactly the same problem! I had it last year when I bought the UC from the beginning, then downgraded the driver which solved the issue. But now after updating to High Sierra 10.13.4. and driver 3.03 the issue is reappearing all the time!

DAW is ableton live 9.7 but it also appears by just listening to youtube or soundcloud.
Please RME get this issue fixed, its been around for a long time now with driver 3.03.

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Just updated to driver V 3.07. The Issue is still occuring and seems to be even worse.

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Yea same issue here.. I had to go back to my dead weight Avid Mbox Pro 3 lol. Word of advice, don't go to Ableton 10 yet. It has it's own CPU issues, which cause the RME/OSX stuttering and bit crushing to be even more frequent lol.

I hope some one fixes this soon. I highly doubt Apple is going to do anything, kind of relying on RME to find a solution. I no longer have a touring interface to use (haven't even finished paying off my babyface lol).

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

RME Support do you have any word on this??

12

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Please try this driver:

https://archiv.rme-audio.de/download/dr … ac_308.zip

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

Hello. I'm having major issues with a new (3 months old) 2018 MacBook Pro and a one month old Fireface UC.

I've had these problems since using them together and recently after upgrading to the 3.11 driver, I'm still having the issues ... which are dropouts (which are usually proceeded by audio stuttering). These dropouts last 1-3 seconds. My CPU (in Ableton LIVE) is between 6-8%, never going over 10%. I'm also getting distortion and stuttering (on it's own, without a dropout). One or more of these problems happens every 10-15 minutes it seems.

AI:

RME Fireface UC
Firmware: v133
Driver: v3.11

Computer:

Macbook Pro
MacOS High Sierra Version 10.13.6
Processor: 2.2 Ghz Intel Core i7
Memory: 16 GB 2400Mhz DDR4
Storage: 500GB (398GB currently available)

DAW:

Ableton 10.0.5 (the most current version ... I've had this version since purchasing the Fireface)

RME's help is greatly appreciated here.

Cheers,
Duane

14

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

This thread has all the info what to change to make it work better:

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopi … 81&p=3

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

15 (edited by DuanePitre 2018-12-20 20:48:19)

Re: Heavy Stuttering and Dropouts using Fireface UC with Ableton Live

"This thread has all the info what to change to make it work better"

Thanks for the speedy reply, I appreciate it.

***************
EDIT: I see this post you made - https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopi … 66#p136666

So are you saying, if I purchase a CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock, I would run a USB cable from the USB 3 port on the CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock to the USB 2 port on my Fireface UC and things should work OK?

And would I just use a USB 2 cable that has a Type A connector at one end (plugging this into the CalDigit dock) and a Type B connector at the other end of the cable (which I'd connect to the Fireface UC)?

***************

I see several suggestions but not sure which one you were referring to. The first post stated using the Firewire port, but I don’t have one of those on my Fireface UC (obviously you know that).

Was it this post you speak of?
See this post for how another user disabled the timed service/daemon:

Also, I have the recently updated 3.11 driver, if that is what you were pointing me to.

Thanks much,
Duane