Error message on my DM 4800

[Drumstruck]

I don't use any of the onboard FX either, so we can probably discount that.

But I think Mr cmaffia may have hit the nail on the head - perhaps a brief blackout or sufficient brownout could be the answer. The power in my locale is a bit dodgy and, despite telling myself for years, I don't have a UPS yet..... I'm going with this answer

 

[John Flynn]

I do know people who use units to regulate the power in their studios. My studio is a separate building to my house. It is located at the bottom of my garden and has a switch where you can turn the power in and off It from the house. I don't know really. The dm is basically a computer in the shape of a mixing console and mains power can effect computers drastically. The issue still hasn't occurred again thankfully. I hope it stays that way

 

[Drumstruck]

Damn - just happened again. Same story - DM has been on for about 6 hrs - songs playing randomly through the day - then bzzt - ".... all sound stopped. Enter to continue".

Pressed enter and DM looks ok but no audio. Shut down and cold boot and it works fine again...............

 

[John Flynn]

Um. Yeah exactly what I experienced. I still have not got it again yet. I am back recording at 41.000 and all is fine so far. If it happens again I will post here straight away. Something has to be causing it..,,

 

[Drumstruck]

Note for the analysis archives - TMCompanion was running and I rarely have it running.

 

[cmaffia]

I have TMC running at all times when using my DM3200 and this never happened. When this issue happens, are your clock lights on the DM3200 cycling through? Is your DM3200 the master clock or are you syncing externally to another device?

 

[John Flynn]

I rarely use TMC except to back up my cf card. I have the MU1000 so don't really have a need for it otherwise. My DM was the master clock (96KHZ when it happened)and I got the clock lights cycling through. It never happened at 41000 which is the rate i normally record and have gone back to. So far i have only had the issue once for no apparent reason.

 

[cmaffia]

I think this may have something to do with clocking and how your DAW is configured with the DM? I never experienced this issue with Cubase at 88.2khz and both of you seem to be using Pro Tools and a Mac. Maybe that's the common denominator? However, if your saying it is happening once a month with or without the DM connect to your Mac then I'd be inclined to say that your DM may need servicing. Like I said, I had a wacky external clock setup using my Apogee Rosetta back in the day and all types of weird things would happen including a sudden drop in sound while DM clock lights cycled. When I went with an alternate design and made the DM the master clock, that all went away.

 

[John Flynn]

I had no issues with Protools and the DM until i went to 96KHZ (Tho this may be a coin incidence) Intermittent problems are the hardest to find solutions to. For me its only happened once. Will wait and see if it happens again at 41000 which i am now back recording at

J

 

[cmaffia]

Probably coincidence. A modern computer should handle that sampling rate especially if you were just testing.

 

[captdan]

I'm inclined to believe the common denominator is the higher sample rate. I'm not implying that the sample rate itself is the cause, but rather the trigger. I'm guessing it's related to a combination of these factors:

1. ProTools (installation issue, preferences and/or driver conflict)

2. Problem r elated to relevant Mac driver not playing nice with Firewire

3. Hardware fire wire issue - either on the DM side or Mac side.

Again, I'm a (happy) user of PT10/DM3200/Win7. I do not have these issues, but did have problems at one time running at 88.2/96kz. Those issues have been resolved by reverting to the Windoze 'Legacy' driver. Perhaps something along these lines is causing your problems.

I don't know, just guessing - as usual.

CaptDan

 

[cmaffia]

Yep 1 through 3 sounds right to me.

 

[Gravity Jim]

I saw that same message on my 3200, and did call Tascam. They told me to reboot everything and see if it happened again. If not, don't sweat it (digital freak out anomaly). If it DID, call to arrange for a replacement under warranty. Which it did, and they did.

 

[John Flynn]

As i say I've only see it once in years of usage. My mac is an early 2008 (3.1) mac pro with 2 3.2 GHZ processors, 32 gigs RAM. Its not a 'new' machine but a fair powerhouse of a machine, even for its age. I'm running the latest version of ProTools 11 and have no issues other than this happening once when i tried sampling at 96KHZ. The OS is mavericks and the latest beta drivers are now installed. When the issue happened my drivers were out of date. I'd hate to have to leave it in for repair because (A) I don't know who services them in Dublin, Ireland and (B) it weighs a ton and has so many cables connected to it.. lol I hope i never have to ever move it...

 

[John Flynn]

It does seem on occasions when the error has appeared tho Tascam offer to replace the machine. (Obviously if its still under warranty which of course mine no longer is) Pity they never say exactly what the error is.....

 

[captdan]

The thought of unplugging my 3200, boxing it up (I've saved the 'special' GINORMOUS packaging just in case), and floating a loan to pay for shipping to Tascam gives me the shivers.

So, if I experienced intermittent problems like you describe, I'd first check the DMFWire card in Slot 1 by unseating, inspecting, reseating, uncabling, recabling, and uninstalling/reinstalling ALL relevant drivers. I would also perform a full factory reset of the mixer too. Only then - should the failure reoccur - would I hock my house and sell my wife to ship the desk for repair.

Jes' sayin'.

CaptDan

 

[captdan]

Shes a bit worn around the edges at this point to be honest and I don't know if I'd get the cost of shipping out of her if i decided to let her go... and that's just the wife lol

You left out the <rimshot> - pah-dum-boom.

CaptDan

 

[AudioWave]

I'm inclined to believe the common denominator is the higher sample rate. I'm not implying that the sample rate itself is the cause, but rather the trigger. I'm guessing it's related to a combination of these factors:

1. ProTools (installation issue, preferences and/or driver conflict)

2. Problem r elated to relevant Mac driver not playing nice with Firewire

3. Hardware fire wire issue - either on the DM side or Mac side.

Again, I'm a (happy) user of PT10/DM3200/Win7. I do not have these issues, but did have problems at one time running at 88.2/96kz. Those issues have been resolved by reverting to the Windoze 'Legacy' driver. Perhaps something along these lines is causing your problems.

I don't know, just guessing - as usual.

CaptDan

Keep in mind that in addition to running a DAW + plugs and all the other highly taxed system resources of running at 2x sample rate (88.2 & 96k), and doing all of that at FW400 speed and expecting things being purely stable is asking quite a lot. I pretty amazed that the IFFW card works at all for 32 streaming driver channels on FW400. I am betting that must be pretty close to the upper edge of it's performance margin.

Little things can likely make or break it from obtaining best possible stable performance such as a clean stable power, good quality short FW400 cable, optimized OS/system, good FW400 or FW800 controller dedicated to IFFW and nothing else on the same FW buss.

 

[John Flynn]

All the above is very true and DM4800 has been 100 percent stable except the one time I got the error message. I can't help wondering if the switch to 96 kHz pushed it over the edge so to speak. As I am now back recording at 41000 it will be interesting to see if it becomes stable again.
I had used the unit at 96khz for only one project and for perhaps 7 or 8 hours in total for 3 or 4 sessions. The day it went the machine was running for perhaps 4 hours.

My only concern is that it seems whenever this error was reported to Tascam they always replaced the board (under warranty)! I would love to know exactly what is this fault? I.e. What is it that causes it? If redbus is a Tascam man I wonder could he throw some light on it perhaps?

 

[captdan]

Keep in mind that in addition to running a DAW + plugs and all the other highly taxed system resources of running at 2x sample rate (88.2 & 96k), and doing all of that at FW400 speed and expecting things being purely stable is asking quite a lot

Yes, it is, and the main reason I drop the 'dead weight' when I'm flying in the higher 96kz elevations. That's because I pilot a metaphorical aging Lear Jet, not a modern Boeing 787D_Liner.

Dead weight is anything from DAW 'Ribbon Detritus,' (pieces of groups, slices, mysterious burps 'n slurps), to entire sections which inexplicably never made it to the trash bin. Or those 7 donor/carcASS tracks you comped the Solo Of The Century from and just need to hide or deactivate for recall in case you discover next week the edits suck concrete.

Or maybe a stack of plugins that - when bypassed during a fresh morning's audition - improve the mix by their sudden absence. Or - if using an older Core Duo and not needing 32 bidirectional channels at all times - reducing the ouput flow to 16. I've found that, alone, frees up a LOT of 96kz CPU oomph in my workhorse, pretty plain jane 2009 vintage Intel 6300 engine.

And mixing OTB. (Had to throw that in for the 'team.' )

YMMV, but may your roads be pleasant.

CaptDan