Hi, Just come across this. I am using an Echo Audiofire Pre8. I have the 5.5 version of the firmware loaded. There is a bug in the firmware which affects working at high sample rates (88.2K, 96K), but the current SVN version of FFADO does have a patch to resolve this. I have been quite active in the FFADO code to get Echo devices working, The FFADO Mixer application works fully with this device, so you can control all aspects of the software mixer in the unit. The MIDI ports do work with the current FFADO too.
As regards latency - this is more a feature of the Firewire isochronous protocol and what your whole hardware stack is capable of. Generally low latency works well though.
Also coming down the pipe is an ALSA implementation of the firewire protocol - I am running a dev ALSA kernel with good support for the Echo devices and it is quite stable too.
Well I got my audio interface today, and so far, so good! Unfortunately, it came with the 5.3 firmware installed, meaning that AVLinux only works with sample rates of 48000 or less. I have installed the version of ffado in the debian experimental repository and it did not fix the sample rate issue. I assume that this issue was fixed in ffado svn versions > 1949? if so, it looks like I’ll either have to figure out how to compile it in AVLinux and install it which doesn’t sound fun at all, or use something like Arch to get the higher sample rate, assuming this is indeed the problem.
And no, apparently I cannot flash the firmware back to 4.8 on windows xp, it certainly did not let me do so today.
I just got a new Audiofire12, and it’s so good to see active development on this piece of hardware. It has better sound than my old Delta 1010, with the added benefit of more channels, and portability. I wrote a blog entry on how I got it working, although it’s sure to be out-dated soon.
I use a Layla 3G on my Linux system. This is the most rock solid reliable set up I have ever had. I also have an Audiofire 8 (same as Layla except firewire). I have had the Audiofire working on Linux. However, I plan on buying another Audiofire at some stage in the future because mine doesn’t have ADAT. The newer ones do. Currently I have a Mytek A/D attached to the Layla which gives me superb conversion even although the Echos are good quality for the money. There is one drawback with the Layla. ALSA presents the analog and digital parts to jack as different devices and you have to combine in an asoundrc file. Latency is super low with the Layla but using the asoundrc disturbs this slightly so you can’t go quite as low. Eventually I plan on using a multi channel ADAT high end converter and will use an Audiofire as the best way to integrate this with Linux. Because the Echos are great value for what you get they are the best interfaces for Linux. I don’t want to buy high end converters that are part of the interface. Best to keep it all separate in my opinion.
As for the sample rate. I usually use 48 kHz anyway. I might try the Audiofire again with Linux because the digital side of the Layla is a slight problem.
Actually, thinking again. If I get a multi A/D D/A converter I guess I don’t need to use the Layla analog device part at all so this would be the ultimate problem free Linux set up. The trouble is that high end multi converters cost a fortune. I won’t be getting this any time soon.
If you want great sound and total reliability on Linux, an Echo Layla set up with asoundrc file to amalgamate the digital and analog devices then a Mytek Stereo 96 ADC connected with the Layla clocked to the Mytek will get you great sound and you know that everything you record is being captured at top notch even if the Layla’s D/As don’t demonstrate it fully. The A/D is much more important. You can still use the Layla’s own converters but just use the Mytek when you need to track and want top notch quality. I notice a vast difference especially when recording things with particularly rich sound like analog synths. This is obvious even through the Layla’s D/As. When you get a high end A/D you will wish you had had it before because your older recordings will sound much less impressive and the Layla’s own converters are not even that bad at all.
The audio in out end of the Audiofire is all working fine straight out the box with ffada 2.0.1. I don’t have access to it’s internal mixer via ffado-mixer but that is not really important. I monitor through Ardour. Clock source and sample rate are all selectable (at least with firmware 4.8). However there is no MIDI. I have a separate MIDI interface so this doesn’t bother me but might bother some. Without the internal mixer control you may want to mute all it’s channels in Windows or Mac before using on Linux so you shut off hearing any monitoring except through Ardour unless you want to monitor through the Audiofire.
Just tested my Audiofire 8. It appears to be working perfectly out the box. I do have firmware version 4.8.
I wonder if a multi in/out Mytek converter with Firewire card would work direct? I can’t find specific info on that but it’s a TC Electronics chip. This would be my dream set up. I’m using Ardour 3 now. Fantastic. Hope I don’t come across any show stopping bugs. Things are really rolling forward now.
Hi there,
I am new to this forum, I was linked to this topic from linuxmusicians and it is very interesting to see you got it running. I hope to get some help here
I have an AF12 as well but so far I have not gotten it to work. http://www.linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3038
Lately I updated my windows partition, and in the end updated the firmware to 5.5 and the AF12 is running fine under MS Windows XP sp3 …
Under linux it is still a no go, Jack crashes within seconds (unable to read flash memory)
I read your http://www.ilovemyjournal.com/?action=view_entry&eid=4856 too…
Could one of you explain (in musicianlanguage) what I should do?
Should I downgrade the firmware to 4.8? and, if yes, how?
this is what I am using:
Dell latitude D630 with AVLinux 2.6.36-liquorix-2.6.36-3.dmz.2-avlinux-default and I have a AudioFire12 (firewire) interface
oNNogitaar: Dammit, that was a long thread you had going over at linuxmusicians… I haven’t read it all; I also don’t have the hardware (or AVlinux) myself, so I probably can’t be of much help — but anyway:
What is your installed version of libraw1394? By the post you refer to, it should be at least 2.0.7
The kernel used in that blog post is 2.6.38, which hasn't been released yet (i.e. a beta kernel). It doesn't say whether this is a requirement though; if it is, you either have to build the kernel manually (which can be tricky, but it's not THAT hard), or wait till 2.6.38 becomes available for your distro.
It's not completely clear from the above if the firmware version trouble also affects your af12 (instead of only the af8). I suggest you go to the manufacturer's site and find the firmware download section & see if the same firmwares (and/or firmware version numbers) are used for both af12 and af8. If you download some of it, it will be in the form of a WinXP program, so you'll have to boot XP to run it.
Hi Jakobbebop,
thanks for the reply!
Well, I have just managed (under MS Windows XP) to actually downgrade the AF12’s firmware back to 4.8.
As far as I know all AF’s use the same drivers and firmware.
What command should I use to know which version of libraw1394 I have?
I have been trying to install the 38 kernel but there is some trouble installing gcc-4.5 which it aparently needs… http://www.remastersys.com/forums/index.php?topic=1276.msg7471#msg7471
So I did make some progress anyway but I have not solved the issues yet…
I do not really feel like "trail and errorr"ing all kinds of kernels and apparently I will, in the end, need the 38 kernel anyway for the new Firewire stack. So I would very much appreciate help to get the thing running. BTW it does show in the GRUB menu…
Thanks! oNNo
I have libraw1394 2.0.5-2 which according to Synaptic and http://sourceforge.net/projects/libraw1394 is the latest version.
So I guess I will have to change something in repositories?
AV Linux 4.2 has libraw 2.0.6 installed even though Synaptic shows 2.0.5… 2.0.6 was included as a source build because it was known it was needed for daisy-chaining on the new stack when 4.2 was released but there was no Debian source code available at the time. If the firmware is not correct on your device it doesn’t matter what Kernel you use it is not going to work on either the new firewire stack or the old. The cause of your problem is not the kernel it is the firmware on the device. AV Linux already has everything you need to run the Audiofire on the new stack and has a selection of older -rt Kernels that it will run with on the old stack. As you know there are many users running Audiofires OOTB on the stock Kernel and libraw1394. I know and realize you are frustrated by this issue but Kernel 2.6.38 and the stuff in the blog that you linked are not going to fix the root cause which is the firmware.
But it won’t go, and according to this journal one needs the 2.6.38 kernel, the latest version of libraw1394 Jason says: “I’m now using 2.0.7, and all is well.”
So if 4.8 is wrong which firmware should I than have?
Thanks for the input, it will not work because the slot shares the same chipset.
I changed to my wife’s 8yr old HP (with TI-set) and, although it is not too fast, it works…
