[linux-audio-user] RME Hammerfall 9636 - troubleshooting

[Michael T D Nelson]

Thanks for the speedy response!

Mark Knecht wrote:
> Hi Michael,
>    Sorry for the troubles...
> 
> On 9/28/05, Michael T D Nelson <m_nels at gmx.net> wrote:
> 
>>Hi all,
>>
>>I have a fully up-to-date PlanetCCRMA FC3 machine - 700Mhz P3 with about
>>640MB of RAM.
>>
>>I bought a cheap second-hand RME Hammerfall 9636 recently, in the
>>knowledge that it was untested.
> 
> OK...
> 
>>I've plugged the card in, and run alsaconf. I can start jack with
>>qjackctl, and connect my audio applications to all of the cards inputs
>>and outputs, and so on.
> 
> Sounds good so far.
> 
>>I have a Behringer ADA8000 connected to the first lightpipe output.
> 
> The ADA8000 has two ADAT cables, correct? Have you connected both of
> them? Does the ADA8000 have clock rate indicators? Does the clock rate
> follow the rate you set in QJackCTL?
> 

Yes. There is one from the ADA8000 to the RME 9636, and one in the other 
direction.

> 
>>However, I'm having difficulties getting a clean output - whichever
>>software I use...
>>
>>For example, when I play audio, and route it to output 1, all I can hear
>>is some approximation of white noise, until the volume gets to somewhere
>>near maximum - when I can hear a very distorted version of the original
>>sound.
>>
>>Does this help at all?
> 
> A bit. I thought we were supposed to be able to look at this cards
> settings using amixer but so far it shows me nothing for the 9636
> while it shows me lots for the AP2496. I'll look at that a bit more
> but maybe you know how to use amixer or have some better info on this?
> 
> Basically I'm thinking we need to see the card's settings...

Good point. I actually *did* find this, but it was after I wrote the 
email last night (I didn't send it straight away!)

I'll look into this again tomorrow, and get back to you...

[I had to work late today. I was installing an 8 serial port DigiBoard 
into a dual Xeon server running RedHat 9. We hit all sorts of problems. 
It turned out that the bloody server was just too damn fast for it's own 
good, so I've got to cook up a way to delay some of my startup scripts. 
Then I was stuck in traffic for three hours.]

>>I'm *hoping* that I've just done something wrong, and that the card
>>isn't fried. ALSA detected the card fine though, for what it's worth. 
> 
> I have a 9636 (same card) with all 4 ADAT cables going to two I/Os on
> my HDSP 9652.
> 
> I always watch the 9636 indirectly by using hdspconf on the HDSP 9652
> end. It just works and I don't have issues.
> 
> Wish I could be of more help.
> 

It's just nice to know that someone cares enough to try! You've helped 
me clarify my thoughts a little already. I'm sure I'll get there eventually.

Thanks very much
Michael Nelson