Hey people!
Would you be so kind to sign this petition, so RME can work out the driver of the Fireface 800 properly for us Mac Pro 5,1 (and similar Firewire) users via Martin Lo's OpenCore without the need of using a bunch of adapters, but only the firewire 800 connection (as it used to be).

The issue with the current or past drivers is this:
High pitched Digital Feedback-like noise from the Software Playback Outputs.
Hardware I/O are working. But whenever any sound comes from the OS, DAW or any Software, that F*ing noise all over the place!

https://chng.it/DBcTsPLXhX

 

yeah, I can't believe Apple screwed Firewire by (from what I read at least), just taking out 2 or 4 lines of simple code.

But then I've read a lot of people still using firewire devices regardless and working ok.

Apparently not for you... and RME is known for their drivers... hmmm....

I will sign it (if it isn't all up ones jiggy with things) , but I seriously doubt Apple is going to do anything regarding and assisting people using OpenCore in a million years unfortunately ....

and re: your poll ^ up there, it's obviously an OpenCore problem, as it's reaching beyond the specs Apple has on the machine... and as a multiple 4,1 and 5,1 owner myself... while I never went opencore, a lot of that was for the reasons you are facing now, and I think they are brilliant machines, and I love mine... I just don't see RME devoting any resources to EOL or legacy hardware that has been modified, nor Apple being cool with it you know?

That said, I would love it if it would happen, and I'm certainly not against it.

 

People still use Firewire in 2024?

 

Yeah, some of us luddites don't wan't to toss expensive hardware in the trash just because MS & Widows PC
manufacturers & Apple abandoned IEEE 1394. My RME Fireface 800 still does everything I need it to. It's
WAY cheaper to re-furb an off-lease Win PC and stick a firewire PCIe card in it than it would be to buy a
a new interface.

 

Here is the reply of the famous Martin Lo himself about it:

 

Sure they do. Firewire was the protocol for some great great interfaces and in some regards, was superior to USB2 in many ways.

I love my Apogee Ensemble and other units I have...

I would rather use that than most of the stuff that's coming out today as it sounds great.

If one has a system that can support firewire, the deals you can find now on some units, from RME and others can be dimes or less on the dollar sometimes.

Granted, support is waning for some OS's (for no clear reason, as it literally is a few lines of code to enable it), and I don't expect to be buying a new laptop with firewire ports on it, but for older machines, or towers that take cards... I see no reason not to continue using them as there isn't much downside other then the fact that they are being phased out in new hardware, and that can create issues with some drivers or control panel routing type stuff, but sonically are completely solid.

 

Let me get this right, you're a Hakintosh user that wants a manufacturer to fix an usupported old proticol on unsupported hardware.
You're takin the piss right?
Easy fix. Just use a Mac in the first place. You use a Hackintosh, its your problem. Manufacturers have better things to do with their resourses.
RME is one of the only companies that updates their drivers to allow Old firewire interfaces on Apple silicon, albiet with Adapter's.

 

The first post says it is a 5,1 which is a Mac Pro. (cheesegrater). It has Firewire 400 and 800 stock.

The Open Core part is probably to have gotten past Mojave with non-Metal Compliant GPU. But I do not see how any of this results in noise comment.

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2024

Apple FORCE to USE their tech (remember, Firewire WAS pushed by Apple in the first place).
AND
Apple FORCE to NOT use their tech when they want to trash it.

Remember how they trashed 32bits support by simply REMOVING code ?

Nowadays, you can still use 32bits Win apps older than 30 years.
And after that, Apple fanboy talk about Microsoft being a "dictatorship"

Still loving Apple ?
On my side, i dropped it years ago ... due to their planned obsolescence scheme.
My dual boot hackintosh ended up win only.
It's up to you.

YES firewire is "old tech".
But you can still use it in windows ... not osx.

 

I bet you use a sickle & Shears to mow the lawn...

 

Either way, thats not RME's problem.. They have Firewire interfaces running on Apple silicon with adapters. You can run the interface on Mojave with no noise..so, A consider using Mojave or B move into the 20th century.

 

I never said it is RME's problem. My Motu is perfect with the 5.1. But it's also pretty hard to say that it is Apple's problem. They officially support everything for 5 years, while the machines we are talking about are more like at the ten+ vintage.

I'm not the one guessing incorrectly at the machine. A 5.1 is not a Hackintosh, and that is what you posted. Instead of worrying about that, you might want to work on the accuracy of the things you post, if you do not like having to be corrected. Back to ignore now.

 

One thing for sure : i will not buy softwares or hardwares to put them in a trash can some years later, just because some guy somewhere decided FOR ME i will not use it anymore.

I still use some 32bits plugins gem, because there is no equivalent.
If you want to be a cow being milked to the bones, it is up to you

 

Windows ended support for firewire too (as Triphammer pointed out), most devices ended official drivers support too, if you get it to work properly, it's just lucky shot and probably some further workarounding.

 

Last edited: Jun 11, 2024

Made firewire work in sonoma ventura and monterey
All good here and running
Profire 2626

 

FireWire still is indeed a successful interface. But unfortunately, you can't forget the fact that any old equipment fails due to its age, including cars and sound cards. If your old equipment is working well, then you are lucky. But you can also buy an antique RME FireFace 400 or something like that off hands with no right of return, and it costs not 1 cent but 300 euros, however it will have blown capacitors or previously burnt and then badly repaired ports, which the former owner of course will not warn you about, and the device can turn into a brick at any moment.