TC ELECTRONIC KONNEKT 24D (FireWire Audio Interface)

[arunas]

Hi to everyone,

 

I was very happy about my konnekt 24d on a pc (and Nuendo) - it was working with no problems. That was until yesterday..

I took my konnekt to a friend`s studio, we checked it on mac, then on pc - it worked fine (except the mac fw issue - it`s a apple problem for all fw hardware).

When i brought it back to my studio - it doesn`t turn on! I mean, that it`s connected the same way to the same ports and when i turn it on, the red indicators shows that everything`s ok, but the blue one never shows up

I`ve tried reinstalling drivers, the fw card and drivers - nothing..

 

Now only one question: should i just reinstall my windows, or maybe it is some problem with a interface and i should bring it back to the shop?

 

Thanks!

[openrivers]

this does not sound very dramatic to me.

i would connect it, power it on and then do a system restart...

check if drivers are correctly installed.

[brianom]

Just wondering any ideas when these beta drivers will be made available to people who bought this unit. It sounds great that Craig is testing them honestly. At the same time I'm getting pissed off checking back to this thread to hear about it. TC need to sort this out. They need to give an expected release date. I've been checking this post since January for updates to get this unit working on my imac running windows(which by the way TC Support told me before I bought this unit, would work fine). Not too mention the time I wasted with TC support who were blaming everything except their untested poor drivers that were released with this unit

[arunas]

this does not sound very dramatic to me. i would connect it, power it on and then do a system restart... check if drivers are correctly installed.

 

i`ve tried everything, restarted, booted with konnekt turned on, reinstalled drivers for ~100 times... damn, i start to stress out

any other ideas?

it would be nice to hear some opinions about this issue from Craig and Mike.

[Noise Maker]

Noise Maker,.

Yes ScofieldKid ?

 

Greetings!.

Bonjour !

 

Just a couple of thoughts.

Shoot !

 

I think what you are asking is a bit more than we might usually expect in these reviews. The costs of doing comprehensive testing are mostly time, and I don't know that Craig has the time or the interest to take all the reviews down to the bit level.

I knew I was asking a bit too much (professional idiosyncracy, sorry ).

 

Maybe Craig hasn't "the time or the interest" for doing so, but anyone possessing our "guinea-pig" (?) could do it. It takes 5 minutes... ( I wish I could rent one somewhere around "here" ! )

 

We might have a thread somewhere else on the forums where we would better be discussing general testing methodologies. For example, it occurs to me that a lesser but much easier test would be looping output-to-input, disabling monitoring, and recording. People do this type of test to test real-world latency values software -> asio -> a/d -> d/a -> asio -> software... full-path latency. So if you do that test, then your test is not far off if you shift the recorded sample left by "latency-number" of samples. Then you can use tools to compare.

Excellent idea !

 

Sorry for possible stupid question, but as I don't know everything about the Konnekt: that kind of loop would'nt caude feeback ?

 

In any case, I don't expect Craig to do this level of testing on low-end hardware, or in this forum. But someone who has the box may spot your message, and post results in the non-Pro section of the forums. I do like your question though.

I'm reassured .

 

So I also understand my English was ... understandable .

 

We all really hate dropouts, and it would be nice to have a predictable/easy way to measure them.

"Welcome onboard"

 

Thank you for answering me and for the advices ! And... (yes "he insists")... if you find 5 minutes... ...

 

Best regards

 

N.M.

[Noise Maker]

Well you'd be amazed what I do end up testing sometimes But there are two many issues. If you send the output of the CD player to the K24D's analog input, then there's the variable of the CD player output. If you do it digitally, then all you're verifying is that the digital stream is intact.

For that second verification, the digital stream, yes, Craig: that would reassure me.

 

I'm absolutely not a "driver/firmware" specialist, and so I just don't know what an "imperfect" (? not the correct adjective, but here stops my English knowledge ) "driver/firmware" couple could generate.

 

I have wave editors that go down to the sample level, and if there was an audible anomaly, I could track it down.

As expressed before (it's the last time, promised): it is the "audible" that is my concern. Nope, sorry, just the opposite: the "non-audible".

 

But I won't "spam" (?) or "troll" (?) this topic with this concern.

 

I really think that if you have a computer that can keep up with the audio, clicks are not an issue. I don't hear them, I don't see them in the waveform, and besides, they couldn't write a good chorus to save their butts

:)

 

Ok Craig, if you "don't see them in the waveform". And thank you for your answers .

 

Best Regards

 

N.M.

[Noise Maker]

But if someone wants to conduct exhaustive tests, by all means, do so in the context of this thread! The deal about a pro review is interaction.

 

(If I may) This is how I "see/saw it", thanks !

 

By the way: " chapeau bas ! ", Mr Anderton, for keeping this topic online. I know of other places (and other countries...) where it would have been closed or even deleted since a long time.

 

Best Regards

 

N.M. (no I didn't mention France, did I ? )

[Anderton]

i`ve tried everything, restarted, booted with konnekt turned on, reinstalled drivers for ~100 times... damn, i start to stress out any other ideas? it would be nice to hear some opinions about this issue from Craig and Mike.

 

Well...I wrote an

article for Harmony Central that might not be what you want to hear. The odds are against hot-plugging causing a failure, but it is a definite possibility. I always power down before connecting FireWire peripherals.

 

Also check the cable, just in case...and check at your friend's studio to see if it's dead with everything.

[Anderton]

Mr Anderton, for keeping this topic online. I know of other places (and other countries...) where it would have been closed or even deleted since a long time.

 

The fact that TC has not once asked to change anything about this thread speaks a lot about their attitude. This is also why I've always believed they were going to make things right, and it sure seems like the new drivers are a big step in the right direction I've now been using the K24D with multiple programs, with good results.

[Anderton]

 

Just wondering any ideas when these beta drivers will be made available to people who bought this unit. It sounds great that Craig is testing them honestly. At the same time I'm getting pissed off checking back to this thread to hear about it. TC need to sort this out. They need to give an expected release date.

 

 

I don't know of a firm release date, but the version I have still needed a few fixes in terms of installation (TC is one of the few companies that's done the Microsoft Certification thing; I didn't realize you have to actually install the certificate). My guess is that there will be something in a matter of days.

[Noise Maker]

The fact that TC has not once asked to change anything about this thread speaks a lot about their attitude..

"Intègre" ( "upright" ) is a beautiful adjective .

 

This is also why I've always believed they were going to make things right, and it sure seems like the new drivers are a big step in the right direction I've now been using the K24D with multiple programs, with good results.

(Direct translation ) : "This didn't fall into the ears of a deaf person ".

 

A friend of mine just send me an audio file, recorded with the Konnekt 24D: it is obviously of excellent quality. Pure sound, no click, nothing. I asked him his PC configuration. This is it :

" P4 3.4 giga, HDD SATA II, ASUS P5ND2 SLI, 2giga DDR2, XP pro, Cubase SX3 " ( merci Bruno !).

 

[Forgive me, it's his music, I can't put the file online.]

 

But of course, those good news won't bring a smile to those of our friends here for whom the Konnekt is still buggy (?) .

 

Best Regards from France

 

N.M.

 

OUT OF TOPIC : Please TC, reissue the 1128 !

[tdr]

just bought a konnekt 8 last week, the install was easy, it runs flawless with cubase sx 3. ok, i am basically happy, but still have one problem: i can not record mono signals on to a stereo track. when i plug in ch1, i only have a waveform on the right side, if i plug in ch2, i only have one left side. i already checked the setup menu on tc near controlpanel, whether i link or unlink the channels in the analog input section has no effect on this issue. i think the problem is with the konnekt, because recording a mono source in stereo works even on my cheap factory installed sigmatel audio soundcard...anybody have a similar problems? how can i fix this?

[openrivers]

 

just bought a konnekt 8 last week, the install was easy, it runs flawless with cubase sx 3. ok, i am basically happy, but still have one problem: i can not record mono signals on to a stereo track. when i plug in ch1, i only have a waveform on the right side, if i plug in ch2, i only have one left side. i already checked the setup menu on tc near controlpanel, whether i link or unlink the channels in the analog input section has no effect on this issue. i think the problem is with the konnekt, because recording a mono source in stereo works even on my cheap factory installed sigmatel audio soundcard...anybody have a similar problems? how can i fix this?

 

 

this sounds like you have to look into the routing of you sequencer.

this does not look hardware or audio driver related.

 

for example in cubase you have to look into vst connections how the audio hardware is connected.

[tdr]

ok, thanks, for the quick reply! would you happen to know how i have to set my connections to solve my problems?

[openrivers]

send me a personal message and we can discuss this outside of this forum?

and you can use german language. :-)

and tell me which sequencer you use.

[Anderton]

Update: I just finished reviewing the Line 6 KB37 USB interface for Keyboard magazine, and Sonar ran perfectly at 128 samples without multiprocessing enabled, but there were those @!#$#@* clicks at 128 samples with multiprocessing enabled. So whatever this problem is, it is not specific to the K24D or to Firewire, for that matter. But let's face it...128 samples is pretty good anyway

[tunai]

Update: I just finished reviewing the Line 6 KB37 USB interface for Keyboard magazine, and Sonar ran perfectly at 128 samples without multiprocessing enabled, but there were those @!#$#@* clicks at 128 samples with multiprocessing enabled. So whatever this problem is, it is not specific to the K24D or to Firewire, for that matter. But let's face it...128 samples is pretty good anyway

 

 

Should be fine for Sonar users to have this beta driver now (Click included)

With 1,10 official driver sonar doesen´t works at all and K24 is just decorative stuff in the rack...

 

Nothing could be worse...

 

Thanks for Craig, Thanks for Mike, Nothing but patiente for TC electronic

Forgive my bad English

[inside72]

Dear Mr. Anderton,

 

first thank Your for Your pretty intensive testing an posting.

 

Update: I just finished reviewing the Line 6 KB37 ... perfectly at 128 samples without multiprocessing enabled, but there were those @!#$#@* clicks at 128 samples with multiprocessing enabled. ... But let's face it...128 samples is pretty good anyway

 

The last view weeks i spent with comparing actual audio-interfaces. I read tonns of reviews in Magazines and Internet Forums and spent hours of talking to Resellers and asked some Professionels about their experiences. Among a lot of different informations and experiences i figured some mean-statements out:

 

 

I think the Konnekt is acting like a diva - even standalone sparated from the driver issues. Good luck to all owners that the next driver- and firmware- releases will bring satisfying results.

 

 

Best regards from Munich

 

Inside72

[Anderton]

After testingthe Line6 KB37. Could you please compare the sound between the KB37 and the Konnekt (Preamp, Converter)?

 

First of all, on the real-world analysis!

 

One comment about magazines, though: They don't have the time to do the kind of review we're doing here. There is a lot of pressure on magazines to be the "first" to review something; remember, this review started in November! If a magazine waited until now to review the K24D, no one would buy the magazine because it would have already been covered somewhere else.

 

It's true that negative things often surface only after doing a lot of work with something for weeks or months. But the same is true of positive things as well. Most of the time, I feel pretty good about my reviews. But then three months after it's published I'll some really cool feature or bug that I missed. One reason why I started the Pro Review format was to create a new type of review.

 

As to KB37 vs. K24D, there's no doubt the K24D preamps are quieter and "a step up" from the KB37. I'm seeing the KB37 selling for $230, and that includes keyboard, lots of interfacing, cool software, etc. Obviously there is much less money available to allocate to the preamps. I must say, though, the KB37 is a great little unit for multi-instrumentalists, as you can go from cutting a vocal to laying down a guitar part to doing a MIDI bass line in a matter of minutes. It's a great concept, but a very different one from the K24D.

[Really!]

Update: I just finished reviewing the Line 6 KB37 USB interface for Keyboard magazine, and Sonar ran perfectly at 128 samples without multiprocessing enabled, but there were those @!#$#@* clicks at 128 samples with multiprocessing enabled. So whatever this problem is, it is not specific to the K24D or to Firewire, for that matter. But let's face it...128 samples is pretty good anyway

 

I know you see the problem on both USB and Firewire, but I believe it's worth asking if you have the Windows XP SP2 Firewire fix installed?

 

I know a lot of people install it, but what they miss is that everytime you add a controler you need to go in to the registry and change the setting again (also, just installing the patch will not do it, you need to edit the registry):

 

"After you install this update, if you add a host controller for a new 1394 device to your computer, you must add or modify the SidSpeed entry in the Windows registry for the new 1394 host controller."

 

Here is the link to the kb:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/885222

 

I'm sure this will help some of you, and hurray for the Sonar success!!!

 

Really!

[Marc Johnson]

 

I know you see the problem on both USB and Firewire, but I believe it's worth asking if you have the Windows XP SP2 Firewire fix installed?

 

 

Really!

Regarding the fix you provided the link to. Microsoft listed the following under "CAUSE":-

 

This problem occurs if you connect a 1394a or 1394b FireWire device to a 1394b port. This problem occurs because Windows XP SP2 changes 1394b ports to S100 speed when you upgrade.

 

 

If you only have Firewire 400 (1394a) port(s) I doubt this fix will help.

 

I solved my WDM Driver install problem using this patch -

 

An SBP-2 device does not work when it is connected to a Windows XP SP2-based computer

 

 

For additional details, see my earlier post here

 

 

Marc Johnson

formerly of TC|US

[Eigenwert]

german "sound & recording" mag wrote that the apogee ensemble seems to have only half of the latency compard to other interfaces at equal buffer settings. And it offers dropout-free performance with a couple of plug ins (I don´t recall wich ones) at 32 samples below the 10% mark of a MBP. F*CK%N 32 SAMPLEWORDS LATENCY!!!

 

I never hit the 60% mark of the Mac Pro 2x2GHz. I´m not afraid off CPU-hunger (not yet )

 

Pro review of the Ensemble, anyone?

[tunai]

I'm a sad Sonar user that had the bad idea: Buy a k24.

I read this forum every day waiting the magic moment, a decent driver release.

I read the same lies day by day, but nothing about the driver.

Work with 1,10 driver in sonar is painfully, impossible.

Speed ups and hang ons...

I NEVER WILL BUY A TC PRODUCT IN MY F... LIFE.

TC claim that answer the customer questions in 2 days.

7 days and no response yet.

 

I´m selling my k24 by a half of its cost.

In a short time, We´ll see a bunch of konnekt in Ebay.

TC Electronic will lose a lot more that my 500 bucks.

 

Forgive my bad English

[Really!]

 

 

 

Formerly of TC,

 

It wasn't addressed to you specifically ... just that several posters have bought new controler cards and I'm sure many have "b" ports. Mine did, and following the KB made a big difference ...

 

Really!

[pocketcalc]

 

I´m selling my k24 by a half of its cost. In a short time, We´ll see a bunch of konnekt in Ebay. TC Electronic will lose a lot more that my 500 bucks.

 

 

If you don't need an interface to get a job done in the next couple of weeks or so, just don't do that. Relax, put back in the box and wait. You have come all this way, your last post is the #1373, don't give up now!

 

If you need it, try to rent or borrow another interface, it will probably be less money losses. I'm telling you this because I bealive that selling it now, by half the price, it's not the most intelligent thing to do.

 

just trying to help.

best wishes from a brazilian hermano!