FW cable recommendation - solved all my problems - Win10

[Christian Gerte]

Hi folks,
bought a used DM-4800 in almost a mint condition. Also built a new PC from scratch. Now the problems began. I weren´t able to get a stable connection with my PC. The status of my FW mk II card changed within "no cable", "driver offline" and "locked". Tried to plug in the FW cable again and again. Got a stable conection for 30 minutes after several attempts.

I´ve changed the driver versions several times. No solution in sight. Also changed my PCIe card in my PC. Still the same.
Questions to me:
- Wrong compoments?
- Wrong drivers?

Really the LAST possibility was a damaged FW cable. Last try. Otherwise I´m going to sell that beauty.

Plugged in the new cable...everthing works absolutely fine. With every samplerate, 32 tracks, etc.
Not a single issue anymore!!!

Look for:
LINDY 30863 Firewire Cable Premium 6-6

Hope that helps anybody with the same issues.

Happy recordings!
Cheers, Christian

My Setup:
DM-4800, Win10, Cubase 10.5 Pro, MSI Z590 A PRO, i7-10700, 32GB RAM, Richter-R PCIe FW card with VIA chipset

 

[shredd]

Plugged in the new cable...everthing works absolutely fine. With every samplerate, 32 tracks, etc.
Not a single issue anymore!!!

TOTally ossum. And vaguely amusing how such sophisticated equipment can be crippled by as little as a bad cable. And I'm no better - I've spent 20 minutes just figuring out how to get a mic routed properly.
And good on you for squirreling out the problem. May all your recordings be Grammy-worthy!!!

 

[Peter Batah]

I am super happy that you resolved your issue. But, to suggest that a $132.52 CDN cable is what it takes to maintain a stable connection between a DM and a PC is ludicrous.

I hate to burst your balloon. A) I would never pay that kind of $$$ for a FW cable. B) Many of us have been using standard FW cables ($15-$30 range) for years and have never had a single issue. I started with a 3200 then moved on to a 4800. No cable or FW change. Rock solid.

 

[Christian Gerte]

Ludicrous…wow! Strong words.

I don‘t know on which embargo list Canada is…
I‘ve paid 21 Euros. With the current exchange rate it should be around 30 CDN ‍

perhaps look for 3 meters instead of 50?

 

[Peter Batah]

@Christian Gerte New Member. Welcome aboard!

We agree to disagree. Unfortunately, Canadians are always paying more than we should thanks to the exchange rates.

So, if I understand you correctly you see nothing wrong with me paying $132.52 CDN (before tax) for a FW cable? As I said in my original post a FW cable in the 15-30 range is more than sufficient and efficient. I use several cables in all formats in that price range.

Ludicrous, no that is precisely the word I would use when dishing out close to $150 of my hard earned dollars on a cable. Mostly hype. Same goes for speaker cable. There is plenty of data out there to support that statement.

https://i.postimg.cc/RCLfGd51/Lindy-FW.jpg

 

[Arjan P]

I have to say, I only see this cable for anywhere between € 10 and € 25 from here, so nothing ludricous about it. Maybe highlighting the exact brand and type can put people in the wrong direction - as it did with this exact cable's availability in Canada.

I guess the gist of it is that a new FW cable can solve problems that seemed impossible to solve beforehand..

 

[-mjk-]

I have heard/read many an engineer say that interconnect cables (USB, Firewire, etc.) do wear out and need to be replaced from time to time.

 

[shredd]

I have heard/read many an engineer say that interconnect cables (USB, Firewire, etc.) do wear out and need to be replaced from time to time.

I don't have documentation to cite; but my experience has been that pretty much any cable that doesn't say MOGAMI on it is going to degrade performance-wise, and/or simply give out.

And FWIW - not that I wish to be any part of that debate, nor gauge anyone else's experience: but I looked up the exact FW cable mentioned above, and in US$, there were numerous Lindy FW cables in the US$10-15 range, and in most cases it was about mid-US$40's...and their top-end cable (in 50m length) was indeed well over US$100...
Speaking for myself, I don't have the $ (nor a multi-million dollar record contract) compelling me to use cables of that caliber. My studio is strictly amateur/enthusiast level. The amount of cables I have, purchased in top-caliber form, would've cost THOUSANDS.

 

[Christian Gerte]

Ok, the only intention was to share my experiences. I´ve learned a lot from this forum in case of solving some pretty easy (and complex) issues. So if anybody out there is experiencing the same issues it could be a hint that probably the "cheapest gear" could be the culprit. Not the components, not the FW-PCIe card, etc.

@Peter Batah I don´t agree that you´re paying a huge amount of money. And I´m not a LINDY salesman. But this is a international forum. Should I check the availability, prices and custom fees of each country before I do a post with a recommendation?

Anyway...if you are running setup with no issues at all...there´s no need to change your working setup.

PS: For highlighting the brand...it was just a copy/paste from amazon. Here in Europe it´s a pretty affordable cable. Sorry for the confusion caused

 

[Christian Gerte]

I have to say, I only see this cable for anywhere between € 10 and € 25 from here, so nothing ludricous about it. Maybe highlighting the exact brand and type can put people in the wrong direction - as it did with this exact cable's availability in Canada.

I guess the gist of it is that a new FW cable can solve problems that seemed impossible to solve beforehand..

Exactly, thanks! Only intention

 

[Peter Batah]

Ok, the only intention was to share my experiences. I´ve learned a lot from this forum in case of solving some pretty easy (and complex) issues. So if anybody out there is experiencing the same issues it could be a hint that probably the "cheapest gear" could be the culprit. Not the components, not the FW-PCIe card, etc.

@Peter Batah I don´t agree that you´re paying a huge amount of money. And I´m not a LINDY salesman. But this is a international forum. Should I check the availability, prices and custom fees of each country before I do a post with a recommendation?

Anyway...if you are running setup with no issues at all...there´s no need to change your working setup.

PS: For highlighting the brand...it was just a copy/paste from amazon. Here in Europe it´s a pretty affordable cable. Sorry for the confusion caused

I am happy that you shared your experience with us. Every bit of information provided on this forum is certain to be of immense help to someone, That is one of the main reasons why we choose to be part of this wonderful community. No need to apologize. Posting useful links to products and /or articles is always encouraged. It is not your fault that the manufacturer chooses to sell their product in Canada for a ridiculously high price. Perhaps, it is a tactic whereby they hope that the consumer does not place an order where shipping costs could far exceed the actual price of the item. It is still unfortunate and unfair. Not surprising though. I have seen this sort of pricing discrepancy for years. Believe it or not there have been times where I have had to order a product from a US site, have it shipped to a cross border broker, and then drive out for lmost two hours. Otherwise, it would have cost me a fortune to have the product shipped to my door. If and I repeat if shipping to Canada was even an option.

Same goes for many online product giveaways. Often times the fine print will read that the contest is only available to residents of the United States. Such is life I suppose. Have a wonderful day and keep your infomative posts coming.

 

[Peter Batah]

I don't have documentation to cite; but my experience has been that pretty much any cable that doesn't say MOGAMI on it is going to degrade performance-wise, and/or simply give out.

And FWIW - not that I wish to be any part of that debate, nor gauge anyone else's experience: but I looked up the exact FW cable mentioned above, and in US$, there were numerous Lindy FW cables in the US$10-15 range, and in most cases it was about mid-US$40's...and their top-end cable (in 50m length) was indeed well over US$100...
Speaking for myself, I don't have the $ (nor a multi-million dollar record contract) compelling me to use cables of that caliber. My studio is strictly amateur/enthusiast level. The amount of cables I have, purchased in top-caliber form, would've cost THOUSANDS.

Thank you for chiming in. This reminds me so much of the Mac vs PC debate that has existed for as long as both platforms have. Pro Tools vs Everything else.

I like yourself have no interest in turning this conversation into a he said / she said debate. Nor can I cite precise articles at the moment. But, I do remember having read and seen many high end well versed A/V people discuss how their extensive tests on expensive vs cheap cabling yielded little if any noticeable difference in sound or conductivity.

Did I fall into the high end cable trap a time or two. Of course I have. Case in point. I use Mogami cables for my near field monitors. But I also use a ton of Digiflex cabling and snakes. And, I cannot say enough good things about their products. Made right here in my hometown I might add. Doesn't get any better than that. Have a wonderful day.

 

[Peter Batah]

I have heard/read many an engineer say that interconnect cables (USB, Firewire, etc.) do wear out and need to be replaced from time to time.

But doesn't everything else in life. Tires, shoes, shingles on my roof, pacemaker battery

And, I absolutely can see how the constant removal / insertion of let's say a mic or patch cable could have an adverse effect. Makes perfect sense. I can't remember the last time I had to unplug / re-plug my FW cable though. But, that's me I guess. Have a good one M

 

[Peter Batah]

I have to say, I only see this cable for anywhere between € 10 and € 25 from here, so nothing ludricous about it. Maybe highlighting the exact brand and type can put people in the wrong direction - as it did with this exact cable's availability in Canada.

I guess the gist of it is that a new FW cable can solve problems that seemed impossible to solve beforehand..

Great lesson learned here. Next time I post a link I will try to remember to include a disclaimer: "Prices May Vary"

 

[-mjk-]

But doesn't everything else in life. Tires, shoes, shingles on my roof, pacemaker battery

And, I absolutely can see how the constant removal / insertion of let's say a mic or patch cable could have an adverse effect. Makes perfect sense. I can't remember the last time I had to unplug / re-plug my FW cable though. But, that's me I guess. Have a good one M

Yes Peter, things do wear out. Normally however as you pointed out, typically, mating cycles kill cables (and husbands? ). I wouldn't expect a static USB cable to wear out but I've personally experienced that. I think the materials break down over time.

 

[-mjk-]

@Peter Batah said:

Same goes for many online product giveaways. Often times the fine print will read that the contest is only available to residents of the United States. Such is life I suppose.

Sweetwater won't export to me in Taiwan. I have to buy from Thomann. The Taiwan power grid is a copy of the US system so every device I buy from Thomann with an AC mains cable has an EU connector. I asked Thomann if they could supply a US style cable instead, but they simply don't have them since they supply Europe. Fortunately across the street is a store that sells modular power cables. [shrug]