Mountain Lion / Apogee Ensemble audio issues

Hi to all - I'm new to the forum. I'm having major problems with Logic and my i7 iMac since I have installed Mountain Lion. I use an Apogee Ensemble. I'm getting crackles and Pops even with the Buffer size set to 512. When I lower the buffer it's like listening to a freshly soaked bowl of Rice Crispies! I can still hear the occasional pop with the buffer set to 1024. I'm going crazy because I can't find a solution to this problem. I have an older Mac Book Pro with Lion installed and everything works perfect on it. The clicks and pops are audible while recording with the software monitoring on. On playback they are part of the recorded material. When monitoring through the ensemble directly, I can't hear them. I've tried using a different firewire cable, reinstalling maestro 2, rebooting several times. All is up to date... What else can I do???

 

Can someone help me? Please.

 

Thanks,

did you ever get this resolved? Any new Ensemble updates?

I have the exact same problem. Have you been able to resolve this? Apogee claims compatibility with Mountain Lion, but it's apparently not true. It's caused quite a lot of embarrassment with my clients. I spoke with Apogee on the phone, and they said I would have to pay to have it looked at since it's out of warranty when the problem is obviously a driver issue since it was working fine pre-Mountain Lion.

Check the Apogee website for an updated driver.

 

http://www.apogeedigital.com/downloads.php

I've been going back and forth with a nice Apogee Tech Support guy about the same problem (Ensemble, iMac, Mountain Lion, clicks and pops intermittently in recorded audio, regardless of buffer). After a bunch of other stuff, I just tried something that seems to have fixed it. I used the Ensemble firmware updater to downgrade my Ensemble firmware to BCD 1.9.29 and FPGA 1.34.1. You just go to the options menu and pick "allow downgrades." Worth a shot. You'll have to do some turning on and off of the ensemble and a restart and closing other programs is required, as are detaching everything else from the firewire bus.

I had some pops and clicks, but on top of that, the sound will suddenly cut out completely and won't come back until the unit is restarted. Anyone have that problem? As well, Maestro 2 often doesn't recognize that the Ensemble is connected. I just went through many painful months of tech support with the nice staff there, and finally got sent a new unit. Day two all of the previous symptoms showed their ugly face, on TWO computers. The third symptom I've had, btw, is that occasionally the unit will freeze up. It can't be shut off or on. It just stays in that limbo status, with all of the lights illuminated. The only way to turn it off or on is to hold down the button for like 7 seconds.

 

I would really like to know if other folks are having these problems.

 

BTW, I most definitely have the right firmware and updated software. My suspicion is that this is Mountain Lion incompatibility. Logic Pro has horrible behavior in Mountain Lion as well, and for the same painful months I had tech support with Apple. It turns out to be a Core Audio issue and is effecting many more apps than Logic Pro. This just leads me to believe that there's some subtle incompatibility that results in this kind of flaky behavior. But it's not cool that the unit you use to do your work on could suddenly stop working and cause you to have to stop everything to fix it.

Hi - I have latest Imac (i7) with 32GB ram and duet 2 soundcard and I have this problem with clicks and pops when I move playback position or open plugins etc. I never had this problem on old Imac with duet 1 soundcard....

I really do want to get to the bottom of it - so any help is appreciated

it was the duet 2 - no good in mountain lion - changed to focusrite forte and all ok

it was the duet 2 - no good in mountain lion - changed to focusrite forte and all ok

 

The beauty of class compliant drivers on the Duet 2. Apogee's USB implementation is crap.

Having issues you here as well. Duet 2, new iMac i7, 10.8.2. Getting pops and clicks in Logic. I put a tweet out to @apogeedigital asking if the drivers for the 'new' Duet for iMac and iPad which specifically state that it's compatible with 10.8.2 would work on my 'old' Duet 2, but haven't received a reply.

 

On a side note, all my samples are now being stored on an external USB drive (Seagate with the swappable connection options). This wouldn't be contributing to the issue (popping) at all, would it? Previous machine (Mac Pro) had everything on a separate internal drives.

On a side note, all my samples are now being stored on an external USB drive (Seagate with the swappable connection options). This wouldn't be contributing to the issue (popping) at all, would it? Previous machine (Mac Pro) had everything on a separate internal drives.

 

Is the drive USB 3.0? If not, that's reason enough for pops and clicks. USB 2.0 is too slow for streaming.

Hey triplets,

 

It is 3.0. It's one of these guys: http://www.seagate.com/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/standard/backup-plus-mac/

I wonder if that drive is 5400 rpm.

How much ram on your computer?

Hi there.

I used to work with MBP 17' 2008, LP9.x.x, Snow Leo and RME Digiface connected thru RME Express Card Bus and really, this Audio stuff worked rock solid !

Really ! Never any issues at all !

 

Since this old MBP goes to death ( graphic card knowned death then motherboard and out of warranty after 5 years , :/ ) I bought a Mac Mini recently.

16 gig ram and it work nice .

But can't use anymore the RME audio because, there's no Usb or Firewire interface on it.

So, a friend gave me for a try an Ensemble Apogee, almost brand new unless it's old age.

Maestro 2 and the drivers are up to date and Mountain Lion ready ( as they say ).

 

This stuff don't work very well :/

Time to time, mainly when I close a Logic project and launch another one, the sound desappear .

I have to uncheck the core audio in the pref and check it again.

This is re-launching Core audio, and there is sound again.

Okay, not very smooth but workable ...

 

But now I suspect the Ensemble to run Kernel Panic when I boot the Mini .

This happened to me today !

It's seems that the old FW 400 on the Apogee stuff is really from an old age .

It's enough !

I guess I have to invest in RME again ( Not really the good time about money but ...)

I dream for a Fireface UCX.

Look like perfection, I guess.

And maybe his old Usb 2 connection will be better ...

 

Is there any hope that Apogee and ML will ever be ok together ?

I have seen more issues with Apogee stuff than other cheaper interfaces.

I don't think their drivers are any good at all. Way too much hype for me on their interfaces.

 

How many tracks do you usually record at the same time?

Triplets, you are so right.

How many tracks do you usually record at the same time?

 

Only one !

You know, lead vocal, guitar and so on.

 

Actually, when all is launched, I must say that the sound is very good.

The routing is very flexible too.

All the different analog and digital options are awful ...

The unit itself is quite good looking .

 

But , yes , the drivers are definitely out !

RME is definitely a great brand. But over a grand for the Fireface. Maybe a Babyface (I don't like break-out cables).

Motu has good interfaces, solid drivers. The Ultralite is quite good. I've used one for the last 6 years.

RME Fireface UCX !

Very useful remote control in option.

Choice between FW 400 and Usb 2 connection .

And more, it seems that RME achieves one of the best AD/DA converters on the market.

If you can afford it, go for it.

I"ve been having the same issue with my ensemble and right now i could cry. I've been communicating with the support at apogee and I'm getting responses that are very round-a-bout. I purchased my ensemble new a little over 2 years ago. What a loss.

I've been communicating with the support at apogee and I'm getting responses that are very round-a-bout.(

 

But is the culprit Apogee's driver OR Moutain Lion FW/audio diver ? Who have to work on what ?

I just recorded 7 simultaneous audio tracks with the ensemble on my 2012 macbook air (i7/2.0Ghz/8gigsRAM) and had no problem at 256 buffer. At 44.1/24 bit

I just recorded 7 simultaneous audio tracks with the ensemble on my 2012 macbook air (i7/2.0Ghz/8gigsRAM) and had no problem at 256 buffer. At 44.1/24 bit

 

Yes but under Snow Leopard, as I can see .

The drivers issues are with Mountain Lion, I don't plan to downgrade the OS, since ML is quiet nice, and since my new Mini 2012 was delivered with this Os ...

I recorded 8 tracks of drums at 64 buffer, no problems. My issue is my ensemble disconnects when I walk away. I do not put my computer to sleep.

the same issue happened with Lion, 10.7; I actually upgraded hoping that it would fix the problem.

But is the culprit Apogee's driver OR Moutain Lion FW/audio diver ?

The right question here is - Why doesn't Apogee write their own driver?

The right question here is - Why doesn't Apogee write their own driver?

 

I guess it's because Apogee and Apple joined to integrate an easy-to-use audio interface with Logic.

( There's is already a setting menu direct into Logic for the Ensemble )

Sounded like a great feature, great and useful idea, but in the meantime ....

 

Don't know about their deal .

But IMO it should be to Apple Logic developers, doing the job .( Okay Apple, pick up your phone and talk to the Apogee guys please !)

We are way off topic on this one but anyways...

This is how I see it; Apogee is getting a bad reputation because of this. It must hurt their business.

If I was hurting I would do something about it, wouldn't you?

If I was hurting I would do something about it, wouldn't you?

For sure I would

But it's sound like politics : Too big, too much people to satisfied, let's spend energies to sell brand new material, and forget about the old ones

Planned obsolescence ?