Focusrite Saffire oddities

[GJSNeptune]

I've been using a Saffire for just over a year. I've been running Windows 7 64-bit since August. The Saffire drivers are listed under Vista, and the site recommends using legacy Firewire drivers under Windows 7. I did all that. I didn't notice anything unusual after I transitioned from XP to Windows 7. I primarily play audio using Winamp, but I also use MediaMonkey, WMP, etc.

I'm using Audioengine A5s with a S/PDIF cable. To connect the Saffire to my speakers, I'm using a cable with stereo mini male on one end and two mono 1/8" male connectors on the other, as the Saffire has separate channel outputs.

For the past two months, my left channel sometimes drops out completely. I'll have audio playing, and suddenly the audio shifts to the right because the left speaker's output is gone. If I unplug the right speaker, there's no audio. I found that to get audio from the left speaker again, I can keep the right speaker unplugged and crank the volume on the Saffire. For about a second, the left speaker puts out muffled, crackly audio. Then suddenly the audio comes through as it should (but loud). Then I reconnect the right speaker and everything is fine.

It only affects my speakers. It doesn't happen through the headphone outputs. It happened three times while I was typing this thread.

The left speaker houses the electronics and powers the right speaker, but even if I connect the left speaker to the Right channel, it's the left speaker that drops out. This makes me think the Left channel output is faulty, which is just awesome because it has a 1-year warranty and it's about two weeks past.


Another oddity is crackling. I've been getting a lot of crackling lately. Sometimes it's very subtle. Sometimes it's as loud as the audio. It's driving me nuts. I hear it with headphones and over the speakers. I can't determine if it's the Saffire or Windows.

 

[GJSNeptune]

I've pondered about the cable being bad, but I get crackling over headphones as well, so that rules out the cable for crackling at least.

I don't know enough about audio to know what could be "bottlenecking" the signal to/through the left channel. It seems that the audio doesn't completely drop out, but just gets really quiet (and quite full of static). I have the speakers' volume pretty low because they can get really loud, and I want their volume to be low when the volume on the Saffire is low.

 

[GJSNeptune]

Wow. I just realized that the S/PDIF cable is useless. The audio is carried via Firewire.

 

[GJSNeptune]

Oh yeah. A third thing is that sometimes my audio in Windows completely stops. I'll have Winamp playing a song, and suddenly it stops. All audio is gone. Winamp can't even restart the song. Or play any songs. It's like Windows' ability to play audio disappears. I have to remove the Firewire connector from the Saffire and then reconnect it to restore functionality. It's weird.

Any ideas? How can I troubleshoot and try to determine what's responsible for the audio crackling?

 

[phide]

I'd suggest a defective Saffire. As you said, the cable is ruled out due to crackling issues with headphones. This also rules out the speakers. Drivers wouldn't cause that anomaly, but they would most likely be the cause of the software dropouts you're experiencing. As for how to fix that -- difficult to say. The Saffire's a prosumer interface and such glitches with normal audio tasks in Windows are unfortunately to be expected to some degree.

So, I think you're dealing with two issues here: A) defective interface and B) sub-par drivers.

 

[fibroptikl]

Can you get me a link to the exact interface you have? There are a few variations of the Saffire.

Also, how do you have it wired (computer --> Saffire --> Speakers)?

 

[GJSNeptune]

The drivers could easily be glitchy since they aren't officially compatible with Windows 7, but I didn't have any issues for the first few months after leaving Windows XP.

I just checked the website and I can't find a product page for my interface. They must not make it anymore. It's this guy.

http://www.audiolines.com/Studio-Re...s/Firewire-Audio-Interfaces/Focusrite-Saffire


After realizing the S/PDIF cable wasn't doing anything, it's all Firewire now.

Firewire --> Saffire
Right & Left 1/8" mono --> stereo mini --> Audioengine

 

[GJSNeptune]

Audioengine wants me to ship them my master speaker. They suspect there's an issue with its amp. Not sure I want to pay to ship a heavy-ass speaker, but I have to, right? I'm no electronic guru. I'm sure I'll manage to do nothing but mess it up worse.

But the crackling has to be Windows or the Saffire. It's driving me crazy.