Can any of you computer geeks help?

[jbtsax]

In trying to move forward with my acoustic experiments I am trying to reinstall my Mackie Onyl Satellite Portable Recording Preamp with 96kHz Firewire Interface.

When I bought it about two years ago it installed without a hitch and worked beautifully.

After about a year of non-use, I plugged it in and my computer didn't recognize it in my sound editing program (Cool Edit 2000). I did all of the uninstalls rebooted, and then tried to reinstall by plugging it in and following the add new hardware wizard instruction.

It recognizes the new hardware, and then asks to be directed to the driver files. When directed to the CD I get the error message that the "driver files can't be found".

I have downloaded Mackie's upgrades V.1.1.1 and V.7.1 and carefully followed the instructions to install the newer driver software and end up in the same loop with the same "can't locate the driver files" message.

I think it might have something to do with not getting a clean install or a software conflict with another audio program, but I am stuck as to what to do. I have worked with the Mackie tech staff both by phone and by email, and they haven't found a solution yet either.

Does anyone with more experience with this sort of thing have any advice or ideas.

Desperate in Yewtah

 

[tictactux]

(Normally you run the setup off the CD *before* you plug in new hardware.)

If that alone does not work - install the CD, reboot (without plugging your hardware in), then uninstall it, reboot again, and install it again, this time according to the manufacturer's manual.

Do *not* attempt to run any audio software until the device appears in the device manager, without a question mark or a "disabled" (crossed-out) icon.

If that still does not work, try to locate some *.inf files on your CD. This is the directory you must browse to when the wizard asks you to help it locate the drivers.
(Driver files often come int triplets, like mydevice.inf, mydevice.cat and mydevicd.sys (plus often a ****load of other files, but a minimal set consists of these files).)

Hope that helps...

 

[Gandalfe]

Geesh, this has to be a known problem. Is there no support forum where you can cruise FAQs?

 

[pete]

I'd answer, but I'd have to charge my minimum hourly fee of $7000.

 

[jbtsax]

Could I give one of my children in trade instead?

John

 

[pete]

Or you could take one of mine .

 

[Steve]

Pete would just answer to buy a Mac ......

 

[pete]

I've owned several Macs, actually. The first was an SE/30 that I bought a week after it came out. $7000.

I've got a Duo 280c in my closet if someone wants it.

 

[hakukani]

Try Downloading audacity or reaper and use it instead of cooledit.

 

[tictactux]

Try Downloading audacity or reaper and use it instead of cooledit.

Audacity (or whatever application) doesn't do a lot to non-working USB drivers. As if a new mouthpiece would speed up our creaking fingers...:tongue:
(I'm Audacity myself, don't get me wrong...)

 

[Steve]

Doesn't look like much help John. If the computer was in front of me I could work through it and see what the issue is. But with PCs, all the patches, hardware, etc it is just so hard to talk people through things. I can usually figure them out even if I don't know the equipment mentioned if it's in front of me .. but online ....

The laptop that I use cannot do video or audio (tried Audacity, etc) at all without a ton of extra equipment. The Mac, no problem.

Good luck in getting it going again.

 

[tictactux]

The laptop that I use cannot do video or audio (tried Audacity, etc) at all without a ton of extra equipment.

Must be a prehistoric box. Consider donating it to some museum.
I think unless you can run say XP on it you're somewhat short of luck. I threw the kids' Windows ME boxes away some half a year ago. Too much hassle, not rewarding enough.

 

[hakukani]

Audacity (or whatever application) doesn't do a lot to non-working USB drivers. As if a new mouthpiece would speed up our creaking fingers...:tongue:
(I'm Audacity myself, don't get me wrong...)

It's a firewire interface. but....

John said that 'cooledit2000' wouldn't recognize it.
I thought it might be a software conflict.

Is the 'power' light and the 'firewire' light lit when the onyx is plugged in ?

Anyways, it might be one of those ASIO thingies (technical term)
You might try running ASIO4all and see if that can straighten things out.
http://www.asio4all.com/

 

[pete]

You're forgetting a basic portion of computer troubleshooting: what OS? It's not a good idea to do Windows XP troubleshooting on a Mac running OS 10.6.

Hey, Firewire usually = Macintosh, but not always: I've got Firewire on two of four of my PCs.

 

[Steve]

Must be a prehistoric box. Consider donating it to some museum.
I think unless you can run say XP on it you're somewhat short of luck. I threw the kids' Windows ME boxes away some half a year ago. Too much hassle, not rewarding enough.

nope, 2009 model running Vista, 64bit AMD processor etc. has the features in which it is perfectly fine for most stuff but it is not a "multimedia" laptop with all the added bells and whistles for recording video/audio. Has HDTV features and plays video/audio well but don't try recording even mono audio even with audacity .. blotchy & weak at best (apparently minimal vid/audio cache) .. don't try recording video at all - cooling not designed for video either. I use it for its fast processing (running SQL Server, programming, etc) NOT for its' recording streaming video/audio capabilities .... for $350 ... same price as the 2009 MacMini which I don't use for the "most stuff" I use the laptop for but for all the audio/video (and iPhone/iTouch programming).

FYI, the 5 yr+ old laptop w/XP (has all the audio/video bells & whistles) has Firewire (aka 1394) & a parallel port (mix of old and new tech !!) built in and is good for recording audio/video (has all the other good chipsets for back then) .. too bad the LCD doesn't work and no builtin WiFi.

 

[Steve]

You're forgetting a basic portion of computer troubleshooting: what OS? It's not a good idea to do Windows XP troubleshooting on a Mac running OS 10.6.

Hey, Firewire usually = Macintosh, but not always: I've got Firewire on two of four of my PCs.

Don't forget since it's a PC ... please list all the trojan, viruses and rootkits that are installed that you don't know of ..... alot of people don't have their virus/ etc s/w configured properly and certain viruses turn them off and ppl dont' notice.

anytime you work with audio/video I recommend turning off all antispy & virus software - you never know how much it can be interferring until you turn it off and see. If you don't like being "unprotected", disconnect yourself from the internet. Anytime I go out to clean a PC I first disconnect the internet.

 

[jbtsax]

The onyx when plugged in is recognized by the new hardware wizard. The installation of the device's drivers either from the install CD or the downloaded driver files always ends with the message that the wizard (poorly named if you ask me) "can't find the driver information" at that location.

The problem is essentially that the add hardware wizard does not recognize the driver files for the device and therefore cannot install them.

If I knew how to install the driver files manually in the right folders, I might be able to work around the problem, but that is beyond my computer knowledge and experience.

John

 

[Steve]

I have worked with the Mackie tech staff both by phone and by email, and they haven't found a solution yet either.

Does anyone with more experience with this sort of thing have any advice or ideas.

The hardest part is that the hardware support group has attempted to help and can't help.

Normally, I would ask what have you installed since the last time it has worked .. but it apparently has been quite a long time. The normal situation is you uninstall the apps you've installed in reverse order until the application works. Or rummage through tech support docs, or the registry to figure out what DLLs, etc aren't in the right places.

But, who knows how many patches of this and that have been installed since it has worked last.

It is recommended that you use the install CD first versus letting the system install stuff after you've plugged it in.

and we stil don't know what OS you are using .. I assume AIX v5.1.1 ?

 

[tictactux]

The onyx when plugged in is recognized by the new hardware wizard. The installation of the device's drivers either from the install CD or the downloaded driver files always ends with the message that the wizard (poorly named if you ask me) "can't find the driver information" at that location.

Can _you_ find the files on the CD?

 

[tictactux]

Can _you_ find the files on the CD?

(Hint: when you download their drivers .zip file, they are in the
V1.7 Mackie Universal Driver and Installation Instructions\Driver Files folder...)

And of course, don't respond with "install the software automatically (Recommended)" when the wizard pops up, but rather select the "advanced" option below...