Help? Aggregate devices not working in Lion

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Help? Aggregate devices not working in Lion

Since buying a new Mac Mini Server for my audio work using Logic Pro 9 I cannot use aggregate devices. The system preferences as well as audio midi setup will not remember my aggregate devices that I create. Also when using them the audio becomes glitchy and a terrible noise happens. I didnt have any issues like this in 10.6.8. I cannot believe that Apple would let this happen for so long. There are many people in the pro audio world that rely on using aggregate devices and with them not working three versions into Lion this has become maddening.

This is not a third party issue. This is not a hardware issue. This is a serious problem that takes the saying that "Macs just WORK" and flushes it right down the toilet.

I spoke w a guy named Steve at Apple pro audio and he couldnt get me off the phone fast enough. What the ____ Apple??

PLEASE someone fix this? I wont try 10.7.4 as it seems to make Logic work even worse.

Please...I do not want to have to go back to using pro tools and PC's.

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.3), 10.7.4 is worse than 10.7.3!!

Posted on May 17, 2012 11:35 AM

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Answer 1

Eriksimon

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15,416 points

May 17, 2012 11:49 AM in response to dindisc2

I'll take a look at it.

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Answer 2

dindisc2 Author

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May 17, 2012 12:23 PM in response to Eriksimon

please and thanbk you Eriksimon! Full details - Mac Mini Server running Lion 10.7.3, Logic Pro 9.1.7 I use up to three Metric Halo 2882+DSP 2d units with the latest MIO console, drivers and firmware. Many other Metric Halo and other multiple device users are experiencing this and it is maddening. Ive been on Logic since 7 and am a analog-digital component level tech / electronics engineer / audio engineer with a decent knowledge of software.

I also use up to two McMix (now Avid artist mix) with latest version of Eucontrol as well as V-control pro with my iPad to control Logics transport etc when not in control room and a Novation sl49 compact USB keyboard with latest Automap version All that worked together quite well on 10.6.8 - logic 9.1.5 on my late 2008 Mac Book Pro but that system was slow...so I was hoping that Apple had Lion "in a cage" when I went out to buy this new Mac Mini Server.... I guess I should have waited. 😟

I am having these aggregate device problems on a totally new from Mac Store Mac Mini Server Quad Core i7, did a clean install of Logic and the Metric Halo software /driver /firmware package.

Nothing else installed on this new Mac Mini but Logic 9.1.7 and MIO package.

Please....help get this bug fixed??

Best wishes dindisc2

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Answer 3

CCTM

Level 6

13,045 points

May 17, 2012 11:22 PM in response to dindisc2

Hi

dindisc2 wrote:

I use up to three Metric Halo 2882+DSP 2d units with the latest MIO console, drivers and firmware. Many other Metric Halo and other multiple device users are experiencing this and it is maddening.

Sounds like an issue with the Halo drivers?

dindisc2 wrote:

and a Novation sl49 compact USB keyboard with latest Automap version All that worked together quite well on 10.6.8 -

Automap is notoriously iffy

CCT

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Answer 4

May 18, 2012 6:16 AM in response to dindisc2

Clearly you are making much more extensive use of aggregate devices than me. I have been using two Audio Technica AT2020 USB microphones as an aggregate device with Logic 9.1.7 under MacOSX 10.7.3 on a 13" i5 MacBook Air and it works.

Sometimes I have seen a problem where the device gets "messed up" if I disconnect the microphones and reconnect, or after a reboot. It can be corrected by going back into audio midi setup and reselecting the devices. So I agree there does seem to be some bugginess, but it's just a minor annoyance for me.

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Answer 5

dindisc2 Author

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May 18, 2012 10:13 AM in response to CCTM

This is a brand new direct from Apple Store Mac Mini Server (yes I am logged in as the Admin) with a fresh install of Logic 9.1.7 and the Metric Halo latest drivers. Nothing else is installed. This is not a Metric Halo driver issue. The aggregate device setup in Audio MIDI setup keeps trying to change which unit is the main clock which is quite odd. One selects the clock source on one unit and then you select the second box to be a word clock slave. The AgDev setup in 10.7.3 keeps trying to change this. This didnt happen in 10.6.8. Also this new Ag Dev setup keeps trying to add drift correction. Its never done that before and I shouldnt need it.

I cant believe that Apple would let this go on for three versions of a OSX release. This is a very important function in the world of using Macs for pro audio if you want to record more than 8 tracks...

Really hope this can get sorted out. I would really like to be able to stat using my Mac Mini 😟

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Answer 6

Pancenter

Level 6

14,644 points

May 18, 2012 11:30 AM in response to dindisc2

May I make a suggestion..

Instead of trying to make the Aggregate device work exactly like it did in 10.6.8, see if the current Aggregate device can be adapted to work just as well. Even though the aggregate device in 10.6.8 worked for many it was also flawed and would lose sync between devices over time unless they were hardware synced, however, hardware sync wasn't a requirement. If you were using the Metric Halo hardware without a unified clock source it eventually would have drifted out of sync, it probably wasn't noticable because the MH hardware is high quality and consistent. The problem with using Apple's software clock sync is at least one of the incoming Aggregate devices needs to have the audio resampled.

It sounds like they've changed the way Aggregate devices sync to clock.

Questions...

Do you have wordclock cables or s/pdif cables connecting the Metric Halo devices?

Are they hardware synced to each other in the correct order?

Unless you have a separate Wordclock generator, the Metric Halo device that connects directly to the Mac should be the master clock for any of the additional devices. Once this is setup you would make a new aggregate device that reflects your hardware setup.

I dunno... maybe this is what you've already tried.

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Answer 7

dindisc2 Author

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May 18, 2012 11:43 AM in response to Pancenter

Yes I use the MIO Console for the Metric Halo 2882's to select one 2882 to be the word clock master and the second box to be the wordclock slave. Using a good Wordclock cable between the boxes. The aggregate device setup keeps trying to change both boxes to use their internal clocks....it also keeps checking the "drift" box which Ive never had to do before.

System Pref also "forgets" the aggregate device that I create. Once I have an Ag Device running it will play ok at start but quickly turns into a bunch of noise that sounds abit like bad noisy ring modulation to my ears.

The Aggregate Device setup within Lion must have been changed as it worked fine on 10.6.8 for me.

I am ready to try installing OSX 10.6.8 onto this brand new Mac Mini Server. Possibly even just returning this Mac.

This is just amazingly silly that Apple would let this go on. My respect for Apple is slowly sinking.

I had a really terrible couple of calls into Apples customer service. The guy I spoke with at Apple Pro Software Applications was rude and couldnt get me off the phone fast enough.

I used to love Apple products.

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Answer 8

Pancenter

Level 6

14,644 points

May 18, 2012 11:50 AM in response to dindisc2

dindisc2 wrote:

Yes I use the MIO Console for the Metric Halo 2882's to select one 2882 to be the word clock master and the second box to be the wordclock slave.

Are you using the MH device that's connected directly to the Mac as the Wordclock master? The other possibility: The new Firewire hardware on Macs is not as robust as it used to be, a flakey Firewire connection could also produce the same results.

Anyway.. you're right about Apple and ProApps... I get the feeling they would rather not deal with the "Pro" users or products in the same manner they used to.

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Answer 9

dindisc2 Author

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May 18, 2012 12:02 PM in response to Pancenter

Yes. Each 2882 has two Firewire jacks. I connect the firewire from the Mac Mini Server to this first MH box then I take a second short firewire cable and daisy chain the second box to the first so they are on the same firewire tree.

Uisng the Metric Halo hardware requires one use the Metric Halo "MIO Console" which is the software that you use to change the samp freq, the digital inputs-outputs, the wordclock in-out and rates. Once you set this up in the MIO Console all one nedded to do previously is open Audio MIDI setup and create an Aggregate Device using the same parameters that you use int the MIO Console.

The problems are that the Aggregate device in Lion keeps trying to change BOTH boxes to be the master clock. If you are able to get one box to be the master clock then the Ag Device setup will check the drift box....Ive never had to do that previously and the Ag Device setup shouldnt be doing this! Half the time the Ag Device will not show up in System Preferences nor will Logic 9.1.7 recognize it. Once you are able to get a Ag Device to be setup and recognized by the OS and Logic, I will start to play tracks and they start out ok but quickly start popping and turning into a bunch of ring mod like noise.

This is very maddening. Apple Pro Service is complete garbage. And now thay want you to pay each time you call them.

Yes I have tried many brand new firewire cables as well as ones I know to be good.

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Answer 10

jtreyz

Level 1

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Jun 12, 2012 6:07 AM in response to dindisc2

Hi,

I'm having a similar problem. I'm also using 2 Metric Halo 2882 Interfaces and I have combined them into an aggregate device which worked perfectly well with snow leopard.

Since I have updated to Lion 10.7.4 everytime I switch the computer off and on again Logic does not see the aggregate device anymore (although audio midi setup does!). So I have to delete the aggregate device and recreate it again in audio midi setup everytime I reboot the machine.

I found a post in another forum that suggested I should trash the preferences fo audio midi setup but when I do that the programm does not start anymore.

Can somebody please help?!? Cheers!

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Answer 11

uphonic

Level 1

0 points

Aug 23, 2012 5:55 AM in response to dindisc2

hi,

i do have the same problems here.

i have a mac pro 3.1 (early 2008), which worked flawlessly with snow lepoard, logic 9.1.7 and 2 Metric Halo 2882s. since also working with video, i decided to upgrade to LION 4 weeks ago. this is where all the problems started... my MIOs constantly got out of sync, aggregate device seemed not to work. i hoped for MOUNTAIN LION, but this OS just changed the "sound of the problem". instead of a sound of two interfaces slowly drifting apart like in LION i get clicks from one channel as soon as i use 2 interfaces in one project. this all seems to start with creating an aggregate device. a pain in the a**!

i'm a pro user living off using a DAW every day. there were times when i was glad using a mac when i heard others complaining about their windows-computers. now i seem to be in the same pond...

has anybody already found a solution???

kind regards

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Answer 12

dindisc2 Author

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Aug 23, 2012 9:24 AM in response to uphonic

uphonic

Stay away from Mountain Lion for now! Its even "buggier" than Lion. Go back to 10.7.4 and make sure you have the very latest MIO Console download package with newest drivers. MH just recently released this. Make sure you delete any traces of the old MIO Console, driver etc. Ive just stayed with using my 2008 17inch Mac Book Pro to finish tracking an album. I have two of my 2882+DSP 2d units here now and will try recording a bit using both with a 10.7.4 ag device. Will post after.

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Answer 13

uphonic

Level 1

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Aug 23, 2012 10:06 AM in response to dindisc2

thx dindisc2,

i'm even considering going back to snow leopard since LION also made my 2 MIOs useless...

(concerning video: since FinalCut also causes troubles i'll drop that too and switch over to adobe's premiere...

but I'd be glad to hear if 10.7.4 worked for you (flawlessly?).

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Answer 14

Nov 17, 2013 10:57 AM in response to dindisc2

Hello dindisc2, Are you still on 10.7.4? I just ran into the "disappearing" aggregate device problem. Not sure what to do. Would love to hear where you are at with this now.

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