Problem with Macbook Pro Retina, Firewire Interface and Ableton Live

[metamatic]

I'm having issues when tracking with my new configuration in Ableton Live. I have a FW audio interface (Edirol FA-101), and as you know, the Macbook Retina doesn't come with any FW port, so i got a Thunderbolt-FW800 adapter. Next i run a FW800->FW400 adapter and then a FW400 cable to the Audio interface. This is on OSX 10.8.4.

This configuration works flawlessy in Logic 9. I stress tested it with a huge amount of plugin loaded (70-80% CPU load) and tracked without issues.

In Ableton Live (tested 9.0.4 and 8.3 with same results) , even with CPU at around 20-30% i get digital dropouts that get more frequent as the CPU load increases. For dropout i mean occasional samples at 0 value.
I tried to track with the built-in audio input in the same conditions and works ok. Also tried several buffer sizes (up to 512) without success.

So heres a list of tests i made:

- Ableton Live (8.3 and 9.0.4) CPU around 30%, tracking a single channel with FW: DIGITAL DROPS.

- Logic 9.1.7 CPU around 80% tarcking a single channel with FW WORKS OK.

- Ableton Live (8.3 and 9.0.4) CPU around 30%, tracking a single channel with Builtin interface:WORKS ok.

- Ableton Live (8.3 and 9.0.4) on an old 2008 Macbook, CPU around 70%, tracking a single channel with FW WORKS OK.


So it really seem an issue of Ableton Live with Firewire on this Macbook model/OSX ver.

Any idea?

 

[cheekypaul]

as the interface works ok with different software, focus on the software that doesn't work by running with different buffer numbers in ableton. maybe they should be higher, or even lower.
after that, you'd need to try it out on the same model but different computer-tricky but very informative-to confirm whether its a software or hardware issue.
is the Roland new?

 

[Fishrrman]

"Next i run a FW800->FW400 adapter and then a FW400 cable to the Audio interface."

I would remove the "800 to 400 adapter" from the connection, and instead use a firewire 800-to-400 cable, with a 6-pin connector on one end, and a 9-pin connector on the other.

The more connections you can eliminate, the better.