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Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:55 pm
by garrysimmons
I apologize for the newbie question. I did search and some reading but want to confirm the answer before spending money...

I own a Firestudio Mobile. Works great. I need 8 more mic preamps for recording my whole band in one shot.

Can I simply buy a (used) Firestudio and daisy chain it with my FSM to get the extra inputs?

Do all those channels show up in one UC mixer?

Any "gotchas" on Windows 10 x64 I need to be aware of?

THANKS!

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:01 am
by matthewgorman
The original firestudio? I don't think so as it uses a different driver. Something like the firestudio project or tube would work fine as they all use Universal Control.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:19 am
by garrysimmons
Thanks for the reply. According to this web page, I think I should be able to daisy chain a FireStudio with my FSM:

https://www.presonus.com/products/FireStudio

It's part of the "FireStudio Family" and uses the UC driver, does it not? Could you be thinking of the FirePod?

I just want to be sure it will work before buying a used piece of gear from the other side of the country...

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:37 am
by matthewgorman
You are taking a chance. You mentioned that you were on Win 10, and there are no drivers available for win 10. It stops at 7 I think.

So sure, you could TRY to get it working, but you may be in for a rough go of it. I haven't seen enough people using that type of setup to be able to mention any sort of success with it.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:41 am
by garrysimmons
My FIreStudio Mobile works just fine on Windows 10. I think the driver was just updated last month. Isn't this this the same driver that the FireStudio uses?

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:47 am
by matthewgorman
Correct, the FSM works on Win 10, but the UC drivers do not include Firestudio in that version. Thats why I say you are taking the chance. If someone is giving it away, sure, give it a whirl, no harm can be done.

There are plenty of used FSP's, or FST;'s out there at pretty good prices. Hell, I have an FST that I could get rid of.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:08 am
by garrysimmons
Thanks for that info. I was assuming everything in the "FireStudio Family" would play nice with each other with the current driver. Is there a list of supported devices for the current UC driver that I'm using with the FSM?

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:28 am
by matthewgorman
The products I listed above, and also the legacy mixers like 1602, 1642 and 2442 mixers (no AI studio lives). The AI mixers will also work with a dual install of UC versions.

You could also look into a preamp with direct out capabilities, using the line in jacks on the back of the FSM, depending on the number of additional inputs you need.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:38 am
by garrysimmons
BTW, assuming the FireStudio Tube plays nice with my FSM on Win10, I'd be interested in it if you're looking to sell it. Send a PM or whatever this forum has and we can talk off-line. I already use the line inputs on the FSM with some boutique mic preamps I have (Daking, Earthworks).

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:59 am
by matthewgorman
PM Sent

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:58 pm
by ctreitzell
garrysimmons wroteI apologize for the newbie question. I did search and some reading but want to confirm the answer before spending money...

I own a Firestudio Mobile. Works great. I need 8 more mic preamps for recording my whole band in one shot.

Can I simply buy a (used) Firestudio and daisy chain it with my FSM to get the extra inputs?

Do all those channels show up in one UC mixer?

Any "gotchas" on Windows 10 x64 I need to be aware of?

THANKS!


I just set up a 2nd FSM today on Win10 Pro (1709). Read my other post if U r interested in my specific installation foibles.

Firstly, you need to consider your daisy chain like a single unit when you install it for the first time.

When you do get the daisy chain recognized, UC UI shows your daisy chained devices on the bottom of the UI window. In my case it is 2 FSMs. Labeling is a little confusing as they are identical. Drop downs have duplicate info too. When you launch the mixer applet, corresponding identical mixer applets display. In my example, there are 2 mixer applets with identical labeling. The device graphic on the UC UI highlights the current mixer applet's device focus with a blue shading.

In DAW setups, the labeling is also identical, so it is easy to get lost and maybe lose some time verifying source and destination routing. I haven't tried all the I/O yet...

There are some foibles... For instance, if you close the UC UI window, the only way I have been able to relaunch the UC window is by right clicking in the system tray... Desktop and taskbar shortcuts only work first time for me...

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 3:24 pm
by cristofe
The original Firestudio 26x26 is NOT the same as the rest of the family. It does not work with drivers newer than UC 1.71. Now then.....you CAN daisy chain an FSM AFTER the Firestudio. I have gotten this to work but really, if more channels is what you need, you're MUCH better off using the FS 26x26 with an ADAT expander like the Digimax.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 7:40 am
by ctreitzell
further to my earlier post, I did not previously cascade my 2 FSMs correctly. I have now successfully cascaded the daisy chain. Once cascaded correctly, users can name specific FSMs in UC and the mixer applets and connections in software (ie Reason) display the user inputted name for respective FSMs.

I have not yet tested the mic inputs as separate for each FSM, but I have tested setting up an FX return thru Reason and can confirm the outs are indeed separate :-) If you do not follow the cascading instructions perfectly, you may not attain separate devices and might have a mirrored install.

Now, that said, my experience with Win 10 verses Win 7 is that the UC driver is is not as stable as it is on Win 7. I have just set up a dual boot on my new i7 build to run some legacy software. When I booting into Win 10 today, FSM daisy chain was flashing out of sync :-/ Yesterday it was solid. I had to unplug/ replug the slave to reinstate sync...which did work. No such issues with Win 7, UC was solid from the first boot today.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:29 am
by ctreitzell
Just a quick note to the forum regarding FSM cascade and Win10.

Some Win10 updates are hosing my FSM cascade. usually, until the win update has finished, Win Defender firewall appears to block activity until said update has finished. Once the update has completed, I have been able to re-cascade and as normal operation is then reacquired. Very, very annoying!

I have 2x FSMs that are specifically labelled. Fortunately, the re-cascade does not require input of all the UC applet settings, but my goodness is it inconvenient!

Today it was KB4462918 that seems to have hosed my cascade.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:16 am
by klypeman
Is it easier to re-sync the master and slave via UC and switch from master to SPDIF and back for you ? Has worked with two Projects for me.

Re: Newbie Q: FSM + Firestudio Daisy Chain?

Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 6:41 am
by ctreitzell
I just retired my FSMs for RME UFX+

RME drivers are simply amazing; Total Mix via USB3. Turn the interface on or off and back again while the computer is on and it picks up where it left off. Amazing drivers.

I have had a good audio ride with PreSonus; but I have moved up to RME and Sound Devices 722.