If, however, I then turn my XS off, the driver immediately loads and is visible.

Ok, now still trying to understand what you mean when you say turning OFF the Rack XS makes the driver immediately load. (?)

Hi:

What I mean is, if I turn on the computer while the XS is turned on, the Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus driver will not load -- that is to say, that it does not appear in the list of sound drivers and neither will the associated control panel work; no matter how long I leave that configuration running.

As soon as I turn the XS off, however, the usual Windows connect sound is heard and the Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus driver appears in the list of drivers and the associated control panel will work as well. That's as clear as I know how to make it.

I am thinking that I have a hardware failior either in the synth or the FW16e.

Thanks all over the place.

Okay. So clearly your computer cannot detect, nor is it looking for any connected devices. It's like completely unaware that the FW port is connected to anything (perhaps it is doing other tasks)... who know!?! I'm not a Windows guru. I don't see this as a major problem because we can wake it up in other ways. So let's go back and try what I've been trying to get across.

Power ON, your computer, first. Let it completely launch. Once it is on and running, then "Hot Wire" the Motif-Rack XS... This means connect the FW cable to the FW16e (Motif-Rack XS already powered On) while the computer is already running.

Double click the item that appears in the DEVICE MANAGER's Sound, Video and Game Controller list... "Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus"
The properties window should open and report on the driver.

Let us know. We have a few more things we can try.

Bad Mister:

OK, I followed your instructions.
Here is, I hope, the requested information:

General Tab Driver Tab Details Tab
Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus
Driver Date: 9/12/2013
Driver Version: 1.5.0.0
Device type: Sound, video and game controllers
Manufacturer: Yamaha Corporation
Location: on 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller
(Legacy)
Device status group box
This device is working properly.

Excellent. This now confirms the Driver is installed and is working properly. It means we don't have to waste time and effort reinstalling the driver, or worry that the computer cannot run or handle this driver.

It does mean, however, that we cannot be sure about anything else. Still on our suspect list are the FW cable itself, the FW16e itself or some unknown conflict, cause unknown.

Let's start with the easiest and least expensive route to troubleshooting: I'm 99.999% sure you have a properly installed FW16e because you can set the IEEE1394 Driver = FW. If it were not seated properly you would not be able to select this option.

Please verify that your Motif-Rack XS is not loading the Factory Set each time you power on. You can verify this as follows:
Press [UTILITY]
Select [Factory Set]
Make sure it reads: "Auto Factory Set = off"

If not, let us know.

Next suspect, the FW cable, although you mentioned it works for your Mackie mixer, we cannot be sure what that product does through FW. And you seem reluctant to answer any of our queries about it. So I will have to continue to suspect the FW cable itself.

When you "hot wire" a device to your Windows computer it is customary for a connection sound effect to take place alerting you that a connection is made. Connecting the Motif-Rack XS via the FW16e might even cause two connection sounds to occur ... One for MIDI and a second for audio. (But this could depend on how you have your computer preferences setup).

Your FW cable should be a single cable less that 4.5 meters. The shorter the better, however.

Try these... Then next we'll see if we can communicate with the FW16e.

Bad Mister:

I have just switched the cable to a much shorter FW cable but, no joy.

Auto factory reset is off: Every time I reboot my XS, the two settings in question, remain constant.

I'm not reluctant to talk about the FW cable: I guess I just didn't understand your query. My only point there was and is, that my Mackie Onyx FW mixer and my Tascam FW-1884 controller work with that particular cable. In any case, as I mentioned above, I have now replaced the cable with a shorter cable and nothing is connected to the Firewire card but the Rack XS.

Thanks all over the place.

I have just switched the cable to a much shorter FW cable but, no joy.

I assume "no joy" includes no Windows sound effects when you plug the FW cable in. That leaves us little options here.

As soon as I turn the XS off, however, the usual Windows connect sound is heard and the Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus driver appears in the list of drivers and the associated control panel will work

This is a big clue to the problem as far as I can tell. If turning OFF the Motif-Rack XS gives you a connect sound, it's fairly obvious that your computer connected to some OTHER audio device you have installed. If not your Mackie Onyx, or your Tascam device, then you must have some other audio device or card that *did* connect. I've asked several times about the Mackie mixer its driver, other drivers and/or audio devices you have installed, (attempting to find possible conflicts) but upon rereading this thread those questions go unaddressed - perhaps I wasn't clear. What are the other audio devices...? Do you have any thoughts on what the connect noise is indicating *got connected* (when you power OFF the Rack XS)? That would be a clue to the possible conflict. What connected? It's obvious it's NOT the Rack-XS, it's OFF! I asked about anything disappears from the list... Again looking for a conflict. The fact that the Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus appears only when you power down the Rack XS, is an indication that something is preventing it from being found (or is already attempting connection).

I cannot suggest that you disable any of your other devices, that is not my place, and I wouldn't, particularly because I don't know that it would even help - nor do I know what you're ultimately trying to accomplish. I have not tested every possible audio device. And I certainly don't know every conflict. But our support desk would have tons of experience with known conflicts... Seems to me you have an alternate audio card that is designed to grab ports and is not allowing the YSFW driver to operate.

Eventually you reveal you have a Mackie Onyx, then later a Tascam FW1884 controller, I don't have any experience with these and don't know what driver (if any, they use). If they are not connected, they should not cause an issue. I'm looking for or have been looking for some other audio device or card you DO (obviously) have connected or installed that IS causing the Windows *connection* sound when you power OFF the Rack XS. (Any way, that is where I would concentrate my efforts, if I were you.)

I suggest you call our Customer Service people (if you are here in the USA that would be 714.522.9000 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm PDT) and they may have some history on conflicts. But at this stage it is either a conflict with some other driver you have installed already (which you have not yet mentioned) or it is your FW16e. Either way, sorry, I was of no help.

Hello again Bad Mister:

Just for the record: with the FW16e removed from my Rack XS, I am still able to set "MIDI in/out = mLan. However, the option to set the "IEEE1394 Driver = FW"
is not available: as one would expect.

Cheers.

That is completely as it should be... Just for the record.
Were you able to speak to some one in Custumer Support?
By the way did you figure out the device that *connects* when you power down the Rack XS?
Do you have an additional audio card installed?

Hello Bad Mister:

"By the way did you figure out the device that *connects* when you power down the Rack XS?" I assume you are referring to the issue mentioned above in this dialog; that is to say, when the computer is powered off, and when the XS is turned on and connected via the firewire cable, and then when I turn on the computer, the Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus driver will not load. If I then turn off the Rack XS, that driver immediately loads up.

"Do you have an additional audio card installed?" there is an internal Intel(R) Display Audio driver as well as an M-Audio Delta 66
soundcard.

"Were you able to speak to some one in Custumer Support?" I did not attempt to go that root since I am pretty certain that, if I can't solve the problem here, it won't be solved by going that root.

It's looking more and more like I have a hardware problem with the FW16e itself. Anyway, thanks all over the place for your effort to help me.

"Were you able to speak to some one in Custumer Support?" I did not attempt to go that root since I am pretty certain that, if I can't solve the problem here, it won't be solved by going that root.

I whole heartedly and strongly disagree. While I have experience setting up and getting the most out of your FW connection, they additionally have a knowledge base of Windows customers with all manner of other devices that can cause conflicts EXACTLY like you are experiencing. I do not keep such a data base. Why you can be "pretty certain" is a mystery to me (and disappointing, really). Windows (notoriously) can only configure one audio system at a time... So a conflict will prevent "joy". To conclude it is a hardware issue is not only premature but nothing so far indicates that is the case.

Back to your issue... I would try disabling the M-Audio Delta 66 sound card (yet another wildcard) ... I suspect that it is reserving or is set to configure your audio setup via some automatic start routine. If you are not using it - it seems to be conflicting some how. It's fairly obvious to me that you have a conflict with other installed devices.

If I then turn off the Rack XS, that driver immediately loads up.

You keep calling it the "driver"... The driver is in place (we have established this fact), what appears on the DEVICE MANAGER is the Audio Bus... Which the driver will instruct your computer to use (when a conflict does not exist). Make sense?

Something else is preventing this. And it is not the computer's default audio system, but most likely something very similar to the routine that automatically configures the DELTA 66. Again, I have no experience with the Delta 66, if you will not call the Support people who may (or may not) have heard of conflicts with that particular device, then try temporarily disabling that DEVICE in the DEVICE MANAGER (You probably do not need to uninstall its driver, simply disable it in the Device Manager). If the mystery *connect sound* disappears my suspicions will be fulfilled and you can then go ahead and configure your system to use the Yamaha Steinberg FW Bus.

Good luck.

Bad Mister:

Thanks much for all your help. Just to be certain, I shall remove the Delta 66 card from the computer; if it works, joy will overrun the universe. If not, I guess I'll wait until I can try the unit in another computer.

Again, thanks all over the place.

I must work at being more clear in my instructions. You do not have to remove the card, nor did I say that. Simply use the disable function in your DEVICE MANAGER. Throwing the baby out with the bath water is usually not necessary. Simply disable the device. I'm I not clear?

Again, I'm not at all certain that this is going to work... You could make a phone call but you've stated you will not do that... So

Big Mister:

Thanks much. You were very clear in your instruction to simply disable the driver. I just decided to completely remove the card and disable all other drivers in the sounds section except for the internal sound chip. It did not resolve my problem.

Again, thanks all over the place.

You were very clear in your instruction to simply disable the driver. I just decided to completely remove the card and disable all other drivers in the sounds section except for the internal sound chip.

I was afraid of that. Sorry, I was hoping to avoid a situation where you disabled all other drivers. It's why dealing with some one else's computer issues is best handled via direct connection or in person.
To troubleshoot you can take one of two approaches... One where you begin by breaking everything down completely, the other where you methodically remove obstacles. I was truly hoping you would take that latter approach...

I was attempting to have you go one step at a time so you don't have to rebuild other items you may wish (or need) to use. In general, you should not have to disable or even remove anything when setting up a Motif-series unit via FW. What you are experiencing is the exception, not the rule. This usually works immediately. If there ever is an issue/conflict, usually the cause can be found quite quickly without any such drastic measures. Your computer was not reporting any major errors (typically indicated with either an exclamation mark or error message). So again this is typically an indication of a minor conflict in settings. This can mean some similar functioning device - a device designed to act as an audio or MIDI interfacing device for musical instruments or professional grade microphones and the like.

At any rate what is happening now when you "hot wire" the FW16e?
Is there still a connect noise when you power off the connected Motif-Rack XS?
Or did you disable your Windows sound, as well?