Question

Hello, our church has an RM32AI. We’ve had a lot of problems with losing WiFi communication with the mixer. No control ability at all when this happens. This last week, it’s happened again. I’m past, re-installing firmware has helped, but not this time. We typically run Ethernet to a router and then iMac, iPads and phones for mixing and monitors control. Usually as last resort, I can FireWire a MacBook into the RM32AI and mix from backstage. This time - nope. Ethernet = UC can’t find the mixer at all. FireWire = occasionally can find the mixer, but low data transfer rate, extreme latency and drops connection after a little while. Only way to run this morning was to use USB WiFi adapter, but it’s also not ideal.  Bandwidth is low. Knowing that USB falter is working and having tested about everything else - I’m pretty sure the issue is the option card (Ethernet/FireWire) but how can I run a true diagnostic to know if it’s component failure or if it’s software (firmware interface to the option card) that is the issue? Any help?  Thank you all!

Answer 1

Which firmware version are you using on the RM32AI? Is UC Surface in the Mac fitting to firmware? Are all mobile devices using the same version of QMix or UC Surface? Do you use static or dynamic IP addresses? Is the router a dual-band router? Does the router boot fully BEFORE the mixer is powered on? Have you tried to zero out the mixer or performed a factory reset? Are you using scenes or do you just continue with the mixer's settings? Is the option card really fitting in the slot and not loose? Are the FireWire still slots ok (not pushed inside)? Any problems with electricity? Is the cable to the router ok / did you try another cable?

Sorry - so many questions, but there can be many reasons for your problems. The RM mixers are not really known for technical problems. And to answer your question: No, there is no diagnosis tool indicating what is wrong with your mixer and system.

Answer 2

Hi, thank you for all the questions. Brief answer, yeah, we’ve tired all of that.  This time, just bought a new router, too. We’ve reinstalled firmware, tried 9244 and 13731 release versions, have tried using the newest version of UC and Surface (3.0.1) and tried a computer with 2.8. All dead. Only way to get a signal was to use the FireWire to help set up the WiFi dongle. Was a bit tenuous because of the flaky connection. Pulled the option card and reinstalled a couple times to make sure it’s got a good contact. No dice. The fact that I can’t get communication to the Ethernet and poor on FireWire side says to me card failure or software communication to card is failing. From the time we’ve gotten this board, it’s been nothing but trouble with dropping all network communications. Being a rack-mount, that’s he only way we can run a show. The fact that there’s no failsafe in this board is really disappointing. Isn’t that the number one thing a sound mixer needs to do? Not fail in a show?  Not this one.  One question for the community - if we get a CS18, is there a way to have it act as a fail-safe? AVB?  Dante?  Ethernet should be good, unless the option card fails...

Answer 3

Yes, that's all that we as users can do. A factory reset probably will not change anything. This looks like a technical defect either of the option card or something else inside the mixer. Open a ticket via your Presonus account and ask support for help. Something needs to be repaired.

A CS18AI is no solution, because it is NO MIXER. It's nothing else than a physical controller for UC Surface (computer, tablet). The six audio lines via AVB switch are the four inputs of the CS18AI and a mirror of the RM32AI's headphone section. There is no way to get audio INPUTS and RETURNS to and from the CS18AI. A better solution would be a StudioLive AI console at FOH and using the RM32AI as stagebox or monitor mixer, but also this combination is not failsafe. The only "safe" approach is using redundant digital signals, which means two mixers and two networks...