Dear reader,

I own a Motif XF8, Motif-Rack XS and n12 Digital Mixing Studio.

My current DELL laptop is over 6 years old now, and I have decided to buy a new Windows laptop before I can’t find any Windows laptop with Firewire interface anymore.

I plan to use it with 2 Windows installations, so I can use one installation exclusively for my music hobby, and the other installation for my work and other private applications/data.

Laptop configuration:
Intel i7-4910MQ (8M Cache, up to 3.90 GHz), Quad Core
8GB DDR3L (1600MHz) RAM; can be upgraded to max. 32 GB.
SSD disk
Windows 8, 64 bit
So that should be more than fast enough for running Cubase 8 and add-in’s, linked (daisy chained) to the 3 FW devices mentioned above.

After reading several posts on audio issues related to FW16E and PC/laptop chipsets, I was interested if anyone has experience with the built-in chipset JMicron JMB380C.
I can’t change that built-in chipset to a TI chipset and I don’t think I can add a FW interface externally to the laptop.

I know the lists “Correct Operation Confirmed”:
- AGERE FW323-05
- AGERE FW323-06
- TI TSB12LV23 + PHY
- TI TSB12LV26 + TSB41AB03
- TI TSB43AB22/A
- TI TSB43AB23
- VIA VT6306

and “correct operation cannot be guaranteed”:
- NEC uPD72873
- NEC uPD72874

but I have no choice in laptops with FW. I’m happy I still could find this one. And I don’t want to buy a desktop and since all my applications are Windows based I am not open to buy and a Mac for Cubase, and a Windows laptop for everything else.

My question:
If anyone has experience with FW chipset JMicron JMB380C, please can you share that with me? I’ve ordered the laptop, but delivery hasn’t taken place yet. Delivery agreed for after 2 weeks from now.

Thanks in advance for reading and hopefully submitting some information to ease my mind on this chipset.

Sjaak

I checked available Firewire 400 cards for a desktop, as alternative if I can’t find a laptop solution, but those cards are mainly PCI (very old).
I found 2 newer cards:

Dawicontrol DC-1394 PCIe FireWire Controller
Chipset: Texas Instruments XIO2200A
http://www.dawicontrol.de/flyer/fl_dc-1394pcie.pdf

LogiLink PCI Express Card 3+1 IEEE1394a
Chipset: Via VT6315
http://logilink.eu/media/datasheets/PC0030A.pdf

Anyone experience with those 2 Firewire chipsets?

Thanks in advance for responses!

SjaakMotifXF8 - 26 March 2015 01:31 PM

I checked available Firewire 400 cards for a desktop, as alternative if I can’t find a laptop solution, but those cards are mainly PCI (very old).
I found 2 newer cards:

Dawicontrol DC-1394 PCIe FireWire Controller
Chipset: Texas Instruments XIO2200A
http://www.dawicontrol.de/flyer/fl_dc-1394pcie.pdf

LogiLink PCI Express Card 3+1 IEEE1394a
Chipset: Via VT6315
http://logilink.eu/media/datasheets/PC0030A.pdf

Anyone experience with those 2 Firewire chipsets?

Thanks in advance for responses!

I have ExpressCard with two FW porta and TI chipset.
But, nowadays bigger problem is a fact that it is almost impossible to find
a laptop with ExpressCard slot. That’s why I’m also considering to buy Mac mini
or Mac laptop for music. A lot of people on this forum confirmed that Mac should be
choice when you are using FW and don’t want headache.

Alex

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your response!

I just feel it’s not right from Yamaha to still sell today new Motif XFs with optional FW, where they say you can connect to PC or Mac, and where they advise a chipset which isn’t available on the market.

There are still a few TI FW chipsets available, but Yamaha let the users swim, and trial and error for themselves. But that’s not an option as you can’t buy a laptop, install applications to it, test it and then return it on Firewire performance failure on a specific driver and application, and expect your paid purchasing price 100% returned. You can’t buy a Firewire laptop off the shelve, so it’s custom built.

If you feel my frustration while reading my text, sorry, yes I’m frustrated by the lack of support by Yamaha in this.
After decades having worked on a Windows platform, having all my applications bought for Windows, I feel I’m forced to buy a more expensive Mac, or forget a feature I wanna start using and where I had to pay 339 euros for (FireWire card).

I’ll cancel my already ordered and paid built-to-order Windows laptop with built-in Firewire interface, as I only learned after ordering, it’s with a JMicron JMB380C chipset. I have no choice but to manage that cancellation issue and take the cost if any.

Yes, I can dual boot on the Mac, but I have a Windows 7 license, that should be sufficient for me, and Apple has blocked the use of Windows 7 and earlier for the MacBook Pro. So if I want to continue using all my already purchased applications I have to buy an additional Window license too.

I’ve asked Yamaha Germany if Yamaha is planning for a successor interface card, which fits today’s and the near future’s available interfaces, but that question remains unanswered.

I’m very happy with my Motif XF8, but not with Yamaha’s approach to this issue, including not communicating about it.

Alex, I fully agree that Mac should be the choice when you are using FW and don’t want a headache on the use aspect.
However there is still headache from the Windows to Mac change impact and the additional cost.

Bad Mister, if you happen to read my information, what is your opinion on that?

Thanks,

Sjaak

Sjaak,

You should not fill frustrated when you talk about FW issues. For instance, I have no problem with my laptop 10 years ago (Win XP and TI chipset) and mLAN16 installed in Motif ES. Than, when I changed laptop and move to Win 7, I have realized that I could use (due to the different FW chipset) only one stereo channel recording with lot of clicks and pops. Furthermore, MIDI communication was also with lot of interruptions. Since laptop has ExpressCard slot, I have bought FW interface card with TI chipset that was recommended by several forum members. The result was the same and I found that both integrated and ExpressCard FW interface uses the same PCI resources. Than I bought external audio interface…
I was surprised when after two years I bought Motif Rack XS with FW16. Since this card could only operate in new mode (peer to peer FW, not mLAN), it works with my laptop without issues! A lot of thanks goes to guys in Birmingham music store since they gave me possibility to test FW16 with my laptop before I buy Rack XS.
At that time I have read a lot posts both from Motifator.com and mLAN forums, but I coudn’t remember that someone had some issue with Mac.

Alex

Alex,

Thanks for your comments and update.
I’ll look forward to everything working well :).

Sjaak