Can't Get Sound from Firebox....

[lga5824]

Someone please help me - i'm about to pull my hair out. i have a presonus firebox synced with my mac computer. i have my alesis qs7 keyboard plugged into line 1 of the box, and my headphones plugged into the headphone jack on the box. i did not install the cubase that came with the box because i am using garageband. i set my mac system preferences to the firebox input did the same with the garageband software.

yet when i play my keyboard, i am getting no signal to my firebox mixer online and no sound in my headphones. i tried the same thing with vocals and a vocal mic and same issue.

there are no other input/output lines being used, just the keyboard and the box connected to the firewire port of the computer.

someone, please tell me what i'm doing wrong. can't even get the thing to give me sound and i'm supposed to be practicing the recording part! how frustrating.

one specific question - do i need to do anything on the mac with the firewire (enable, etc)?

as a note for FYI - the firebox connection light is solid blue, stating it's installed properly. the keyboard works properly and volume is up. one thing i don't quite get yet is the options on the mixer, but i muted all lines except for line 1 which is soloed. mix to headphones is checked and volumes are up.

i started a thread earlier with questions on how to connect, but in reading more, this seems to be the correct way. perhaps it's something with the mac or the software that i haven't done yet? on garageband, you have to pick the real instrument you're inputting. there is no choice for keyboard, so i wonder if there's a trick there. but then again, it didn't work with vocals either. i keep reading i don't need to use my PA head or speakers for anything, but then once in a while, i get that comment.

any advice would be greatly appreciated. i've tried all the suggestions i've gotten so far and no dice.

thanks!

[Monkey Allen]

If you arm a track in garage band for record, can you see any action on that track's metres? To hear what you arer playing as you play it you'd have to have 'input monitoring' turned on (I don't know shit about garage band so I don't know how to do that in there). Also, perhaps you need to stuff around with latency. Does the Firebox show up in control panel/ sound as the soundcard? Have you tried plugging a mic in and seeing if you can capture sound at least? Contact Presonus. They were helpful for me when I first got my Firebox.

[tojo]

plugging it straight in should get it recognized by the computer. try all the knobs on the FB to be working properly? you might want to read up on the software too.

p.s. quick question: are your running your firebox from bus power (is it turning on simply by plugging it in via firewire?) I heard that it doesnt start unless you use the ac adapter to "jump start" it.

[Monkey Allen]

I never experienced that tojo...my Firebox has always run right off the firewire cable. Still, could happen to other people, never know.

What's up tojo! Anything in the works? Me and me mate are gonna try "I'll Be Back" by The Beatles on Friday night. I've gotta prepare a drum and acoustic backing before then.

Anyway...back to the thread...

[tojo]

hey Monkey Allen!

I just heard that fireboxes didn't work with macbook firewire as bus powered and that you had to use it with an adapter (i think its just for macbooks though...i'm not sure) I found one on kijiji (the local classifieds site) and it was going for $300... what do you think? worth it?

i'm working on some recordings still..... i'll send 'em your way when i finally get them done (stupid vocal tracks)... yeah so let me know how that beatles track goes, i want to hear it!

back to the thread.... haha (sorry)

[blazingstrings]

Originally Posted by tojo

hey Monkey Allen!

I just heard that fireboxes didn't work with macbook firewire as bus powered and that you had to use it with an adapter (i think its just for macbooks though...i'm not sure)

True and not true. Some folks have had issues with the firebox not powering up off of the firewire port.

I have a less than one year old macbook and firebox and they work just fine.