Hi!

So I got a brand new DSP 24 the other day. Installed smooth, no problems whatsoever, signals sound great, setup monitors and daw routing. Everything went smooth...
But, in VRM-mode I have no sound at all. Dead silent. Iv'e tried everything (and yes, I have the volume on the interface turned up). I have sound coming into the mixer, the meters are moving as they should. Everything looks ok, except there's no sound. Iv'e tried using all kind of sources. the Line ins, sound from the DAW and sound from windows... Nothing...
I've been in contact with Focusrite support and so far we exchanged 2 emails each, and I did the suggestions they had. But I feel it's just taking a shot here and there without any real idea of what might be wrong, or any organized error-searching.

I searched the interwebz for simlar issues but none so far. I think there are a few people here using this very interface and I hope someone can give me a hint that may lead to a solution? I don't think there are much more, if anything, to try in the Mixer Control, so I'm thinking there's something with the VRM software that doesn't play well with some setting in Windows? Either that, or this unit is just faulty from the factory regarding VRM. No error messages or lockups of the software..
It's just dead silent. When I return from VRM to normal mode the sound is back at once.

I have a decent PC. Intel i7, 12 gb RAM, fast HDD's and all that. I run windows 7 in 64-bit.
Really a pity, it performs perfect except this VRM thing. I would like to keep it, but why pay for a 24 DSP when I get a normal 24 cheaper? Oh, the DSP effects on the unit works as they should...

Hope for some feedback, even from you who have a working VRM. I'm on my last straw before it's going back...

Thanks!

You do hear something through headohone output 1?
When you turn vrm on headphone output 1 gets silenced?
When you turn vrm off you start to hear something again?

Wow, that was quick!

You are correct on all three.
Also, when inserting my headphones in Headphone 2, I have sound, even in VRM mode, but only when that small Headphone 2 button in the VRM window is not activated(Clean signal from the source, not affected by vrm). As soon as I activate Headphone 2 for VRM with that very button, silence there too.

So it's like everything works, except all sound that passes through VRM is muted.
Do you know if this VRM thing is only softwarebased or if there are some electronics inside the unit that take care of the VRM stuff? If it's hardwarebased the unit itself must have slipped through the QC at the factory...

A few screenshots to show what it looks like. The Headphone 2 outputs are muted here, but I've changed that when I tested Headphone 2 later:

Vrm uses the same dsp power as the reverb section. Does the reverb work?
Either way it seems the unit is broken.
Call the focusrite support is what i'd do now.
Well not right now because they prolly are asleep but as the next step.

Reverb works.
I have an ongoing case with Focusrite support. Their suggestion is to try it in another computer to rule out any possible miscompatibilities with my computer system. Next is to send it in for repair.
I have no clue where I can find a pc with firewire and a compatible fw chip in these modern days of laptops and ipads?

Anyway, thanks for your efforts to help, appreciate it!

You're welcome.

I'd say it doesn't matter what firewire chipset you have. It either works completely or it does not at all. First i had a pcmcia-firewire adapter that did not work.
No connection at all could be made. Got me another with a TI chipset and then all worked.
The last setting that is selected should be the one that is used when in standalone mode.
So when vrm is selected and used in standalone mode with no connection at all to a firewire device you won't hear anything through headpone 1 too.
Focusrite had such a good reputation before they bought Novation.
But after they got bigger their support lost quality. The same goes for Novation too btw.
They tried by hiring new staff, but the new ones can only repeat the stuff that the core staff tell them.

Today i tried to load settings to hardware while in vrm mode. Turned off the pc and disconnected the firewire. Same result, of course...
So I guess all hope is lost, the unit is broken. I will order a new one and return this within my 30 days return guarantee. Sucks!!
Still I feel it's weird that Reverb and the other dsp effects work normal while vrm is just silent?

In case someone else gets the same problem: The unit was faulty. I got a replacement and it worked fine, so now all's good...