Ultrastudio Express -> Lacie Little Big Disk -> Mac book Air via Thunderbolt Issue

Blackmagic Design

Ultrastudio Express -> Lacie Little Big Disk -> Mac book Air via Thunderbolt Issue

Posted by Chris Gane on October 3, 2012 at 1:34 pm

Dear all,

I think I’m going to answer my own question but thought it would be good to document this.

I currently have a camera with HDMI out going into the BM ultrastudio express. Connecting this to the macbook air (2011 edition) via thunderbolt gets me video and audio in FCP and Premiere pro cs6.

Connecting via a Lacie Little Big Disk (with 2 thunderbolt ports) so that the BM ultrastudio express is at the end of the thunderbolt chain yields a no signal with the same settings in control panel and pp cs6 or fcp.

I can see the drive – all works there. I can see the ultrastudio express via BM desktop video control panel 9.6.2 (also 9.6.4) and make changes to the device but no signal is received. Tried multiple cables, all are fine direct to the BM device.

It looks as though the Lacie is stripping the video or changing the video to a non standard signal that the pro applications can no longer see.

Has anyone else seen this as it would be amazing to have it all working correctly. I appreciate that this is probably not a BM issue but it seems as though a number of professionals use this site for queries. In any case, am getting another Lacie sent out to test it.

Cheers

Chris

Mike Mihalik replied 13 years, 7 months ago 2 Members · 4 Replies
4 Replies

Mike Mihalik
October 3, 2012 at 9:13 pm

Chris,

This is a configuration that should work. Make sure cable connecting Mac to LaCie , and LaCie to the BM are both Thunderbolt cables.

The LaCie should be able to drive any other Thunderbolt device.If you haven’t done so already, do try swapping ports on the LaCie.

Feel free to contact me directly at mike@lacie.com

Mike
LaCie
Chris Gane
October 3, 2012 at 9:22 pm

Hi Mike

Thanks for the input. Yes, both cables are thunderbolt 😉

Tried different ports on the Lacie – yields the same issue; a direct connection to the BM device = signal, going through the Lacie to the BM device = no signal (same setup in software) but the system can recognise there is a device attached. It’s bizarre.

My setup : Macbook air 10.8.2 2011 model

Thanks
Mike Mihalik
October 3, 2012 at 10:40 pm

Possibly a defective LaCie then. You indicated a replacement was on the way. Here are other suggestions:

One other way to confirm if displaymode pass-thru is working correctly is to connect a display to the LaCie:
– can connect a mini-displayport display with an ordinary mDP cable
– can connect a displayport display with an adapter cable; mDP to DP
– can connect an HDMI display with an adapter cable; mDP to HDMI

In other words, with the right cable, other displays can be connected.

Apple Thunderbolt Display would of course require the Thunderbolt connection.

Of course, make sure that the LaCie is connected to the AC Adapter and is actually powered on.

Yes, this is quite strange.

Mike
LaCie
Mike Mihalik
October 3, 2012 at 10:47 pm

Just to clarify:
– when BM is at end of chain, you can still see the BM device in the Apple System Profiler/Thunderbolt section
– can still see the BM device with its control software

–>> but cannot see the video back on the Macbook Air within FCP or Adobe?

Mike
LaCie

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