Haven’t even scratched the surface on TotalMix yet. It’s way more flexible than Focusrite’s Mix Control. Tracking drums with it for the first time today so I just set up a new workspace in TotalMix. Mind blown.
Depending on workload and computer performance you may be able to reduce buffer size/latency down to about to 32 samples/ 2-3ms. Raise it only when audio starts to crackle and break up. If you are using a lot of VSTs/CPU you may wanna keep it high. If you are using external gear you can keep the latency lower.
WOW Compared to this a Quantum 2626 latency is pretty fast! Probably along the lines of the RME. I was looking for another Interface and PreSonus dropped Thunderbolt on their new HD8 Quantum, but their drivers are not as fast as the older model. That sucks! Guess I'll stick with this for now. I have a real Amp running into an IR loader with some of the best IRs I could find. However, the latency can become an issue. I started learning how to run at 96 Khz but we'll see I guess I do have a really good tone man. And the feel is spot on! I have a nice cabinet but the SM 57 needs at least some volume to get a good tone from the real cabinet so Irs it izzzzz!
just picked up one as well, and in addition from the sound, the latency, & the power of totalmix, the longevity was a major concern for me as well. I researched and RME is actually still making current (updated in 2022) drivers for the Fireface 800, which came out in 2004! I've personally had 8 audio interfaces since 2001: SoundDevices USBPre, Motu 828, Pro Tools MBox 2, Pro Tools Mbox 2 Pro, Apogee Duet FW, Apogee Ensemble FW, Steinberg UR22C, Focusrite Clarett 4Pre. Of all those, only the Steinberg & the Focusrite still have current drivers. Compared to the longevity of most studio equipment, I find this just completely ridiculous. Especially when some of these (i.e. the Apogee FW interfaces) *sound* amazing, and I'd *love* to keep using them. I still have the Duet, and can manage to get it to work partially, and I *love* the sound of the pres. But I can't turn on phantom & can't use the line/instrument inputs, so it's getting retired. I bought the Clarett this year, & its sound & latency were quite good, but it wasn't stable with my M1 Mac system for some reason. I considered some other options, especially Antelope, which have excellent latency & really good sounding DSP as well. But finally, Antelope has a quite negative track record for longevity, after abandoning some of their recent products in less than *two years*. In short, I should have just bought a Fireface 800 back in 2005, instead of the Motu 828. I'd still be using it, most likely. So, learning from my mistakes... I sincerely hope & believe that in 2040 I'll still be using the RME, with current drivers.
I had an Motu 828.. when that went down I bought the RME UFX ..just recapped it for like 100 bucks last year .. I bought Focusrite to replace IT but sent it back and fixed the rme ..it was easy .. I missed total mix too much ..I have the first version UFX.. still love it
Excellent review. Much appreciate it. Would love your opinion. I own an Apollo X8 and now going through the “bug’ of even considering swapping out my X8 for the RME reviewed here. Would appreciate any opinions and advice.
Not nearly as many preamps on the RME and obviously no DSP or Unison preamps. I think they’re two very different units for very different use cases. And as a LUNA user myself I’d call it a toss up at best.
question: i want to connect the apollo x6 to the ufx ii and use the ad/da of the ufx ii so i can record with the unison plugin with the ad/da of the rme is it possible to do this?
Hello! I bought this card, but I noticed if I shake it a little, or turn my feet on my head, so that the sound sounds there, as if the shaker is not loud! This is fine? what could it be?
Would you take this over the Motu Ultralite MK5?! I mean they’re kind of the same and one is just cheaper with the exact same features other than Jitter Immunity that the RME has and yeah…Latency are about the same though. Did you find the RME UCX ii in stock or did you order one and how long did it take for you to get one?
Really just depends on your budget and needs. I wouldn't say latency is the same, its substantially lower on the RME. For instance, Julian Krause pulled the numbers for the MK5. At 48k/64 its 6.9ms. The RME is 4.3ms. That's nearly 40% faster. When you're trying to perform live with plugins, 40% is a big deal. The Motu has lots of the same features, though, more outputs, and is definitely the more cost effective option. I'd still go with the RME because of the quality of the drivers and the longevity of support that they've demonstrated, they're really committed to their customers. I didn't find the RME in stock, ordered it at Sweetwater and it took about a month to arrive. They were good about letting me know how long it would be before I placed my order so I knew what to expect. This is not just an RME problem, either, many interfaces are currently on backorder due to a global chip shortage...particularly those who use AKM for their AD/DA converters.
@@KeenanCrow Boy the RME is expensive hopefully I don’t regret this decision! I never knew that the latency does have an effect when it comes to virtual instruments….don’t you need a powerful computer more ram and a better processor so that low latency could be an effect?! I’m blaming you for making me buy this instead of the Ultralite MK5 just cause VST latency is very very very important to me….don’t set me up.
@@tuneunleashed primary thing is processor speed and the drivers. RAM makes little difference. But given the same processor, the RME is going to be lower than the Motu regardless.
What is the max number of inputs you can run at the same time? I've read the blurb and it says "40 channel", but can you record to 40 channels at the same time? If not how many?
hi i have a rmx ucx2 on windows 11 i have a problem if i try to vary the buffer size the sound in my daw studio one 5 deteriorates if i try to fiddle with the windows sound settings it resolves but if i turn off the pc and turn on the problem come back .. .i can't figure out if the problem is with studio one with the card or with windows...i'm going crazy.....can you help me thanks.
Two questions. 1. Can I record 30 microphones with ufx II somehow? Or only 20 with 4 built in preamps plus 16 via two adat? 2. What is the best preamp extension for ufx II from rme now? Two octamics xtc or octamic II? I understand that 12 mic will „leave” 4 unused channels from adats. Thanks
Not super familiar with the UFX line but generally any ADAT in will give you 8 channels at 44.1/48. If you need 88.2/96 you’re down to 4 channels per ADAT in. Each doubling halves your available channels because ADAT is natively a 48k standard so upsampling happens via SMUX. The UCX adds 4 channels via SPDIF and AES which are both indifferent to sample rate. UFX only has the AES ports (you can run them as SPDIF but there are no dedicated coax connections to add channels) so that’s two more channels at whatever sample rate you want. So at 44.1/48 you get the 4 mic pres, the 16 ADAT lines, and the two AES/SPDIF lines for a total of 22 possible mic pres. You can also of course add stand alone mic pres to any of the line inputs as well.
@@KeenanCrow To be honest, CoreAudio has gotten much worse in terms of usb latency with time. They now have something like "usb average latency" values, that can be evaded only by using TB. So there is a reason RME develops and supports their own driver. It's better to use it as it's one of the main things where RME shines in comparison to other manufacturers.
@@raviakber Midas is a specific kind of mic preamp. There are two mic preamps in the units, but they are more transparent sounding than Midas preamps are.
I bought an RME Fire Face 800 in 2006. It's still my daily driver.
I have had the rme ufc forever .. just recapped it .. still works great ..total mix is the best
Haven’t even scratched the surface on TotalMix yet. It’s way more flexible than Focusrite’s Mix Control. Tracking drums with it for the first time today so I just set up a new workspace in TotalMix. Mind blown.
Wow! Taking the studio symmetry to the next level!😮
I have the same interface. Powerful it is.
Depending on workload and computer performance you may be able to reduce buffer size/latency down to about to 32 samples/ 2-3ms.
Raise it only when audio starts to crackle and break up.
If you are using a lot of VSTs/CPU you may wanna keep it high. If you are using external gear you can keep the latency lower.
WOW Compared to this a Quantum 2626 latency is pretty fast! Probably along the lines of the RME. I was looking for another Interface and PreSonus dropped Thunderbolt on their new HD8 Quantum, but their drivers are not as fast as the older model. That sucks! Guess I'll stick with this for now. I have a real Amp running into an IR loader with some of the best IRs I could find. However, the latency can become an issue. I started learning how to run at 96 Khz but we'll see I guess I do have a really good tone man. And the feel is spot on! I have a nice cabinet but the SM 57 needs at least some volume to get a good tone from the real cabinet so Irs it izzzzz!
If you want ultra low latency, the most stable drivers, and longevity, go with RME.
just picked up one as well, and in addition from the sound, the latency, & the power of totalmix, the longevity was a major concern for me as well. I researched and RME is actually still making current (updated in 2022) drivers for the Fireface 800, which came out in 2004!
I've personally had 8 audio interfaces since 2001: SoundDevices USBPre, Motu 828, Pro Tools MBox 2, Pro Tools Mbox 2 Pro, Apogee Duet FW, Apogee Ensemble FW, Steinberg UR22C, Focusrite Clarett 4Pre. Of all those, only the Steinberg & the Focusrite still have current drivers. Compared to the longevity of most studio equipment, I find this just completely ridiculous. Especially when some of these (i.e. the Apogee FW interfaces) *sound* amazing, and I'd *love* to keep using them. I still have the Duet, and can manage to get it to work partially, and I *love* the sound of the pres. But I can't turn on phantom & can't use the line/instrument inputs, so it's getting retired.
I bought the Clarett this year, & its sound & latency were quite good, but it wasn't stable with my M1 Mac system for some reason. I considered some other options, especially Antelope, which have excellent latency & really good sounding DSP as well. But finally, Antelope has a quite negative track record for longevity, after abandoning some of their recent products in less than *two years*.
In short, I should have just bought a Fireface 800 back in 2005, instead of the Motu 828. I'd still be using it, most likely. So, learning from my mistakes... I sincerely hope & believe that in 2040 I'll still be using the RME, with current drivers.
I had an Motu 828.. when that went down I bought the RME UFX ..just recapped it for like 100 bucks last year .. I bought Focusrite to replace IT but sent it back and fixed the rme ..it was easy .. I missed total mix too much ..I
have the first version UFX.. still love it
great video thank u
Excellent review. Much appreciate it. Would love your opinion. I own an Apollo X8 and now going through the “bug’ of even considering swapping out my X8 for the RME reviewed here. Would appreciate any opinions and advice.
Not nearly as many preamps on the RME and obviously no DSP or Unison preamps. I think they’re two very different units for very different use cases. And as a LUNA user myself I’d call it a toss up at best.
appreciate you @@KeenanCrow
question: i want to connect the apollo x6 to the ufx ii and use the ad/da of the ufx ii so i can record with the unison plugin with the ad/da of the rme is it possible to do this?
what should be the number in the buffer?
512 ? 256?
Hello! I bought this card, but I noticed if I shake it a little, or turn my feet on my head, so that the sound sounds there, as if the shaker is not loud! This is fine? what could it be?
No idea on that one! I’d reach out to RME support
Would you take this over the Motu Ultralite MK5?! I mean they’re kind of the same and one is just cheaper with the exact same features other than Jitter Immunity that the RME has and yeah…Latency are about the same though. Did you find the RME UCX ii in stock or did you order one and how long did it take for you to get one?
Really just depends on your budget and needs. I wouldn't say latency is the same, its substantially lower on the RME. For instance, Julian Krause pulled the numbers for the MK5. At 48k/64 its 6.9ms. The RME is 4.3ms. That's nearly 40% faster. When you're trying to perform live with plugins, 40% is a big deal. The Motu has lots of the same features, though, more outputs, and is definitely the more cost effective option. I'd still go with the RME because of the quality of the drivers and the longevity of support that they've demonstrated, they're really committed to their customers. I didn't find the RME in stock, ordered it at Sweetwater and it took about a month to arrive. They were good about letting me know how long it would be before I placed my order so I knew what to expect. This is not just an RME problem, either, many interfaces are currently on backorder due to a global chip shortage...particularly those who use AKM for their AD/DA converters.
@@KeenanCrow Boy the RME is expensive hopefully I don’t regret this decision! I never knew that the latency does have an effect when it comes to virtual instruments….don’t you need a powerful computer more ram and a better processor so that low latency could be an effect?! I’m blaming you for making me buy this instead of the Ultralite MK5 just cause VST latency is very very very important to me….don’t set me up.
@@tuneunleashed primary thing is processor speed and the drivers. RAM makes little difference. But given the same processor, the RME is going to be lower than the Motu regardless.
What is the max number of inputs you can run at the same time? I've read the blurb and it says "40 channel", but can you record to 40 channels at the same time? If not how many?
Sure if you’re using every digital and analog input. You’ll need ADAT, AES, and SPDIF preamps to fill all those.
@@KeenanCrow thanks for the reply.
Background music? 😐
@@mind-brainstudio927 yeah why not? It’s fun.
hi i have a rmx ucx2 on windows 11 i have a problem if i try to vary the buffer size the sound in my daw studio one 5 deteriorates if i try to fiddle with the windows sound settings it resolves but if i turn off the pc and turn on the problem come back .. .i can't figure out if the problem is with studio one with the card or with windows...i'm going crazy.....can you help me thanks.
Sorry I run Mac, not super helpful on the Windows side. I would reach out to RME support and see what they have to say.
I wonder if the ableton latency reporting is truly accurate?
Tested for driver error compensation on both setups and got 0 so I believe it to be accurate
Two questions.
1. Can I record 30 microphones with ufx II somehow? Or only 20 with 4 built in preamps plus 16 via two adat?
2. What is the best preamp extension for ufx II from rme now? Two octamics xtc or octamic II? I understand that 12 mic will „leave” 4 unused channels from adats.
Thanks
Not super familiar with the UFX line but generally any ADAT in will give you 8 channels at 44.1/48. If you need 88.2/96 you’re down to 4 channels per ADAT in. Each doubling halves your available channels because ADAT is natively a 48k standard so upsampling happens via SMUX. The UCX adds 4 channels via SPDIF and AES which are both indifferent to sample rate. UFX only has the AES ports (you can run them as SPDIF but there are no dedicated coax connections to add channels) so that’s two more channels at whatever sample rate you want. So at 44.1/48 you get the 4 mic pres, the 16 ADAT lines, and the two AES/SPDIF lines for a total of 22 possible mic pres. You can also of course add stand alone mic pres to any of the line inputs as well.
@@KeenanCrow thank You.
What is the CPU of the system?
Is there a reason why core audio in “Driver Type” wasn’t changed? I haven’t used ableton in forever so not sure if it matters
MacOS covers everything in CoreAudio. Unlike Windows there is no need to change driver types between things like WDM/ASIO/etc
@@KeenanCrow To be honest, CoreAudio has gotten much worse in terms of usb latency with time. They now have something like "usb average latency" values, that can be evaded only by using TB. So there is a reason RME develops and supports their own driver. It's better to use it as it's one of the main things where RME shines in comparison to other manufacturers.
@@levanchikvaidze3519 in terms of class compliant drivers yes. RME drivers still technically operate on CoreAudio.
Does the Rme sound card have a preamp?
Two mic preamps. No phono preamp.
@@KeenanCrow Please explain the two mic preamps🥰🙏
@@KeenanCrow Is there no preamp like midas preamp in rme card?
@@raviakber Midas is a specific kind of mic preamp. There are two mic preamps in the units, but they are more transparent sounding than Midas preamps are.
@@KeenanCrow Can you share two mic preamps? Please 🙏