For the record: If you need MADI coax BNC connection, you can now exchange the SFP module to our new coax SFP module to connect it to MADI coax devices like DigiCo desks etc. Thanks and greetings Jan from FERROFISH
what are you suing to sum? im looking for 16 d/a fpr summing, wasnt sure if pulse 16 were "good enough" but leaning towards them.....only other option is 20 year old used aurora 16 which im not even sure if they can be connected to my summer..
Hi John thanks again for a very informative video. I have just ordered my RME UFXIII and Ferrofish pulse 16 MX including the correct cables thanks to you!! Keep on trucking.
You won‘t see the label „Pulse16“ appear in a TotalMix window ever, because ADAT does not offer active device discovery like DANTE does. Depending on the Audio Interface and the type of digital interface you‘re using you will have to send signals to certain channels in TotalMix. And keep in mind that the channel numbers of the MADI port differ from model to model. On a MADIface Pro the MADI channels begin with channel 05 in TotalMix.
Great video Barry! This is my setup aswell, but got two Pulse 16 MX's connected to my Fireface UFX+. Just recently got all this gear so now I'm trying to figure out how to calibrate the whole system so im hitting the sweet spot of my outboard gear. Hoped you would go through the "Levels & Gains" section of the Pulse, how are you setting it up in your studio? Since the UFX+ is only +19 dBu for full level, do you go High Gain or +4 dBu? And what do you set your levels and gains to then on the pulse? Sorry for the long text 😄
I use the RME Raydat with an A32. The RME also has AES and SPDIF which I connect to the Eventide orville. And since Pro Tools Ultimate now allows for 64 I/O I am in heaven. The only problem Ferrofish just released a new version of the A32...oh well.....i tend to only change convertors every ten years or so.
Black Lion Audio has a mod for the RME UFX (old version), I suppose they are probably moding the new one as well. I had the opportunity to try it out and it was a blast, paired with the BLA microclock you'll be in the major leagues. My grain of sand here. I'm thinking of buying the Lynx Aurora for 16 i/o, there are not as many options here in Argentina. Avid is definitely not an option, I'm moving out from there as well.
Just got my MADIface USB and Ferrofish Pulse 16MX. The fiber cable that comes with the Ferrofish needs to be rolled to get it to work with the RME MADIface. In other words, as it comes, tx is connected to tx on the devices using the supplied cable. Obviously, that doesn't work. Simply take the connector, I did it at the bigger end, and change the orientation so that tx goes to rx and vice versa. Took me a bit to figure out why I couldn't get the two devices to lock up!
MADI uses the optical style SFP+ networking connections / cables. My VSL computers are networked using those types of cables. Super amazing at 10Gbe network!
Thanks for this video. I am not an expert on A/D converters and actually not sure how they are used in the studio. This helps a lot. I like this unit's direct CV out capability. I am wondering besides that, how could I use the other feature to justify the price. I have 8 channels worth of gear, all 8 inputs are being used on my interface just fine and my ADAT input on my interface is already being used to bring audio from another computer. Thanks for your help, I learned a LOT! edit: also I heard ther eis an audio only version of this unit, an older model. Do you happen to know the exact model so I can start looking for a used one?
Hi Barry, i have just received my Pulse 16. i am new to the ADAT method and i would like to know how many ADAT cables in total should i connect to use all the outputs and should i also use a cable for the clock between my RME UFX and the Pulse 16. thank you very much for your video
Okay so for me it's between this and the ferrofish pulse 16. I have an rme ucx II which only has one in and out adat so I can only use eight channels if I go with the ferrofish. I do like that it has a headphone jack on the ferrofish over the black lion but it's unclear whether it'll be usable. The black lion is just enough but it doesn't have a matrix I'd have to use total mix for routing...which one should I grab? 🤔
I don't have MADI nor do I have the Ferrofish, I have a DANTE system. But I've found your video very informative and interesting, thank you Barry. I was especially interested by the Ferrofish, because I would need another 16 ins/outs for external gear, and Ferrofish have a DANTE model but it's quite on the expensive side, 2295€. Ouch ! How do you find the conversion quality of the Pulse 16 ? Thank you 😊
@@eman0828 Hi, thanks for the tip 😊but I already have a Focusrite RED16 Line, a Focusrite RedNet 2 and a Focusrite ISA 828MKII, and all this gear is Dante equipped. I'm not gonna change anytime soon, I'm 61 and I think, these babies might be my last purchase for my Home Studio 😊
Question so in the video @ 2:58 you begin to mention that ADAT 1 represents the black port and ADAT 2 the white ports. But on the labels themselves shows all the blacks being INs and the whites showing OUTs, was this an error?
I'm unsure of which way to go in terms of connectivity. It seems like there are way more options for converters and preamps in the ADAT format and they are also much cheaper. However, there's MADI, AES and DANTE to consider which seem much more capable 'pro' formats. I could get a RME digiface and a ferrofish pulse 16 converter and then an ada8200 for preamps (or no ferrofish and 2 or 3 ada8200s or asp800/880). I could get a RME madiface USB (£350 more expensive) and a ferrofish pulse 16MX (£200 more expensive) and I'm not sure about madi preamps. What advantages am I getting here? Then there's things like presonus studiolive III 24R which can act as an audio interface or work in conjunction with an RME digiface AVB. Then there's Midas DN4816-O which gives 16 inputs over ultranet - I'm not sure if this is compatible with RME AES or not. Also Midas DL16 AES50 and again i'm not sure if this works with RME digiface AES or not. What I really want is solid reliability that just works and with low latency. ADAT, MADI, AVB - i'm not sure what is best.
Thanks for the video.Pulse 16 is a good converter but the manual.... 😅... I need one information. I don't find it on the manual. The adat led flashing green to grey (with symbol). What does this mean?
This symbol indicates the acutal chosen wordclock source. This indicates not a malfunction or error. We‘re sorry if this caused confusion. Cheers Jan from Ferrofish
We designed the PULSE16 series for the „pro-sumer“ user, so we chose TRS jacks. Fully balanced and with indivually settable analog I/O level up to 20dBu.
If I have a ferro fish with 12 channels, and I connected to a pulse 16 and I decided to get another pulse 16 both connected with madi will show on the rne software ( will it work ? )
Barry I have a question. I have my pulse 16 connected to my Apollo 8 via Adat to use it as my insert interface for my guitar pedals to use them like plugins. I set it up in Studio One. When I use pipeline to send audio I don’t get any audio. Is there anything I’m doing wrong?
From your years of experience Barry have you ever had any timing issues connecting two units together with ADAC/Madi etc? This has always put me off expanding past 8 inputs.
Hi there Barry- how do you like the FerroFish conversion quality? I have an RME but it isnt big enough for hardware - and A bigger one is a little too expensive right now. How does this sound? I know you work with both brands
I’m trying to hook a single P16 up to an RME Raydat. I’m a little confused on how to do the routing. I have my converter outputs sent to a patchbay, and my converter inputs from the patchbay. Would I just set converter input to Adat out and converter output to adat in?
Hi Barry. Would you suggest a RME UFX plus or the UFX lll? Used w the ferrowfish & a Neve 5059 summing mixer. Am I getting anything extra using the UFX lll vs the UFX plus? Thank you
If you were setting up a new system, running 16 analog outs by way of a Neve 5059 summing mixer which farrowfish unit would you get? and which RME UFX would you get? Thank you again for your time.
Have you people ever heard of specification and price comparison charts? Go to the website and use your eyes to read. I did that last year and bought a III.
@@MikeRP3147 I ended up selling the carbon before buying the Ferrofish, but it should work the same. Just confirm round trip latency with the Carbon is good.
right now i am able to bring back 8 channels of the carbon to my console,with the pulse 16 i should be able to bring 24 back to the console for mixing,correct?
Yes, I actually sold my Carbon for the Fireface UFX+, even though the Carbon is amazing, I’d had it with Avid. The Motion 16a is another option by the way.
I am a visual learner. It would've been so much better if you had done this as a physical example instead of using the Excel worksheet. Way too confusing.
For the record: If you need MADI coax BNC connection, you can now exchange the SFP module to our new coax SFP module to connect it to MADI coax devices like DigiCo desks etc.
Thanks and greetings
Jan from FERROFISH
Own the pulse 16 for over a year for outboard summing and inserts on drum channels. It's fantastic.
what are you suing to sum? im looking for 16 d/a fpr summing, wasnt sure if pulse 16 were "good enough" but leaning towards them.....only other option is 20 year old used aurora 16 which im not even sure if they can be connected to my summer..
good enough 😂
For what, your psychology
@Barry Johns I am so happy that I recently found your channel. I love the practical knowledge you share and your honesty about products is refreshing.
Ferrofish is solid - I've had 2 A32's for awhile and the menu/GUI navigation is slick and simple
😊
Just got a pulse 16. This video was very helpful.
What interface are you using
Hi John thanks again for a very informative video. I have just ordered my RME UFXIII and Ferrofish pulse 16 MX including the correct cables thanks to you!! Keep on trucking.
Good video I am setting up a the latest Ferrofish Apro 32 Madi to a RME Fireface III. Same instructions apply. Thank you!
Great video !! It would be awesome if you could make another one on how the Ferrofish I/O appears in the RME total mix
You won‘t see the label „Pulse16“ appear in a TotalMix window ever, because ADAT does not offer active device discovery like DANTE does. Depending on the Audio Interface and the type of digital interface you‘re using you will have to send signals to certain channels in TotalMix. And keep in mind that the channel numbers of the MADI port differ from model to model. On a MADIface Pro the MADI channels begin with channel 05 in TotalMix.
RME are the best in my opinion, drivers rock solid and flawless
Great video Barry! This is my setup aswell, but got two Pulse 16 MX's connected to my Fireface UFX+. Just recently got all this gear so now I'm trying to figure out how to calibrate the whole system so im hitting the sweet spot of my outboard gear. Hoped you would go through the "Levels & Gains" section of the Pulse, how are you setting it up in your studio? Since the UFX+ is only +19 dBu for full level, do you go High Gain or +4 dBu? And what do you set your levels and gains to then on the pulse? Sorry for the long text 😄
Extremely helpful overview. Have one incoming to use with my Fireface UFX III and this is exactly what I needed. Thank you!
What interfaces could I use with this that won't cost a lot?
Just picked this up (regular adat vsn) to get my other 2 apollo X8s ADAT working. Now the hard but fun part, adding more outboard!
Nice Video. I have the pulse 16. And thanks for your explanation about the matrix. I am very happy with my unit.
love the b rolls! keep it up!
he je, ordered yesterday finally best option for synths, I argue...
This is what I'm considering it for. My keyboards.
You can just split those dual cables and use them as singles. I run 4 pulse 16 MX units with my Avid MTRX
I use the RME Raydat with an A32. The RME also has AES and SPDIF which I connect to the Eventide orville. And since Pro Tools Ultimate now allows for 64 I/O I am in heaven.
The only problem Ferrofish just released a new version of the A32...oh well.....i tend to only change convertors every ten years or so.
Thanks a lot man, much appreciated, very detailed and well explained
Black Lion Audio has a mod for the RME UFX (old version), I suppose they are probably moding the new one as well. I had the opportunity to try it out and it was a blast, paired with the BLA microclock you'll be in the major leagues. My grain of sand here.
I'm thinking of buying the Lynx Aurora for 16 i/o, there are not as many options here in Argentina. Avid is definitely not an option, I'm moving out from there as well.
Just got my MADIface USB and Ferrofish Pulse 16MX. The fiber cable that comes with the Ferrofish needs to be rolled to get it to work with the RME MADIface. In other words, as it comes, tx is connected to tx on the devices using the supplied cable. Obviously, that doesn't work. Simply take the connector, I did it at the bigger end, and change the orientation so that tx goes to rx and vice versa. Took me a bit to figure out why I couldn't get the two devices to lock up!
MADI uses the optical style SFP+ networking connections / cables. My VSL computers are networked using those types of cables. Super amazing at 10Gbe network!
How would you go by connecting the pulse 16 with an Apollo x8 in the UA Console? Via ADAT utilizing all I/O 16 plus x8 ?
Thanks for the info Barry! cheers
Thanks for this video. I am not an expert on A/D converters and actually not sure how they are used in the studio. This helps a lot. I like this unit's direct CV out capability. I am wondering besides that, how could I use the other feature to justify the price. I have 8 channels worth of gear, all 8 inputs are being used on my interface just fine and my ADAT input on my interface is already being used to bring audio from another computer. Thanks for your help, I learned a LOT! edit: also I heard ther eis an audio only version of this unit, an older model. Do you happen to know the exact model so I can start looking for a used one?
Hi Barry, i have just received my Pulse 16. i am new to the ADAT method and i would like to know how many ADAT cables in total should i connect to use all the outputs and should i also use a cable for the clock between my RME UFX and the Pulse 16. thank you very much for your video
I like watching your videos allot, where can I hear your Job Barry?
Okay so for me it's between this and the ferrofish pulse 16. I have an rme ucx II which only has one in and out adat so I can only use eight channels if I go with the ferrofish. I do like that it has a headphone jack on the ferrofish over the black lion but it's unclear whether it'll be usable. The black lion is just enough but it doesn't have a matrix I'd have to use total mix for routing...which one should I grab? 🤔
Love you barry
Love the review. Debating to buy a 16 or spending a little more for the ferrofish a32 pro. What do you think ?
Two short questions.
1. How is the overall stability, reliability.
2. How is the overall sound. Does it color the mix in any way
I don't have MADI nor do I have the Ferrofish, I have a DANTE system. But I've found your video very informative and interesting, thank you Barry. I was especially interested by the Ferrofish, because I would need another 16 ins/outs for external gear, and Ferrofish have a DANTE model but it's quite on the expensive side, 2295€. Ouch ! How do you find the conversion quality of the Pulse 16 ? Thank you 😊
Why not a MOTU 16A? The AVB stuff is cheaper than Dante equivalent.
@@eman0828 Hi, thanks for the tip 😊but I already have a Focusrite RED16 Line, a Focusrite RedNet 2 and a Focusrite ISA 828MKII, and all this gear is Dante equipped. I'm not gonna change anytime soon, I'm 61 and I think, these babies might be my last purchase for my Home Studio 😊
Question so in the video @ 2:58 you begin to mention that ADAT 1 represents the black port and ADAT 2 the white ports. But on the labels themselves shows all the blacks being INs and the whites showing OUTs, was this an error?
Yes😞
@@BarryJohns Whose error, yours or Ferrofish Manual?
I'm unsure of which way to go in terms of connectivity. It seems like there are way more options for converters and preamps in the ADAT format and they are also much cheaper. However, there's MADI, AES and DANTE to consider which seem much more capable 'pro' formats. I could get a RME digiface and a ferrofish pulse 16 converter and then an ada8200 for preamps (or no ferrofish and 2 or 3 ada8200s or asp800/880). I could get a RME madiface USB (£350 more expensive) and a ferrofish pulse 16MX (£200 more expensive) and I'm not sure about madi preamps. What advantages am I getting here? Then there's things like presonus studiolive III 24R which can act as an audio interface or work in conjunction with an RME digiface AVB. Then there's Midas DN4816-O which gives 16 inputs over ultranet - I'm not sure if this is compatible with RME AES or not. Also Midas DL16 AES50 and again i'm not sure if this works with RME digiface AES or not. What I really want is solid reliability that just works and with low latency. ADAT, MADI, AVB - i'm not sure what is best.
Thanks for the video.Pulse 16 is a good converter but the manual.... 😅... I need one information. I don't find it on the manual. The adat led flashing green to grey (with symbol). What does this mean?
This symbol indicates the acutal chosen wordclock source. This indicates not a malfunction or error. We‘re sorry if this caused confusion.
Cheers
Jan from Ferrofish
So Barry, I’ll have 24 maybe 32 channels so do I need the A32 pulse, putting all new system together….thanks…very good video..
Little surprised that it doesn't have DB-25 connectors.
We designed the PULSE16 series for the „pro-sumer“ user, so we chose TRS jacks. Fully balanced and with indivually settable analog I/O level up to 20dBu.
You need the Ferrofish Pro32A for that.
@@jangerhard4039 Can you hook up a db-25 summer to the pulse 16?
is the the RME box used ? RME MADIface USB 2.0 Audio Interface with 2 x MADI I/O
If I have a ferro fish with 12 channels, and I connected to a pulse 16 and I decided to get another pulse 16 both connected with madi will show on the rne software ( will it work ? )
Barry, I can’t find your video on how to make your own DB-25 cables.
Am I missing something, or does the video not exist?
I’ve been using MADI in my live jobs for years, I can see how it would be confusing if you have never used it!
Barry I have a question. I have my pulse 16 connected to my Apollo 8 via Adat to use it as my insert interface for my guitar pedals to use them like plugins. I set it up in Studio One. When I use pipeline to send audio I don’t get any audio. Is there anything I’m doing wrong?
How does the old ferrofish a16 compare to the pulse ? I can buy a used one for half the price of the pulse 16. Budget really tight😢
Thanks in advance
From your years of experience Barry have you ever had any timing issues connecting two units together with ADAC/Madi etc? This has always put me off expanding past 8 inputs.
Hi there Barry- how do you like the FerroFish conversion quality? I have an RME but it isnt big enough for hardware - and A bigger one is a little too expensive right now. How does this sound? I know you work with both brands
I’m trying to hook a single P16 up to an RME Raydat. I’m a little confused on how to do the routing. I have my converter outputs sent to a patchbay, and my converter inputs from the patchbay. Would I just set converter input to Adat out and converter output to adat in?
Best if you email me at barryjohns@barryjohnstudiotalk.com
Noob question. I have only one pair of ADAT on my RME Hdspe AIO. Can I use half of the Ferrofish Pulse 16 for 8 ins and out?
Yes
@@BarryJohns Thanks.
Hi Barry. Would you suggest a RME UFX plus or the UFX lll?
Used w the ferrowfish & a Neve 5059 summing mixer.
Am I getting anything extra using the UFX lll vs the UFX plus?
Thank you
I have not used the III so without doing that hard for me to answer. That said, I have no desire to sell mine and upgrade from what I’ve read so far.
If you were setting up a new system, running 16 analog outs by way of a Neve 5059 summing mixer which farrowfish unit would you get?
and which RME UFX would you get? Thank you again for your time.
Which Ferrowfish w the UFX plus?
Thank you
Have you people ever heard of specification and price comparison charts?
Go to the website and use your eyes to read.
I did that last year and bought a III.
thinking about one to connect to my carbon,but i am thinking avid is going to release a expansion box?
They will release an AVB expansion box at some point otherwise, AVB on the Carbon makes no sense.
Did you ever get the ferrofish and attach it to the carbon?
@@MikeRP3147 I ended up selling the carbon before buying the Ferrofish, but it should work the same. Just confirm round trip latency with the Carbon is good.
@@MikeRP3147 no
Can this ferrofish be used as an expansion to lynx hilo? Or is it only meant for rme products?
Any Adat equipped piece of gear. Remember to get all 16 channels, you need two sets of Adat on your interface.
@@BarryJohns thanks for the answer , my lynx hilo will only provide me with 8 channles of adat , which is a shame but i will do it anyway
To my surprise the power brick of the Pulse 16 doesn't have a grounding pin.
hi, do i need preamps to run my synths trough this converter, or would my synths have hot enough signal levels to go directly to puls inputs ? thanks!
The unit is designed to accept line level input. So connecting your sins directly to it, would work great!
@@BarryJohns thank you !!
Barry, Can ADAT Chain the same way as MADI?
It depends what you want to do. But if your question is if you can route ADAT to the MADI port in parallel to the analog I/Os, the answer is yes.
right now i am able to bring back 8 channels of the carbon to my console,with the pulse 16 i should be able to bring 24 back to the console for mixing,correct?
Yes, I actually sold my Carbon for the Fireface UFX+, even though the Carbon is amazing, I’d had it with Avid. The Motion 16a is another option by the way.
@@BarryJohns I was also thinking about the adat card for my radar,which would the cheapest route
What is a ferrofish? Why are you implementing it in your setup?
Ferrofish Pulse 16 - Outboard Hardware Wiring Plan
ua-cam.com/video/mkByW0dNAmA/v-deo.html
OK
I am a visual learner. It would've been so much better if you had done this as a physical example instead of using the Excel worksheet. Way too confusing.
check your channel for scam bots!
I’ve been deleting them as fast as I can
@@BarryJohns I feel for you