For sure. I still use to this day the original Multiface and it is the most rock solid interface ever. Had it since 2004. It is like 20 years old and the drivers are still updated and will work from XP to Win11. Crazy awesome support!! The latency is really low.
RME's totalmix and digicheck software is second to none, dsp eq, dynamics, echo and reverb are excellent, loopback function lets one process software outputs and route them back into software post processing. Mute groups, massive amounts of clean gain, excellent clocking, near infinite routing possibilities, ultra low latency, what is not to love? I run a fireface 800, ufxII, and babyface pro fs, three generations using basically the same software and never with an issue. My radio station uses the octamic as studio mic head amp with aes out and the only thing that has ever troubled them is connecting/disconnecting mics with 48v applied, which has led to channels failing. If you can educate around this operator error, no trouble, ever, none. The best in the business, are RME.
except total mix workflow is constipated. even a programmer I know who is way smarter than me can't stand the way total mix is setup. If only they would update that
Yeah I love my ucx2! Regretted selling my ucx1 back in the day Only gripe, do find the channel input and output numbering gets a little annoying Like.. If there’s a synth or fx unit, that can take a stereo feed, it’d be more logical for me to have similar numbers on my interface Eg. Out 3,4 run to it and in 3,4 run from it This gets a little annoying with inputs 1,2,3,4 on the front, along with headphone output 7,8 on the front And ins 5,6,7,8 + the outs 3,4,5,6 on the back I find headphones being 7,8 is just a bit awkward… maybe if it was 3,4 I could mental block things together in groups of 4 or something? Basically only unit on the back with a sensible numbering would be using the 5 and 6, anything else requires leads from the front or some confusing arrangement… But like There’s ways to name inputs and outputs in total mix, in your daw etc I have an adat expansion The fact you can route anything to anything with sub mixes galore Low latency In the scheme of things, it’s really nothing I also love the Arc remote (Wish you could run the remote and usb recording simultaneously, but that isn’t a deal breaker, that’s just choosing which dessert to have after an amazing meal)
I had a similar journey. I used to use an Apollo 8 Duo, and switched to an Arturia AudioFuse 8Pre. Using a USB class compliant interface is just much nicer. It means it’ll always work, even with the latest OS version. The Apollo driver is a whopping ~5GB download, which is mostly because they bundle all their plugins and try to upsell you. Their driver also takes up a ton of CPU, even when you’re not doing audio work. I’ll never use an interface that requires a driver again. Like you, I just ended up not liking anything about the Apollo. RME’s interfaces look great. For now, my AudioFuse 8Pre has been amazing. I love the front panel layout. It’s the nicest and easiest to use of any audio interface I’ve seen. Also, the number of channels USB supports is just what you’re sending to and from the device. Just thought I’d make this point unless someone didn’t fully get it. You could have a 400 channel project, but if you’re just sending a stereo mix out the interface, that’ll be fine. I also went on a big adventure, trying out lots of MIDI interfaces, researching lots and even buying a few. Surprisingly, the best modern MIDI interface I could find was the CME U6MIDI Pro. I wanted an 8port rack unit, but after testing lots of interfaces, nothing was as good as the cheap and tiny U6MIDI Pro, so I bought two of them.
I get your point, but real thing is that Apollo twin has the best audio quality you can ever get, you can hear the difference when you record something on the Luna DAW, I don't know how they made it in UAD but especially in Luna sounds everything better than in other DAWs, I'm saying it from personal experience and if you have heritage version, then you don't need anything else. Only bad thing on apollo is there is no input for midi, which would resolve problem with buffer size, so it would not matter what buffer size you use for recording, because of no Latency. Peace
Look at the size of the interface, it’s made for mobility purposes aswell as desktop use. You can even record without hooking it up to a computer just plug in a usb drive and you good to go. It’s a Swiss Army knife.
I'm 9 years deep with a Fireface 802 and it runs so smoothly that I have no reason to not expect another 9 years. It's safe to say that RME makes good audio interfaces. 😅
Having worked in the industry , for many a decade, commission systems from Post production, Pro studios and some higher end home ones, It is without doubt, RME , besides the quality of interfaces, They code the best drivers in the Business... Not only the best, but also the longest supported.. When my ORIG 2 x Apogee FW ensembles have no where else to go, due to OS Support ( Yes Im still using them from the day of realise) , Il be going RME. That way, With the ensembles will be setup as 16 channel AD/DA's. Simply, Its not only RME's support of old interfaces, It is how good their drivers are... No One Comes Close on any platform..... IMO.
With UA it's all about workflow. If you find you use their real time emulations a lot - then there's no contest. Now, on the other hand, if that's NOT a requirement, then I don't know. Particularly for bedroom warriors, say you want to record some quick guitars through a "fender amp" without bothering the neighbors...UA's amp emulations really do the trick!
@@truecuckoo I've been using bitwig for the last year - I was a hardcore Ableton live user since like...version 4, but I grew tired of its dreadful UI, frequent random crashes, and the UI becoming unresponsive on basic operations. Both programs definitely share some conceptual DNA so the transition was kind of easy. Having said that, I'm not that invested in Bitwig, and am also looking into LUNA and Logic Pro as possible platforms once I finish the current album I'm working on. I'm particularly excited about Logic Pro and the iPad - thinking that could be the way forward, so I can have an extremely portable rig to come up with ideas using an iPad and OP-1f, but then having the ability to seamlessly transition into the desktop. What are your thoughts on LUNA vs Logic?
yea the one thing the RME can’t do as well as the Apollo would be auto tuning live vocals, which to be fair requires a plugin that itself is the price of a Tascam TA-1VP (hardware Antares unit with a channel strip) and still requires a laptop connected via thunderbolt with something to set key changes like some additional midi controller and setup.
Same… half of my rme is basically the most advanced FX loop system on the market. I don’t know of any other device that allows you to send anything to anywhere with unlimited parallel signals and independent levels.
Man... watched your video on your setup with the RME interface (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-amCpG7cQFpE.htmlsi=OuOoHc435TX5whD_ ) and how you created the "record" channel really opened up my eyes! Thanks for that
Despite RME looking dated af, and the prices being steep, I’ve never read one bad or mixed review about them. It’s always 5 stars. They apparently have the best drivers and very clean signals.
They are essentially known for their transparent mic pres and a/d/d/a conversion. If you had a studio full of outboard gear, RME is choice A/D convertor.
All modern interfaces have transparent preamps. Some have a lower noise floor and better dynamic range. That is it. You are paying for build quality, latency, and features with higher end USB interfaces.
I’ve been making music with a second hand RME Fireface 802 for five years. Literally zero issues so far, the sound is excellent and the routing is as flexible as you’ll ever need. 💎
Here's some more reasons I like the RME UCX II that you might not have considered: It comes with rackears so it can be racked, it can be run standalone without a computer, the DuRec feature allows you to directly multi-track record all 40 channels to a USB drive (makes for a great dawless/live recording setup when it's runs standalone) and last but certainty not the least is the most powerful thing about RME products: TotalMix FX
And it’s class-compliant, you can just plug it into your phone and multitrack some stuff to it - or route your AUv3 instruments through a bunch of outboard!
Does it come with the rack ears? Because I was minutes away from ordering them seperately as I wait for my UCX2 in the mail. I don't believe they are included with the purchase.
Consider grabbing the ARC remote for your RME. You'll get the big knob, lots of monitor control options, but the quick switching of snapshots without going into Totalmix adds a nice amount of flexibility and ease of use.
I have the arc just for the ease of use in my setup, the big knob just makes things feel nicer and it's an easier reach if you've not just using the total mix interface.
I have Logitech g13 for shortcut for every software i use from 3D to music of course all adobe stuff ,, and I’m doing arc remote thing before then arrived arc remote from since I had rme duet to fireface to ufc 1 ,,,, thanks to shortcut buttons are there from ages and uad still need implement the only things I I’m using thumbs joystick for volume up down off or switch for every volume if window or any daw, I switch shuffle between the module of bitiwig like ableton With same 😮thumbs joystick of possibility are endless of course dinamic of round pot is not similar but it’s ok for me
I got RME UCX II finally a month ago (they were hard to get due to shortage of parts) and I freakin' love this thing. For me huge advantages to name 3: 1) RME were DURec to USB/SSD = It can record a session (from modular for instance) without a computer. 2) Interface has DC coupled IO's so it can send control voltages to Eurorack. 3) New version of their Analyser software (DigiCheck NG) is a killer app. EDIT: Oh Yeah - runner up - Akai Force seems to be running pretty good on RME and it sounds WAY better.
Babyface Pro FS user here. Love the RME sound. The only thing tempting about UA was their plugs but then now they have the Spark which enable to run their plugs natively.
So does that mean you'd be able to run UA plugins using an RME interface? Also if you don't mind answering what 'natively' means in reference to the plugins. Much thanks!
I have two RME Digiface units that must be 15-20 or so years old. I use them with a Yamaha DM2000 board that I bought when they first came out so however long ago that is, is how long I've had the RME's. I love them!! Never a moments trouble ever with them or the Yamaha. They sound stunning together and latency is no issue whatsoever. Why do I still have them with all the modern stuff we have? I don't need interfaces with ipads etc so if it ain't broke, don't fix it not to mention I had a special computer built at that time around an i7 chip that was bleeding edge especially for recording and I upgraded to windows 10 and put an SSD drive in it when they came out, so it is still a smoking computer even now. I would challenge most anyone to hear the difference in an AB blind test with todays stuff. We reached a point of diminishing returns after the turn of the millennium, And I'm not sure the "improvements" are "hearable" in the first place and if they are, the minute they turn your song into an mp3, well you get the picture. But all that to say that the RME's in my book have no equal. At least not one that us mortal music practitioners' can afford lol! Even so they are a bit pricey now but If you can afford one, don't even think about it. Just get it.
I got burned with UAD stuff twice, no more. It's all just overpriced and not worth it, even their plugins. On the other hand, RME is awesome with the best drivers, and just their Digicheck alone is worth the money.
Got a UFX II with the remote a few weeks ago and this is the smoothest, most accurate, stable and flexible experience I could have dreamed of. And it will probably last decades. Absolutely worth it. BayFace Pro is also perfect for smaller budget.
I’m thinking about grabbing the remote, do you think it’s worth it? Does it allow you to be more immediately “hands on,” rather than having to dive into the software mixer?
@@PeterJaquesMusic Yes it's exactly what it does, you can set up 8 different mix presets (with the crazy routing capabilities of total mix FX) and switch between them at the tip of your hand. + the ability to mono, switch to other speakers, DIM etc. To me it is one of, if not the best feature of the RME interfaces.
great comp - agree w all your points and also the fact that RME has some of the lowest roundtrip latency in the game convinced me to returned my apollo twin for an RME Babyface Bro 3 years ago - never looked back since
I get the explanation about why USB 2.0 is still "enough", but... given the price, and the fact that the Apollo Twins have it... why can't RME just put Thunderbold/3.0 on a $1,400.00 interface? I mean, come on... this isn't new tech.
UAD (and Antelope for that matter) are only worth it if you want that DAW-like DSP plugin experience. If you don't care for that, RME (or similar brands) are the way to go. RME is also VERY big on repairs. You can pretty much send your interface (or other device) for a service even if it has been discontinued for years.
RME is great. But I think Ricky has misunderstood why people buy UAD and what they use it for. UAD is all about tracking acoustic instruments and guitars/basses. The UAD DSP-hosted plugins are dope, super low latency and phenomenally close to using actual hardware amps and channel strips. If you record a lot of vocals, guitars, drums etc UAD is a solid choice. If you’re mostly using synths/drum machines/samplers etc (either plugins or hardware or both) and rarely track vocals or instruments, UAD would be overkill and RME is a great choice. The other advantage of UAD is you get Luna with it which IMO is becoming a great alternative to ProTools.
The Apollo ecosystem is a love/hate relationship. If you give into it, it's pretty amazing. But it costs a pretty penny. It's all about the DSP workflow, and their daw LUNA has really taken it to the next level where you track with DSP and it switches to native processing when the track is not armed. Yes, the drivers and install is a pain but it's solid as long as you are on mac. I work at Microsoft and use windows every day but not for my UAD system, I have a mac for that. I'll try an RME one day. Also interested in the Presonus Quantum series for going 100% native for tracking since it has the lowest latency of any interface.
Got my Babyface Pro in 2015. Never had an issue, drivers are solid and latency is a non issue (although I wish the TotalMix software would be slightly more intuitive). Yet it is still going strong. If it ever needs to be replaced, it will be a Babyface Pro FS.
Great comparison! I love my Apollo, tho the "no cables included" & no MIDI In were definitely head scratchers... Enjoyed learning about the RME and its capabilities, plus that lil screen looks amazing!
3rd world country: wow a shit no-brand audio interface and a shit no brand mic, i can finally make sum music 1st world country: I don't like my apollo and neumann mic so i sent it back here's why
The Apollo is about the plugins, for heavy use of plugins so it don't eat your computer up and it is glorious. I got the Apollo 8 and for the cost it is a outstanding deal when you add the plugins at a fraction of the hardware that is being offered.
reason 2 doesnt make sense to me, at every studio ive been to that has an apollo interface its always run thru a hub, and the inputs on the back are combo jacks so u dont need to run cables from the front even if you have a patch bay And to everyone glorifying RME, the best thing about them are theyre converters, other than that its almost the equivalent of buying a better scarlet interface
Haha, I'm still rocking a Behringer UMC1820 after 5 years, still working well, sounds good to me too. And ya, they're still updating their drivers too.
I have both, RME Babyface pro FS and UAD Twin X..and I will say..the Apollo Twin X is PERFECT for my Mac while my RME is good and suited for both but I Love Them Both! The quality between the two in everything that I do is minor, RME is slightly better but ultimately, I love the integration of the Apollo on the Mac and how intuitive and 'smart' it is when using it with a DAW like Logic.
I recently upgraded to a Neumann MT48 from an Apollo Solo. What a difference. I record voice over, not music and the €500 or so I sunk into different channel strips and plugins were just not getting used. CVOX and the Neve DFC Channel strips are exceptional plugins, but not really worth the cost of having to deal with Apollo interfaces. I also found the interface to be unreliable, falling asleep on me a number of times and requiring me to restart my system, interrupting a session. UA Console also switches off randomly at times and I've often started recording to find it not even on. The UA sound and the hardware emulators are fine for a bit of fun, but I'm personally of the belief that, after listening to a ton of hardware/software comparisons, plugins are still not as good as the hardware and I think it's a disservice to claim so. It's better than nothing, and the saturation can be nice, but the loss of clarity and detail is not suitable for modern voice overs that need to be clear. Maybe for audiobooks and audioguides? Not sure.
I was at my wits end trying to record with my DAW and get stability and audio clarity. I asked in a forum (Reaper) and I heard nothing but good reviews. I dont have alot of money (I am a professional muician) but I bit the bullet and bought the RME BabyFace Pro . Game changer. So many issues solved. RME did the hard work, with drivers,cables etc. I payed for that and in the end I have been able to solve numerous problems. Is it perfect? No. Is there a curve? Yes. But are the rewards worth it? I say YES, emphatically.
Definitely sponsored video by RME... you can feel it, you can hear it... Sound from UAD Apollo DACs is warm and bright, and from RME is cold, dark and "technical".
Im on an M Audio interface that they stopped supporting 11 years ago, i have to use edited Windows 8 firmware to even get it to work. That RME is perfect and similar to how my M Audio is set up. I've been wanting to upgrade for a while but with the price of stuff I want to make sure it would last a long time!
Still going strong on my used Babyface, although it's starting to show it's age. RME is so stable with drivers and problem free I can't see myself going to something else anytime soon.
Hey, since you're not using the UAD Apollo X4, how about passing it my way? Think of it as helping out a fellow musician who's just getting started! :D
I recently made the transition from Clarett 8PreX to RME Babyface Pro FS and I honestly cannot see myself ever going back to anything else. the DriverKit driver (correct me if I'm wrong but RME is the only developer at the moment that has managed to come up with drivers that do not require you to mess with the security settings on your Mac) , the stability and the overall sound and build quality are insane. not to mention the TotalMix FX! pure, albeit quite expensive, awesomeness :)
UA interfaces don't make sense if the plugins are not being used, but sounds like there is some flutter echo in your room that needs to be addressed based on the dialog recording.
Had the UAD... and at this point in the game, it is a scam! Bought those Native Plugins for a lot of money, but they don't sound a tiny bit better than what you can get as VST or AU from Brainworks... Just Marketing hype! As an Audio Interface, the RME is not even playing in the same universe. Everything about it is WAY better! UCX II ftw!
Have used RME interfaces since 2005 and they are the best in literally every respect, from quality to stability, latency and connectivity. UAD make really good stuff too, with the added bonus of killer plugins, but RME for me is just more versatile and records very clean audio, maybe too clean for some, but for electronic music it's definitely the best. If you want a digital tape recorder to record acoustic instruments and you want audio with "character or colour", then UAD is fantastic because you can colour your sound with plugins. It depends on what your needs are. In 1997 I changed from multitrack tape to digital recording and back then the computer interfaces were rubbish compared to a good analogue tape setup. Nowadays that's not the case. RME, UAD, LYNX, PRISM, Apogee, Avid, Crane Song, Burl, DAD etc ........ and there are many more ....... are all amazing and if you have money to burn, well worth getting. My main setup for many years was an RME AES I/O card, interfaced with some high end AD/DA converters. This setup had practically no latency and was amazingly stable and gave me pristine sound quality. This gave me excellent flexibility and connectivity, where I could add more channels for my studio as I needed them. These days most of the companies which used to make AD/DA converters have gone into the 'HiFi' business, selling $50,000 stereo gear to rich old guys, as it seems to be more profitable than selling to a bunch of dirt poor musicians. So getting a high quality self contained interface like RME or UAD seems the way most project studios are headed, including my current setup, where I use an RME Babyface pro FS. It does everything I need, since I no longer need tons of channels to record live bands, and for plugins I added UAD 2 satellites, which gives me the best of both worlds 😁 Yes I love both and they play very nicely together, so you really don't need to choose. The UAD 2 DSP plugins have very low latency on my Mac and so does the RME. Everything is stable, and I run both Logic and Pro Tools and both work very well in this setup, as well as in Reaper, which I use occasionally. I find that 3rd party native plugins tend to give me the most grief, with some companies making consistently bad ones, which I know to avoid, and other companies make wonderful plugins which never crash. Again, you need to try stuff to find which works best for you.
The thunderbolt cable is a joke, no one at any studio seems to have one. And the locking power cable is prone to breaking, then you’ll have a broken power input on your interface rather than the power cable just falling out. Then you have to deal with UAD forcing you to download all their plugins that you don’t even own just to run the driver.. wtf
I've got a big boy Apollo and I love it. The direct no latency monitoring is great for things I record in my home, but the absolutely killer feature for me is the DSP. I'd say that if you have no plans on using that DSP with UAD plugins, then there are plenty of interfaces out in the world that will work just as well. If and when I ever build out a new system with different converters I'll have to get a few UAD Satellites to keep my plugins. Though with the addition of many plugins into the UADx lineup that run natively that might change, but for now many of them are just too valuable to me.
RME is pinnacle no-nonsense straight-to-the-point highend design. As many stated : totalmix is insanely powerful and so bloody intuitive. I had an Apollo for a while, the routing matrix was hell
Best sound for the money for sure! The virtual mixer from RME allows for really good routing likewise the Apollo but cheaper and more focus to what matters ;)
6 years with my UCX Mk1 and it's actually been ON the entire time except for when the power goes out, or the couple times i moved. Never given me an issue one. I love Total FX. I'm runningit on USB2, but yet i can still run this thing at 64 samples with no hiccups. massive sessions. The best drivers in all the audio interface world. I was gonna buy the Mk2 but, hell, why would I? It works perfectly.
Nice video. I ditched a big Apollo 8 for a MOTU Ultralite Mk5 and it's been way better. DC coupled outputs! On the point about the Apollo needing a dedicated port: with a Thunderbolt dock like the Caldigit TS4 or TS3+, you can use a single cable, because they use Thunderbolt rather than USB and have Thunderbolt ports on them. They also have USB ports for connecting other stuff: displays, hard drives, MIDI controllers. In this scenario you'd only need to use a separate port on your Mac if you max out the bandwidth of the first Thunderbolt port. They can also charge the computer. They're a bit expensive, but it's pretty nice to be able to just put your laptop on the desk and plug in a single cable that does everything.
I bought my first Fireface back in 2008. Still working flawlessly today, Never had ANY issue. Just bought the UCXII and the dsp comp, gate, delay, reverb are just a gift from heaven. I also use it as a mixing desk for rehearsals, the routing is astonishing and as I always said, there is just no comparison to anything Apollo apart branding. I'm not even mentioning converters, how it handles jittering or how you can record 16 channels at once on anything usb pluged directly to its usb 2 conector on the back, all stand alone, no lap top or anything. Besides, the 1496 UA plugin really sucks.
Thanks for somebody putting RME in the mainstream spotlight......the reliability on them is top notch....have a babyface pro FS and because it's so damn good, some days I fear should I buy a B audio interface and use that to avoid messing the RME
Right out of the gate the vibe is UA is the Apple of interfaces. Really polished hardware/software - pricey - the one you see in all the influencer / marketing / stock photos; great if it works with your setup but caveats. RME on the other hand is the feature filled, tank of a product that while it might look more utility / industrail - it has every feature you want and more. The one big gap in my music creation is the interface/mixer/routing - as I don't have dedicated space to have gear out, it stays on shelves and comes out to play individually. But when I move (eventually :P) - that'll change! Your video and loopop's recent audio routing video mention RME with praise, so certainly something to look at! Thanks Ricky!
Actually I had an Apollo X6 and an RME Digiface USB with 5 Behringer ADA 8200. Best of all worlds. Clean sound always. I used to use RME Fireface 400 for a decade before I switched to UAD. I still think I could be super happy with an RME UFX+ and two Ferrofish A16, but that would be much more expensive aaaand… honestly, not a bit step upword in terms of perceived converted sound if you are using dusty analog synths like I do. And even in that case I’d keep the Apollo just for the sake of good UAD plugins and Unison. Or even could be happy with the X6, if I was buying two X16… with this greedy step of UAD that is out of question. They could still sell the bare core version, but instead they only offer you the Heritage version with plugins you may already own. Very greedy and shady marketing. At the end of the day, I’m happy with my setup of the German engineered background with the fancy US foreground. Especially that Mac is able to create one aggregate soundcard and make it seamless. Just enjoy what you have and what you need. 🎉
I've just purchased a Fireface UCX II and love it. It's more solid and enables me to run Logic Pro without Rosetta. I still rely on UAD plugins so I'll be selling my Apollo x6 and replacing it with a Satellite accelerator, which at least has a smaller footprint and can be tucked away.
Apple needs to get out of the music industry because they have been isolating it as well as video when it has always been other systems that had more flexibility more power to create with the flexibility of the instruments tools plugins and compatibility of systems. The RME is overpriced also. I cannot find a reason to pay that much Money when I can buy a digital 01 V console back in the days Brand New having tons of technology mechanical and software parts. How can they honestly even come close to justifying these prices? The core function of these devices is to record and switch High quality audio but how high can they go? They have no special audio chips there's really nothing to enhance your audio to make it even a box worth mentioning. At least with the protools systems you're guaranteed that on the board you have a chip that adds punch and definition. You run audio through a avid board and you're getting a difference at the other end like Bose does.
I been an apollo guy for 10 years now and i TOTALLY understand your decision. Features aside RME just makes a damn good converter. Clean, crisp, quality.
Congrats to you!! In 2019 I wanted a new interface but I didn’t know which one to buy. My boyfriend (now husband) purchased the RME Babyface Pro as a birthday gift. It was the best interface that I had used. Later on, I got a bunch of synths & a preamp & bought a mixer to support the channels. I noticed a quality drop but didn’t think much of it. I then had to switch back to just the Babyface Pro for a session and was floored by the conversion I was sacrificing by using the mixer for extra inputs. The mixer was muddying up the sound, especially what was coming out the monitors/outputs. After that, I didn’t even want to use ADAT (via a 8Ch external non RME preamp) for the extra ins & outs so I ended up getting the UFX II 😂! I’m grateful that I was introduced to RME. The converters are top notch & make a difference. And customer service is superb!! Enjoy 😊 (Edit 12/23 - I’m using ADAT w/ Focusrite Pres, which was a gift, going into the RME & it sounds great).
I feel you! I bought a Mehringer 8 channel ADDA in order to expand my Babyface. Sent it back right after the first test, it sounded sooo bad when compared to the RME unit.
I’ve got a Behringer ADAT to expand my set up to allow me to route my audio to outboard gear and so far, I’ve not noticed the lack of quality, but maybe I need to do some more stringent tests
@@alfieholloway Ironically, I've used various Behringer mixers in live settings and they sounded good/clean in those settings. The 16-Ch mixer that I had was from PreSonus and wasn't inexpensive, but admittedly was in their budget-friendly range. It was more of a live mixer so I don't think they put good converters in it. The extra input channels and external fader control is what appealed to me mostly for routing my synths & keyboards. I'm sure the ADAT solutions on the RME interfaces are great. In my PreSonus mixer scenario I was using the Ins AND Outs which sounded muddy in comparison. I was just so impressed with RME when I switched back, that I went full throttle for the UFX II lol. In your scenario, it sounds like you're using clean external inputs/preamps via ADAT, but using the RME (TotalMix) for routing and conversion. So the final sound is coming through the RME interface (converters), which would still sound great. Happy Recording🙂 👍
I have an RME Fireface 800. I use it with an Apple M1 Max machine. Works great. I will use this for as many years as I can. I just needed several adapters to get the 800 firewire cable plugged in, and RME did a great job providing some support to make sure Fireface 800 users could still use the product. Amazing company and I will certainly buy from RME again when the day comes to add to my setup.
I show up to 4 different studios. With my Mac and Apollo. I can run the I/o for hardware with ua mixer and control all studios with it. Rme is fine if you just sit at home or something
I pretty much had the exact same experience. Apollo is good but RME is just on their own planet when it comes to driver stability. When their USB outperforms most competitor's TB solutions in latency and stability, that really says something. I actually run my apollo solo into my UCX II and use it like a channel strip. Works great!
@@yahboytroy_300 Just run the TRS (monitor) outs directly into the TRS inputs of the RME. You keep both devices hooked up to the computer. Use the RME as your interface in the DAW and control the Apollo with the UA software the same way you always would. The only downside to this approach is you can't use the UAD effects in monitor mode. Since you're capturing the analog out, the effects will be there. But that's no different than if you were using a hardware effects chain :)
Have not been doing music for a couple of years…your channel popped up on my viewing list after checking out some new synths.. Nice to see you have blown up. When I used to watch your reviews you had like 10k.
This inspired me to dig out my old HDSP PCI card and Multiset (the Steinberg-branded Multiface I) I bought sometime in 2011. Installed the latest drivers, got a Startech PCI-PCIe adapter, and the thing works like it did the last time I used it circa 2014. I've been fighting noise issues with my Apollo Twin USB (constantly having to re-plug the USB connection to get rid of some sort digital noise/gound loop). The RME is dead quiet, rock solid, and runs a 64 sample buffer @48kHz while live monitoring multiple effects on multiple tracks in Reaper or Ableton like its nothing. So much for the march of technology. Oh, and UAD plugins are a scam.
I was really interested to see what points would have and this is honestly disappointing. The points you made line up with a person I would expect to have a windows guy. Universal ecosystem is very similar to apples so it’s extremely weird hearing you talk about basically lack of ports on the Apollo. The fact that we just blow right pass the fact that you get emulation of $5,000, $10,000+ pieces of equipment in REAL-TIME is complete disrespectful. I was looking to hear that the RME at least offered all the same emulation plus all the bells and whistles. Sure you have to pay for the plugins with Apollos but honestly WTF more do you want when you have a digital version of a $500,000 dollar studio. Don’t talk to me about native this native that because tracking with your plugins and that being the starting point of your recording hits all the way different. This RME IS the Mount Rushmore of Scarlet interfaces. It should never be compared to Apollos because they are entirely different pieces! Apollos are technically interface but really an analog emulator so you have your music studio in your bag on the go. This here is not a music studio dispute being able to record. Someone make a video with better points and sell this to me please. I think this interface is for the Rolls Royce for music producers but for someone who does both recording and mixing engineering plus production ITS APOLLO ALL DAY !
TotalMix is in every way superior than UAD Console. The new Room EQ is awesome (no more Sonarworks). The only con is headphone amp is much quieter than on Apollo interfaces.
If you can notice the difference between Apollo and RME, then for sure you know how bad the new Akai MPC converters are, it is that simple. You guys who are in touch with so many companies should let Akai for sure know that they are making sub par converters, that is why so many great producers are ringing the alarm bell on Akai. It is like that old techno song, "The Jokes on you".
