Thx for the info.
How are the mic preamps? SD quality or TASCAM DR - 680 quality or Micstasy quality?

I read here on RME's website that the UFX preamp design is like the Micstasy:

Microphone and instrument preamps of the UFX use the core technology from RME's Micstasy - a high-end preamp for supreme sonic demands and critical applications, like the professional recording of classical concerts. The fully symmetrical preamp design impresses with extremely low distortion, excellent signal to noise ratio and a perfect linear frequency response. A premium solution for transmitting and amplifying any audio input truly unchanged, be it high-level stage or typical studio signals, lower level and high-impedance instruments, or dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones.

Here are some clips of the UFX preamps with and without Black Lion Audio's premium modification:

https://gearspace.com/board/8611502-post238.html

They are different though, Micstasy have 85dB of gain and UFX 65dB

I just joined the UFX ranks here myself and I've been trying sort through and find selections for suitable DURec media. I was wondering if you could steer me in the right direction? Took your tip searching for 'AV class flash drives this morning and come up mostly 'anti virus. 'ScanDisk's search for example doesn't even seem to use it in their terms?

the difference here is quite subtle compared to their motu mods. i only just prefer it and wonder if that is because i now know which is which. interesting.

Is the mod documented anywhere? What to they change, in what must be a largely surface mount box.

Thumb drives don't come in AV models.
I use a Coursair Flash Voyager GT thumb drive. They're very fast and reliable.
RME's support forum has a thread or two where thumb drives are discussed at length.

Western Digital AV drives:
WD AV-25
western digital av-25| B&H Photo Video

Seagate AV drives currently sell to OEMs and wholesalers. Sale to individuals will probably happen eventually but I don't know when:
Video series (2.5 inch) ST500VT000
Pipeline series (3.5 inch) ST2000VM002

Black Lion Audio | RME UFX Modification

Ah I see now, the ref's were all re' spinning drives. Gotcha, thank you.
I ordered the ScanDisk from the RME thread, and now a second option in the Coursair then.
Thanks again

add..
Interesting how read/write speeds vary with their size. I guess that was the case in the earlier rev of the Scandisks in the RME media thread as well.
http://www.corsair.com/en/usb-drive/...oyager-gt.html

This is my approach as well. I would never go without some kind of backup, no matter how confident I was in the unit. But after very thorough testing of different types of intentional crashes I am confident enough in the UFX (as well as the FF800 I owned before) that the unit itself will not crash. Computers of course can crash, but also media can fail, user error could result in the media not making a good connection etc.

Importantly, full blown crashes are not the only potential issue. Momentary glitches and dropouts can ruin a session as well. This is one reason RME is so great. I posed about this years ago when I was considering an Orpheus:

https://gearspace.com/board/remote-p...tion-work.html

I should note that I did the same test as mentioned in the linked thread above with my UFX, including testing the DUSB function, and it behaves equally solidly as the FF800.

As for the Black Lion mod, I can hear a subtle difference but can't say which is better. So for me it is not worth it.

And the mod sounds surprisingly good. I was under the wrong impression that I am listening to DAV into modded UFX.

Has anyone run two UFX's together with any success as of yet?

I currently run a single UFX and will require another two ADAT input ports if I change what digital console I use.

I currently am running an LS9-16 and run 16 channels in and out of the LS9 using ADAT and then run an 8 channel preamp into the UFX and push those channels and the 4 UFX preamps to the LS9 for extra premps, with four digital channels left over for things like background music and CD player.

I am thinking of downgrading to a Behringer X32 if they release a 32 channel ADAT output card for it. Then I can run two UFX's into my Macbook Pro and two separate external HDD's for two independent recording systems at 32 channels of ADAT and a possible 4 more preamp channels as well as 16 line input channels and 4 AES/EBU channels. I won't trust any other company in terms of recording interfaces and the direct to USB recording function has saved me a few times already.

SO you can send different levels / mixes to each headphone output?

Yes.

I'm using a simple WD 500Gb USB HD. It's a from the MyPassport series:

Western Digital My Passport WDBBEP0010BSL-EESN, 2,5", USB 3.0/USB 2.0, 1 TB, colore: Argento: Amazon.it: Elettronica

Along with its protective case:

Western Digital WD Nomad: Amazon.it: Elettronica

Very robust combo. Tested it for more than 1 hour recording 12 tracks @ 24/96 via DUREC. Zero errors. No problems.

I use the same disk for Time Machine and it already saved my ass a few days after using my new mobile setup.

Thanks for the comparison files. I just listened to them with DENON 7000 cans on an Orpheus, and I think the difference is not so small. Particularly in those recordings with the Flute or the Violin, one can hear so much more ambience and air in the modded version. In the stock unit I still hear a lot of that "down-to-earth" sound that seems to stick to the membran of a loudspeaker. One really misses a lot of "air", and this reminds me of the FF800... The modded version is quite a step forward.

I've started using a new flash drive from San Disk. Bought it due to a recommendation from one of RME's engineers on their forum. I've yet to record more than 10 channels (24/96), but apparently it's capable of much more.

Extreme USB Flash Drive by SanDisk

A little more pricey, but super fast and easy to carry around!

I've recorded 24 channels of 44.1/24 on a JoeCo with these--worked great.

philp

I once used this when I forgot my laptop and external hdd at home.
USB Drives for personal and business use | Kingston

Luckily I keep a flash drive on my keychain. I have recorded up to 8 channels with it.
One time that I used it, I did get an error. It's good in a pinch but I plan on getting a faster flash drive instead of bring a 3.5" hdd.

Mine arrives tomorrow - wooooooohooooooo!

Have you had a chance to use it yet?

BTW, does anyone know if it's possible to power the UFX with this?

For those of you who've missed it: The UFX just went class compliant, so now one can record 22 tracks to the Ipad. I've only recorded single tracks so far, but no real issues. I had to use mode 2 for Sampletank though for a slightly higher latency than I'd want. Matthias also hints "And there is more to come!", which is not yet disclosed. I kind of figure they want to make a proper mixer application for the Ipad, but that's just a guess.

RME User Forum / Fireface UFX goes Class Compliant!

One thing that's a bit annoying is the latency of direct monitoring in Auria and other recording apps (Cubasis). I'd prefer a simple way of accessing the built in UFX mixer. You can save mixer configurations and load them up in CC mode though, which kinda helps.

Another issue might be that it always records with FX applied. In MacOS and Windows, you can choose whether the interface records the channels wet or dry. Of course, one could always use DUREC for this.

I didn't try the MIDI ports, as my simple midi controller only has USB, but I managed to get it working over Wifi (USB controller -> Windows 8 -> Rtpmidi -> Ipad).

The CC mode is a nice bonus feature indeed and soft synths like Sampletank, Animoog and others on the Ipad have never sounded better.

I dont have an iPad to try this but im wondering if the following would work.

In the UFX setup enable midi remote control through UFX midi ports 1 and save the setup. then connect to iPad and open touchOSC.. Enable touchOSC to use the UFX midi output ports 2 and then take a midi cable out of the ports selected in touchOSC and back into the midi ports selected in UFX for remote control.. Wouldnt you then be able to use touchOSC to control UFX mixer with midi loopback patching ?

I dont have an iPad to try it and ive never seen touchOSC only read about it, so i dont know ?? im interested to find out though.

Too bad it won't work. OSC is strictly network based protocol (from what I know, I'm just a user) and is actually used to control Totalmix. The UFX doesn't "understand" OSC, but Totalmix FX does and sends the corresponding signals to the hardware. In this case, the body doesn't work without it's "brain".

I do however believe you can use a Mackie Control compatible device to control the hardware to a certain extent over MIDI. That of course means no control of the compressor or EQ but they can be controlled via the front display.

I didnt think OSC protocol would work but i thought normal midi control may work using OSC app.. when i look at the OSC website it say it supports wired midi which is what made me think of it.. if there is any other tablet app that acts as control surface over midi in theory i think the idea should work.. But its still probably easier just to bring the laptop along and hope RME produce a tablet version of totalmix.

Quick question:

I'm thinking of purchasing an UFX.

When recording multiple outboard instruments, do I have to import always the wavs into the daw tracks? Or there is an option to record and see the wav directly into the daw tracks? I'm confused and I still don't understand the UFX durec workflow.

Quick question:

I'm thinking of purchasing an UFX.

When recording multiple outboard instruments, do I need to import always the wavs into the daw tracks? Or there is an option to record and see the wavs directly into the daw tracks? I'm confused and I still don't understand the UFX durec workflow.

Quick answer:

It works like every other audio-interface, of course you can record your stuff directly to your DAW.

The great thing is, you can additionally record to an usb-storage device (stick or disk, depends on the number of channels), connected directly to the UFX. So, if your computer crashes the UFX just records a backup. I used that many times when recording live and it's very relaxing to have your backup in realtime. Never seen a problem.

DUREC has saved my butt twice when my external hard drive began to hiccup, causing skips in the computer recording. Highly endorsed here.