• Registered: 2011-08-19
  • Posts: 5

Topic: FF 800 or FF UFX

I am getting rid of my MOTU 2408mkIII in favor of an RME product - trying to decide between the FF800 or FF UFX. I prefer the features on the UFX, but two things are tripping me up:

1. The inclusion of only firewire 400 and USB on the UFX versus firewire 400 and 800 on the FF 800. Isn't firewire 800 something like twice a fast as firewire 400? Not sure if there is a technical answer to this that I just don't know.

2. I like that the FF UFX has a monitoring section built in that can be (hopefully) controlled by a remote in the near future. What if there is a DAW crash that sends a shrieking continual loud noise through the monitors? Will there be a kill switch
on the remote, or some way to pull the master volume down?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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  • Registered: 2007-05-21
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Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

1. Not faster, but FW800 can carry more channels of audio. Useful for daisy-chaining multiple FF800s.

2. The UFX controls are not affected, you can still grab the knob and turn it down. The mixer is in the unit, not in the computer.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-08-19
  • Posts: 5

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Thanks for the info Jeff.

  • Registered: 2011-04-29
  • Posts: 76

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Spoke to several long-term users of the FF800 before purchasing my UFX's & they all said FF800 is great but get the UFX.

They were right, the UFX sounds fantastic, the pre's are lovely, headphone sends extremely clean & powerful & Totalmix FX is brilliant..
In a deliberate move to do everything "in the box" I've removed a couple of pre's & my analogue summing mixer - now just using the UFX & near-fields w' sub, 2011 MBP/8gb/SSD running plugins such as Sound Toys/Slate Digital VCC/Komplete 8 for days & can take it on road with Babyface & not have to mess up my workflow....

Sweet as..

  • Registered: 2011-08-19
  • Posts: 5

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

The only thing that still has me a little concerned is the amount of audio channels available with firewire 400.

If I am running a session with say thirty or more 5.1 tracks; is it the amount of different channel outputs or simply the shear amount of tracks that is limited by firewire 400?

Thanks

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Just the physical I/Os. DAW tracks are only limited by your computer.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-08-19
  • Posts: 5

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Thanks for clearing that up Jeff.

  • Registered: 2011-04-29
  • Posts: 76

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

^^^ Very true, I'm working on a session at the moment with 70+ audio tracks (bussed to analog out 1&2, although I was using all 12 analog outs prior to committing to the VCC & powering down my analogue summing mixer) - UFX is running very happily at 64 samples.....which is surprising, although the OWC 6G Extreme SSD that I just fitted has given me a pretty huge performance boost it would seem..

  • Registered: 2011-08-19
  • Posts: 5

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Thanks very much for your answers. Going to order the UFX tomorrow. BTW do you know if the remote controller is available yet? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Thanks

  • Jeff
  • Jeff
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Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Not yet, but it is coming soon. In the next months.

Regards,
Jeff Petersen
Synthax Inc.

Jeff's Website

  • Registered: 2011-08-20
  • Posts: 8

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Can we have a sniff of what functions the remote will make use of? 

Will it be similar to the front panel controls only remote?

My UFX will arrive Monday, I'm so very anxious to use this unit.

  • Knut
  • Knut
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 1,618

Re: FF 800 or FF UFX

Can we have a sniff of what functions the remote will make use of?
Will it be similar to the front panel controls only remote?

The Remote provides a programable button for all important TotalMix features (Talkback, Speaker B, Mono, Mute, CUE ...), the Encoder (with DIM) and the Recall button.

best regards
Knut