• Registered: 2011-09-30
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Topic: fireface ufx new owner ... some experiences

So here are some notes on the box I just got from Amazon two weeks ago ...
1. The box came with drivers that didn't support recording.  There was no way to update the drivers without attaching a computer to the rear USB port.  Why not give it the capability to update from a usb stick?
2. After updating the drivers the recording function shows up.  I recorded successfully from the mic inputs a couple of hours on four tracks at 96khz 24 bit onto a 120GB SS drive  Intel SSD510 series.  Absolutely no dropouts. 
3. I'm using an ineo usb3 interface attached to the drive, and the ufx had absolutely no problem identifying the drive or powering it from the single usb port on the front of the unit.
4. I had to format the drive fat32 due to the ufx requirements, and it took some web searching to find the appropriate utility to reformat this drive to fat32.  It turns out that verbatim has a free utility which is now named SmartDisk_FAT32.exe which does the format very quickly on Windows.  It might be that the normal format commandline command on windows will do this if you force the FS type with the command, but much discussion on the web pointed to an older Verbatim utility as being reliable.  The older ones wasn't there, but they linked to this new one.
5. I recorded only in stand-alone mode
6. I see no "auto-in" type of monitor setting or any feature that might let you punch-in to a track while recording.  It looks like it must start a new multitrack file every time you record ... Is this true? No ability to punch in and overwrite a track while listening back to it?
7. In fact, I could find no way to make the disk tracks audible in the headphone mix after recording them while using stand-alone mode.
8. Samplitude imported the recorded tracks as-is.  It didn't require any tool to extract single tracks.


In summary ... this will be ok for recording only, but there is a lack of documentation of how to set up for basic playback into headphone mix in stand-alone mode, and the lack of any mention of punch-in capability, if it exists ... so a bit tough to use at this point.

  • Knut
  • Knut
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Re: fireface ufx new owner ... some experiences

Thanks for your report.

1. The box came with drivers that didn't support recording.  There was no way to update the drivers without attaching a computer to the rear USB port.  Why not give it the capability to update from a usb stick?

This is not possible for obvious technical reasons. The interface needs of course a connection to the host PC to install the latest firmware and drivers (including the TotalMix GUI). Despite the advanced stand alone features of the UFX it is still an audio interface - designed to use with the computer. It's not a good idea to reinvent something which is already there and working great for nearly all applications. We see a strong demand for stand alone applications now but you will understand that even with the display the usability experience is quite limited compared to a simple netbook connected to the UFX.

6. I see no "auto-in" type of monitor setting or any feature that might let you punch-in to a track while recording.  It looks like it must start a new multitrack file every time you record ... Is this true? No ability to punch in and overwrite a track while listening back to it?

Yes, this is true. The UFX is no hardware tape machine and we will not psuh it in this direction. It's an interface with an integrated (backup) recorder for all I/Os. No more, no less. Even if the DURec feature is really powerful feature (imagine the flexible routing and playback options) it's not a full blown tape machine and we have no plans to create one.

7. In fact, I could find no way to make the disk tracks audible in the headphone mix after recording them while using stand-alone mode.

The tracks will be recorded to one single multichannel WAV file - every track to one channel. To listen to one or more channels after the recording you have to send (route) this channel to a special output (e.g. headphones). Please have look on the unique flexible routing concept of TotalMix (every channel can send an individual signal to every output!).

It's very easy to create a headphone mix with the TotalMix GUI on a connected computer. It's possible in stand alone mode via the display but not as comfortable. Just go to the channel settings and create your headphone mix by raising (= sending) the fader of one or more recorded inputs. It's quite hidden because the routing feature of TotalMix is so powerful that it's not easy to make it available on the unit. It's possible but our strong recommandation is of course to use TotalMix on a connected computer.

8. Samplitude imported the recorded tracks as-is.  It didn't require any tool to extract single tracks.

Yes. Samplitude is a great audio program with countless useful features.

best regards
Knut

3 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: fireface ufx new owner ... some experiences

7. Hit CHANNEL. Turn encoder 1 for the desired hardware output. Below it should say 'Settings', otherwise scroll via encoder 2 to get that menu. Now push encoder 2 until the cursor highlights 'Play Channel'. Select the channels (of the wave file) that you want to listen to on this current hardware output.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-09-30
  • Posts: 2

Re: fireface ufx new owner ... some experiences

Ok, thanks for the info.   

After reading some of the posts about recording problems with USB3 flash drives, I wanted to repeat that I had  no problem with recording stalls or gaps using the USB3 to SATA interface from Ineo attached to that SSD drive, and no problem with powering the interface and SSD drive through the single connection from your front panel usb.  The ineo interface has had pretty good reviews for use with ssd drives, and I've been happy using it hooked to my computer on usb3 and usb2 for several months now.   

This is the interface I got.  I see it at amzn and newegg ...

ineo iPile I-NA214U Plus, 2.5-Inch SATA External Hard Drive Module to USB 3.0 with Leather Pouch


Any chance of seeing a unit with similar USB recording capability, but with aes-ebu D25 connectors for use with Micstasy and DMC842?  I'm lugging around a Tascam x48 now for that purpose, and aside from it being somewhat of a gut-buster it also is not silent, so your ufx unit has some nice advantages there.

One more note on the auto-in.  It would really be useful in stand-alone mode to be able to switch between recorded track monitoring and the live input similar to the auto-in feature of the Tascam digital recorders.  Even if punch-in is not implemented, this makes it easy to play back and listen to what has just been recorded without having to change any mixer settings.  During record you are always hearing the source.  During playback you are automatically switched to monitoring the recorded track channels.

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: fireface ufx new owner ... some experiences

Regarding your SSD drive there is really nothing to point out. Please download the latest manual from the website and read the chapter about DURec. Regarding monitoring - the unit does that, as playback overwrites the other (mixer) signals.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website