Topic: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

Hello, hope all are good and safe!

Im thinking of getting a RME ADI-2 Pro FS R-Black Edition as a converter for for mastering within my UAD system

but curious to know about what options I have to connect it to my UAD Apollo system

I have 3 Apollos going into external gear for processing since I process my drums , music , etc,,, all seperate
then come back to my uad Apollo via a custom Vintage Maker Neuman summing box

I want to know what's the best way to monitor and/or add the RME
#1
do I leave my studio monitors connected to my Apollo mon out? and just go out my ext gear into the analog in of the RME then digitally out via spidif , tos or AES to the Apollo? which digi is best?

or
#2
do I connect my gear to the RME analog in , go digi to my Apollo , send digital mirror out in my apollo system which mirrors mon out and connect spidif out from apollo to spidif in to RME and connect my monitors to main xlr out of the RME?

if so for #2 how can I use the RME as a D to A to my external gear then back to my daw A to D? do I skip my uad system all together? and just use it as a interface via usb? is the Rme outputs assignable so I can send my mon out to xlr and music signal from my daw to the trs separately?

or is there another way to incorporate my external gear with still using my UAD system

hopefully someone can understand and chime in


stay safe
thx

2 (edited by ramses 2022-06-25 21:37:47)

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

Connect Monitors and Headphones to the ADI-2 Pro. Connect ADI-2 Pro to a digital output of your Apollo.
It doesn't matter which digital output you choose. All support lossless transfer of audio.
You do not need to use a SPDIF port, can also be ADAT, ADI-2 Pro uses the 1st two channels out of ADAT protocol.
ADI-2 Pro can be operated standalone and doesn't need a connection via USB.
But you could connect it to USB to be able to perform firmware upgrades.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

3 (edited by KaiS 2022-06-26 06:59:00)

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

To get the most out of ADI-2 Pro’s superior AD and DA converters - as Ramses stated:

• Interconnect ADI-2 Pro <—> Apollo by any digital interface that is convenient.
Preferably Optical (SPDIF or ADAT), as it would have the advantage of galvanic isolation, to avoid hum by ground loops.
AES can be used with cut ground wires too, if hum is a problem.
Coax does not offer this option.

• Drive your monitors and headphones from ADI-2 Pro.

• Use ADI-2 Pro’s analog in / ADC to digitize the signal from your analog Summing Box.


Leave away ADI-2’s USB, the computer can spill noise into the chain through a ground loop, roundtrip Computer - UAD USB - Neumann - ADI-2 USB - Computer.
ADI-2 doesn’t care for the hum and noise current, but your Neumann Summing Box probably will.

Just use ADI-2’s USB temporarily only, for occasional firmware updates, then disconnect.

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

KaiS wrote:

[..]
Just use ADI-2’s USB temporarily only, for occasional firmware updates, then disconnect.

Morning Kai, just curious, I assume to proactively avoid any potential ground loop issues or why do you recommend this?

Luckily I had no issues by this so far, at least nothing audible.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

5 (edited by KaiS 2022-06-26 10:03:27)

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

ramses wrote:
KaiS wrote:

[..]
Just use ADI-2’s USB temporarily only, for occasional firmware updates, then disconnect.

Morning Kai, just curious, I assume to proactively avoid any potential ground loop issues or why do you recommend this?

True, because the described configuration, as far as the information goes, asks for such trouble.

If all audio interconnects are true balanced, this is a non-issue.

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

Thx for all the insight on the A to D portion and that I should connect my monitors directly on the RME,

so,,,
How do I use it when I want to do D to A  and take advantage of the RME D to A converters all while remaining with the current connection, can I skip my UAD system?
Or can this even be achieved ? Obviously USB will have to be connected  or can I do it all from the panel screen without usb?
or
do I just keep the UAD in the loop and do another digital out from UAD into the RME as it would be better than via the usb.

(Again, I'm asking since I don't know if the ins and outs can be individually assigned with or without usb)

So I monitor from a digital source like adat from the UAD which is my final processed signal and the other digital in to the RME would carry my DAW signal that would be going thru the rme to ext gear and back around

Can I send a different separate signal to the xlr outs and another to the trs like an interface?
wouldn't the usb have to be connected to assign this or can I do it via the front panel? 

im not gonna go via usb when doing A to D so I won't have that possibility of noise issue as stated

Maybe just keep the uad in the loop and go out  from the uad from a different digitally out into the RME

Which again means I do my monitor via a digital in and my daw signal via a different digital in

Hope this ain't confusing ,,as I'm thinking out loud here,, im basically trying to get as much insight from actual users to see if it's a fit for me and my setup,,,, just wanna make sure all the ins and outs are all assignable to achive what I need with it being with or without usb ,,,, I rather it be without usb due to the possibility of noise,,,

I might sound redundant but I don't know the capabilities of the settings in the RME environment which is why I'm here.

I like all the options this unit has like the filter,eq and the analyzer , seems like a hifi unit that's also good for mastering duties as it states,,,

Thx again and stay safe

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

I wrote an article about the integration of ADI-2 Pro into a RME environment.
With UAD it will be the very similar

https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/Ent … our-Setup/

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

ramses wrote:

I wrote an article about the integration of ADI-2 Pro into a RME environment.
With UAD it will be the very similar

https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/Ent … our-Setup/



thanks for the info as it definitely cleared some things up but unfortunately  not all

its still a bit vague since I'm looking for info on how to use the RME alone with external gear to master, I know there's multichannel mode but there's seems to not be alot of info on this topic

9 (edited by KaiS 2022-06-27 19:18:37)

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

HouseMusic101 wrote:

... how to use the RME alone with external gear to master, I know there's multichannel mode but there's seems to not be alot of info on this topic

ADI-2 Pro alone for DA-AnalogFX-AD – mastering is a different, but valid approach, instead of the original UAD Apollo based one.


ADI-2 Pro has it’s “Mode”-switching to offer various internal configurations.
USB Multichannel Mode is the way to go, turning ADI-2 into an USB Audio Interface.
See manual page 40.

All I/O paths are individually accessible then, the bold ones are most important for your case.


• DA 1/2, offering XLR and TRS balanced, and TRS headphone outputs.
These are linked,
carry the same signal.
Can favorably be used for the monitoring path.

• DA 3/4: TRS headphone, can, without quality restrictions, be used as:
Line output to feed the analog FX chain.

• AD: XLR balanced input.
Return path for the analog FX chain.


• AES digital output.

• Coax and Optical digital outputs.
These are linked.

• AES digital input.

• Coax and Optical digital inputs.
These are linked.

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

KaiS wrote:
HouseMusic101 wrote:

... how to use the RME alone with external gear to master, I know there's multichannel mode but there's seems to not be alot of info on this topic

ADI-2 Pro alone for DA-analogFX-AD – mastering is a different, but valid approach, instead of the original UAD Apollo based one.


ADI-2 Pro has it’s “Mode”-switching to offer various internal configurations.
USB Multichannel Mode is the way to go, turning ADI-2 into an USB Audio Interface.
See manual page 40.
All I/O paths are individually accessible then, the bold ones are most important for your case.

• DA 1/2, offering XLR and TRS balanced, and TRS headphone outputs.
These are linked.

Can favorably be used for the monitoring path.

• DA 3/4: TRS headphone, can, without quality restrictions, be used as:
Line output to feed the analog FX chain.

• AD: XLR balanced input.
Return path for the analog FX chain.


• AES digital outputs

• Coax and Optical digital outputs.
These are linked.

• AES digital input

• Coax and Optical digital inputs.
These are linked.


perfect !
I was hoping to be able to use the rear trs as line out instead of the front headphones but it should be good enough

the reason for my first approach is to capture my mix since I process my drums , music , etc,,, separately

the other approach is when im just mastering a song off the 2 track itself and im not mixing for the client or myself

for me personally I usually mix and do a bit mastering at the same time since my set up allows me to do so

thx for all the help and info !!!

11 (edited by HouseMusic101 2022-06-27 22:58:30)

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

hmmmm

this looks interesting

even more interesting what he says at 2:51 which is what I thought (from this post replies) the current units already do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdMFIL … spaceForum

Re: new to RME / Question about Connection to UAD Apollo system

I might just wait for the new one

here's another video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6txgP7 … sonicstate