• Registered: 2021-07-24
  • Posts: 11

Topic: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

Hello there,

I have thought long and hard about my current setup and I think I know the only possible choices but I thought I'd ask people here for alternate ideas.

Currently, I am using a UFX (gen1), a Ferrofish A32 Pro and an ADI 2 Pro FS.  The ADI 2 Pro FS is connected via the AES/EBU on the UFX.  The A32 Pro is connected to the UFX via ADAT but I cannot utilise all 32 channels on the ferrofish at the moment because the UFX Gen 1 does not have enough ADAT ports.

What I am thinking of doing: Selling the UFX Gen 1 and buying an internal card like a HDSPe Madi, Madi FX or Ray Dat.  I don't want a UFX+ because to be honest it is an overkill. I don't use the RME preamps, midi ports or any unique features. I simply use it as a low latency audio interface. I've owned my UFX for probably 10 years. In those days, I didn't have much and used more of the features on the UFX. Now they are not needed and never get used.

The Madi FX is beyond what I need. I don't need 2 Madi ports. I don't plan to expand the amount of I/O in the future. I literally just need a low latency internal card, preferably with 1 Madi port. The HDSPe Madi is a lower cost solution but it doesn't have an AES/EBU connector like the Madi FX, so how would I be able to connect the ADI 2 Pro FS? (All the adat ports on the Ferrofish A32 Pro would be used up for other things). I am also considering the RAYDAT which is very cost effective and has an AES/EBU connector plus enough adat ports to accommodate all the inputs and ouputs of Ferrofish A32. However, I'd have to run 8 Toslink cables around 2 - 3 meters and its just more cable and I was hoping a solution with less cables.

Any other ideas that are cost effective that will allow me to integrate my ADI 2 Pro FS? I'd buy the MADI FX in the heart beat but its quite expensive and it is an overkill.  However, if it is my only option I will go for it.

Thanks in advance.

  • vinark
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 2,657

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

I would go with a Raydat, if you work at 44-48k. Just make a nice tiewrap bundle of some thin optical cables. AFAICS they can be cheap too if needed, I have never had a non working optical cable of that length. You can also put the whole bundle in a spiral sleeve.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
Babyface pro fs, HDSP9652+ADI-8AE, HDSP9632

3 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2022-10-13 11:04:35)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,135

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

To be future-proof consider that higher sample rates need more ports, be it ADAT or MADI.

Don’t worry about the number of optical cables.
Stick some numbers to them and put them into a sleeve like this one:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71J3ut33s4L.__AC_SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg

KaiS's Website

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,106

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

RayDAT for budget reasons.

More scalability, as KaiS mentioned, by a MADI based solution:
- UFX+ (need to wait for next product with USB)
  You can integrate the ADI-2 Pro through ADAT or AES.
- MADIface XT (side note: UFX+ has more advantages and offers also instrument ports and DURec if needed)
  You can integrate the ADI-2 Pro through AES.
- HDSPe MADI FX, excellent PCIe card, the only one with built-in FX chip. The only interface with a resource optimizing driver (only allocates CPU resources in groups of 8 ports if at least one is in use)
  You can integrate the ADI-2 Pro through AES.

MADIface USB lacks a port for connecting the ADI-2 Pro, but if one of your future devices would have an ADAT or AES output ...
MADIface Pro, maybe such an interface from used market? You can use the ADAT port to integrate the ADI-2 Pro.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • vinark
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 2,657

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

Maybe a Digiface usb with the adi would work as is, since they share the same asio driver. They just need to be synced somehow. Also the adi will only be available through your daw since no totalmix.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
Babyface pro fs, HDSP9652+ADI-8AE, HDSP9632
  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,106

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

vinark wrote:

Maybe a Digiface usb with the adi would work as is, since they share the same asio driver. They just need to be synced somehow. Also the adi will only be available through your daw since no totalmix.

But then you have always to route in the DAW with full RTL over USB.
IMHO a bad thing esp in this case, because every flow that you send to the ADI-2 Pro has to deal with monitoring.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • vinark
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 2,657

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

That is why I said maybe, but if he uses the daw for routing it is not a problem. But my first choice is still the raydat as I said.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
Babyface pro fs, HDSP9652+ADI-8AE, HDSP9632
  • Registered: 2021-07-24
  • Posts: 11

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

Thanks for the replies.

I am leaning towards the Madi FX or Raydat. I really want the Madi FX but the Raydat makes more sense financially at the moment.

I usually record at 48Khz and probably will still be using 48khz in the near future.  I don't use many plugins and the ones I do use usually have oversampling so I personally don't see an advantage in using 96khz at the moment for the work I do.

I considered the UFX+ previously but I don't need all it offers so I might as well not pay for all the extra features it has.

9 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2022-10-13 17:59:51)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,106

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

The RayDAT is an excellent card. If it fits the budget better and is available, you can't go wrong with it.

As for component availability these days, I would consider purchasing the optional Word Clock card as well, so that you have it if you ever will need it.

Another useful component is the ARC USB.

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

10 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2022-10-14 01:09:18)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,135

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

If the Ferrofish A32 Pro can use it‘s analog- AND ADAT-ports at the same time, you could use it‘s ADAT opticals to connect ADI-2 Pro.

From their website:
ADAT port 4 is switchable to optical S/PDIF format
This would a make connection of ADI-2 Pro even easier.

Then an RME Madi offering like MADIface USB or HDSPe MADI would be an only slightly costlier, but more future-proof solution.

KaiS's Website

  • Registered: 2021-07-24
  • Posts: 11

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

Interesting KaiS.

I've never used the S/PDIF format. Is the format still reliable enough?

Only concerns about the ADAT port 4 being switchable is that I would need use of port 4 of the A32 Pro for the its analog connections while also using the the ADI 2 Pro...

Thanks.

12 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2022-10-14 01:54:55)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,135

Re: Additional ideas to help me integrate my ADI PRO 2 FS into studio?

SPDIF optical is equally reliable as AES digital for distances up to 10 meters.

But my proposal don’t seem to work if Ferrofish A32 Pro can’t handle more than 32 ins and outs.
So HDSPe RayDAT is probably the best solution, offering 36 ins and outs.

KaiS's Website