Topic: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

Hi all
I'm looking to replace my two FF800's to one M-1620 Pro D. At the same time I'm looking to upgrade my Mac Pro to an M4 mini mac.

Sorry if this is really silly question. how do i physically connect the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4?

Any help forum members are able to offer is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Trevor

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

You need an audio interface that supports enough channels of whichever of the protocols you decide to use.  Cheapest option is probably ADAT via a Digiface USB. You could also use MADI or Dante with a corresponding interface such as the Madiface USB or Digiface Dante.  There are advantages to both of those protocols, mainly higher channel counts over longer distances and more simultaneous devices, which is worth considering if you think you might want to add more in the future.
The M-1620 is “just” a converter without a built in audio interface.

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

Thanks. I intend using my Mackie Onyx 1640 16 Channel Mixer as an audio interface.

I will purchase D-Sub-XLR looms to achieve the i/o I need to connect the M-1620 to the mixer.

Is it simply connecting the mini mac to the M-1620 via the ethernet port?

Then do I download the relevant Dante virtual soundcard drivers to get the new system working?

Apologies if this is an obvious thing to do. I want to make sure this is the correct procedure before I cough up the cash.

Thanks,
Trevor

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

Well now I’m confused as to what you’re trying to do. Why do you need the 1620 if you already have inputs on the Mackie?  You probably need to provide details on how your FF800s are wired and used today.

Using DVS and the Mackie for the same inputs doesn’t make sense to me but perhaps I’m not understanding your setup.

5 (edited by ramses 2025-01-11 17:59:42)

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

I think he wants to do something like this, but then he is not using the Onyx as recording interface.
He is using it as Preamp/Mixer.

                           Apple
                               |
+--------Gibit LAN [DANTE]-----------+
                             |
                       M1620 Pro
                           |     |
                           |     |
                        Onyx 1640

Does it make sense to buy a Mixer which is 19y old in terms of age, converter speed and quality?
To connect such an old unit, which is nothing special (No Tascam or Neve console) I wouldn't spend (waste)
so much money for a high class converter like M1620 Pro.

It could even be the case that you might need additionally an RME Digiface Dante as a more solid base for Dante.

Furthermore, should you intend to work with different sample rates, protocols like AVB and Dante can not easily follow a clock master like it is possible with MADI. It needs reconfiguration of all audio streams on each Dante Device.

I would be cautious and contact people who have knowledge of the Dante part, whether you need an RME Dante recording interface or not and if not, what the limitations are (technically and from an operational perspective). I remember, if you only want to work with an Apple Laptop, then things are difficult to configure and to handle.

Furthermore, your underlying LAN (switch(es)) should be able to support QoS and needs QoS configuration, if you have a shared / "converged" LAN. So that Audio packets get the proper priority over bulk traffic.

The following setup might be much better for you:

Apple
   |
   | USB3
   |
UFX III
  |     |
  |     +12Mic
  |     |
  +---+
  MADI(o)

You should check whether there are any driver issues in this combination with USB3.
Otherwise you need to consider a thunderbolt dock with proper USB3 chip
or to use an external Sonnet Thunderbolt case with USB3 card.
Using HDSPe MADI FX would also be possible but then you might need an additional device for analog ports.
You didn't specify your port requirements in detail.

Sorry to say that, I do not want to hurt your feelings regarding your vintage components, but
1. all the old Firewire stuff I would sell as long as somebody gives you money for it. The likeliness that they fail will be higher and higher at that age.
2. In my opinion there is no point in investing in antiquities or relying on them too much if it is not a well-maintained or truly valuable analog console. And even in this area, e.g. Tascam offers better products with the option of installing a MADI module.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

Thanks both for your responses. Ramses workflow diagram is correct. I already own a Mackie Onyx 1640, and although it might be Flintstones era, it suits my current hybrid home recording workflow well used as a mixer. Perhaps when I have the budget in the future I can replace it with something comparable to the quality of the RME M1620 Pro. I use a Focusrite ISA Two pre for recording audio.

I currently use the two FF800s connected together via ADAT to create 16 channels of sync'd analogue audio from my Mac Pro (early 2009 El Capitan) via one Firewire 800 cable. Each output on the FF800s is then connected to my Mackie Onyx 1640 desk via XLR so I can mix out the box using the six aux and insert on each channel. I have a stack of outboard racks - compressor, EQ, spring reverb and multi-FX. This all works fine and I don't really need to update but unfortunately I don't benefit from mac and plugin updates.

My intention is to connect the RME M1620 directly to an Apple M4 mini mac, not to the internet. Then take individual audio outs from the M1620 and cable in to my Mackie Onxy desk.

Will replacing my two FF800s with one RME M1620 Pro connected to the ethernet socket in the Apple Mini mac work?

I apologise for my ignorance, but I'm essentially a musician and not a music technologist. smile
Trevor

7 (edited by ramses 2025-01-12 13:38:28)

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

Hi Trevor.

It seems my response was too technical for you. Fair enough.

However, with the new LAN-based technologies, it's crucial to understand how they work to avoid running into issues down the line.

I already pointed out the critical points, but unfortunately, you didn’t address any of them.

One example: regarding clock synchronization, see this comment from MC which is related to audio over networks (AVB and Dante): https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 89#p195989

My advice: Take the time to familiarize yourself with these topics gradually, or stick to technologies that don’t require this additional knowledge to make things easier for yourself and to invest into a technology which fully satisfies your demands and makes fun to operate without hurdles.

Herbert Records wrote:

My intention is to connect the RME M1620 directly to an Apple M4 mini mac, not to the internet.
Then take individual audio outs from the M1620 and cable in to my Mackie Onxy desk.
Will replacing my two FF800s with one RME M1620 Pro connected to the ethernet socket in the Apple Mini mac work?
I apologise for my ignorance, but I'm essentially a musician and not a music technologist. smile
Trevor

The usual LAN setup is that your computer will have Internet access so that you can check Mail or to communicate with other people quickly on demand.

EDIT: Side comment, and you don't intend to keep plugging your Mac back and forth between LAN (for office work, Internet) and M-1620. Who would like to work like that?

In rare cases or with bigger studios, they might have the luxury to have a dedicated/isolated LAN for audio,
so that audio and internet traffic do not mix on the underlying LAN infrastructure.

As you didn't provide any details, I assumed your LAN setup is something like this, simplified with only one LAN switch:

Internet
    |
    | WAN connection
    |
Internet Router
                 |
           *****One or more LAN Switch(es), possible multiple routed VLANs****
              |                |                 |            |                 |
         Apple           M-1620 Pro  Printer   NAS          Other
         Computer                                      Backup     Network
                                                                               Devices

Every LAN device is connected to one or more switches.
For LAN-based technologies like
- AVB: you need AVB capable switches, which are expensive
- Dante: you need switches where you can configure QoS (Quality of Service)

You understood me wrong, I didn't assume that you wanted "to connect the M1620 Pro to the internet".
But if you want to use Dante, then you need to use LAN.

There I wanted to make you aware of, that the delay sensitive audio traffic will mix with other traffic types
in your LAN (Backup Jobs to NAS storage, Streaming TV, E-Mail/Software download, Telephony, Video Conferences).

As nice as Dante is, it can only work reliable, if the delay sensitive Audio traffic can be prioritized over all other traffic.
Not all switches offer QoS configuration.

The other thing which you really need to know is the point, that in an AVB or Dante network the audio streams have to be configured manually on each device. This can become a real burden if you have to switch between different audio projects with different sample rates. AVB and Dante are IMHO only feasible for such a setup if you do not change sample rates.

In addition, Dante needs something like a Dante Controller. Here I do not remember the gory details. I only remember that it has been mentioned here in the forum, that the RME Digiface Dante delivers/installed needed components to make operation a little easier. I also remember that Apple did some additions in later (!) OS versions that would make it possible to set it up without a Dante Recording interface, but that the setup and operation is much harder.

You mentioned you have an older Apple, so you might need to update to the latest Apple OS or you need anyway to better invest into an RME Dante recording interface.

Further needed investments might be a LAN switch where you can configure QoS.

If this all appears to be too complicated (and yes, it is not so easy like working with ADAT, AES, MADI), then you should IMHO think about implementing a different technology, which is from the beginning designed to be dedicated for your audio setup and which also support change of sample rates (clock synch by master/slave).

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

In addition, you’ll lose TotalMix if you try to use Dante directly into the Mac.

Personally I’d budget for a Digiface USB and use ADAT. (But I’d also go direct from the 1620 to/from outboard gear since TotalMix allows for save/recall of setups. I only say that to point out there are many ways to do all this, and you’ll have to do a little research to decide the best for you.)

9 (edited by ramses 2025-01-12 14:51:31)

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

+1 Very valid point which I completely forgot to mention, I was more/too focused on the issues with LAN technologies.

My 1st impression was, that he wanted Dante to maybe avoid USB (on Apple).

But you are completely right, I also thought about
- Digiface USB (USB2, via ADAT even up to double speed)
- RayDAT (PCIe, via ADAT) using an external Sonnet Thunderbolt Case
- MADIface USB
or even
- UFX II (USB3, via ADAT, with Room EQ, limited to single speed not to lose ports)
- UFX III (USB3, via MADI, with Room EQ)
- HDSPe MADI FX (PCIe, via MADI; newer models with Room EQ) using an external Sonnet Thunderbolt Case

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

10 (edited by larst 2025-01-13 23:25:12)

Re: Connecting the RME M-1620 to an apple mini mac m4

Note AVB/Milan usecase!

This is how I am planning to use the M-1620 Pro NONE Dante version (if I can get hold of one).

I'm going to connect the 1620 with an ethernet cable directly to my Mac mini M1, no switches between. For Internet I'm going to use the wireless network. I will install the Milan manager (software), and if I understand things correct this will work, i.e. the M1620 will be available in the daw.

Sample rate can be set, and routing can be done, at the device or in the web interface.

This should, hopefully, be the simplest possible use case.

But I might be wrong.