• yluko
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Topic: Mastering convertor/clocking with rme fireface pro iii

I am always looking to get better quality and currently mixing hybrid, with a fireface iii and a ferrofisha32 pro.  I have never used mastering convertors and was curious how much do they really add over the rme which seem pretty clean and good to me.  I’m mostly mixing electronic music and was wondering if coming back from my nicerizer summing mixer into something like the dangerous ad+ into the rme digitally verse right now would really make much of a difference, also curious if anyone’s tried clocking from something like that which is known for having a great clock.

  • waedi
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Re: Mastering convertor/clocking with rme fireface pro iii

First please use exact product names.
A "fireface pro iii" is unknown to me, I can guess you mean Fireface UFX lll ?
In this case for having best quality sound I would disconnect all analog gear.
Mix and produce in the DAW only.
The converters of the UFX lll are top, you can add extra expensive super converters and will hear no difference at all.
It is just an extra device heating up your studio and burning your money.

The UFX is the center of the studio and due to Steady clock no clocking is needed.
Improvement thru external clocking is not possible.
Only marketing tries to tell you others.

M1-Tahoe, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2026-04-24 07:45:31)

  • ramses
  • ramses
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Re: Mastering convertor/clocking with rme fireface pro iii

Watch this AD converter shootout on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doHG32aXBDY

between:
- Crane Song HEDD-192
- Lavry AD122
- RME ADI-2 Pro FS

The mastering engineer explains that he chooses between the three different A/D converters depending on the audio material and in which situations he prefers the ADI-2 Pro FS.
Note: The ADI-2 Pro FS is an older product of RME reference converters from 03/2018.

As you can read in the description of the YouTube video, download the audio source files from here:
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/Eins … amples.zip

The signal chain:

DAW (Sequoia)
    |
D/A - Crane Song HEDD-192
   |
Manley Backbone Mastering Console ("transfer console"), includes further devices into the signal chain for "sweetening".
   |
A/D Conversion (ADI-2 Pro FS, Crane Song HEDD or Lavry AD122)
   |
DAW   (recording of the audio samples after processing in the Manley Backbone and final A/D conversion using the three devices)

This might help you find out what the differences are between different products for AD conversion and whether you can hear those differences.

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent
  • yluko
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Re: Mastering convertor/clocking with rme fireface pro iii

Sorry in the name, brain fart, but as for disconnecting all my analog gear, lol, no thank you.  Best improvement in sound ever since going hybrid, I have around 60 channels of analog mixing wired up right now, that’s either set and forget or digital recallable. I’ve been doing this professionally for 25 years now, and loving the analog, never want to back to only itb.  I can easily hear the differences in convertors, in my studio, as well as clocking to external from the rme when switching back and forth.  Though clocking was super minor.  I can see why many people can’t hear it. Really need to a/b fairly quickly to hear the differences.  Wouldn’t really make a difference in mixing.  Since the rme is the best clock I have, I haven’t tried clocking else to it so that’s why I was asking if anyone tried, I am sure I will hear a difference with the conversion though.  I’ve heard allot of people like the adi-2 over the ufx iii ones.