Hello everyone!
Can someone help me understanding what are the main differences between the Babyface and the Babyface Pro?

And is it ok to plug contact mic directly into the main input of both, or do I still need a dedicated preamp for that?

Thank you!

Thank you, I'm trying to understand!

This is what I mean by contact mic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_microphone
Do you have any experience with this kind of microphone?

A piezo mic is a hi-Z device. You could try an instrument input, that would match better @ 1MOhm than a mic input @5 kOhm.

XLR, definitely.

Hi dear RME tech guys!

Does Totalmix for iOS have same abilities for routing as Totalmix for PC/Mac?
My needs are:
- electric guitar into Input 3, through BIAS FX on iPad (software guitar processor), into Analog output 1 (goes to FOH MIXER)
- stereo drums track from Auria sequencer (iPad) into stereo headphones output (goes to FOH mixer)
- mono drums track mixed with click into Analog output 2 (goes to headphone amp-splitter)

Is it a real scenario from Babyface Pro's side?
What latency can I get (iPad mini 4, A8 CPU, 2 gigs of RAM)?

Thanks!

Just curious, what is the advantage of the chosen "portrait" layout vs a "landscape" layout for this interface? A landscape design of similar size would have provided enough space for most of the connections to go at the back and the headphones at the front without getting in the way of the hand.

Hi,

I found the answer on my own,

I had to open the RME Fireface USB Settings, and change back the number of WDM devices to more than 2, and choose 44.1kHz sample rate. Then it works again.

Thank you for your good work RME!

A question that is partly my own curiosity about the technology: unless I am mistaken, the only signal processing that is handled onboard the BFP is eq––reverb and echo are calculated in software when connected to a PC, yes? So why can dynamics not be processed in the same way, from software? Is this an issue of latency? I would certainly welcome a software implementation of dynamics processing so I don't have to route through other software...

Just bought the Babyface pro.
Reading about it, it is suppose to work with the Fireface 800 with Adat to get 4 more channels! So my question is, how do i get them to work together!
Cant find any good reading about it, and hooking it up with adat does nothing.

So question is, how do i get it to work?

Im on Macbook pro, using reaper. Reaper finds all the 16 channels that u can use with FF800, but no signal in from babyface.

Best regards Greg

You will have to check one of the many TotalMix tutorials or read the chapter about Stand Alone mode in the manual. TotalMix lets you route the signals between ADAT and analog within the device.

Hi everyone!

Bought a Babyface Pro recently and encountered a strange issue. Previously I had the main outs (TRS 6.3mm) of my Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 connected to the inputs (TRS 6.3mm) on my Yamaha HS8 monitors (active). Volume was being adjusted from the physical monitor out knob on the interface and all faders were set to 0 dB in Scarlett's mixing software. That worked fine and all, but it's not working very well now that I've replaced the Scarlett with a Babyface Pro.

With all faders set to 0 dB in TotalMix FX (no effects are on, everything is default), and the main outs (XLR) from my BabyFace Pro connected to the inputs (XLR input) of my Yamaha HS8, I hear distortion when I play music. I haven't found a solution to this other than to drop the main out fader inside TotalMix FX down to like -20 dB. This is problematic however, because this means I can't use the volume knob on the BabyFace Pro very well. If I accidentally hit a button inside TotalMix FX which recalls default settings, I will blow my ears and monitors since I have to crank the monitors up to compensate for the low fader volume inside TotalMix FX.

Question is: why is music sounding distorted on my Yamaha HS8 when faders are set to 0 dB in TotalMix FX?

Does it have anything to do with impedance matching between the BabyFace Pro and the active Yamaha HS8 speakers? I'm thinking since I'm using XLR cables now instead of TRS 6.3mm as I did prevously. I read the output impedance of the BabyFace Pro is like 300 Ohms and the input impedance of the Yamaha HS8 is 10k Ohms. I'm not very good at this impedance thing so I'm not sure if that's the problem.

Thank you for replying!

I did more testing today and it seems the distortion only happens when using XLR cables from BabyFace Pro to Yamaha HS8. I tried an XLR to 6.3 mm jack (unbalanced) and I couldn't hear any distortion.

Do you know if XLR inputs usually are more sensitive in active monitors? In the manual of my Yamaha HS8, it doesn't say anything about any difference between XLR and 6.3 mm jack inputs.

I might get a passive volume knob even though the issue seems to be resolved by buying a couple of good XLR to 6.3 mm jack speaker cables. It's a convenient way to quickly turn down volume

Well, I was thinking so that if somehow the mix settings would get reset in Totalmix and let's say the fader jumps back up to 0dB, then it would most certainly damage the monitors and probably my ears as well. Having the fader set to -45 dB, then compensating by cranking up the monitors gives you an enormous amount of overhead which you would never need. Plus, by cranking up the monitors you amplify any hiss/noise coming from the signal chain or from the monitors themselves.

Hi again Matthias,

I got 2 pairs of nice Sommer cables with Neutrik contacts now: 1 pair of XLR to XLR and 1 pair of XLR to tele. It doesn't matter which ones I use from my BabyFace Pro to my Yamaha HS8 - the sound is still quite heavily distorted when keeping the faders in TotalMix at 0dB. What's particularly interesting is that if I use a no-name low-budget XLR to tele unbalanced(!) cable, I get no audible distortion.

Quite frankly, I'm out of ideas. At least I can rule out the cables since I bought 2 pairs of high quality Sommer cables with neutrik contacts. I don't know if there is a fault with my Babyface or my Yamaha monitors. I'm going to try to find the time next week to test the Babyface at a friend's place. He uses Behringer active speakers.

Meanwhile if you have a hunch about what is going on, please let me know. Thank you.

That's normal. You have a quite high output level on your guitar.  But -3 is no problem, and small peaks do not always mean audible distortion. If you want to have more headroom carefully reduce the volume a tiny bit directly at the guitar.

Hey All, maybe I'm just the dumb, but if this question is answered definitively online then I can't find it. I read the manual, even used a CTRL+F to see if external preamp was mentioned anywhere... nothing.

I have an external pre-amp (UAD Solo 610). What is the proper method for running this into the Babyface Pro?

Currently I've been going in via the line input 3 on the side, but I've heard a few different people say that you should be going in via the XLR input and padding it? I didn't notice where the input pad was in totalmix but i'm sure it probably can't be that hard to find.

Just wondering, from the source, what is the best way to use my Solo 610 with the Babyface Pro?

Yes, that is an internal relais that reacts mechanically.

posting again...

Hey All, maybe I'm just the dumb, but if this question is answered definitively online then I can't find it. I read the manual, even used a CTRL+F to see if external preamp was mentioned anywhere... nothing.
I have an external pre-amp (UAD Solo 610). What is the proper method for running this into the Babyface Pro?
Currently I've been going in via the line input 3 on the side, but I've heard a few different people say that you should be going in via the XLR input and padding it? I didn't notice where the input pad was in totalmix but i'm sure it probably can't be that hard to find.
Just wondering, from the source, what is the best way to use my Solo 610 with the Babyface Pro?

Hi

I dont want to hear what i'm recording from the headphones while i'm recording with the BF pro. How can I adjust this?

First post here, just got my shiny brand-new BF Pro. Very nice device, loving it so far. Nice one RME!

My set-up is a laptop in the middle, a mouse on the right (I'm right-handed) and now the BF Pro on the left. I think this is by far the most common set-up as there are more righties than lefties.

I know connector location, on any product, is never going to please anyone, and the BF Pro packs a lot in a very compact and thin box. I realise RME put a lot of though into designing the BF Pro and compromises had to be made when it came to deciding where the various connectors would go.

I can only tell my experience as I set it up on my desk. I've bought the BF Pro for use when I travel, some times in a hotel room which may have severely limited desk space. What I've found is that the headphone and instrument jacks on the right, while they are easier to see than if they were on the left, when the connectors are plugged in I need to move the BF Pro away from my laptop to make space for the plugs. I use Neutrik plugs which are quite long, and the cables also need a bit more space to prevent sharp bends. To pull out a plug more space is needed to manoeuvre, and the BF Pro must be moved each time. I'm could be completely wrong but is it possible that the most used connectors (apart from the mandatory USB jack) are the headphone and instrument jacks, and the least used connectors the ADAT and MIDI? It seems to me the connectors are the wrong way round. If the headphone and instrument jacks had been on the left, I think it would have been more practical.

Still, it's a great piece of kit, and while these are just some small pet peeves of mine, I just wanted to voice my suggestions here and hopefully someone will reply telling me why I'm totally wrong

Here's my take on this:

... and how I would like it:

That should work because the signal will be quite hot.

Interesting. I have KRKs. They ship with the volume input control set at +6dB by default. The manual recommends you to leave them at the default setting. That's why I use the audio interface as a level control.

No, that's not normal.

According to this webpage: https://www.elektron.se/products/analog-four/
2 × 1/4″ impedance balanced main out jacks

So you have balanced outs.

Now look into your manual .. !

AD, Microphone/Line 1-2
•
   Input: XLR, electronically balanced
•
   Input impedance balanced: 2 kOhm, 5.2 kOhm with PAD
•
   Input impedance unbalanced: 1 kOhm, 2.6 kOhm with PAD
•

AD, Line/Instrument In 3-4
As Microphone/Line 1-2, but:
•
   Input: 6.3 mm TS jack, unbalanced
•

So .. which input is balanced ?

Line 1-2 ..  Congrats !