I created a comparison between several recording interfaces:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/index.ph … 17-12-pdf/

The UFX II is the new flagship interface (together with the UFX+ which supports MADI additionally)
and has latest design, newest features.

In this blog article I summed up the improvements of the UFX+/UFX II over the old flagship interface UFX:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … 8-RME-UFX/

From the pure converter technical data, the processing time is the same between 802 and UFX II.
But the circuit design of analog circuits is different and more advanced.

Until 04/2016 the UFX was the flagship interface of RME and the UFX was still preferable over the 802.
At the 20th anniversary of RME they introduced the new flagship UFX+ with advanced fatures and even better quality.

In 01/2017 RME introduced at NAMM a variant of the UFX+, which doesn't have MADI included, as many customers have no demand for MADI. So this product is available now at about the same price as the former UFX.

Now the UFX II / UFX+ supersede the old flagship UFX by quality and features.

If you have the budget then go definitively for the UFX II.

Main reasons / advatages of the UFX II / UFX+ over UFX (and thus also 802):

• revised version of analog circuits and DSP

• improved SNR and THD values

• Direct USB Recording (DuRec): up to 76 channels can be recorded simultaneously

• Internal Real Time Clock, allows timestamps in DuRec filenames

• DuRec: increased reliability when using slower or multi-partitioned USB thumb devices

• Microphone inputs with + 18dBU max, no PAD

• Microphone inputs have 75 (!) DB Gain Range, which is 10dB more compared to UCX / UFX and 15dB more compared to the 802.

• Headphone outputs with only 2 ohm impedance, with +19 dBU max output level

• New Remote Control "ARC USB" (details below) for regular and stand-alone operation

• ARC USB plugable either to the UFX+ or alternatively to the computer (TotalMix FX does thenthe required interfacing)

• The two rotary encoders on the right of the display now individually adjust the volume of Phones 9/10 and 11/12.

• Fully stand-alone. There are additional settings compared to the UFX.

• New MADIface Treiber supports smaller ASIO buffersizes down to 32 samples (UFX 48 samples)

• New MADIface Treiber allows the application/DAW via ASIO driver direct access to a variety of RME devices in "multi device operation": UFX+/UFX II, MADIface XT/Pro/USB, OctaMic XTC, ADI-2 Pro/AE/FS/DAC, Digiface USB/Dante. You only need to take care to clock sync and to use the same ASIO buffer size.

The 802 is the successor of the old FF800. The 802 requires still the old ARC which is not available anymore, to switch between the 6 stanalone profiles in standalone mode. As far as I know this is not possible at the device directly.
802 supports USB2 and Firewire 400 (has only a Fw800 connector). The importance of Firewire nowadays is near zero.
Better go for the better interface with the most advanced features that are currently available on the market: UFX II.

UFX+ is only required if you intend to use MADI. But then this raises also the connection requirements to your PC in terms of USB3 and Thunderbold because of the high number of channels.

But there could be reasons to consider the UFX+

Especially as the price has been lowered by Thomann from €2699 to €2495 last recently (-€204 !!).
For only €494 more compared to UFX II (not €698 anymore) you get the UFX+ which offers a full MADI solution.
This might be a basement for you for the next 10 or more years for future expansions.

RME offers many interesting MADI based interfaces, the most versatile IMHO is the Octamic XTC, where you get a lot of features and quality to a real stunning price. As you can use the 8 Mic Inputs also as balanced line inputs or 4 with PAD and 4 for instruments (when used with TS). You can even use it as format converter as it supports besides MADI also ADAT and 4xAES.

And I see MADI still as a more advanced solution compared to AVB or Dante, because it will have its own dedicated infrastructure of optical (or copper) connections.

With AVB and Dante I see the tendency, that people will want to use one Ethernet Infrastructure for everything (Voice, Data, Audio) which will bring challenges in terms of having to think of QoS (Quality of Service).
So at the moment I think MADI is the best and most reloable for audio that you can get, which even allows automatically for even longer cable lengths up to 2km compared to a normal Ethernet cable.

If you want to expand your solution later, then I would recommend to invest into the UFX+.
Because MADI is phantastic.
Everything over one wire and you can even remote control devices (MIDI over MADI), which saves you the MIDI cabling.
You simply build a Ring of UFX+ and up to 8 MADI devices like i.e. 8x Octamic XTC.
Where every MADI cable can be as long as 2km !
This gives you more options to bring Mic Preamps directly to different rooms for recording.

Another cool feature is, when you use UFX+ and Octamic XTC, that the XTC can be integrated into your TM FX session as so called "AUX device". This means you can remote control up to 8 OctaMic XTC from ONE (!) TotalMix FX instance and save all the values digitally in Snapshots and Workspaces.

To set this up is very easy and straightforward. I am using such a combination of UFX+ and two Octamic XTC.
As MADI allows up to 64 channels, its absolutely no issue to record at higher sample rates if there should be a must.
Still at 96 kHz (if you want to record classical music) you would still have 32 MADI channels available, which means 4 Octamic XTC with 4x8 = 32 Mic channels or line, depending on how or what you want to record.

Also very nice is the feature to have an automatic latency compensation of all devices hooked into this MADI ring.

As MADI uses standard multimode fiber you can prepare structured cabling in your building between rooms which can be used by either MADI or even Network devices with Multimode Fiber interfaces.

If you would require even longer distances, then you can even request for Single Mode interfaces from RME, then they build you the devices with SMF interfaces. This supports for even longer fiber cables.

No issues with hum / different ground potentials btw because of the use of fiber optics.

In this blog article I describe my setup with UFX+ and 2 Octamic XTC units.
Its written in German though, but maybe at least the technical parts are understandable and the pictures.
Otherwise pls. try google translation: https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … Cber-MADI/

You're welcome

Of course I am curious now, into which direction you want to go.

Especially whether you see for you a value to consider getting an UFX+ with MADI.

Or whether its more a budget question between 802 and UFX II.

Yes exactly, either to an USB disk or stick.

You can use Durec:

A) to record additionally to have a "backup recording" shall the PC has an outage

• either to your DAW

• or when using "Global Record" from the DigiCheck collection of tools

B) to record in standalone mode, so that you can record entirely without PC. The operation is very easy.
Under "Chan/Mix" you can simlpy select for each I/O whether Durec Record or Playback shall be enabled.
So with one knob you can quickly browse through all the ports and check record and play status for each port.
An alternative is to prepare this on PC or in standalone mode and to store this to one of the 6 standalone profiles.

C) to playback either multi channel wav files or normal wav files

With the UFX II you can record any HW input and HW output channel.

With the UFX+ its possible to record up to 76 channel. If you have i.e. connected a Behringer or other Digital Mixer via MADI (some Mixer offer MADI modules), then you can record everything which comes from the live Mixer, the whole range of 64 channels via MADI and then additionally the 12 analog channels of your UFX+ (8 analog INs, 4 Mic/Instr/Line INs).

I am using a 64GB Sandisk Extreme USB 3.0 Stick, because this is one of the sticks that have been tested by either RME or users, that really can deliver the i/o rate without interruptions. There is a special thread in this forum which devices deliver this uninterrupted throughput (https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=11257).

Then RME offers a free tool, the multichannel WAV file Batch Processor which you can use, shall you DAW not be compatible to such multichannel files.

Cubase and other DAWs can directly import Multichannel Wave files.

UFX+ / UFX II as tape deck

When I play guitar to some backing tracks, then I use the UFX+ as "tape deck".
Then I can import all the tracks and make a rehearsal of whats interesting.

UFX+ / UFX II to simulate a parallel effect loop and for the guitar rig

I have one UFX+ dedicated to my Guitar effect rig, where I also simulate a parallel effect loop for my guitar amp.
There I make very often use of Durec as it saves me the time to start PC and having to operate Cubase.
Its easier to have something like a "digital tape deck".

On top of it I connect the guitar to the UFX+ Mic/Instr inputs to the front.
Mic/Instr9 - for humbuckers
Mic/Instr10 - for single Coil guitars (+3dB more Gain)
Then I can even use the UFX+ to boost either the signal for the Guitar Amps input or towards the power amp (effect return).

Additionally useful, with Durec I can even record the signal directly coming in from Guitar.
This enables me to play it back with Durec for several purposes:

• finding the sweetspots of the 2 Mics that I use in front of the amp to record

• to reamp the same recording using other amp settings

• or to reamp because the Mic placement was wrong or to test with other Mics, by this you can benchmark, which Mics sound best when recording with your amp.

• being able to use VSTi Guitar Amps in the DAW to additionally shape the Guitar sound

Better Sound

And the best is, a parallel effect loop is better for your amp, because then your sound retains punchier, compared to sending all the sound through one or more Multieffects in a row. Which simply makes the Guitar/Amp sound thinner, not so punchy and defined. From this punchier sound I benefit already much when doing "silent recordings" in my home reocrding studio/environment.

A friend of mine had to spend alone over €500 to get a high quality audio switcher to build such a parallel loop outside of his guitar rig. I have all this and more alone by using the RME recording interface.

So .. you can do a lot with an UFX II / UFX+. You have a real additional value when buying such a device.

https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … arren-Rig/

Other things to consider

Autoset

RME UFX+ and UFX II support Autoset. This is a very useful feature so that the channel automatically finds the proper recording gain. Either you use it at the start of the recording session to find the proper level much quicker or you can keep it on. I prefere only the 1st option, not that somebody kicks the Mic and the gain goes nada ..
I think this has to be decisded case by case depening on the surrounding conditions.
I personally regard Autoset as very useful as it supports me to find the proper Gain for my 2 mics in front of the amp much quicker, when the volume changes.

UFX II / UFX+ - store your settings digitally

Then I regard it as much usefual to be able to save routing, channel settings, etc digitally into snapshots and workplaces.
If you have a certain fix setup for certain locations its so much easier to recall the settings from the last successful recording session. Especially in the studio.
In TotalMix you simply need to push on the snapshot knob and can recall EVERYTHING.
This very much speeds up workflow.

Once you get that every output (pair) has it's own (sub)mixer it is very easy. So top row is inputs, middle row software playback, bottom row the outputs on which you can click to select that mix setup.
Plus know that totalmix is just the mixer for the outputs and has nothing to do what you are recording.
I have a HDSP9652 and I run it with 26 inputs and 18 outputs connected. Very easy to work with.

I own both.

I also thought some time back of the 802.
Since its not fully software configurable (by PC) I did not go for it.

UFX II is the way to go now.

Totalmix is easy and very flexible, and very logical.
A speciul function is the loopback (route output to input via software). No connection with cable needed. Very cool.
RME HW, FW, SW works stable. Very important for professionals!
The RME UFX II is very good value for money.
I use it mainly for HIFI crossover as  multichannel DAC and for measurements (electrical and acoutical with mic) .

Its in, drivers installed, my PC recognizes it - Device Manager > Sound, Video, and Game Controllers - I can see the UFXll there. Clicking on it - it says that the device is working properly.

I've connected my keyboard outs to inputs 1 and 2 on the UFXll. The signal is clearly there (on the unit's screen, both channel meters), but there is no sound in the headphones, nor in the speakers ..?!?

TotalMix Fx installed as well ...

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopi … 23#p132923

Would anyone know how to check what version of drivers and firmware are installed at my computer/UFXll, thanks.

Sorry, what is the location of the - driver settings dialog, TAB "About", thank you.

Than you.

Driver date: 21.06.18
Driver version: 0.9673
Hardware revision: 17
---
SW version: 11
03/2018

I hope this is all up to date.

You need 2 different drivers for the devices:
UFX II uses the MADIface driver
802 uses the USB or FW driver

OK, this is the latest MADIface driver and UFX II has firmware version 17/11/7.

Not sure ..
For the 802 the latest
- USB driver would be Version 1.164
- FW driver would be 3.124