1 Topic by Labdoc (edited by Labdoc 2018-12-30 10:10:07)

  • From: Canada
  • Registered: 2016-02-11
  • Posts: 87

Topic: RME hardware for AES input, digital crossover and Stereo 2+2 Out

With a clean slate to update the setup described below, and wishing to stay with RME products and Totalmix for routing, what would be the current recommended system? This is a consumer domestic system, not a studio. I do need a mic preamp for the Acourate* digital room correction setup (presently provided in the UFX). *www.audiovero.de

I currently use a Fireface UFX (not II) as a sound card for a dedicated Windows 10 desktop computer running AcourateConvolver. The source is Daphile (a linux Squeezebox network player) that outputs a stereo digital signal on USB that I convert to AES. The AES stereo goes to the UFX input.

The UFX is connected by USB to the windows 10 computer where I use the RME ASIO driver as input to Acourate Convolver. The Acourate Convolver software provides a digital crossover and outputs to 4 channels - stereo Mains and stereo subs through the UFX DAC channels.

My goals are (1) to improve (modernize) the DAC, (2) simplify (I do not use most of the UFX capabilities) and (3) automatically switch the RME sample rate to match the ASIO input sample rate. For (3), would a PCIe card such as the HDSPe AIO or AES do this?
**Edit: and (4) Balanced DAC output (same as current UFX)

ADI-2 pro fs be; UFX+; MADIfaceUSB; Startech active USB3 cable; Sonnet Allegro Pro adapter; Win11x64

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2018-12-30 11:04:09)

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: RME hardware for AES input, digital crossover and Stereo 2+2 Out

Budget ?
Would the UFX still be ok for you ?

For best AD/DA you can choose between ADI-2 Pro FS and ADI-2 FS.
The 1st if you need also excellent phones preamp, the latter if you only want high quality AD/DA for 2 channels.

So, if you do not need excellent phones preamps: connect 2x ADI-2 FS to the ADAT ports of your UFX.
Otherwise a combination of ADI-2 Pro FS and ADI-2 FS.

If you have a desktop PC and you want to get rid of the 19" rack unit:
take i.e. a RayDAT PCIe card (full digital card).
You only need the base card for AES, SPDIF, 2x ADAT (then you can leave out the daughter card if room is tight in the case).

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • From: Canada
  • Registered: 2016-02-11
  • Posts: 87

Re: RME hardware for AES input, digital crossover and Stereo 2+2 Out

> Budget ?
- not a constraint, but good value is always a positive feature.

> Would the UFX still be ok for you ?
- Yes

> So, if you do not need excellent phones preamps: connect 2x ADI-2 FS to the ADAT ports of your UFX.
- OK. The ADI-2 FS does not have Totalmix I think. Configuring the digital input and analog output routing would be done in each ADI-2?

> If you have a desktop PC and you want to get rid of the 19" rack unit:
take i.e. a RayDAT PCIe card (full digital card).
- Does the RayDAT PCIe card automatically switch to the input ASIO sample rate, for example, if the input goes from 44.1 to 192? In my current setup, I have to manually change the sample rate.

ADI-2 pro fs be; UFX+; MADIfaceUSB; Startech active USB3 cable; Sonnet Allegro Pro adapter; Win11x64

4 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2018-12-30 17:18:24)

  • ramses
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Re: RME hardware for AES input, digital crossover and Stereo 2+2 Out

Look, the UFX has TM FX support.
The 2 new devices can be cascaded behind the UFX (connected to ADAT1+2 OUT).
So you can route audio to the ADAT outputs ADAT1/2 and ADAT9/10, done.

You connect ADI-2 Pro FS / ADI-2 FS like this:
- UFX -> ADAT1 OUT -> ADI-2 Pro FS
- UFX -> ADAT2 OUT -> ADI-2 FS

Both devices (ADI-2 Pro FS and ADI-2 FS) recognize the 1st two channels in an ADAT audio stream,
its does not have to be SPDIF (with only 2 channels).

IMHO it's the task of the application (usually DAW or Musicplayer) to set the proper sample rate via ASIO.
If your application does not support ASIO or is not able to set the sample rate via ASIO, then this is the key
issue, not the RME device as far as I understand your setup and your demand.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • From: Canada
  • Registered: 2016-02-11
  • Posts: 87

Re: RME hardware for AES input, digital crossover and Stereo 2+2 Out

Ramses, thanks for the pointers about the ADI-2 FS. I see is is a very new RME offering that I was not aware of.
Murray

ADI-2 pro fs be; UFX+; MADIfaceUSB; Startech active USB3 cable; Sonnet Allegro Pro adapter; Win11x64