• Registered: 2021-01-30
  • Posts: 7

Topic: New Recording Setup

Hello Guys

I'm stepping up to professional audio (mobile) recording and i'm not sure about the technology for my upgrade (AVB or MADI).

Currently on a FF800 + 2x 8Channel Preamps from Presonus over ADAT, which give me a total of 20Mic Inputs. I need at minimum this mic count and it should be mobile.

What i will buy is 2x 12Mic. But i'm not sure if i should go over AVB or MADI.

My MADI choice would be: MADIface XT.
My AVB choice would be: Router + DIGIface AVB

What are cons and pros of those two methods and also what would be more futureproof? Also which is easier to control, for example in one TotalMix window.

I also want to know, if there is the possibility to route Audio out of the DAW--> MADIfaceXT --> 12Mic --> ADAT for Talkback etc (since the Madiface XT has only 4 Line outs)?

Thanks in advice!!!

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2021-01-30 16:08:24)

  • ramses
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  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,184

Re: New Recording Setup

Hi,

I think my review of RMEs new 12Mic contains useful information for you.
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … XTC-DE-EN/
Direct link to full PDF Review in DE or EN:
- DE: https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/index.ph … e-1-0-pdf/
- EN: https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/index.ph … n-1-0-pdf/

If you need something for mobile recording then I would choose the UFX+ because its fully operateable via its display in standby mode. You can also connect ARC USB directly to the dedicated USB port in the back.
DURec (Direct USB recording) is very useful as main recording in stand-alone operation mode or as backup recording in case the DAW recording would have an issue.
Its nice to have USB3 and Thunderbolt as an option.

Although the XTC has some very nice features I would choose the 12Mic, because it is the more modern device and you can switch to AVB as soon as you want or need.

On the other hand the XTC has a very nice unique feature set:
- support MADI delay compensation
- 4x PAD
- two nice phones outputs instead of one
- 4x AES I/O
- USB can be used for audio by CC mode (can be used as recording interface for iPAD)
- 1 ADAT in, 2x ADAT OUT
XTC has AUXDEVICE support, for 12mic its promised, but not yet there

- both can be used as format converter
- both support AUTOSET

Definitively a cool setup up to double speed (UFX+ has only one MADI bus)
- UFX+
- 12Mic
- 12Mic
- Optional: ARC USB, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE (if you want the ultimate phones preamps)

You can also use the MADIface XT then you have more MADI busses and can run this in quad speed.
But my preference is the UFX+ because of
- DURec, its standalone capabilities, USB port on the back for ARC USB
- USB3 and thunderbolt (external PCIe) support, even USB2 (without MADI)
Double speed should be more than enough in terms of quality.
With the 12Mic you are future ready for AVB.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2021-01-30
  • Posts: 7

Re: New Recording Setup

Yeah I totally forgot about the serial operation of MADI and that's why i tough of the MADIface XT (3 buses instead of one). (facepalm on me...).

Yeah so UFX+ seems a very good option for my usecase.

Also XTC seems a good alternative. I'll look after those two and compare and see which is the best for me. Actually When i go XTC i could cascade 8 in a row over MADI to have 64 channels, but with the 12Mic only 4 because they need 2 "group"channels for 12 audio channels.

Is there a difference in the quality of the preamps of XTC and the 12mic?

AVB looks futere-safe but when the MADI system works why change....

I'll inform myself and thanks a lot for your reply!

Nice review!

4 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2021-01-30 20:22:19)

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: New Recording Setup

In single speed you can connect 64/12 = 5,3 = 5 x 12 Mic
In double speed you can connect 32/12 = 2,6 = 2 x 12 Mic

You can compare technical specs in the manual, the 12Mic is tad a bit better (no wonder, newer device).
But this doesn't mean the XTC is bad and the XTC also has some nice features.

You can also combine the devices like proposed here:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/index.php/Attachment/2651-06-Setup3-jpg/

As you see in double speed all 32 MADI channels being used this way ....
Delay compensation not possibile but not necessarily needed with this few number of devices.

As an option add an ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, see here how to integrate:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … our-Setup/

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2021-01-30
  • Posts: 7

Re: New Recording Setup

I see, thanks very much for the information and nice review (read it in DE and it was "informativ und zugleich packend").

With all those infos i think i'll go with the 12mic, with the hope that Aux-Device will be available soon. For my application: simply record classical in multitrack in one stable system (don't need aes, cc, ...) the 12Mic makes just more sense considering the price/preamp ratio.

On the other hand: maybe i will get an XTC because one was offered to my today for 1400 Euros in new conditions (demo unit)

Again: thanks for your very informative replies!

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: New Recording Setup

Ethernet is electrically isolated too...

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

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