Topic: RME interfaces

Hi,

When they arrive I'll have three new RME interfaces from the RME lineup.

HDSP 9632 PCI interface
HSDPe RayDat
HDSPe AIO Pro

This will be the first RME and never got round to buying one as other interfaces were used.

Regarding RayDat it is an all digital interface without any analog so I was looking for the best solution to incorporate analog outputs and after looking on the RME pages the ADI-2 FS looks to be quite good but if connected directly via ADAT six output channels would be lost from the RayDat into the ADI-2 FS so what do the RME users here use to incoporate analog outputs when using a RayDat.

Naturally having 24 I/O over toslink is very useful.

Is it possible to connect an AIO Pro & RayDat into one system? (if needed) somehow syncing them? - This would only use 2 x PCI-e x1 slots on a motherboard.

Another option is to bus out via ADAT to another interface on another PC machine and sync them with word clock but I'd be interested to learn about what other RME users here do with their RayDat PCI-e cards - Thanks in advance of reply -

2 (edited by ramses 2021-09-22 15:04:42)

Re: RME interfaces

Well, it is a little hard work to read the manual chapter 6.2 of the cards and combine the whole thing in such a way that all cards are synchronized wink

https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/hdsp9632_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/hdsp9632_e.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/hdspeaiopro_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/hdspeaiopro_e.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/raydat_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/raydat_e.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi2fs_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi2fs_e.pdf

One thing in advance, the oldest card unfortunately has no internal X400/X401 connectors, otherwise you could have synchronized all cards internally by word clock (via a 3-wire cable).

Buying the separately available word clock module for all cards would be a pragmatic solution and would not take up any SPDIF port, but would be the most expensive option and would then also cost 3x€109: https://www.thomann.de/de/rme_wcm_hdsp_9632.htm

Cabling option 1, fully internal:

One possibility I see is to make the AIO Pro FS (with FS clock) the clock master and synchronize it via the internal WC ports X401 and X400.
And from the RayDAT with X502 (SPDIF OUT) to the 9632 (SYNC IN). This seems to have taken the external SPDIF Cinch connector for this purpose, but no matter, you have enough digital interfaces with these three cards.
The manual gives hints on what to configure in the Settings dialog.

Cabling option 2, 1x internal, 1x WC

Internal WC cabling between AIO Pro FS and RayDAT via X401/X400 internal plugs.
Buy 2x WC module for 9632 and RayDAT.
Then external WC cabling between RayDAT and 9632. Read comments in the manual, then this doesn't impact the exernal Cinch connections for SPDIF on the 9632 ... you need to read that stuff and come to your own clue.
In this case added costs and you need external WC cabling and additional 2 Slots free in your computer, not with a PCI/PCIe socket, but space must be there to mount it.

Attention:
- all cards use the same ASIO driver, i.e. the DAW can access all cards.
- all cards must be synchronized (however), I would make the card with FS clock (AIO Pro) the clock master.
- all cards must have the same ASIO buffer size set in the Settings dialog
- you have to work with three different TotalMix FX instances, either you change the card in TM FX or open a window for each card
- you can't route audio between the cards/TM instances
- If you still want to route between the cards, you can only do it in the DAW

That's why I probably would have gotten something like a UFX+ for simplicity's sake, where you have a lot of ports with one card, or HDSPe MADI FX (which even has an FX chip on board).

You can take the ADI-2 FS, the digital port is AES compatibel, but needs an adapter card, see manual ch 6.6. Then you could connect it via AES to e.g. RayDAT which has an AES output.

I would maybe consider to take an ADI-2 Pro FS R BE because of the advanced features and quality and connect it directly via AES to the RayDAT with a normal AES cable, if the ADAT ports are all needed for other things. Alternatively you could connect it via optical SPDIF or coaxial SPDIF, I would prefer optical SPDIF or AES because of the galvanic isolation.

I hope I didn't overlook something, this is a little bit "fiddly" topic.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: RME interfaces

Hello ramses,

Thanks for the reply!

I've downloaded the drivers so will back them all up - I've not read all the manuals yet.

The UFX+ is indeed interesting and is possible on another occasion. 

The reason for looking at the 9632 is the fact it is a PCI slot card and can be used with motherboards with PCI slots which I do have.  Another reason is it is an old style card before thunderbolt interfaces were released and doesn't have so many inputs and outputs.

The reason for looking at HDSPe AIO Pro is the PCI-e interface and will work with x79 motherboards as well as all other newer motherboards as well.

The same goes for RayDat but with 32 I/O.

I've decided to add word clock cards to "future" proof the cards if this makes sense so two machines could be synced together via word clock irrespective of the audio interface being used.

Also adding the balanced I/O is a smart move as well.

I'll read your reply when I'm more in the mood for reading - Thanks