1 Topic by Popup (edited by Popup 2022-09-02 22:21:42)

  • Popup
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Topic: Out of touch and in need of help please!

Hi nice RME community


I must admit, I am really in need of some advice on my current predicament.  Although my PC still performs respectably considering it is 12 years old, I really want to upgrade to a modern PC which is easy, until I get to the sound.

I have a number of analogue and digital synth racks that consume a total of 32 channels of audio (16 stereo pairs).  These are fed into two Tascam rack mixers that ultimately result in 2 stereo outputs.

I have, and love, an HDSP 9632, with the
AI4S-192 AIO and AO4S-192 AIO: 4-Channel analog I/O modules. Pretty much every (balanced) input and output is in use, and the card is also used as my PC sound card, with the outputs going to a pair of Focal studio monitors via the balanced outputs.

  To be honest, I love this card so much!!  The ultra-low noise floor and the amazing sound quality. I have been somewhat paranoid to change it for anything else because of this great engineering and software!!

  The 9632 causes big concerns for any new PC build attempt though, as any new motherboard will not have, or correctly support this old PCI card. 

  I hoped there would simply be a drop-in solution for my setup from RME, featuring the same inputs or even continued compatibility with the I/O modules but that seems to not be the case.

   I have investigated housing my current card in an external PCI enclosure like the Star Tech, or an adaptor,  but hear nothing but horror stories about these introducing noise or lag.

  It seems incredible to me that no PC soundcard seems to exist that offer the same analogue, digital, and MIDI connectivity as the 9632 with the IO modules or I am doing it all wrong?  What solution would you advise?

  • ramses
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Re: Out of touch and in need of help please!

From your description, it's not clear to me whether you need, e.g., 32 analog inputs on the recording interface or only 4 to connect the Tascam rack mixer.

Please detail your setup, what's connected where or in short what ports you require on the recording interface in terms of analog (mic, line, instr) and digital ports (ADAT, SPDIF, MADI, MIDI, AES, …).

Do you prefer PCIe-based solutions, or is a USB based solution also welcome?
Do you intend to expand the solution in the future so that MADI could be a good option for you?
Would you have interest to integrate an ADI-2 DAC or Pro into your solution?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2020-10-05
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Re: Out of touch and in need of help please!

HDSP 9632
1 x Stereo Analog I/O
1 x ADAT I/O
1 x SPDIF I/O
1 x Phones Output
1 x MIDI I/O

AI4S-192 AIO
adds 4 analog inputs

AO4S-192 AIO
adds 4 analog outputs

= rounded
6IO
ADAT
SPDIF
MIDI


vs Fireface UCXII
8 x Analog I/O
2 x XLR/TRS Mic/Inst/Line
2 x Line/Inst Input
1 x Phones Output
1 x AES I/O
1 x ADAT I/O
1 x SPDIF I/O Coax
1 x Word Clock I/O
1 x MIDI I/O

ADI2, Digiface, ARC

4 Reply by Popup (edited by Popup 2022-09-04 20:08:20)

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Re: Out of touch and in need of help please!

Sorry for the delay, and thank you so much for the concise summary above.  I have been looking for a setup diagram I had made as everything has all been cable managed in for years!  I take it that I can use the UCXII as a PC soundcard too, through TotalMix?

I remember looking at a RME Digiface USB and 2 couple of Ferrofish Pulse 16's to replace the Tascam rack Mixers, allowing me to control levels in software.  That was getting way too expensive though.  The UCXII seems like a good swap-out.  It's just a shame that I have to bin a perfectly working solution just because of the PC!

5 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2022-09-04 20:37:52)

  • ramses
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Re: Out of touch and in need of help please!

I wouldn't be too sad. You will get useful options on top (e.g., DURec, Mic and Instr Inputs, Autoset) and you will be more flexible by USB. By USB you can use this device on PCs, Laptops and in stand-alone mode or even as field recorder.

>  I take it that I can use the UCXII as a PC soundcard too, through TotalMix?

Every RME recording interface can act as a PC sound card -> create WDM devices as needed and use them as default sound devices. As a side note … that was already possible with your current card.

Careful only with headsets and their Mics, the studio Mic inputs are incompatible with the headset consumer condenser mics which do not work with 48V phantom power, it's a lower value under 10V if I remember right.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14