• Sebmo
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Topic: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

Hello,
I hope you can help me to find the right RME interface/converter for my studio. Well, I am a composer and mainly record piano and acoustic instruments there. Sorry if my question is not that clever. As I said, I am mainly a composer.

So, the short version: Which product is currently THE best from RME where I can get two XLR line outs from my pre-amp AND one (max two) other pre-amps from RME? Often the devices have so many features that I can't see the forest for the trees.

I want to work qualitatively as best as I can. I use a Millenia Pre Amp (stereo) with analogue XLR outs and need one (max. two) additional Mic Pre for the multi miking of the piano. So far I used a Babyface Pro FS and went from the Millenia (XLR out) into the Babyface (Mic/Line 1/2, balanced...). They are better than the Line 3/4 (unbalanced...), aren't they?
But now I want to use an additional third microphone for recording. As I said, I want to make sure I get the best quality. But if I do it this way, I won't have any more pre-amps (in my Babyface PRo FS). I.e. what can I do better? Actually, I only need one conversion stage for the Millenia pre-amps and no pre-amps.
I am very grateful for any advice, tips and help.

Sebastian

  • From: Sweden
  • Registered: 2013-12-25
  • Posts: 190

Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

Sebmo wrote:

Hello,
I hope you can help me to find the right RME interface/converter for my studio. Well, I am a composer and mainly record piano and acoustic instruments there. Sorry if my question is not that clever. As I said, I am mainly a composer.

So, the short version: Which product is currently THE best from RME where I can get two XLR line outs from my pre-amp AND one (max two) other pre-amps from RME? Often the devices have so many features that I can't see the forest for the trees.

I want to work qualitatively as best as I can. I use a Millenia Pre Amp (stereo) with analogue XLR outs and need one (max. two) additional Mic Pre for the multi miking of the piano. So far I used a Babyface Pro FS and went from the Millenia (XLR out) into the Babyface (Mic/Line 1/2, balanced...). They are better than the Line 3/4 (unbalanced...), aren't they?
But now I want to use an additional third microphone for recording. As I said, I want to make sure I get the best quality. But if I do it this way, I won't have any more pre-amps (in my Babyface PRo FS). I.e. what can I do better? Actually, I only need one conversion stage for the Millenia pre-amps and no pre-amps.
I am very grateful for any advice, tips and help.

Sebastian

No, imho the unbalanced are just as good, try them!

Babyface Pro FS, MSI GS66, Studio One

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2022-12-23 19:28:38)

  • ramses
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Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

You can use my Excel sheet for comparison, see this blog:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/Ent … B-MADIfac/
Direct link to Excel sheet: https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/attachme … 9-19-xlsx/

Check UCX II and UFX II.
The choice depends on your budget / how flexible you want to be now and in the future.
BBF Pro and UCX II only have one ADAT ports.
I regard it as an advantage to have at least two ADAT ports free for future extensions or to be able to record 8ch over ADAT in double speed if you should get such a requirement.

A very nice add-on is to integrate an ADI-2 Pro into the environment if money is no objection.
This can be done through either AES, SPDIF or ADAT, see also these blog articles:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/Ent … ses-EN-DE/
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/Ent … our-Setup/

This is intended to give you an overview of what's possible in terms of setup. The ADI-2 Pro I only mentioned, because of its unique features, it's no must, your priority is to get a recording interface with TotalMix FX.

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

4 Reply by Sebmo (edited by Sebmo 2022-12-23 18:26:44)

  • Sebmo
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Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

Thank you very much for the great overview! Very helpful. It's really very detailed.
So, due to the fact that I already have a Babyface Pro FS and a pre-amp (Millenia, stereo), do I lose any quality (noise,...) if I use the analogue inputs (3/4, unbalanced), instead of the inputs 1/2, for the outputs of my pre-amp (balanced, XLR) ? Or is it not advisable to use Balanced -> Unbalanced... ?

Then I would still have the Pre-Amps 1/2 of the Babyface for the other microphones. That would be the simplest solution, of course.
I would then only have to buy a few cables from XLR -> Unbalanced Jack (or balanced also work?).

  • Sebmo
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Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

ebmmbongo wrote:

No, imho the unbalanced are just as good, try them!

Thanks, not sure if I can hear it :-) I will, but I would like to know if it really makes no difference from a technical point of view either.
Then I would just have to buy some cables :-)

  • From: Sweden
  • Registered: 2013-12-25
  • Posts: 190

Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

Sebmo wrote:
ebmmbongo wrote:

No, imho the unbalanced are just as good, try them!

Thanks, not sure if I can hear it :-) I will, but I would like to know if it really makes no difference from a technical point of view either.
Then I would just have to buy some cables :-)

Looik at the numbers in Ramses excellent excel-doc and you will see the specs for the different inputs.
I would say that it is not only the simplest solution but also a very eonomical one.

Babyface Pro FS, MSI GS66, Studio One
  • Registered: 2016-06-14
  • Posts: 1,142

Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

Hi Sebastian

Having a Babyface pro myself (the older 'non FS' one), I often connect external mic preamps to the unbalanced inputs 3-4. The result is absolutely high quality. Using not too long and good quality cables and keep them away from powering cables, there is absolutely no quality loss compared to balanced connections. Balanced cables are made for cancelling out distortions happening 'on the way'. So balanced/unbalanced in general has nothing to do with the audio quality per se.
From the manual: The electronic input stage can handle balanced (XLR, TRS jacks) and unbalanced (TS jacks) input signals correctly.

Greets

UCX - FF 400 - Babyface pro - Digiface USB - ADI-2 (original)
Mac mini M1 - Macbook pro - iPad Air2

8 Reply by Sebmo (edited by Sebmo 2022-12-29 19:10:39)

  • Sebmo
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Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

Thanks for your replies.  That sounds good to me. I only need max. 1m cable. Definitely better than getting a new interface :-).

  • Registered: 2021-03-15
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Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

At 1 m and even at 10m Millenia to unbalanced + the two internal pre's from the BFP will be fine. Spend the money on microphones instead wink

Just make sure to use shielded cables. And even those are mostly academic in such small setups.

  • Sebmo
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Re: Which product is currently THE best for my setup?

Yes. I only use Mogami Cable. And for recording I Have a pair of Gefell Microphones. When testing different Mics (Neumann, AKG…) those Mics were just perfect for my piano.