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Topic: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

This might be more of a Ferrofish question than an RME.  But it seems like many have this same config so I'll ask. 

I have a UFX+ and a Ferrofish Pulse 16MX factory modified to include CV out.  I also have an OPTX eurorack adat interface connected to my UFX.  The Pulse is connected to the UFX+ via MADI.

I have no problems using any of the inputs on all 3 interfaces.  I've had the Pulse for about 10 months with zero problems. 

But I just started trying to use the Pulse's outputs for the first time as an effects send and am not getting a clean signal.  It's noisy, strong hum, and only a very faint trace of the signal I'm routing to it.  Unusable.

When I monitor the signal at the Pulse Headphone out, it's clean and sounds great.  The signal levels on the Remote Fish app seem OK and aren't noisy or distorted.  It's just at the line out for any of its channels. 

I'm not that experienced with the Ferrofish and hope that its just a setup issue.  It could be that its sending some DC out as part of the CV modification?  -- I don't see anything to turn that on or off and figured it was just automatic based on the source signal and I'm just sending plain audio from a TotalMix effects send.

I ended up never even using the Pulse's outputs for CV as the OPTX came along and is more convenient for that. 

The firmware of the Pulse is the latest, 5.04.  I think everything else is up to date too.

Any recommendations?

UFX+, Reaper, Ableton, Mac, Drummer, Modular, Norns/PiSound/Organelle....

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2023-02-03 03:23:10)

  • waedi
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Re: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

You didn't told to Ferrofish you want to use CV Outputs to send audio to an effect unit, did you ?

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3 Reply by MC

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Re: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

Also I wonder why ask here when the issue seems to be 100% the Pulse.

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Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • GMB
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Re: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

No, the CV out is an option.  It should only output DC signals when driven by something like SilentWay, Max, Bitwig... Audio signals should work as normal. (I believe you can also do this with RME's headphone outputs but have never tried this)

As for why post here, lots of Ferrofish owners and I don't know that madi or totalmix aren't factors.  But if you're aware of a Ferrofish support forum, I haven't found one yet.  And no one's replied to the msg I sent to their contact page.

UFX+, Reaper, Ableton, Mac, Drummer, Modular, Norns/PiSound/Organelle....
  • waedi
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Re: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

All analog outputs are noisy, but on the headphone output its clean.
They did a factory modification, I think that unit should go back to the factory for repair.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
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Re: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

FYI - this was solved by setting up the Ferrofish routing matrix properly. 

Also, because the DC mod also adds more signal strength, I needed to really pot down the levels in RemoteFish much further than an unmodified Pulse 16. The virtual meters were calibrated for regular strength output. 

Anyhow, very happy with the RME Ferrofish combination.

UFX+, Reaper, Ableton, Mac, Drummer, Modular, Norns/PiSound/Organelle....
  • Registered: 2013-05-24
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Re: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

This is related to my search, considering a pulse with a UFX+, what voltages are you able to get out of the pulse? is it 0-5v only or can you do +- 10 from the cv outputs? You can run +-10 voltages in and out of the OPTX too right?

8 Reply by MC

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Re: [Solved] UFX+ and Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX CV Outputs are very noisy

It's in the lastest UFX III manual, chapter 20.3. But the UFX+ does not have DC outputs.

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Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website