• Registered: 2023-03-31
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Adding additional digital i/o to my Babyface Pro FS setup

Using a Babyface Pro FS as my interface w/ an Audient ASP-880. Because I record at 96K, I only have 4 channels of i/o from the ASP-880, giving me 6 mic/line and 2 instrument.

I just purchased an Audient EVO and would like to use the Evo, ASP-880 and Babyface i/o for a total of 20 inputs and 18 outputs @96K.

I'm thinking the least expensive way to do this and still have the low latency and stability of RME drivers, is to purchase USB Digiface.

What's the best way to use the Babyface in this scenario?

1: Use USB Digiface as the audio interface, and use Babyface as a standalone converter. If I do this, would I have access to main and instrument ins to ADAT 1-4, and main outs to ADAT 1-2 via S/Mux to the Digiface @ 96K? Can I use the physical controls to adjust input and monitor out levels without connecting to computer via USB?

2: Connect both the Babyface and Digiface via USB. If I did this, would I still have a single Total mix window for both interfaces, and in my DAW, will there be a single USB driver to choose that has the i/o for both interfaces? Also, are there any drawbacks as far as latency performance when combining multiple RME interfaces?

Thanks,

  • Registered: 2016-06-14
  • Posts: 1,142

Re: Adding additional digital i/o to my Babyface Pro FS setup

Joe Porto wrote:

Using a Babyface Pro FS as my interface w/ an Audient ASP-880. Because I record at 96K, I only have 4 channels of i/o from the ASP-880, giving me 6 mic/line and 2 instrument.

I just purchased an Audient EVO and would like to use the Evo, ASP-880 and Babyface i/o for a total of 20 inputs and 18 outputs @96K.

I'm thinking the least expensive way to do this and still have the low latency and stability of RME drivers, is to purchase USB Digiface.

What's the best way to use the Babyface in this scenario?

1: Use USB Digiface as the audio interface, and use Babyface as a standalone converter. If I do this, would I have access to main and instrument ins to ADAT 1-4, and main outs to ADAT 1-2 via S/Mux to the Digiface @ 96K? Can I use the physical controls to adjust input and monitor out levels without connecting to computer via USB?

2: Connect both the Babyface and Digiface via USB. If I did this, would I still have a single Total mix window for both interfaces, and in my DAW, will there be a single USB driver to choose that has the i/o for both interfaces? Also, are there any drawbacks as far as latency performance when combining multiple RME interfaces?

Thanks,

Hi
1: The Babyface pro FS can be used as a standalone unit but only as a 2-channel-preamp. ADAT 1-2 to main out should work too. In the manual it's described how to control the unit using the hardware buttons and the wheel.
2: For every single RME interface there is a separate TotalMix window. How it works having two interfaces connected over USB depends on your computer, it's not the same on Windows and Mac!

UCX - FF 400 - Babyface pro - Digiface USB - ADI-2 (original)
Mac mini M1 - Macbook pro - iPad Air2
  • Registered: 2023-03-31
  • Posts: 5

Re: Adding additional digital i/o to my Babyface Pro FS setup

oli77sch wrote:

2: For every single RME interface there is a separate TotalMix window. How it works having two interfaces connected over USB depends on your computer, it's not the same on Windows and Mac!

Thanks for the response. I'm on a Mac. Would I have to create an aggregate device, or would they share a single driver.

I believe aggregate device double the latency, which would not be ideal.

Thanks again for your help!

4 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2023-06-13 21:42:59)

  • waedi
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
  • Posts: 4,169

Re: Adding additional digital i/o to my Babyface Pro FS setup

Yes you have to set up aggregate device, for the latency I never heard that before, why should it get doubled ?
No they use each the own driver. For Babyface and Digiface USB it's the same driver, no need to instal further stuff.
From your gear, if you skip 96 and switch all to 44.1 kHz you would have a great setup.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2023-03-31
  • Posts: 5

Re: Adding additional digital i/o to my Babyface Pro FS setup

waedi wrote:

Yes you have to set up aggregate device, for the latency I never heard that before, why should it get doubled ?
No they use each the own driver. For Babyface and Digiface USB it's the same driver, no need to instal further stuff.
From your gear, if you skip 96 and switch all to 44.1 kHz you would have a great setup.

Thanks for the response. I've tried aggregate devices in the past (like a decade ago) and had issues with additional latency, as well as latency being misreported (Logic, at that time). It's hard to get a straight answer on Aggregate latency. I've read that the buffer size must be doubles, doubling latency. I've also read that latency will be the slowest device plus .3ms. Just not a lot of info.

I went ahead and ordered the USB Digiface and am just going to jump in and figure it out.

I agree that 48k would be ideal as far as I/O (up to 32 with the Digi). The only reason I record at 96k is for reduced latency while tracking. I monitor with plugins and am selective with low latency plugins, and recording at 96k, 32 sample buffer just affords me a few ms less latency in the overall plugin chain.

Thanks for your help!