Hi Michiel,

I can only speak for Windows, Babyface Pro FS and UCX II are using the same ASIO driver.
For Apple, it will be comparable.

Both interfaces are using up-to-date converters with a very low converter latency, at 44.1 kHz, only 5 / 7 (BBF Pro FS) and 5 / 8 (UCX II) samples delay for AD / DA. This little difference on converter level is "nothing". Regarding the transport to your Apple over USB, I can only speculate that it will also be the same, as under Windows the same driver is being used.

From other products that I owned, I know that the difference between FW/USB/PCIe is very low because all RME drivers are excellent. RME doesn't use any 3rd party I/O chips, all is being done by the FPGA (programmable CPU). So you get comparable performance in terms of RTL (round trip latency). See here for Windows:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ent … cts-en-de/

The BBF Pro FS has been designed with the primary design goal of offering a mobile recording interface which can be operated by USB2 bus powered. This leads to certain limitations, like e.g. headphone outputs with lower power, partial implementation of FX chip, lower number of ports, no word clock I/O, no additional digital I/O ports.

Only you can answer the question, whether you are still fine with the offer or whether you spend a few bucks more to get a recording interface which orients more to the flagship interfaces like the UFX II. The UCX II has not to be energy conservative "by design".

The UCX II came out in 2021 and is more than only a ("little") "facelift" of the former UCX, see also this posting:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=33222
It got many useful features and is in certain aspects comparable to the flagship interface UFX II, e.g.
- can be operated using the display
- mic inputs with up to 75 dB gain
- DURec (Direct USB recording)
- Additional AES port, which you could use to connect the ADI-2 Pro
- Still one ADAT port free for other connections
- Word Clock if you intend to connect devices which have only WC for clock synchronization, but no digital input
- also more analogue I/O supporting also balanced connection, without having to unplug something.

For a comparison, you can have a look at my Excel sheet here:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=35156

In terms of cabling, I also prefer the UCX II, the cables lay better.
To operate the jog wheel of the Babyface Pro FS, you have to place it close to the mouse to reach it with your right hand.
But then you have in this area many of the cables in the way, see pictures in this posting:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 97#p208497

I would connect the ADI-2 Pro FS this way. If you do not need the ADAT port, then I would use the ADAT port for the connection, then you do not need to connect the breakout cable of the UCX II to get access to AES and SPDIF ports.

PC/Apple---USB----optional ARC USB
|           \----USB---------------------------------------------------------+
| USB                                                                                         \
|                                                                                                  \
UCX II---ADAT OUT---------------------------------->ADAT IN------ADI-2 Pro FS---1/2------Main Out
         +--ADAT IN--------------------------------------ADAT OUT---/                   \---3/4-----Headphones

The USB connection between ADI-2 Pro FS R BE and the PC/Apple for two reasons:
- to be able to control the ADI-2 Pro FS with the new remote software, this needs an USB connection
- to be able to perform firmware updates

Otherwise the ADI-2 Pro runs in kind of "standalone" operation mode connected to the main recording interface.
Configuration of the ADI-2 Pro FS, see here:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/Ent … our-Setup/

Aggregate device would also work, but I have no Apple and can't really comment on whether it is an advantage or not.

Under Windows I would not recommend using solutions like ASIO4ALL which does about the same, because this is a 3rd party solution which adds an additional Transport Layer to all recording interface. This is against the idea in Windows to have with ASIO a direct access to the audio hardware. Finally, using ASIO4ALL under Windows leads to a setup, which can't be supported by a vendor like RME or others.

With Apple this is a little different, as all needs to go through the Apple Audio subsystems. So aggregate device is more a standard solution under Apple, there it is not supported to directly access the audio hardware. This has Pros and Cons.

Wow, that excel sheet is very handy

Also, you could connect MOTU using ADAT/SPDIF to ADI-2 Pro FS. If MOTU may be used standalone, you could set routing in it and even not to connect it to computer.....

The advantage over using BF or UCX would be that you would have everything in one TotalMix window, if using two RME devices, each has its own TM screen and you have to switch between them.

OK, I do not have ADI-2 Pro, and keep thinking it works similarly like Fireface. :-(

You are right, my suggestion would not work, as I have expected....

Hi Ramses,

I ordered the UCX 2; I might not need all it's inputs now, but half a year ago I also thought just the ADI-2 FS R would be enough
And those cables using a Babyface, are just a mess and take up too much space.
And I guess I just want to have it it's just to good of a combo with the ADI-2 FS R;

Cheers, Michiel