1 Topic by vdamir78 (edited by vdamir78 2024-07-12 15:47:31)

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Topic: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

I got this cheap (Chinese) DA converter that works on my TV, but I can't get it to work with my ADAT outs on my UFX III. What I tried so far was to connect it to both of my adat outs and I also tried setting optical outputs as Spdif, but all I get from it is some crackling static. Besides connecting to with my mixer as a line in signal I also tried to connect it as a tape-in input (this is presonus SLIII mixer) and I also tried to connect it as an aux in for my electronic drums module. Different kind of static there, but still static.
The static also changes when I change sample rate, but again, it just remains crackling.
On the other hand, with my TV, it is just plug and play, I get the sound out of it immediately.
Is this DA converter simply not compatible with UFX or am I missing something here?
Thanks

PS
The crackling noise decreases as I utilize faders in total mix when sending out the signal.

  • waedi
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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

Did you try set the UFX to 48 kHz sample rate ?
The TV most probably is fix set to 48 and the DA too.
Adat ports shall be set to be SPDIF.

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3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-07-12 15:55:05)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

Please keep in mind: clock synchronization … which device is clock master, which slave?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

You will need to set the optical output to SPDIF, that thing doesn't speak ADAT...

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Daniel Fuchs
RME

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

RME Support wrote:

You will need to set the optical output to SPDIF, that thing doesn't speak ADAT...

Yep I tried spdif, I tried different sample rates (44.1 and 48khz especially)

I did set clock to internal and to optical out.

6 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-07-12 17:24:07)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

What products are these ? The DA and the TV ?
It should work, from what you did.

Sure you have routed audio signal to the optical output in Totalmix ?

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

7 Reply by vdamir78 (edited by vdamir78 2024-07-12 18:08:25)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

waedi wrote:

What products are these ? The DA and the TV ?
It should work, from what you did.

Sure you have routed audio signal to the optical output in Totalmix ?

Yep, I brought Adat outputs 1/2 to unity. I raised the faders of the input channels that I wanted to monitor through that Adat 1/2. All I get is crackling static.
The DA is some unknown chinese brand and the TV is - check this: I won it at a lottery the other day imagine smile I am not home currently can't remember the brand name. But it is an android system tv.

8 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-07-12 18:32:16)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

Has the DA some kind of little switch on it ?
If you connect it back to the TV is it still working fine there ?

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

waedi wrote:

Has the DA some kind of little switch on it ?
If you connect it back to the TV is it still working fine there ?

Yep, works w/o problems on TV, just plug an play it and it works.

10 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-07-12 19:43:40)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

And you try to use it with the same toslink optical cable on the UFX ?
Connected to the right output, not an input by mistake ?

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

waedi wrote:

And you try to use it with the same toslink optical cable on the UFX ?
Connected to the right output, not an input by mistake ?

Yep I used the same cable, I haven't got extra toslink cables laying around. The DA has got only one toslink "door" and it is an input. The outputs are stereo RCAs.

12 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-07-12 21:42:01)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

vdamir78 wrote:

I got this cheap (Chinese) DA converter ...

Which one?!

Please more specific information.
Link to the device you want to connect and a screenshot of the RME driver settings dialog, thanks.

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

13 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-07-12 21:47:46)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

vdamir78 wrote:

The DA has got only one toslink "door" and it is an input. The outputs are stereo RCAs.

Then the device acts as clock slave, the UFX III has to be
"clock master". So in RME driver settings configure "clock source" = "internal".

2nd task (there in driver settings): set Optical 1 or 2 (depending on which output you use) to "SPDIF", as Daniel told already.

Like here:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vg4efgwxaqxrz1cpxn1df/2024-07-12-UFX-III-driver-settings-set-ADAT-to-SPDIF-protocol.jpg?rlkey=2cf1a9anr4qnsyok1mw6pcr1h&dl=1

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

14 Reply by vdamir78 (edited by vdamir78 2024-07-13 02:50:10)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

It worked after I updated my RME drivers and Totalmix. Didn't even need to change the sample rate (96khz at the moment).

15 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-07-13 07:49:55)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

Congrats. That was a good idea, and I'm glad to hear that it helped you. This is a good example of why you should update firmware and software as soon as something new is available because bugs are also fixed.

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

16 Reply by MC

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

There has never been a bug with SPDIF out, though.

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Matthias Carstens
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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

MC wrote:

There has never been a bug with SPDIF out, though.

Well that is the only thing I did. Updated both, the madiface settings were already on spdif for my adat outs and I got a signal from the DA the moment I tried to see if it would help.

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

Maybe it would have been enough to toggle the setting once.
How old was the previous driver?

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19 Reply by Kubrak (edited by Kubrak 2024-07-14 15:36:22)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

vdamir78 wrote:
MC wrote:

There has never been a bug with SPDIF out, though.

Well that is the only thing I did. Updated both, the madiface settings were already on spdif for my adat outs and I got a signal from the DA the moment I tried to see if it would help.

Sure, but the reason, why things have not worked for you before might have been in number of different things.

What MC wrote means that there never had been problem with SPDIF in that driver. There were no bugfixes for SPDIF in the driver... Your problem had to have the roots somewhere else. But great, that it works, now.

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

Kubrak wrote:
vdamir78 wrote:
MC wrote:

There has never been a bug with SPDIF out, though.

Well that is the only thing I did. Updated both, the madiface settings were already on spdif for my adat outs and I got a signal from the DA the moment I tried to see if it would help.

Sure, but the reason, why things have not worked for you before might have been in number of different things.

What MC wrote means that there never had been problem with SPDIF in that driver. There were no bugfixes for SPDIF in the driver... Your problem had to have the roots somewhere else. But great, that it works, now.

Well it stopped working again.
But I was able to isolate the issue: it is the cheap converter. It now wants to work on 48khz, but on 96, not any more...
This is frustrating because I cannot go to 48 as my other gear and totalmix scene is set up to work with 4+4 (2 adats at 96khz) inputs coming from UA twinfinity 4 channel preamp with another 4 line ins.
It would be a total mess for me to go to 48khz, plus I want to track at 96 anyways.
Is there a way to bring the converter (Nedis brand) back to it's full potential? The Nedis webpage says it supports 96khz 24bit, which is what my current settings are.

21 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-07-18 01:42:52)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

Too cheap for repair
Why use it at all as you are the owner of a UFX lll ?
You have plenty of analog outputs on the interface available.
You can work on 96kHz and have analog outputs for every demand.
Nedis converter goes to electronic recycling.
if you really need a DAC get a ADI-2 DAC FS.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

22 Reply by vdamir78 (edited by vdamir78 2024-07-18 02:28:46)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

waedi wrote:

Too cheap for repair
Why use it at all as you are the owner of a UFX lll ?
You have plenty of analog outputs on the interface available.
You can work on 96kHz and have analog outputs for every demand.
Nedis converter goes to electronic recycling.
if you really need a DAC get a ADI-2 DAC FS.

Well I am tracking drums with total of 15 mics and 3 channels od parallel processing for total of 18 tracks for drum tracking. My UFX III is combined with a 4 channel UA twinfinity preamp with total of 8 channels being sent through 2 adats into the UFX. With UFX's 6 line outputs UA's halfnormalled outputs and sends I have managed to send 14 line outs into my separate monitor-mixer, so I managed to exclude DAW's monitoring and I avoided the hassle of changing buffer constantly when switching from tracking to mixing.
Since my mixer has 2 inputs left, and I was sending both of my kick mics through 1 RME's line out I figured since I have those adat outs free, to run a kick-out mic solely through that output (I know a bit nerdy, but hey kick drum sound combos are important). So basically I got everything routed to my satisfaction, and I am using the DAW for tracking only, I just wanted to split those kick mics into separate inputs of my (monitoring) mixer.
I don't really have a device to take 8 channels of a full DA converter and I even accidentally stumbled upon this cheap DAC...

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

I see.
Then you probably will buy again a cheap DA.
It will work until it stops.
A cheap one from Thomann (it has full warranty)
https://www.thomann.de/de/swissonic_da_ … _conve.htm

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

waedi wrote:

I see.
Then you probably will buy again a cheap DA.
It will work until it stops.
A cheap one from Thomann (it has full warranty)
https://www.thomann.de/de/swissonic_da_ … _conve.htm

Well at least this swissonic is operated by thomann. Thanks smile

25 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-07-18 03:34:11)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

For this scenario I also would use a cheap DA, nothing wrong with that.
But what I can recommend : Try Totalmix for the monitor mix instead of the analog mixer.
Get rid of the cabling and the mixer no longer is heating up the room (!).
Everything is already in Totalmix before the DAW, no need to change buffer for the monitor mix.
Latency free mix and you can save it into a workspace, every drummer or every song has its own workspace, great workflow.

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26 Reply by vdamir78 (edited by vdamir78 2024-07-18 12:28:34)

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

waedi wrote:

For this scenario I also would use a cheap DA, nothing wrong with that.
But what I can recommend : Try Totalmix for the monitor mix instead of the analog mixer.
Get rid of the cabling and the mixer no longer is heating up the room (!).
Everything is already in Totalmix before the DAW, no need to change buffer for the monitor mix.
Latency free mix and you can save it into a workspace, every drummer or every song has its own workspace, great workflow.

That has been in the back of my mind for a while. I was two preamps short before, so I had to use 2 of the inputs/outputs of my mixer (presonus SL III) to get my rig working. But at this point every input that I have is going through outboard gear (plus 4 of the RME's mic ins).
The only problem is time; tracking sessions, mixing, giving drum lessons, even some rehearsing are preventing me to get to even try to switch to RME exclusively for everything.
Sounds like a not so demanding task, but I need to make sure that none of those activities will face drawbacks.

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Re: Cheap DA converter does not work with RME UFX III

I think it would be a huge time saver to load the workspace for each student or task.
Depends how often a task is the same to work on.

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