1 Topic by maxwstrat (edited by maxwstrat 2024-10-09 01:10:43)

  • Registered: 2024-10-09
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Topic: ADI-2 Pro FS R Routing Possibilities

Hello All,

New here to the RME world and wondering if the setup I have in mind would work with the ADI-2 Pro FS R. I believe it will, but confirmation before pulling the trigger on a large purchase would be wonderful.

I’m trying to update my current mixing setup in order to have better conversion and better stability with hybrid mixing.

Currently using an Antelope Orion Stufio HD that I plan on selling. I also have a PreSonus DP88 I’m going to keep and use for ADAT preamps and/or AD/DA when needed. Genelec SAM monitors as well (this comes in later).

I have a handful of stereo compressors and some EQ that’s connected into 2 1/4” TRS patch bays that all ultimately go into a Looptrotter Satur8/24 summing mixer and have that coming back into the Orion.

The plan currently is to instead get a RME HDSPe RayDat card along with 2 Ferrofish Pulse 16 +24dBu units to get 32 I/O going to replace the Orion and cover all my routing for sending and receiving to hardware for hybrid mixing. I will then also get an RME ADI-2 Pro FS R which would essentially act as a a super high quality AD/DA to receive the final stereo output from the summing mixer and would also be a super high quality headphone amplifier.

The plan is to run SPDIF out of the ADI-2 into the RayDat to capture the summed signal into my DAW, then AES out of the RayDat into the ADI-2 which would let me monitor the main DAW output and then send AES out of the ADI-2 into the Genelecs.

Signal flow would look something like this:
RayDat optical in/out <> Ferrofish optical in/out > Ferrofish analog out > summing mixer analog in > summing mixer analog out > ADI-2 analog in > ADI-2 SPDIF out > RayDat SPDIF in > RayDat AES out > ADI-2 AES in > ADI-2 AES out > Genelec AES in.

2 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2024-10-09 10:54:12)

  • KaiS
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Re: ADI-2 Pro FS R Routing Possibilities

maxwstrat wrote:

… > summing mixer analog out > ADI-2 analog in > ADI-2 SPDIF out > RayDat SPDIF in > RayDat AES out > ADI-2 AES in > ADI-2 AES out > Genelec AES in.

AES, Optical and Coax digital outs always carry the same signal, except in USB Mode, see the block diagrams in the manual pages 39-46.

If you can use ADI-2 Pro in USB Mode it could serve your purpose.
This would even mean you won’t need any extra connection to RayDat at all.


Alternatively you could connect the Genelecs through ADI-2’s analog outs.



If you’re about to restructure your studio, I’d think about an RME recording interface as central unit.
RME Fireface UFX III could do all intended tasks with ultra-high audio quality, in one single unit:
https://www.rme-usa.com/files/uploads/RME-Products/External/Fireface-UFX-III.png
In case you need more analog I/O you can plug some of your existing converters into it’s ADAT ports.
For real high I/O counts Fireface’s MADI-ports can be used to connect RME’s MADI converters, e.g.:
https://www.rme-usa.com/files/uploads/RME-Products/Converter/M32-AD.png

KaiS's Website

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-10-09 09:29:06)

  • ramses
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Re: ADI-2 Pro FS R Routing Possibilities

UFX II and UFX III have same components / specs in terms of converters. Same converter as ADI-2 Pro FS.
Only difference:
- UFX II has USB2 (sufficient for 30ch interface)
- UFX III has USB3 because of MADI, but can also be operated with USB2 as 30ch interface (if needed)

Excel comparison sheet available here: https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=35156

I would recommend the UFX III to have MADI as an option. It makes expansion easier possible and your Ferrofish might have MADI already or can possibly be upgraded with quite low costs.

MADI also gives you more flexibility to chain devices in a serial fashion from device to device. Cable length up to 2 km are possible between each of the devices giving you more flexibility in terms of placement of components.

@KaiS: M-32 is a quite dated design, did you have a certain idea, why to propose these devices instead of the later devices with more up to date and faster converters and a more compact housing?

The newer devices have a better feature set
- last recent and faster converter (old M32: 37 samples latency also for double speed, newer around ~6 even at single speed)
- reflevel switchable per port, older devices were more intended to connect a complete mixing console with one reflevel for all ports
- operable via display, LAN/Browser
- besides MADI also AVB on top if you need it now or in the furute
- Dante version optionally available which delivers Danta on top of MADI and AVB
- only one rack unit height

I think a better pick is to get the latest converters:
- either M-32 Pro II with 32 channels for either AD or DA (so you might need two units)
- or the latest design with 16x AD _and_ DA in one unit
Either with or without Dante

M-32 Pro II, MADI+AVB, separate units for AD and DA - https://rme-audio.de/de_m-32-pro-2.html
M-32 Pro II-D, additionally with Dante - https://rme-audio.de/de_m-32-pro-2-d.html

The latest 16 Ports converter which is soon to be delivered give you additional advantages:
- 16x AD and DA
- can be placed left / right from the desk to keep analog cables short
- two headphone outputs per unit
- lower price compared to M-32 Pro models (most likely due to the LED based display)
No specs out yet but I would guess it will be about the same as M-32 Pro.

M-1620 Pro, MADI+AVB, 16x AD and DA - https://rme-audio.de/de_m-1620-pro.html
M-1620 Pro D, additionally with Dante - https://rme-audio.de/de_m-1620-pro-d.html

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2024-10-09
  • Posts: 3

Re: ADI-2 Pro FS R Routing Possibilities

AES, Optical and Coax digital outs always carry the same signal, except in USB Mode, see the block diagrams in the manual pages 39-46.

If you can use ADI-2 Pro in USB Mode it could serve your purpose.
This would even mean you won’t need any extra connection to RayDat at all.

If I’m on a PC, if there a way that I could use the ADI-2 in USB mode alongside the RayDat? I could go out of the AES from the RayDat direct to the Genelecs, but I would give up the headphone output and I was hoping to try and use the ADI-2 basically as a monitor controller.

Alternatively you could connect the Genelecs through ADI-2’s analog outs.

I could go analog which is what I’m doing now and it’s fine, but I’m trying to go for digital input instead. My understanding is that on the SAM/digital model Genelecs that even if you go into the analog input you will still go through the internal converter. I’m trying to avoid another unnecessary conversion step if possible.

  • Registered: 2024-10-09
  • Posts: 3

Re: ADI-2 Pro FS R Routing Possibilities

Circling back to this, if I were to give up on trying to have the digital signal come back into the ADI-2 and then go out digital again and instead just go out analog to my monitors then the routing should work in the normal AD/DA standalone mode correct?

It would really be amazing if my initial routing could be accomplished in standalone, the only other converter I can find that seems like it might be able to do what I'm looking for is the Lynx Hilo 2 which is more than double the price.

If I were to connect the ADI-2 over USB, would I potentially be able to use it in the class compliant multichannel mode without having signal routed in/out of a DAW? Is this routing unlocked just by virtue of being connected over USB? Being on PC, I don't think I'd have a way that I could aggregate unless maybe using ASIO4ALL? But I feel like that comes with the sacrifice of not using RME drivers which would take away from the stability I'm looking for.

  • ramses
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Re: ADI-2 Pro FS R Routing Possibilities

maxwstrat wrote:

If I’m on a PC, if there a way that I could use the ADI-2 in USB mode alongside the RayDat? I could go out of the AES from the RayDat direct to the Genelecs, but I would give up the headphone output and I was hoping to try and use the ADI-2 basically as a monitor controller.

You can make the RayDAT to your primary interface and integrate the ADI-2 Pro FS into the setup.
I would connect it through either AES or ADAT4 (set to optical SPDIF).

Integration of reference converters into your setup, see my blog:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/Ent … our-Setup/

You can set the ADI-2 Pro from AUTO to AD/DA mode and still keep USB connected for using ADI-2 Remote software (AFAIR needs MADIface driver installed).

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • ramses
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Re: ADI-2 Pro FS R Routing Possibilities

maxwstrat wrote:

Circling back to this, if I were to give up on trying to have the digital signal come back into the ADI-2 and then go out digital again and instead just go out analog to my monitors then the routing should work in the normal AD/DA standalone mode correct?

It would really be amazing if my initial routing could be accomplished in standalone, the only other converter I can find that seems like it might be able to do what I'm looking for is the Lynx Hilo 2 which is more than double the price.

Can you pls. provide a schematic / drawing about the current and the intended setup and links to the major non-RME components? A picture in front of you makes everything easier.


If I were to connect the ADI-2 over USB, would I potentially be able to use it in the class compliant multichannel mode without having signal routed in/out of a DAW? Is this routing unlocked just by virtue of being connected over USB? Being on PC, I don't think I'd have a way that I could aggregate unless maybe using ASIO4ALL? But I feel like that comes with the sacrifice of not using RME drivers which would take away from the stability I'm looking for.

I would avoid to mix TM FX and DAW routing for such purposes.
For monitoring I like a more straight design and using TM routing for monitoring.

I would not use ASIO4ALL. Then you add another ASIO layer on top of the fantastic RME ASIO drivers.
It is counterproductive to the concept, that ASIO drivers should have direct access to devices for lowest latency and stability.
Such a setup with 3rd party drivers in the signal flow is neither best practice nor would it get any vendor support.

With Apple and "aggregate device" it is a different story as it is part of the OS and everything has to go through Apples sound infrastructure. Apple doesn't know/allow the concept of ASIO for direct access to the audio hardware for the application.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13