• Registered: 2013-08-14
  • Posts: 10

Topic: Daisychain 3 devices: Babyface + UCX + ADI 2 Pro FS?

Hey RME and community!

Long time RME fan here, and excited to have just added to my arsenal a UCX. Went with original UCX I not II as I didn't really need the extra benefits.

My purpose was solely to expand my channels. My current setup is:

Babyface (original) as driver / interface
ADI 2 Pro FS as converters / extra channels

I've connected these via ADAT and the daisychain works perfectly for me.

What I want to know is whether daisychaning yet another RME device, now the UCX I, will work with my setup, so that there are three devices daisychained for 8 more inputs and 6 more outputs?

If so, Id love to be able to use the UCX as the driver / interface to take advantage of its FX / dynamics function in Total Mix FX, which the Babyface original lacks...

I record in 88.2 and 32 bit float with Cubase ... The original UCX can still support that, yes?

I had also researched that the sound quality of UCX converters are slightly stronger than the original Babyface, is that also true?

Thanks so much for letting me ask these questions on this long winded post!

Cheers,

David

  • waedi
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
  • Posts: 4,539

Re: Daisychain 3 devices: Babyface + UCX + ADI 2 Pro FS?

Replace the Babyface with the UCX and you will have more channels.

Recording 88,2kHz in Cubase no problem, it is 24 bit not 32.
In Cubase setting 32bit is for internal calculation.

The UCX is newer as the Babyface the converters may be slightly better.

Connecting the ADI-2 via optical toslink cable is not daisychain, it is a normal connection.

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

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-11-05 11:04:40)

  • ramses
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  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,192

Re: Daisychain 3 devices: Babyface + UCX + ADI 2 Pro FS?

You could even use three devices, UCX as main interface.
The USB connections for ADI-2 Pro FS and Babyface for remote controlling the devices.

+---------------------+
|   USB                   | Only for remote control (ADI-2 Remote) and firmware updates (*)
|                            |         
|                      ADI-2 Pro FS---1/2---act. monitors
|                     /                     \---3/4---headphones
|                    / SPDIF(o)
|                   /
PC---USB---UCX---ADAT---Babyface
|                                        |
| USB                                 | Only for remote control using 2nd TM FX instance
+-------------------------------+


Clock master UCX
- ADI-2 Pro as clock slave, getting clock via SPDIF(coax) IN
- Babyface as clock slave, getting clock via ADAT IN

ADI-2 Pro FS
- will make use of its own FS clock for AD/DA.
- needs MADIface driver installed additionally, e.g. for firmware upgrades;
   maybe also for ADI-2 Remote (don't remember exactly, check manual)

> I had also researched that the sound quality of UCX converters are slightly stronger than the original Babyface,
> is that also true?

Converter differences might be there, but usually only subtle not night and day differences.
Some people report, that the ADI-2 Pro FS would give you better sound.
This you would have in your listening chain for monitoring at full quality.

If you do not need the Babyface and its channels, then I would keep it simple and connect the ADI-2 Pro FS via ADAT (optical SPDIF) to the UCX instead.

If you are worried about converters, get the new UCX II, they are also much faster and the analog I/O esp. preamp became better and also 75 dB gain range comparable to UFX II.

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