• Mouks
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2025-12-05
  • Posts: 6

Topic: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Hi, I'm new to the forum and also new to audio recording. I'm trying to build a home studio on a budget and I just picked up 3 Multiface I PCI interfaces + 2 Octamic II preamps for a very good price.

I tried to do some research which already answered many of my questions, but as a noob I'm still kind of lost in my quest to find the best way to set everything up. That would be awesome if experienced people could point me in the right direction.

I own an old Dell T3500 which has 2 native PCI slots. I could repurpose this PC as a dedicated audio workstation. Or I could use my much more powerful main computer but it only has one PCIe slot left. I'd like to be able to record everything at 96KHz. I plan on leaving one of the Octamics near the drum kit, 5m away from the computer, this one should definitely be connected via ADAT to minimize the amount of cables running across the room.

So as I understand it, here are my main options:

- Dell T3500 + 2 Multifaces, one of the Octamics would be connected using the ADAT ports of both interfaces (not sure if it's even possible as the Multiface manual is rather confusing to me on this aspect) and the other preamp module would be connected through analog inputs (in this case, I wonder if there would be an audible difference between the Multiface I AD converters and the Octamic II ones)

Or

- AMD X670E based PC + one Multiface connected through PCIe to PCI adapter (mostly for speakers and headphone outputs) + a Digiface USB connected to both Octamics via ADAT

The second solution would be more practical but more expensive. And regarding overall stability, I wonder if an offline dedicated computer with true PCI slots wouldn't be better.

Thanks in advance for your help

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2025-12-05 12:55:04)

  • ramses
  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 15,657

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Hi Mouks,

welcome to the RME user forum.

I am not sure whether it's possible to connect one Octamic II to two different Multiface I.
I think that is something that only RME can answer.

In a good case of luck, at double speed two ADAT channels are multiplexed so that you get
- Ports 1-4 of the Octamic II on the first Multiface I and
- Ports 5-8 of the Octamic II on the second Multiface I.
If you have the devices already there, try it out.

Regarding the 2nd option, not possible.
Multiface and Digiface USB are using different ASIO drivers (HDSPe PCIe driver and MADIface USB driver).
You can load only one driver into an application like your DAW.

I think you won't have that much benefit from working at double speed. I know studios that simply use 48 kHz for professional recordings to not loose to many channels due to port mulitplexing, even if they use MADI. I am still using 44.1.

I would keep it simple and use single speed; then you can connect both Octamic II digital using ADAT.
And you will have the advantage that you are using the same converters with the same converter latency.
This way you also do not need so many analog cables for connecting the 2nd Octamic II, simply a TOSLINK cable and thats it.
In my setup I can use TOSLINK cables up to 16m (15+1 due to a TOSLINK switcher in the signal path) for sample rates up to 192 kHz. RME seems to use excellent TOSLINKs on the interfaces. According to standards ~10m.
This should give you enough flexibility in placing the two Octamic II to keep Mic cables quite short / as needed.

Make the 1st Multiface to act as clock master, the other devices are slaves to the master.
Use word clock cabling to clock synchronize all devices.
Use a proper WC cable, 75 Ohm and connect from WC OUT to WC IN to the next device in the chain.
On the master in driver settings: clock source = internal.
On all slaves: clock source = word clock

In case you want some more information on clock synchronization, see my blog:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ent … ios-en-de/

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent
  • Mouks
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2025-12-05
  • Posts: 6

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Hi Ramses, thanks for this very insightful reply!

I'm going to follow your advice and try to set everything up at single speed in my Dell for now. Coming from the photo/video field, I always tend to assume that it's best to record the max amount of data to allow more flexibility in post but I realize that this doesn't necessarily transpose well to audio.

I completely left synchronization out of the equation, but after reading your blog post and watching the video, I understand the importance of having perfect timing and the advantages of setting the main interface as the master clock.

So if I understand correctly, the WC chain would look like:
Multiface #1  (master) ---> Multiface #2 (slave) ---> Octamic #1 (slave) ---> Octamic #2 (slave, terminated)
Would that work?

Anyway, it seems like I just need to buy a few cables and I'm good to go, do you have any recommendation for good quality Toslink and WC cables that don't break the bank?

Thanks again

4 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2025-12-07 15:37:06)

  • ramses
  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 15,657

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Mouks wrote:

Hi Ramses, thanks for this very insightful reply!

You're welcome.

Mouks wrote:

So if I understand correctly, the WC chain would look like:
Multiface #1  (master) ---> Multiface #2 (slave) ---> Octamic #1 (slave) ---> Octamic #2 (slave, terminated)
Would that work?

Yes.

Regarding TOSLINK and WC cabling ...

TOSLINK cables from Mutec are not too stiff, and the plugs fit very well into RME devices. You get them in different lengths up to 15m:
https://www.thomann.de/de/mutec_optisches_kabel_1m.htm

For WC cabling, I am using such 75-ohm BNC cables; you get them in different lengths.
https://www.thomann.de/de/sommer_cable_ … hm_05m.htm

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent
  • Mouks
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2025-12-05
  • Posts: 6

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Perfect thanks, I'll report back once everything is hooked up

  • Mouks
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2025-12-05
  • Posts: 6

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Sorry I'm already back with another question;

While performing some open case surgery to install the cards in my good old Dell, I noticed that, in addition to the PCI slots, I also have a PCIe slot left. As I have 3 Multiface units, I wonder if I could use the 3rd one through a PCIe - PCI adapter. Could these cohabit in the same system? One of the cards is Rev. 1.8 and the two others are Rev 1.5.

Maybe in a good case of luck, I could connect Multiface #1 & #2 to Octamic #1 and Multiface #3 to Octamic #2 to have the option of recording 12 channels at 96KHz through ADAT.

Otherwise that would still give me more I/O  even if I don't need them at the moment, but I guess it's better to ask before buying the adapter and additional cables if it's a no-go for whatever reason I may have overlooked.

Thanks

7 Reply by vinark (edited by vinark 2025-12-08 15:50:30)

  • vinark
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 3,182

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

For the system it would be just 3 PCI cards so it should work. But get a good adapter, like for example startech if they are still available. And an external psu for the adapted multiface, not 100% sure it is needed but to be sure.

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
BFpro fs, 2X HDSP9652 ADI-8AE, 2X HDSP9632
  • Mouks
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2025-12-05
  • Posts: 6

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Thanks Vincent, I ordered the Startech. As it takes additional power from a Molex connector, hopefully I won't need an external power supply, I'll see how it goes.  Fun fact: I paid so little for these old Multiface I that the adapter cost me more than all 3 of them.. Let's hope I can make this work

Cheers

  • vinark
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 3,182

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Vincent, Amsterdam
https://soundcloud.com/thesecretworld
BFpro fs, 2X HDSP9652 ADI-8AE, 2X HDSP9632

10 Reply by jack30walker (edited by jack30walker 2025-12-12 05:33:28)

  • Registered: 2025-12-11
  • Posts: 1

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

If you’re building a home studio on a budget and aiming to record at 96kHz, the most stable setup would be to use your old Dell T3500 as a dedicated audio PC. You can install two RME Multiface I PCI interfaces in its native PCI slots, connect one Octamic II via ADAT for the distant drum kit, and use the other Octamic II through analog inputs if needed. This setup ensures stable operation without the headaches of PCIe-to-PCI adapters, preserves the high-quality converters of the Octamics, and allows you to route and monitor all channels effectively using TotalMix FX. Keeping analog cables short and ADAT connections for long distances maximizes signal quality, while proper clocking avoids clicks and pops.     EZPassNH

11 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2025-12-11 08:42:14)

  • ramses
  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 15,657

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

jack30walker wrote:

If you’re building a home studio on a budget and aiming to record at 96kHz, the most stable setup would be to use your old Dell T3500 as a dedicated audio PC. You can install two RME Multiface I PCI interfaces in its native PCI slots, connect one Octamic II via ADAT for the distant drum kit, and use the other Octamic II through analog inputs if needed. This setup ensures stable operation without the headaches of PCIe-to-PCI adapters, preserves the high-quality converters of the Octamics, and allows you to route and monitor all channels effectively using TotalMix FX. Keeping analog cables short and ADAT connections for long distances maximizes signal quality, while proper clocking avoids clicks and pops.

You have to weigh what you prefer. Either you use one interface and can route everything locally on that interface, or, with two interfaces, you may occasionally have to route through the DAW, which results in significantly higher latency (heavily depending on the buffer size needed).

I think that recording in double speed is not necessarily required and that you gain more advantages by being very flexible in terms of routing, especially with direct routing on the card itself.

In addition, the PC has less to process at single speed, which can be beneficial depending on the number of tracks or plugins, especially if it is an older system with a possibly not-so-powerful CPU.

For pure recording, this may seem negligible since you can work with larger buffer sizes. But it also depends on how you work when recording. Whether you play to a backing track which could be a wav file or whether VSTi have to be processed. Some DAWs allow to freeze VSTi tracks. When playing through VSTi you might need to work with buffer sizes of 128 or below to stay under below 10 ms RTL. Many or CPU-intensive VST plugins can also cause issues, if the CPU is old or if its single-thread performance is not high enough, especially when working with lower buffer sizes.

IMHO working at single speed with only one card and two connected Octamics could offer some advantages.

Best is to try both variants, but also keeping in mind that use cases can change and that you might need more routing flexibility (regarding low latency and direct routing on the card) for future use cases.

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent
  • Registered: 2023-06-30
  • Posts: 434

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

ramses wrote:

You have to weigh what you prefer.

I'm sorry, but you just wasted your time replying to an obvious chatbot.

Fireface UCX II + ARC USB > ADI-2 Pro FS R BE > Neumann KH 750 DSP + MA 1 > KH 120 A
  • Mouks
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2025-12-05
  • Posts: 6

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

I guess the bot couldn't care less but that was still insightful to me, I realize that I may have wrongly assumed that I could route channels across multiple cards within Totalmix. That's not a big deal for what I plan to do in the near future but that's good to know.

ramses wrote:

In addition, the PC has less to process at single speed, which can be beneficial depending on the number of tracks or plugins, especially if it is an older system with a possibly not-so-powerful CPU.

For pure recording, this may seem negligible since you can work with larger buffer sizes. But it also depends on how you work when recording. Whether you play to a backing track which could be a wav file or whether VSTi have to be processed. Some DAWs allow to freeze VSTi tracks. When playing through VSTi you might need to work with buffer sizes of 128 or below to stay under below 10 ms RTL. Many or CPU-intensive VST plugins can also cause issues, if the CPU is old or if its single-thread performance is not high enough, especially when working with lower buffer sizes.

IMHO working at single speed with only one card and two connected Octamics could offer some advantages.

Best is to try both variants, but also keeping in mind that use cases can change and that you might need more routing flexibility (regarding low latency and direct routing on the card) for future use cases.

I upgraded the Dell with the best CPU for this platform, which is a 6-core Xeon W3690. According to cpubenchmark.net, it scores 1612 points in single core mode while my newer AMD 7950x reaches 4257 points. Not the fastest thing around but not ridiculous for a 15 years old CPU.

I will have to do some real world tests to see how well it keeps up. I will uninstall everything and keep the machine offline, loading only the audio tools needed to put all the odds on my side. Yesterday I came across the term "DPC latency" for the first time, I have to dig more in this topic but it seems like it has something to do with "the less stuff running on the system, the better"

As I bought the PCIe adapter I will also be able to try a card in my main PC if needed.

I have so many things to wrap my head around that I'm mentally preparing myself to bang it against the wall trying to troubleshoot various software and hardware issues once I receive all the cables. Then I will probably be back with more questions smile

14 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2025-12-11 21:42:42)

  • ramses
  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 15,657

Re: Multiface I + Octamic II setup questions

Haha, well .. Good luck, and keep the wall intact (not too hard headbanging) :-) :-)

Where you are talking about "old hardware", I did some testing this evening:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 66#p245966

I am only running a little bit "out of juice" with tools like SpectraLayers Pro.
But first I want to use this PC until 2032; then it will be 18 years old :-)

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent