1 Topic by syztem (edited by syztem 2009-04-11 04:35:40)

  • Registered: 2009-04-11
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

Hello --

I am sorry if this post is out of scope with the rest of the forum, i am looking seriously at RME products and would like feedback from the community since I have not heard anything on other forums sites...


I currently have a EMU 1212m and having issues with stability in my new PC. I was planning on upgrading this card and I am curious if you think the RME AIO would be a good upgrade from the EMU 1212m.  I have not heard to much about this card and I wonder how the ad/da would compare. I have read that totalmix is a ton better the patchmix...

I have considered the FF800 but it is currently out of my price range since I am saving for a house. I do not record more then two channels and do not need to monitor more then two channels.

Thanks!

-- Justin

  • Blas
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  • Registered: 2009-04-11
  • Posts: 11

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

Justin, Trust me, after 35 years in the recording business, any move to the RME line is way better than the 1212m.
We have for years used a Hammerfall 9652 in our studio DAW.  I realized it was time to have a new DAW built (last one one lasted 3 years)! DANG.  But you have to keep up with the speed of business, so it goes.
Anyway, I had my tech remove the 9652 from that unit toplace in the new unit.  The 'old' DAW was now going to be given a secondary audio card and used from our mobile work.  So I read around and decided to go from the 1212m, knowing most our location work didn't exceed the need for 8 tracks.
We installed the 1212m and it was hellish regarding the routing, plus the quality just wasn't there!!

So now, we're shopping for a NEW 9652, and will also consider the TBE daughter card to boot, so we can offer 16 tracks at 24/96k if desired (or 32 tracks @ 24/48k) for 100 piece orchestras.

Again, the RME is the way to go!

Blas

  • Wiz
  • AD/DA expert
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  • Registered: 2007-07-04
  • Posts: 69

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

I used to use a 1212m

i never had any reliability problems with it, patchmix was a PITA though....8(.

I have , and have had for  3years , a RME 9632.

Its very stable, reliable, and good low latency drivers.

The A-D differences are tomato/tomato....and either wouldnt break a recording or get in its way.

The 9632 is a good card....then again so was the 1212m.

Dont sell an organ to get a RME card, but if you can afford it, it wont disappoint.


cheers

Wiz

  • rwil
  • rwil
  • S/Mux specialist
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  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 343

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

I used the 1212m for a year around 2005. Since, I used the PCI 9632 and now the FF400.
If you have the money, move on and you should be not disappointed.

Asus P8Z77-V LE Plus_i7-3770K-3.9GHz_DDR3-16GB_Win8.1-x64_TI FW PCI_1xUAD-2_Cubase 4&7
  • Registered: 2009-04-11
  • Posts: 3

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

Thank you all for your input, I think im going to make the upgrade to the AIO and hopefully as I need more IO maybe move to outboard converters or the FF800.

How well does RME drivers play with vista 64 bit?


I feel all excited now....:lol:

  • Registered: 2008-06-26
  • Posts: 26

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

Hi,

I just wanted to pipe in here: I am a convert from the 1820M to the PCI/Mulitface II.
1. RME is a good company, they really exist and people answer your emails. They actually seem to care about their customers.
2. The quality of the equipment is very high.
3. For me the biggest issues were:
A: the 1820M audio inputs seemed to have a "better"/different sound than the analog inputs on the multiface II. It's quite possible that the inputs on the Multiface II are just better than the 1820M and since I had the 1820M for so long I just got used to the sound. Or maybe the inputs on the Multiface II are just cleaner.  Since you are coming from the 1212M this won't be an issue. And honestly it's not an issue with me really. I don't exactly have "golden ears" smile

B: Since the RME is a bit more "prosumer" than the 1820M I had to jump through some minor hoops to get things like WINAMP and basic audio apps be heard (Not my DAW programs.). This was basically a Patchmix vs. DSP mixer issue and grasping how the DSP mixer works.
Both have their pluses and minuses - but once you get used to the DSP mixer you'll appreciated how much better/different it is than Patchmix.

C: Buy the external power adapter for any of the PCI products. It's cheap (generic) and you won't have any issues with relying on your PCI bus powering the external breakout boxes. (I think this was the biggest issue with the 1820M - no matter how powerfull your PSU was it just couln't get enough juice from the PCI bus.) RME solves this with an external power adapter.

  • Registered: 2009-04-11
  • Posts: 3

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

After pricing out a AIO setup with the expansion cards (no tco) I have decided it was in my better interest to just get a FF800. I thought to my self and decided why not just spend a bit more and get the FF800 since its a more kick *ss interface  . I am still trying to figure out on if the AD/DA is better on the FF800 then the AIO, but its not going to influence my decision.

Some other benefits I personally see in having an outboard device like the FF800 is that, well its not in my computer so thus its a tad more portable. I finally get to make that rack I always dreamed of   and it allows me to take it places if I wanted to. The other benefits that make it more desirable is that it also comes with some mic pres and more lots more I/O.

There is one thing that concerns me is that the FF800 has been out for a while and I wonder if they have upgraded it since release and if they are going to make a upgraded version of it any time soon that maybe I should wait for?


Now its time to look into finally acoustically treating my room and maybe getting new monitors...

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 249

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

I had a 1212M in the same computer as a HDSP 9652 - I used the 1212M for analog outs since the 9652 is an all digital card.  Wiz is right - *TO ME* Patchmix was a PITA.  About a year ago I got rid of the 1212M and got the AEB4-I/O for the 9652.  It was a great move.

syztem wrote:

There is one thing that concerns me is that the FF800 has been out for a while and I wonder if they have upgraded it since release and if they are going to make a upgraded version of it any time soon that maybe I should wait for?

I have a FF800 also.  It's a great unit.  My opinion?  If it is good now, it will still be good in the future, regardless of "upgrades".

Bottom line is that I am an RME fan because RME has shown me that they are worthy of my business:  their equipment works reliably for me and they continually develop their drivers and auxilliary apps to work with a wide range of equipment (how many companies do you know that still produce new support software FOR FREE for equipment that is 6 years old like my 9652?)

If you need to 'tweak' your machine for the RME equipment, then it was in need of 'tweaking' anyway.

--Dean

HDSP9652 w/ AEB4-I/O - FireFace800 - 2 x Presonus Digimax FS - FriendChip DMX16/18

dstdean's Website

  • Registered: 2011-05-30
  • Posts: 21

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

I've been using both RME multiface I, 9632 and higher end RME and EMU 1212m/1820m.

RME is overpriced !!!! IMO but their drivers are rock solid, low latency, low cpu ... any company should have at least RME quality drivers and DSP mixer..

While i find the driver part incredibile on the RME.. i was not satisfied with their dac.. Haven't heard babyface/UFX tho..

In the end tho.. the EMU has something that is hard to describe and hard to find in other dac.. I guess it's the magic of the Cirrus flagship 120db dac..

It make you feel the music!! It's like a coloration without being one.. I believe that music is music.. if you don't feel it.. then something is wrong in the DA, amp, speaker/headphone.

It's not totally neutral but with direct out from dac chip maybe it will be better on that point..

i'm sure a full discrete analog stage or directout from dac or just simple mod can really help the emu 1820m/1212m analog stage..

Anyway.. If you go rme.. go UCX, if you can afford it..

  • isaac
  • isaac
  • S/Mux specialist
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  • From: Auckland New Zealand
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 339

Re: Upgrading the Emu 1212m, wondering if RME AIO would be a good upgrade.

DjSinae wrote:

I've been using both RME multiface I, 9632 and higher end RME and EMU 1212m/1820m.

RME is overpriced !!!! IMO but their drivers are rock solid, low latency, low cpu ... any company should have at least RME quality drivers and DSP mixer..

While i find the driver part incredibile on the RME.. i was not satisfied with their dac.. Haven't heard babyface/UFX tho..

In the end tho.. the EMU has something that is hard to describe and hard to find in other dac.. I guess it's the magic of the Cirrus flagship 120db dac..

It make you feel the music!! It's like a coloration without being one.. I believe that music is music.. if you don't feel it.. then something is wrong in the DA, amp, speaker/headphone.

It's not totally neutral but with direct out from dac chip maybe it will be better on that point..

i'm sure a full discrete analog stage or directout from dac or just simple mod can really help the emu 1820m/1212m analog stage..

Anyway.. If you go rme.. go UCX, if you can afford it..

RME overpriced? really? As the OP said above, RME are still providing upgrades via software for their 6 year old card. I have a 12 year old PCI and multiface I that is still getting these same upgrades. You said it yourself "RME drivers are rock solid, low latency etc". IMHO this is worth way more than they charge for their products.

My PCI HDSP is onto it's 4th computer now. From a P4 to a i5 2500K it has performed flawlessly for 12 years. As a pro that is worth an almost immeasurable amount of money to me.

IMHO if you don't feel it, then something is wrong with the music, not the gear.

Isaac P.