• Registered: 2009-12-21
  • Posts: 8

Topic: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

Hello,

Is there someone of the RME team who can tell me if the latency and performance of the Fireface UC is comparable with the one of the Multiface II express card combination?

I'm a live keyboard player and until last year, I used my multiface II whith the cardbuss connection on my older laptop.

Unfortunately my brandnew express card doesn't seem to fit very well into my new laptop's express slot. It's feeling quite loose and a light touch on it makes it disconecting from the socket again. This doens't give me a safe feeling while gigging at all!
I think this problem has more to do with the construction of the (sony vaio) laptop than with the RME express card. But, I'm not sure about that...

Because I want a solid connection between my breakout box and laptop, I'm concidering now to sell my express card/multiface II combi and buy the fireface UC instead. The fact that it has mike and line level inputs, is great too... And if one USB port would be broken, I can use another one, so that's making me feel safer because you never know what happens to your gear live...

And that's why I'm wondering now if the fireface UC is doing as good as my Multiface, as I don't want to loose (a lot of) performance and latency...

Thanks in advance!


LoekazZ

2 Reply by loekazz (edited by loekazz 2010-01-02 18:54:28)

  • Registered: 2009-12-21
  • Posts: 8

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

Hello again,

I've just read something about 'eSATA'. Is this necessary to have the UC work properly, as I've also read that Sony Vaios don't have eSATA?

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

I posted comparisons of FF400, FF UC and HDSPe+MF2 somewhere in this forum for both Windows and OS X. Since I would have to search for the post myself you can just do it the same. wink

  • Registered: 2009-12-21
  • Posts: 8

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

Well, didn't find that one, although I've searched for at least half an hour... I've used the search function several times, but without any result... I don't really have the time to read ALL forum messages you and others posted here, I'm afraid, but thanx anyway for the hint!

I just want a simple answer, without the numbers and details... Just wanna be sure that I won't spend and lose money for nothing by selling my old gear and buying the new stuff...

I have a Vaio laptop with a dual core CPU and PM45 chipcet (LLC9).

So, the only thing I wanna know is that, on the same  laptop, the latency and CPU usage will at least be the same while I run the same (amount of) plugins and/or audio chanels or not...

Thanks,

L.

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

In short: Latency and performance should be about the same (trackcount + fx).

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7235

6 Reply by steelcitysi (edited by steelcitysi 2010-01-05 06:12:34)

  • Registered: 2009-12-19
  • Posts: 16

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

Did some searching on this.  Lots of comparisons of MF2 to the FF400/800, and since FFUC ballpark latencies are posted here (http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_fir … uc_general) you can extrapolate your own conclusion.

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3310
Jeff (Moderator) says MF2 latency performance is better than FF800, but both are good.

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1839
Randyman... says he runs Digiface at 32 samples regularly.  And this was in 2007!

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2274
ChrisADK says 1.5ms latency with MF2 and HDSPe expresscard is easily expected (depending on system). This was in 2008.

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=193
MC (Administrator) says MF2+HDSP PCI buffer setting can usually be set one setting lower compared to FF800 e.g. 128 versus 256 samples.

And of course you have your own MF2!  Check out the tested systems latencies with what you get on your own system.

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

steelcitysi wrote:

Did some searching on this.  Lots of comparisons of MF2 to the FF400/800, and since FFUC ballpark latencies are posted here (http://www.rme-audio.de/en_products_fir … uc_general) you can extrapolate your own conclusion.

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1839
Randyman... says he runs Digiface at 32 samples regularly.  And this was in 2007!

Wow - I knew I had been running at 32-Samples for a good while, but I didn't realize it has been well over 2 years now (I had already been runnig @ 32 Samples for a while when I wrote those posts)!  Hats off to RME and the fabulous 3.x series HDSP drivers!!! :-)

Next stop - MADI-ville wink

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
2x Multiface / 2x Digiface /2x ADI8
  • Registered: 2009-12-19
  • Posts: 16

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

Randyman, from a daw performance perspective is their any benefit of moving to madi from hdsp?

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

I'm green to MADI, but the additional I/O MADI affords on a single card would lead me to believe that a single MADI card would edge out a pair of Digifaces - and also give you the benefit of a unified Totalmix across all I/O.  I'll probably do a HDSPe MADI with an SSL Alphalink down the road, and still be able to utilize the extra I/O of MADI via the SSL's ADAT I/O (it acts as an AD/DA as well as an ADAT-to-MADI Bridge allowing a true 64 I/O setup!).  And then you still get 32 I/O's @ 96k if desired...

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
2x Multiface / 2x Digiface /2x ADI8
  • Registered: 2010-08-02
  • Posts: 1

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

So far as I know Sony Vaios have no eSATA...

But I wan to know it exactly..any idea?

What will be better for me? fireface UC? or  Multiface?

Please let me know...

Chris Bradly
  • Knut
  • Knut
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 1,618

Re: Multiface II express card VS Fireface UC

The Fireface UC can provide stable latencies on a Windows notebook from 64 - 128 samples (see our list of tested systems). Which should be enough for realtime performances. All in all it provides nearly the same latency as the ExpressCard combination.

Best regards
Knut