1 Topic by Potscrubber (edited by Potscrubber 2008-02-15 05:33:41)

  • From: Aotearoa
  • Registered: 2007-10-23
  • Posts: 255

Topic: Things I like about my FF800

There's been a heap of people posting with problems lately, that could give a prospective purchaser an unbalanced view, so here's a few things that make me a happy Fireface purchaser on XP SP2.  I came here as a previously moderately disgruntled Motu Traveller user.

- sounds great.  Noticed immediately I plugged in the headphones for the first time and listened to playback, and not a subtle difference.  This wasn't a retail glow either.  I put it down to the superior clocking.

- driver is tiny download, and driver resource footprint on the computer is tiny.

- fast, the hardware and the software boot and work instantly, and respond to changes instantly (couldn't say the same of my previous interface).

- complete absence of mysterious driver behaviours for me, like the interface "disappearing" to the software.  Previously this was a daily occurrence for me despite a bare bones system tweaked for audio, and all the recommended hardware like TI firewire etc.  Now I get better audio performance on my general bloatware boot partition, than I did previously on my lean audio boot partition.

- professional features, many.  For a home noob user it could be daunting.  For a professional there's everything you need here from an interface at this price.
--- great clocking and control options in the driver panel
--- totalmix incredibly flexible and with handy features
--- digicheck, I feel like I got a free DK audio meter.  I bought another display and have various digicheck functions running on that when I'm mixing.  It has improved my mixing, especially with the K scales.  Brilliant.  I do think RME should speed the development of it for MAC Intel users though.

- when the driver has errors with the firewire it TELLS YOU (the error count in the driver panel).  this helped me diagnose a firewire 800 express card issue.

- the TCO SMPTE appears as a virtual midi MTC to any application.  Brilliant.

- I found a serious bug with the Motu (preamp gains changing by themselves).  Took the support people 2 months to respond and another 6 to fix it.  I can't see RME being that slow to respond ever.

- the limited front panel space is used intelligently for the things you really need, like preamp gain knobs.  Even though the 48v switch is in software, there is a clear indicator for each channel.  Excellent.

- doing a live FOH mix on a yamaha digital board, I can record 18 direct digital splits and 2 pairs of ambience mics and I've still got 6 more analog line inputs free, on my 4 year old laptop, in 1RU.  Brilliant.

- the FF800 is several years old, still manufactured, still supported, and still at the top of it's market sector.  Done.

Glad I got that off my chest, thanks!

Pot.

Madiface XT, Madiface, 3x Micstasy, ADI8QS
Sequoia 17, W10 x64
https://bsound.co.nz/tools-nix

2 Reply by laex (edited by laex 2008-02-15 12:55:45)

  • laex
  • S/Mux specialist
  • Offline
  • From: Austria
  • Registered: 2007-07-17
  • Posts: 306

Re: Things I like about my FF800

I think it is a general rule, that mostly people with problems post in forums. But one must say that there are very few problems for the thousands of RME products out there, and almost all problems get solved in this forum!!

It is by far the best forum I know - nowhere else the communication between a company and the users is that great. MC (and all others from RME and Synthax...), your support is just wonderful!

And I also love my FF800 since the day I got it. It is the most awesome external interface I've ever used (and I've used a few...)! Thank you RME!

DC rules!

laex's Website

  • Registered: 2008-01-21
  • Posts: 6

Re: Things I like about my FF800

Potscrubber,

I agree with pretty much every point you made, although I haven't used as many features as you list.

For me, just the DAC (output) is worth the price of admission.  From day one, I heard things in my previous mixes and even commercial CD's that I couldn't hear before (coming from motu 828).  Just crystal clear conversion, even on the headphone output.  I spent hours simply listening to the unit before I even started using the ADC (input) capabilities.  And once I started using the inputs...whoa. No hyped sound, no artificialness, no mud, no haze, just clarity.

I'd be interested in a "Central Station" like device if RME came up with it, I like their DAC so much.

So much for cheerleading and preaching to the choir...

  • Registered: 2011-03-04
  • Posts: 80

Re: Things I like about my FF800

These are the kind of things I need to read before I buy one :-)  But is it still true in 2011 with Windows 7 64bit ? Any of you guys made that jump since 2008 ?

Thanks :-)

5 Reply by Laurence Payne (edited by Laurence Payne 2011-03-08 15:09:14)

  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 174

Re: Things I like about my FF800

Potscrubber wrote:

- sounds great.  Noticed immediately I plugged in the headphones for the first time and listened to playback, and not a subtle difference.  This wasn't a retail glow either.  I put it down to the superior clocking.

Maybe.  More likely good design of the few, cheap analogue components between the inputs and the digital stuff.  Or maybe a well-designed power supply.