1 Topic by sintbäd (edited by sintbäd 2011-08-09 03:03:03)

  • Registered: 2011-08-09
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Connecting two cascaded Firefaces 800 with one Octamic II

Hi there!

I love the RME stuff, using it for years of recording. My setup consists of two Firefaces 800 cascaded via Firewire and a coaxial Wordclock (1st Master/2nd Slave-setup as shown in the RME youtube video). I get 20 mono inputs with 8 of them preamped. It works out perfectly.

Now there are two big tasks coming up:


Task #1:

I want to buy and add an Octamic II to my system, in order to get 16 channels preamped. Here's my idea for the connection:

1st Fireface 800 (set to Master)
-> connected via Firewire and Wordclock to ->
2nd Fireface 800 (set to Slave, receives external Wordclock from 1st Fireface)
-> connected via Wordclock to ->
Octamic II (set to Slave, receives external Wordclock from 2nd Fireface)
-> connected via ADAT to the 1st Fireface 800 unit (in order to get the 8 octamic-mono-signals into the Master Fireface and finally to my Computer).

DOES IT WORK??? Please write details about cables and switch positions, if possible.



Task #2:

If Task #1 works out:
How do I get the signals from the 2nd Fireface and the Octamic II into Total Mix, in order to create headphone-submixes of all the 16 preamped signals out of the analog outputs of the 1st (Master-)Fireface? Or do I have to use the seperated analog outputs of 1st Fireface, 2nd Fireface and the Octamic II? I don't want to use Software Monitoring via Cubase 6, because of possible latency!

ANY SOLUTIONS?

Thanks for all answers and alternative ways.

Have a nice day!

Sintbäd

System:
Windows 7 (64-bit) - Cubase 6 (64-Bit) - 2x Fireface 800 - Octamic II
  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Connecting two cascaded Firefaces 800 with one Octamic II

Hi Sintbäd,
Hook up the FF800 unit 2 ADAT port 1 I/O  to FF800 unit 1 ADAT port 1 I/O. Unit 1 master and unit 2 Slave to ADAT.
Hook the OctaMIc II into ADAT port 2 of unit 1 then run WC out of FF800 unit 1 to WC in on the Octamic.
AS long as you are working at 44.1k/48k this will give you 26 analog inputs with 16 being usable as MIC Pres. You will have 18 analog outputs. All your routing is happening with in the single FF800 unit so as far Cubase is concerned you just using the one FF800 worth of I/O. All of your software or direct monitoring will be passing through the first FF800 so monitoring with little or no latency should not be a problem.

Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

  • Registered: 2008-12-03
  • Posts: 182

Re: Connecting two cascaded Firefaces 800 with one Octamic II

Hi there Chris, I heard you were moving on to other things smile Good luck on the new job!

To the OP: sorry for the hijack.

-----------------------

Various ADK computers :-)
  • Registered: 2011-08-09
  • Posts: 3

Re: Connecting two cascaded Firefaces 800 with one Octamic II

Thanks a lot, Chris. I'll try it when the Octamic arrives and report the results.

Another question:

I don't have to connect the two FF 800 via WC (because of clocking through ADAT, am I right?). But why does the Octamic have to be clocked via WC?

Greetings

System:
Windows 7 (64-bit) - Cubase 6 (64-Bit) - 2x Fireface 800 - Octamic II
  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Connecting two cascaded Firefaces 800 with one Octamic II

Hi sintbäd,
The 2nd fireface 800 will receive audioclock via the ADAT. Since the Octamic is an AD only WC is the only way to externally clock it.

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

  • From: Bainbridge Island, WA US
  • Registered: 2007-10-05
  • Posts: 156

Re: Connecting two cascaded Firefaces 800 with one Octamic II

alexoosthoek wrote:

Hi there Chris, I heard you were moving on to other things smile Good luck on the new job!

To the OP: sorry for the hijack.

+1
Cheers,
Ira Seigel

7 Reply by sintbäd (edited by sintbäd 2011-08-18 22:35:29)

  • Registered: 2011-08-09
  • Posts: 3

Re: Connecting two cascaded Firefaces 800 with one Octamic II

Thanks a lot!

Everything worked out fine. We did a recording session with all the 16 Micpres (out of possible 28 mono analog inputs) and 4 individual headphone-mixes via Total Mix without using a hardware mixer. One disadvantage: You got to save the channels of the 2nd FF 800 with activated phantom power, because you can't switch it via ADAT (acts like an AD - without an software application).

Now my analog to digital recording environment is completed.

Thanks for the support.

Greetings

S

System:
Windows 7 (64-bit) - Cubase 6 (64-Bit) - 2x Fireface 800 - Octamic II