• MarkD
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-01-03
  • Posts: 5

Topic: UFX Noob question on improving sound on older sessions.

Greetings...After over a decade of recording with lower quality interfaces (Presonus Firepod, Tascam US-428), I am extremely excited to get busy with my recently purchased Fireface UFX.  A very short learning curve later, I am up and running without a hitch.  I do, however, have a question that I have not seen addressed in the manual or forums.  My apologies if this is something I have missed.

Is it possible to squeeze some extra clarity/separation out of older sessions done with other units?  Logic (as in the thought process, not the DAW) would dictate that anything done inside the box will probably stay the same.  Perhaps routing some physical outs and running them back into the UFX and rendering them to a stereo track in real time?  I would imagine routing outputs into another unit would help as well, but I would like to keep things as "inside the box" as possible.

As of late, I am getting more work doing songwriter demos and TV licensing stuff (Drop Dead Diva, The Layover, etc...), and while my past mixes have all sounded pretty good, it wouldn't hurt to up my "sonic game" with some other tracks I have yet to submit.

I am aware of the old "Garbage In...Garbage Out" adage, so if this applies here, so be it.  I have numerous projects coming up that will no doubt benefit from future use of the Fireface.

I am currently using the latest version of Cubase 6, a 17" Macbook Pro and using UAD-1 Plugs if that helps at all.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Mark Dannells

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

Re: UFX Noob question on improving sound on older sessions.

You can process your audio tracks in many ways, both "in the box" and by running them out to external units.  Your UFX is designed to be transparant - not to distort the sound in any way.  But it exists in the real world and therefore doubtless would introduce a LITTLE distortion.  You just might be able to detect this distortion, and might persuade yourself it's an improvement!

But that's all.  If "badness" was introduced by whatever you originally recorded through, it won't be taken away.  And the UFX won't add any additional "goodness" to the signal.

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: UFX Noob question on improving sound on older sessions.

Hi Mark,

High quality neutral sounding AD/DA can sometimes reveal the "badness" in all to gory of a detail. :-)

When ever I have done major grades to my studio equipment I found myself wanting to remix an older mix.
The extra detail and improved stereo field you tend to "hear" from improved AD/DA can be on par with replacing studio monitors or improving your studio layout.
Mixes can sometimes be surprising different once you have improved or corrected any short coming in your studio mixing environment.

The upgraded AD/DA won't improve the raw material from the old session even if you recorded it back though the interface.
The enhanced detail of the new AD/DA may end up making your re-mix of the project be more satisfying.
Then again as I've had happen in the past it my make you depressed that it was recorded so poorly. :-)

Thanks Chris

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

ChrisLudwig's Website

  • MarkD
  • New member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-01-03
  • Posts: 5

Re: UFX Noob question on improving sound on older sessions.

Thanks for the advice, guys.  None of my tracks were particularly "bad', but after using this thing for a few days, I can hear a huge difference in the dynamic range and just the general "airiness" when cutting tracks.  Playbacks definitely seem to have more depth and clarity, so even the way I EQ a particular instrument might change since there isn't as much I am trying to compensate for.

On another note...Still having issues with MIDI with the Firewire connection only.  LEDs will flash on the front of the unit, but no signal goes to my DAW (I have the latest driver).  When connected to USB it works fine, but overall I like the performance of the Firewire better (and I also like having the extra USB ports available) so I would prefer to use that connection.  I'll do some more searches on the forum, but could that possibly be fixed in a new driver?

5 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,599

Re: UFX Noob question on improving sound on older sessions.

Please read here and try:

http://www.rme-audio.de/forum/viewtopic … 681#p66681

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

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

Re: UFX Noob question on improving sound on older sessions.

MarkD wrote:

Thanks for the advice, guys.  None of my tracks were particularly "bad', but after using this thing for a few days, I can hear a huge difference in the dynamic range and just the general "airiness" when cutting tracks.  Playbacks definitely seem to have more depth and clarity, so even the way I EQ a particular instrument might change since there isn't as much I am trying to compensate for.

Goodness!  Was your old audio interface THAT bad?  :-)