• Registered: 2012-03-28
  • Posts: 3

Topic: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

Some of you are going to laugh at this but, I upgraded from a 10 year old M-Audio Delta 66 interface to the new UCX. I ran prior mixes through the DA side of the UCX to compare and I didn't notice any more clarity or detail compared to the Delta 66. I'm going to record a new tune to test out the AD DA converters.....I was convinced that the converters were the top of the line in this price range, but as of yet, I don't hear it. Keep in mind I have excellent preamps from UA, Vintech, and Great River and use excellent mikes too (from a U87 on up). I've been recording in commercial facilities since I was a kid, so at this point, I'd like to know what I'm missing?

BTW, I think RME support (thanks Jeff!) is superb and I like totalmix as well, but I need more clarity, depth and detail and I thought the UCX would help get me there....I even upgraded my monitors to Dynaudios.

Comments would be appreciated, thanks.

  • Registered: 2011-10-30
  • Posts: 63

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

Well, I might be wrong but I suppose the DA side will not do much good if the AD side does not match it. I mean if the analog signal is converted to the 'old' quality the conversion back to analog will not sound any better than the original version.

Try re-recording your tunes.

  • Registered: 2012-03-28
  • Posts: 3

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

Thanks, I'm going to do exactly that tonight.......

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,782

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

Please don't overestimate the significance of conversion in the signal chain... No converter, AD or DA, will actually produce "clarity or detail"... At best, a good converter will faithfully reproduce it, if the recorded signal (or the signal to be recorded) has it. If it actually added to the signal, it would hardly be a good converter... cool


Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2012-03-28
  • Posts: 3

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

Daniel, thanks.......that makes perfect sense.

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

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

You shouldn't "Hear" good converters working wink

What exactly are you expecting to observe?  An artificial stereo widening or other "enhancements" that are clearly different from what came in?  Not from an RME Converter.  Maybe Apogee will get you more of the "enhanced sound" you might be looking for from your conversion?  I prefer my converters to be as neutral as possible...

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
2x Multiface / 2x Digiface /2x ADI8
  • Registered: 2011-02-08
  • Posts: 261

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

Believe me I had an old computer gaming sound card, and recorded some stuff on it, and it still sounds the same through the new Babyface I bought. However recording on the Babyface made the later recordings done through the Babyface, a world of difference.

  • From: Albuquerque, NM
  • Registered: 2010-11-16
  • Posts: 67

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

I guess I had a different experience. I had been using m-audio AP192 for many years and happy with it, plugged in my UFX and instantly noticed the difference even with mp3's.  I was suddenly hearing stuff on recorded material that I never had heard before, stuff like small hisses or noise
in the production.  The content sounded the same as ever but I  could detect smaller low level stuff that I never heard before. Monitors I have are Focal Solo's, Event ASP-8 and Pioneer HPM-100's. Who knows, maybe its the fact that I "wanted" it to sound better considering the money I spent and I certainly have done no real technical tests. Just my experience.

i7 Extreme 990X 3.47Ghz, 24GB RAM, Fireface UFX
Nuendo 8, Halion 6, Wavelab 9.5, Izotope RX 6
  • Registered: 2011-06-01
  • Posts: 45

Re: A little underwhemed by my new UCX

I use two UFX exclusively for A to D (22 tracks @ 24/96). However, on mixdown, I monitor the L/R mix with the $8K Weiss 202. Rest assured that with the UFX you can record superb tracks. But to hear the ultimate quality a state of the art D to A is useful. 

This is certainly no reflection on the value or quality of the UFX, since for somewhat over $2K RME provides you with something like 12 times the converters (both A to D and D to A) of the Weiss 202. But to verify and/or compare what you are recording it might be useful to rent such a D to A converter even though, or perhaps because, the price per converter ratio is so high.