High end audio interface

1.) Why are you at your wits end?

2.) Why are you externally summing?

3.) are you recording multiple people at the same time?

4.) What is the specific issue with the vocals?

Thanks for the reply.

1) 1 am also looking at other interfaces with the same features

2) I am using mostly software instruments and need to get them sounding more analog

3) I am setting up to use live drums

4) Need better preamps to get higher gains

Thanks for the reply.

1) 1 am also looking at other interfaces with the same features

You already have an interface with the same features.

2) I am using mostly software instruments and need to get them sounding more analog

Not sure how you will accomplish this? A plain ol' audio mixer is not going to help with this.

3) I am setting up to use live drums

One of the Focusrite Octo pre boxes should help you here and the money you save will pay for drum mic's

4) Need better preamps to get higher gains

Higher gains? How do you figure another preamp will get you higher gain? Get the signal into Logic at an unclipped level, and then you will have access to unlimited gain.

So I am really looking at 3. I already have enough Shure mics. SM57, 52 etc. I have a Behringer ADA8000 I am not using.

The Saffire has ADAT. I think I would give it a try and see how it sound. Thanks.

Take a closer look at the Fireface UFX from RME. I can vouch for it a 100 %.

The Apollo is also very interesting but I would only recommend it if you already are using the UAD echo system of plug-ins or if you have an interest in them.

Another strong contender is the Antelope Zen Studio.

The 800 looks interesting.

Then get the 802 which is the newer version!

Try here: http://www.soundpure.com/p/rme-fireface-802-firewire-audio-interface/9333

... or there: http://www.fullcompass.com/product/464976.html

The 800 looks interesting.

Then get the 802 which is the newer version!

 

So, if I understand his broken english, the RME 802 has a FW 400 (IEEE 1394), and not FW 800 (IEEE 1394b), but because they have their own design, it will perform sufficiently well, without the increased BW that FW800 offers?

The iMac I will be using has FW 800 ports only (no USB 2.0 conector), seeing I wanted to maximize BW (contemporary technology-wise), with a new interface. RME is thus touting, their FW 400 design, will perform sufficiently, not be compromising, users?

Any further feedback, concerning this would be settling & assuring, as I'm considering the FF802s performance-wise, in this regard; I do need a new interface, BUT my iMac (an iMac 2.8GHz IntelCore i7) has only FW800 connector, or could I daisy-chain USB into my External HD's (G Technology G-DRIVE 1TB unit) USB 2.0 connection, then use FW800 from HD into iMac FW800. So, guess I'm questioning if that IS a workable solution for me?

So, if I understand his broken english, the RME 802 has a FW 400 (IEEE 1394), and not FW 800 (IEEE 1394b), but because they have their own design, it will perform sufficiently well, without the increased BW that FW800 offers?

The Fireface 800 was also using firewire 400. Band width is more than enough for all it's inputs and outputs.

The 800 protocol was only needed when daisy chaining 2 or 3 interfaces.

The new Fireface 802 supports FW400 and USB2 so you have pretty future safe combo.

The iMac I will be using has FW 800 ports only (no USB 2.0 conector), seeing I wanted to maximize BW (contemporary technology-wise), with a new interface. RME is thus touting, their FW 400 design, will perform sufficiently, not be compromising, users?

Like I stated above. Bandwidth is more than sufficient.

Which iMac do you have that supports FW800 but not USB2?

Any further feedback, concerning this would be settling & assuring, as I'm considering the FF802s performance-wise, in this regard; I do need a new interface, BUT my iMac (an iMac 2.8GHz IntelCore i7) has only FW800 connector, or could I daisy-chain USB into my External HD's (G Technology G-DRIVE 1TB unit) USB 2.0 connection, then use FW800 from HD into iMac FW800. So, guess I'm questioning if that IS a workable solution for me?

Now you've lost me.

So your iMac has USB2?

Also how are you going to daisy chain USB and Firewire???

So the FW800 port on FF802 is just a dummy connected to the same FW400? or can it be used for daisy chaining?

I've worked with UFX on USB2.0 and its just insanely stable... I can't really believe how well they managed to pull their drivers off.

I also routinely record @64samples/buffer with FF400, even if the project is packed with plugins and flextime.

I don't think I've had an interface that would work so stable at buffers at less than 128.

You can always get a thunderbolt dock/splitter to get more ports

You can daisy chain up to 3 unit's but it's only going not going to utilize duplex (FW800)

"In real-world an operation of more than one Fireface 802 might be difficult. Each further unit will lead to problems on the USB and FireWire bus, caused by the high number of channels. It makes more sense to connect external converters to the ADAT I/Os of the 802, adding up to 16 channels of analog record and analog playback."

The Fireface 800 was also using firewire 400. Band width is more than enough for all it's inputs and outputs.

The 800 protocol was only needed when daisy chaining 2 or 3 interfaces.

 

The new Fireface 802 supports FW400 and USB2 so you have pretty future safe combo.

 

Like I stated above. Bandwidth is more than sufficient.

Which iMac do you have that supports FW800 but not USB2?

 

Now you've lost me.

So your iMac has USB2?

 

Also how are you going to daisy chain USB and Firewire???

Ok, sorry Eric, I was a little confused, as I have always used Firewire in the past, and didn't understand that the USBa connectors, were usable, to connect an interface; duh!

I received my new RME 802 yesterday, and everything was plug & play (business as usual), yeah!

So thanks for your explanations, as they helped me make the jump, in purchasing the RME802 unit, a safe one and bring me into the lasted developments, hardware wise anyway... now to figure out how to use "Logic Remote" & "TotalMix FX for iPad", but that probably, is best dealt with in a separate post

You're welcome rone2him.

I highly recommend RME.

+1 for RME. By far the most stable and versatile interfaces in the price range

Yep!

+1 for RME 802

Very happy with my new, RME 802, & TotalMix FX...

Setup a mix of several mics & DI, into TotalMix FX, EQ Comp, routed to phones & now I understand the word 'pristine', so heavily used, to describe nice preamps; so much has changed, since I first bought my old (now defunct) 'konnekt 24D' unit, which served me well, but, then it;s not quite in the same class $$$ wise.

I just wish the manual was a little more detailed, but some RME tutorials were, more, helpful to get me rolling (Are we rollin' Bob? hehe), and would still like to find more information on the TotalMix FX plugin (as I'm still fuzzy on the 'leveling' adjustment), there is nothing in the manual, on the plugins, function or controls... but experimentation, is the best teacher. hehe

If this unit is in your price range, the newly designed RME 802 is a top performer, and having latency free monitoring, in the box, with open-ended routing, all indispensable features. cool cool

Looking forward to tracking some stuff sounds, and hearing the AD-DA performance, & my expectations on the units performance are high, given what I've heard so far.