New (2021) RME Fireface UCX II

[radix]

I am looking for an AD/DA interface to use with DRC room correction software. Can the UCX-II auto-power on when mains are turned on (i.e. from an auto-switching or network controlled power strip)? I'd like to not have to walk over to the rack and press it's button.

Another option might be the UFX II that I can just leave the power switch in the ON position and then control via power strip.

Thanks

 

[enricoclaudio]

Just leave it ON. Mine is ON, 24/7/365. These Audio Interfaces are designed to stay ON 24/7.

 

[HerbertWest]

You can leave it on, and turn off the power at the strip. The UCX2 will turn on once power is restored. IIRC the question was asked on the RME forum for the UCX and the ADI. For me “Alexa, turn on UCX” works: after the UCX, my wifi-connected power strip enables the monitors waiting a few seconds for the UCX to be up and running. I’m using a combo of UCX2 and Adi2 Pro FS to run (Audiolense) DRC on Auro3D upmixed content (5.2.4).

 

[radix]

You can leave it on, and turn off the power at the strip. The UCX2 will turn on once power is restored. IIRC the question was asked on the RME forum for the UCX and the ADI. For me “Alexa, turn on UCX” works: after the UCX, my wifi-connected power strip enables the monitors waiting a few seconds for the UCX to be up and running. I’m using a combo of UCX2 and Adi2 Pro FS to run (Audiolense) DRC on Auro3D upmixed content (5.2.4).

Thank you. I'm looking to make a custom preamp with rp4 + camilladsp + DA/AD interface + acourate (or audiolense) to try some FIR filtering. I need 6 analog channels and two digital channels, plus word clock sync to a DA-3000, so this looks like the thing for me. Anyway, that's a different thread. As long as the UCX2 powers on with mains, I'm good.

@enricoclaudio I'd prefer to not leave it on all the time, as it will be in a living room and I don't want the light pollution when the stereo is off.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

Yes, i switch my monitors and the UCX II on and off with the power strip only. AFAIK the RME devices typically return to the last state when power is restored. At least the ADI2 and the UCXII. So if you turn the UCX off manually with pressing the button on the device it will stay off next time you use the power switch on the strip.

 

[Scoox]

Just leave it ON. Mine is ON, 24/7/365. These Audio Interfaces are designed to stay ON 24/7.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. If you are not using the interface you really should turn it off to save electrical power. The UCX II generates quite a bit of heat even when idle. Most of the heat comes from the op amps. This is one aspect of its design I don't entirely understand. If an output is muted in TotalMix FX, the corresponding op amp should not consume any power, which would help the interface run cooler. I don't understand why all the op amp ICs have to be on all the time if they are not being used. I used to think the FPGA would be the hottest IC in the UCX II but it turns out it isn't, it's actually the op amps that spit out most of that heat.

I personally would like the ability to power off automatically on system sleep and shut down, and to power on on system resume and start.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

Just leave it ON. Mine is ON, 24/7/365. These Audio Interfaces are designed to stay ON 24/7.

...but the earth!?!?!?

 

[Rja4000]

Can the UCX-II auto-power on when mains are turned o

Yes
The UCX II has no power switch anyway

 

[Atanasi]

Yes
The UCX II has no power switch anyway

Long-pressing the rotary encoder switches power. When the power input is reconnected, the device goes back to its power state before disconnecting power.

 

[radix]

Do you think the UFX II would be better driving AHB2, with it's +24 dBu XLR outputs (compared to the +19 dBu on UCX II)? Or will it not really matter. I never crank it up to 100% anyway, though perhaps with the +24 dBu outputs I could switch from medium to low gain on the AHB2.

 

[Rja4000]

Do you think the UFX II would be better driving AHB2, with it's +24 dBu XLR outputs (compared to the +19 dBu on UCX II)? Or will it not really matter. I never crank it up to 100% anyway, though perhaps with the +24 dBu outputs I could switch from medium to low gain on the AHB2.

With +24dBu, you can definitely switch to Low gain.

I'm not sure that the UFX II performance will allow the full performance benefit of Low gain, though. In this case, the UFX II DAC/output stage will probably be the (measured) performance limiting factor.

If you want to get the ultimate best measurable performance, you'd better use an ADI-2 Pro.

Not that it would matter, from an audibility point of view, though: that will remain top level.

 

[enricoclaudio]

Still love my RME UCX II but today came to my attention a small crack at the top left corner of the faceplate next to the screen. For some reason I thought it was intentional as it's silver but it's not intentional. It's definitely a crack behind the clear faceplate cover. It's not due to miss handling as there is not a single scratch outside the unit. This looks like an assembling defect. I already contacted Sweetwater and sent them photos and they will be contacting RME-USA to see what my options are regarding warranty.

 

[Scoox]

Still love my RME UCX II but today came to my attention a small crack at the top left corner of the faceplate next to the screen. For some reason I thought it was intentional as it's silver but it's not intentional. It's definitely a crack behind the clear faceplate cover. It's not due to miss handling as there is not a single scratch outside the unit. This looks like an assembling defect. I already contacted Sweetwater and sent them photos and they will be contacting RME-USA to see what my options are regarding warranty.

View attachment 256116

View attachment 256117

View attachment 256118

Contact RME support, they should be able to sort you out, hopefully with a new unit (in my experience they are quite accommodating). The repair is really easy for RME to carry out but, depending on your location, it could take a while before you get the interface back.

Off-topic question, do the four buttons rattle loosely on your unit? And do they look a bit like this (pic below) when you position the UCX with the LCD facing upwards? That is, some buttons sinking deeper than others. On my unit, the MIC/GAIN button is so recessed by the time it clicks when pressed I'm mostly pressing on the panel rather than the button. The SETUP/REV button feels about right, sticking out a little further.

 

[ehabheikal]

Can any rme pro tell me if you can save room correction rules in the interface without needing a pc?
Can it also do crossover for the sub?
How many dsp rules max can we have?
How do you select inputs? Or how can we mix them all up so it plays what is active?

 

[Trell]

Can any rme pro tell me if you can save room correction rules in the interface without needing a pc?
Can it also do crossover for the sub?
How many dsp rules max can we have?
How do you select inputs? Or how can we mix them all up so it plays what is active?

The UCX II is not meant for this nor supports it, but in a pinch can be used so. You've three PEQ and a high pass filter for each channel, that's it: No delay per channel. Two of the PEQ are optionally shelf filters. You'll have to ask RME what the slopes are for use as cross over.

There is a manual with tons of information: https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/fface_ucx2_e.pdf

 

[jerryfreak]

used this for several shows over the weekend in my concert recording rig
it was pretty seamless

in addition to the front panel mic inputs, i used an RME quadmic to fill up the 4 channels on the back with mics, and ran a separate 2-channel preamp to the TRS on the front

i was a little panicked when i realized i left my usb A-B cable at home, but after some digging i was able to set sample rate and arm each channel in the menu itself

i initially tried this usb stick in at-home testing. just like the youtube video said it would, the samsung flash buffers and causes a few errors at high bit rate.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07D7Q41PM?th=1

it that turned out to be inferior to either of these, which work with zero errors when testing with maximum bitrate (16ch at 192K). are the few erors on the first drive audible?dunno but i do know that zero errors are better than one or more!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B1GNFNT

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XTQZS4F

i actually mixed and matched them and used the 128GB samsung card in the rocketek reader


this is also a very handy cable that ive used to test my Ugreen M2 enclosure with a sata stick inside. nice to bring it to the front of the gear bag instead of pulling it all out to get to the card reader at the end of a night

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PFHB3R4

some uploads, i ran a variety of mics.

this is the same show from three different stereo mic pairs

Umphreys McGee Live at House of Blues Anaheim on 2023-02-24 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Source: Neumann KK14 > JF Actives > DPA MMA-6000 > RME Fireface UCX II @ 24/96 > Normalize only, no other processing or EQ > FLAC level 8Set One...

archive.org

Umphreys McGee Live at House of Blues Anaheim on 2023-02-24 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Source: Schoeps MK41V > CMC1KV > RME Quadmic > RME Fireface UCX II @ 24/96 > Normalize only, no other processing or EQ > FLAC level 8Set One...

archive.org

Umphreys McGee Live at House of Blues Anaheim on 2023-02-24 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Source: DPA 4018VL > MMP-ES > RME Quadmic > RME Fireface UCX II @ 24/96 > Normalize only, no other processing or EQ > FLAC level 8Set One...

archive.org

 

[FINFET]

RME just updated their driver and firmware. Now you have 12 band PEQs in total with the new 9 band Room EQ feature. You also got Delay and Crossfeed.

Room EQ, Crossfeed, Triple SPDIF - UFX+, UFX II, UFX III, UCX II (Page 1) — TotalMix FX — RME User Forum

Room EQ, Crossfeed, Triple SPDIF - UFX+, UFX II, UFX III, UCX II (Page 1) — TotalMix FX — RME User Forum —

forum.rme-audio.de

With these new features UCX II seems to be superior than ADI-2 Pro in most aspects now (and cheaper). UCX II is much richer in function, with microphone amps, multi channel support and flexible routing using TotalMix that I can't see reasons to buy ADI-2 Pro series for now besides a more powerful headphone output stage, which can be achieved with a cheap headphone amp anyway if necessary.

 

[DJBonoBobo]

RME just updated their driver and firmware. Now you have 12 band PEQs in total with the new 9 band Room EQ feature. You also got Delay and Crossfeed.

Room EQ, Crossfeed, Triple SPDIF - UFX+, UFX II, UFX III, UCX II (Page 1) — TotalMix FX — RME User Forum

Room EQ, Crossfeed, Triple SPDIF - UFX+, UFX II, UFX III, UCX II (Page 1) — TotalMix FX — RME User Forum —

forum.rme-audio.de

With these new features UCX II seems to be superior than ADI-2 Pro in most aspects now (and cheaper). UCX II is much richer in function, with microphone amps, multi channel support and flexible routing using TotalMix that I can't see reasons to buy ADI-2 Pro series for now besides a more powerful headphone output stage, which can be achieved with a cheap headphone amp anyway if necessary.

Wow, i did not expect this. RME is awesome.

 

[zhora]

RME just updated their driver and firmware. Now you have 12 band PEQs in total with the new 9 band Room EQ feature. You also got Delay and Crossfeed.

Room EQ, Crossfeed, Triple SPDIF - UFX+, UFX II, UFX III, UCX II (Page 1) — TotalMix FX — RME User Forum

Room EQ, Crossfeed, Triple SPDIF - UFX+, UFX II, UFX III, UCX II (Page 1) — TotalMix FX — RME User Forum —

forum.rme-audio.de

With these new features UCX II seems to be superior than ADI-2 Pro in most aspects now (and cheaper). UCX II is much richer in function, with microphone amps, multi channel support and flexible routing using TotalMix that I can't see reasons to buy ADI-2 Pro series for now besides a more powerful headphone output stage, which can be achieved with a cheap headphone amp anyway if necessary.

I mean the conversion is better as well.

 

[FINFET]

I mean the conversion is better as well.

Sure but basically AD SNR from 112 to 120 (or THD+N from -104 to -114) makes not much sense in most cases. The feeling of "having a better converter" can be important though.
Maybe one thing I'll miss if I sell my ADI-2 pro is the auto loudness control. Which I think can also be easily implement on UCX II but they haven't yet.