RME Fireface UFX III - Any users here?

Great to hear!  I was thinking Thomann too if I go this route.  I don't know if the current port strike will have any impact on this coming from Germany.  I also checked out the Audio Science Review of the UFX III as someone else suggested.  It's quite lengthy and their resulting opinion was "Excellent."  

Not Dan but the simplest I can put it is that it all matters. Dan has some of the most sensitive ears when it comes to what digital gets wrong out there, what he says is true and he has done the reading/ research to back it up BUT, listen for yourself what is an absolute dealbreaker for Dan maybe fine for you, I have never asked Dan What he thinks of my RADAR with Nyquist and my Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. I’m sure our friendship would survive it😁

FWIW, I did some vocal recording before leaving for a trip and I'm thrilled with the results. I recorded in a studio not too long ago with Aurora (n) and am happier with how the RME sound.

I'll likely stay with RME for quite some time (currently still on the OG UFX so good the hear the newer versions may be better). I trust that brand to keep going for years, and since I'll sometimes end up recording at a cottage/etc, I want that peace of mind and reliable drivers.

Said that, they're not my favorite sounding converters. Having also worked with RADAR and Auroras on the upper end, there's just something more "out of the way" with them. It's subtle and I'm tempted to say that it's almost more accurate to say they "feel" different. As I still do some tape sessions with an API console, these converters sound more like what I'm hearing through the desk, like there's no additional step unlike what I hear with lesser converters. My 2-buss outboard is now running through a Cranborne ADAT rack, digitally piped through the UFX, and it seems a bit better.

Said that Part II: I don't feel the RME has ever gotten in the way of a good mix. It's definitely better than their now-ancient Fireface 800. If the mix isn't working, that's on me. If I could afford the top of the line I'd get it (likely going through an RME interface for stability) but at this point in time I never find myself thinking "if only I had better converters...".

Hey Dan...thanks so much for the detailed response.  You've steered me in good directions in the past--Tokyo Dawn for example.   The challenge of talking about interfaces and converters is that unlike other pieces of gear they effect everything we record and mix.  So opinions on the matter can lead to confusion, defensiveness, you name it.  I'm sure if I were in a studio with you and you A B'ed an RME with a higher end converter and pointed out the deficiency you're hearing I'd hear it too.  When I bought my Apogee Mk1 over a decade ago I went to NYC to hear one and compare it to the Apogee Ensemble to see if I could hear the difference--I could so I bought the Mk1.  But it can be tough knowing what to buy simply based on opinions, YouTube videos, and spec sheets.
 
You're right in that I could purchase a Mk2 chassis and put my card in it.  But I'm concerned about the shelf life of the Mk2 model.  It's been out a while now and is a Mk3 around the corner?  If so, the clock immediately begins ticking on the driver updates on the Mk2 and I just don't want to play that game anymore.  I've owned 3 interfaces in my life--all of which worked fine but saw their demise because of the companies no longer releasing new drivers.  (Remember Aardvark?)  That's one reason why RME is so attractive.  And a lot of people do love its sound.

I think Apogee really had a swing and a miss by not including ADAT on their new Symphony Studio.  Had they done so there would have been no need for me to start this thread.  I will continue to look at all of the options including RME and the others you mention.  I guess for money reasons I'm trying to find an interface with solid software that allows me to use my Symphony (and other units) in standalone mode.  Perhaps the new Motu 828 at 1K$ would make sense for me at this time as it has ADAT. Any thoughts on that new Motu?  By the way, the quality of the mic pres in any of these units is not a deal breaker for me as I use mostly outboard pres.  I'd only use an interface pre for room mics etc.  

Thanks again Dan.

 

For me it is empirical. Sound choices, not budget restrictions. Sound not specs. The list of world class RME users is long. The term ‘prosumer’ is always meant as an insult, but in all honesty it is a 2010 well worn and played out phrase with little relevance.

There aren’t many RME haters, and certainly few on a RME hate campaign that seem personal. The company is small and the founder, Matthias, is available daily on the forums to address any honest technical concerns or design choices point by point himself, him and Ralf are still passionate about it. I like that. For me as a person, critics are critics, any criticism about others life work, including other users, done from a safe distance, has very short arms. Particularly when you have direct access to be informed.

In the end, the argument always reads something like “you have been getting exceptional results, you have happy clients, a stellar reputation ... and... your system is rock solid year after year, but you just need to take a look at this measurement and printed component spec sheet, then maybe you would see how you are wrong”

They basically use the same components as the Apollos and many other mid priced options. The Babyface FS and ADI2-pro are using OPA and ESS and probably sound better as a result.

Getting an RME Digiface USB and hooking it up to your Apogee might be another option as well. Not sure how well the symphony works in standalone mode.

Yeah you got it. I have an HDSPe that i use with an antelope interface for the same reason. Note that they don't have any of the effects which you get with a full interface, but you get all the total mix routing flexibility. 
You would need to see how the Symphony works in standalone mode. I still use the antelope control panel so i can use the onboard DSP to setup headphone mixes. I don't believe the symphony mk1 had dsp though. 


 

I've been looking at the Digiface USB myself. That's a good tip about Thomann. It's a really good price.

I had to use the Symphony as a standalone for a period of time when the M1 Silicone came out and Apogee hadn't initially caught up.  It's not hard to do because it can all be set up from the front panel. And up until now I've used my Motu Mk5 connected through ADAT into the Symphony.  But with a Digiface I should be able to use both units via ADAT.  Do you have any insight into how this would all clock? The RME site isn't very clear about whether the Digiface has a clock.  There's probably a way to do this using the Apogee as the master but clocking is honestly something I have to get a better grip on--haven't had to think about that for ten years.  Another quick question if and when you have time: I'm used to the Apogee Maestro software - it's a simple way to monitor inputs with no latency when tracking and I've always preferred that to struggling to get minimal latency monitoring within the DAW.  Can the RME Total Control software in essence do the same thing? 

I’ve got the RME RayDAT and I have a Ferrofish Pulse 16.

I have 8 x ADAT cables connected to the RayDAT and Pulse and it allows a full count of 16 tracks at 96KHz over ADAT!

It’s impressive and sounds great if you want to work at higher sample rates.