It’s hard to believe, but the RME Fireface 800 was launched 10 years ago, when it set a clear benchmark for all of the audio interfaces that were to follow. It has won countless awards, has built a legendary reputation for its sonic performance and low latency operation and has become the bedrock of studios, live shows, broadcast and post-production the world over.
RME have since continued to innovate and develop key products, including the introduction of the world’s first professional USB audio interface, the Fireface UC. This was followed by the Fireface UFX and UCX, the latter being the worlds first professional iPad multichannel interface, and both offer FireWire as well as USB for maximum flexibility. RME were also the first to launch a USB3 interface in the shape of the MADIFace XT.
It’s these new innovations and technologies that have had RME’s design team working to update the Fireface 800, but without compromising the soul and feel of the original interface.
The result is a “Legend Reborn”, a clever mixture of RME’s new innovative and proven features, and the classic audio interface that so many users fell in love with over the last 10 years.
Introducing the RME Fireface 802
As with the original, at the heart of the RME Fireface 802 there are 4 completely analogue microphone preamps with manual gain settings, allowing lightning fast access and quicker setup. As you might expect, they adhere to RME’s renowned philosophy of a pure, fully transparent, unchanged sound. The four inputs on the front use balanced Neutrik™ XLR/TRS combo sockets and operate alternatively as Hi-Z inputs for direct recording of guitars or other instruments.
RME Fireface 802 (front panel)
The Fireface 802 comes with two, rather than only one headphone output on the front. Otherwise the overall design of the elements found on the front and rear is very similar to the Fireface 800, except for its new housing with a modern, soft and clean look.
Inside the unit, RME’s class-leading SteadyClock technology maintains perfect sound quality, independent from any external clock source, just like in the Fireface 800. However, nearly everything else has been redesigned and upgraded. The very latest AD/DA converters are employed with a better signal to noise ratio, 192 kHz support and a 118 dBA dynamic range on playback. This even applies to the headphone outputs. Their high power technology provides high volume no matter if high or low impedance phones are used.
You’ll also find reference level control on individual channels, 2 more analogue channels in and out, as well as full support for the Advanced Remote Control and a whole host of other improvements.
The support for FireWire 800 has been dropped in favour of USB 2, but the Fireface 802 still offers FireWire 400. And to ease connection issues to modern computers with FireWire, it has both a 6 pin and a 9 pin socket.
The Fireface 802 combines 60 channel super low latency conversion with low latency operation via USB or FireWire and RME’s legendary driver stability and maintenance. It includes active jitter suppression, professional reference level support and complete stand-alone functionality of all core features.
RME Fireface 802 (back panel)
Equipped with the latest TotalMix FX, the RME Fireface 802 not only enters the full mixing, monitoring and effects processing world enjoyed by the UCX and UFX, but also adds Class Compliant compatibility. The Fireface 802 can therefore act as a professional interface for your iPad, as well as being fully controllable from RME’s TotalMix FX for iPad app.
TotalMix FX delivers a digital high-end mixer and signal router, driven by two powerful DSPs, with integrated effects plus built-in monitoring control. Every input and output channel comes with a luxury feature set, comparable to a full-scale digital console. The effects include 3-band parametric EQ, adjustable Low Cut, Auto Level, Compressor, Expander, MS Processing and phase reversal. The Reverb and Echo effects unit is available to all channels. The RME Fireface 802 offers all these effects even at 192 kHz operation.
TotalMix FX is also a perfect monitor controller with its integrated talkback function and much more. The control room features are available in the software or via the optional Advanced Remote Control. Fully flexible management allows you to assign any physical output as Main or Phones output. Talkback, Listenback, Mono, Dim, Recall and External Input will then work automatically and as expected on the assigned outputs.
RME’s new Fireface 802 lives up to the reputation forged by its predecessor, being a highly integrated pro audio solution, a full-blown studio, packed in a 19″ enclosure. It retains the look and feel that made the Fireface 800 world famous, but with RME’s latest technology inside that continues to rock musicians and producers around the world. The RME Fireface 802 is uncompromising in sound, stability and ultra-low latency operation, and provides an unrivalled professional feature set with identical operation on Windows PC and Mac.
The Fireface 802 comes with RME’s unique DIGICheck metering and analysis toolbox.
Features:
- 30 Input / 30 Output channels
- 12 x Analog I/O
- 4 x Mic/Instrument Preamp, classic technology
- 1 x AES/EBU I/O
- 2 x ADAT I/O (or 1 x ADAT I/O plus 1 x SPDIF I/O optical)
- 1 x Word Clock I/O
- 1 x MIDI I/O
- FireWire and USB operation
- TotalMix FX