MCM Music UK reviews RME’s brand new Advanced USB Audio Interface, the Fireface UCX II.
Now that the RME Fireface UCX II is available, we are starting to see more and more fantastic user reviews emerge online.
Having owned the unit for three weeks, this review from Murray McEwan (MCM Music UK on YouTube) offers an in-depth, real-world look at RME’s brand new advanced USB Audio Interface. Covering everything from driver stability to Direct USB Recording, Murray’s review provides a useful insight to his time with the UCX II.
You can watch Murray’s full review below. In case you missed it, we recently released a Fireface UCX II overview video that covers everything you need to know about RME’s latest USB audio interface.
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“To summarise my experience with it so far – it just works”
Throughout its 25-year history, RME has been fully committed to creating feature-packed, I/O filled interfaces. The UCX II is no exception, offering the highest feature-to-space ration ever from an RME device.
Alongside the 40 channels of audio available on the UCX II, RME’s latest interface features DC-coupled outputs, Direct USB Recording and full Standalone functionality thanks to its intuitive front-panel control interface. All built into a half-rack form factor, the Fireface UCX II is both easy to store and transport, whilst class compliant mode and the previously mentioned standalone mode make it an incredibly powerful recording device without the need for a computer.
This is something that doesn’t go unnoticed by Murray, who points out the UCX II’s feature set coupled with its desktop-friendly size make the UCX II a fantastic option for users with small home setups.
“In these days when more and more of us are setting up small home studios in limited spaces, it definitely packs a punch for its small size.”
On Sound Quality
RME have long been known for their transparent sound quality, meaning that the sound that you hear is the sound your device will capture. Many interfaces, Murray notes, may add a sonic signature. RME have actively sought to create the most faithful reproduction of the sound source, something which Murray finds a great quality of the UCX II.
“I would rather do my colouration intentionally with plugins or external mic pres rather than having it on everything I record by default. My real-life experiences of this so far have been that the UCX II sounds very clean with little or no colouration of the sound, accurately reflecting the sound sources I’m putting into it.”
RME’s SteadyClock FS jitter rejection technology plays an important role in the sound quality of the UCX II. Clocking and jitter rejection form an integral role in digital audio, ensuring everything remains sample-aligned, in turn optimising AD and DA conversion.
For a detailed look at SteadyClock FS and the importance of digital clocking, watch RME’s introduction to SteadyClock FS video.
“Nothing comes close to the signal routing flexibility and power of TotalMix FX”
One of Murray’s UCX II highlights is the inclusion of TotalMix FX, RME’s powerful on-board DSP mixer and accompanying software.
“You might be saying that lots of interface manufacturers ship their gear with software that allows you to mix audio in the interface. I’ve had experience with a number of these and was sceptical about the power of TotalMix myself. But whilst some others have been good, nothing comes close to the signal routing flexibility and power of TotalMix FX.”
All the processing occurs within the on-board DSP of the UCX II, freeing up valuable computer memory or CPU power. Acting as a software-based mixing console, TotalMix FX offers the ability to route any hardware or software input to any output.
“This is the ace in the pack” Murray states, “as it allows for some very creative routing possibilities.”
These creative routings, along with other control states – like phantom power or gain levels, can even be saved as “snapshots”, making it simple to move between different settings when required. It is even possible to customise the layout of TotalMix FX, with track renaming and channel hiding capabilities.
Alongside the powerful routing capabilities of TotalMix FX, the Control Room section features shortcuts for commonly used functions like speaker switching, Dim, Mono and Talkback. TotalMix FX also includes a selection of effects, with 5-band parametric EQ and dynamics available for every channel, whilst Reverb and Delay can be used to enhance monitoring mixes whilst recording.
Class Compliant mode on the UCX II also makes it possible to unlock the mixing and routing power of TotalMix FX on an app designed for an iPad. This also offers tactile control of TotalMix FX and is the perfect solution for a powerful and portable interface like the Fireface UCX II.
TotalMix Remote
Wireless remote control of any TotalMix FX workspace is also available via the free TotalMix Remote iPad app, which allows for control of any RME interface when connected to the same network.
This is a fantastic solution for creating monitor controllers for musicians or vocalists, giving the talent control of what they want in their monitor mix. Check out our TotalMix Remote video to get started with this incredibly useful companion app.
DURec – Direct USB Recording
With the inclusion of RME’s Direct USB Recording, the UCX II becomes an incredibly capable recording device, especially in Standalone mode. All input and output channels of the interface can be recorded directly to an external USB hard drive or memory stick. A new addition to DURec on the UCX II is the ability to name tracks in TotalMix FX, making it incredibly simple to know immediately what each track is when loaded into a DAW. As a performing musician, Murray can see DURec featuring prominently during his live shows.
“In a live context I can see myself using this to create tracks that I can mix later for live recordings, or to create virtual sound checks where it’s not possible to have all the musicians together when setting up the sound system.”
Interested in getting started with DURec? You can watch our introduction video.
Our thanks to Murray of MCM Music UK for the review.
Learn more about the Fireface UCX II by checking out our overview video.
If you’d like to know more about any of RME’s audio interfaces, soundcards, AD/DA Converters or microphone preamps, give us a call on 01727 821 870 to speak to one of our team or to arrange a demo.
You can also contact us here.