Just got a RME Fireface 800.......Tips??

It will be a day or two till I have the time to set it up. I would appreciate any tips or advice prior to digging in. I will be using it with Sonar 5.

Thanks

Read the quick start instructions on the chassis.

Kind regards

Dave Rich

Congrats on your purchase!! I love mine! Setting up headphone mixes external to the Sonar software is a dream!

don

worth every penny - and nevermind headphone mixes - you can do ALOT with the totalmix software - route anything to anything.

I have my first outputs as the dynaudio bm6as, the 2nd are the alesis monitors and the 3rd pair is the headphone mix. I then also use one of the inputs routed to the headphone mix as a talk-back.

Kind regards

Dave RIch

ORIGINAL: Echo4Sierra

Download the latest drivers and firmware from the rme site and install that stuff. Don't use the CD because you will just have to uninstall it anyways.

You can read this to get yourself prepared for TotalMix. http://www.rme-audio.com/english/techinfo/hdsp_tmsoft.htm. Its for the hammerfall, but also applies to FF800.

I got really good results using the ASIO driver.

You can use midi to control the master faders in TotalMix. This comes in handy when you arent in Sonar. I use an m-audio trigger finger to control volumes and mutes.

You can use the ADAT2 output to use the SPDIF outs to your monitors. I use a Behringer Ultr-Curve pro in-between my RME and my monitors. This way I have an inline spectrum analyzer and I can use it to tune the speakers to flat eq. Crystal clear sound!

Have fun with it! Its really as good as everyone says it is.

you're putting those beautiful converters straight through a behringer eq!!!???

madness ;)

Kind regards

Dave Rich

ORIGINAL: RLD

This way I have an inline spectrum analyzer and I can use it to tune the speakers to flat eq.

Hasn't this been discussed and the conclusion was that this is not a good way to mix?

RLD

Yes and yes.

All bets are off as soon as you move outside of the level at which the "corrections" were done or if you move outside of the postage stamp size sweet spot you have created.

Room tuning has been far more effective for me, (speaking as an owner of that same Ultra-Curve that now sits in the rack turned off 99% of the time...)

Q.

When you are trying to separate a kick from a bass, how do you visually see the peak frequencies? Using a spectrum plug-in? I can see them as I work and it is awesome. As far as the converters go, you are probably right and I will check into that to make sure I'm not doing something stupid.

One thing that everyone in this forum might want to consider. The ways of recording, mixing and mastering are all subjective.

DAVERICH,

Can you post how your equipment is chained up to your monitors. Are you running 2 analog outputs direct to your monitor inputs from the FF800?

ORIGINAL: Echo4Sierra

When you are trying to separate a kick from a bass, how do you visually see the peak frequencies? Using a spectrum plug-in? I can see them as I work and it is awesome. As far as the converters go, you are probably right and I will check into that to make sure I'm not doing something stupid.

One thing that everyone in this forum might want to consider. The ways of recording, mixing and mastering are all subjective.

You have to do this by ear. It all depends on the song and the tracks you have to work with. For example in heavy metal there is so much low bass in both guitar and bass that the kick can't be anywhere near that and still be heard. So most of the time all you hear of the kick is a click or tonk sound. If you are working with a R&B baland you might need the bass to be deep rumbley and use the clip gain to duck one or the other a bit to get the right blend on the attack, in some cases each hit might need a different mix depending on if there is a vocal over it or not. The clip gain envelope is a great tool for perfecting a mix.

The groove of a song can drop out or sound "off" if the elements of the mix are not just right. This is double true now that mixes are all compressed to the hilt (and beyond). It's odd when you go back and solo tracks of a good sounding mix. The tracks don't sound right at all but they blend perfectly. Keep this in mind when tracking and try to capture just want the mix needs. If it sound full and rich soloed there is a good chance it will never fit in the mix like that. So the more tracks you have to blend the less each track can be full sounding. If there are only a few tracks you may need one or two of them to sound huge solo to carry the mix.

I think the idea is to treat your room to take advantage of your already fairly flat monitor response, if you have studio reference monitors.
If you eq your monitors to sound good in what is a poorly tuned room, you may be cutting or boosting frequencies that don't necessarily need to be tweaked, therefore your mixes may not translate well to other systems.

At least that's how I understand it...

RLD

ORIGINAL: Echo4Sierra

In my setup I go from the FF800 ADAT2 out (SPDIF) to the Optical Input of the Ultra-Curve - Ultra Curve Analog Main Outs to the monitors. Therefore I am only converting the DA once, but it is the Ultra-Curve converters, not the FF800. Right? If true, then I am crazy for doing this and I should reconfigure...however....how do I eq the monitors for the room?

If you feel the need for the visual indicator, I'd suggest running into the Ultra curve as you're already doing, but monitoring off of the Fireface's analog outputs. Take no output from the UltraCurve.

You can use the totalmix software to clone your main mix bus to both the analog and digital outputs to accomplish this..