It is, however, possible to attach up to three Fireface UCs to a single computer if you have enough free USB ports. Whereas the 400 has a second Firewire socket for daisy‑chaining multiple units, here there's only a single USB socket. Thus, although it has the same small switch on the rear panel as its sibling, this has been repurposed for the UC as an on/off switch, which would be inconvenient if the unit was rackmounted. Whereas the Fireface 400 can be bus‑powered if your computer has a suitable six‑pin Firewire socket, the UC relies on the supplied 'line lump' power supply. All its functions are also available from the software control utilities. A single, multi‑purpose encoder, which also acts as a button when pressed, sets all input and output levels, including the gain of the two mic preamps. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of both units is that there are no analogue controls at all. This is summarised in the 'Vital Statistics' box, and is exactly as it is on the Fireface 400. It is, in other words, a 1U, half‑rack‑width device with comprehensive audio and MIDI I/O. Can it meet the same high standards for stability, flexibility and low‑latency performance? Separated At BirthĮxternally, the Fireface UC is at least 90 percent identical to the existing Fireface 400, which was reviewed by Tom Flint in SOS July 2007 ( /sos/jul07/articles/rmefireface400.htm). However, the new Fireface UC is the first RME device to connect via USB 2.
Rme audio drivers driver#
RME also enjoy an enviable reputation for the quality of the driver software that powers their Firewire and PCI interfaces.
They were among the first to recognise the potential of the ADAT optical format, and more recently have brought the high‑end MADI protocol to the semi‑pro market.
RME have been one of the most forward‑looking developers of audio interfaces. It may be small, but the RME Fireface UC is very powerful and boasts astonishingly low latency.