ROAD TEST
RME Fireface UCX II Interface
By Audrey Leyenhorst
Last year , we took a look at RME ’ s Babyface Pro FS interface , and if you read that review , you ’ ll know I was quite enamoured with it . Being the little sibling of the German designers ’ interface repertoire , the only natural progression from that point was to get my hands on a marquee offering – and as such , here we ’ re going over the fully tricked-out Fireface UCX II , which to be honest , is equally as portable as the Babyface ; so that ’ s the first thing right there . It ’ s a tiny little half-rack that ’ ll allow you to do almost anything .
This 40-channel interface offers a full slew of features as well as both hardware and software control via RME ’ s TotalMix FX DSP mixer application ( both driver-based and Class Compliant operation are supported ), providing zero-latency monitoring with a builtin EQ and compressor on each channel , as well as reverb and delay sends . The unit can also be operated standalone , allowing for use without a computer thanks to its DURec integrated digital recorder ; simply stick a USB storage device up to 2TB into the rear jack , and you ’ re off . Regardless of how it ’ s being used , the full slew of sample rates up to 192kHz are available .
The TotalMix Remote application is also available for iOS users for remote operation . As with the Babyface , the Fireface boasts RME ’ s SteadyClock FS clocking , providing outstanding conversion and extremely low jitter based on a femtosecond clock . Another neat part of the box ’ s design are its fully DC-coupled Line outputs , which the company says allows control voltages and gate information to be sent to modular synths and other studio hardware . Also included is DigiCheck , a free metering and measurement software .
The unit ’ s suite of I / O comprises two mic / line preamps via XLR combo jacks on the front panel joined by two digitally-controlled line / instrument inputs and a headphone jack , and
the back of the box sporting four balanced TRS Line inputs , six balanced TRS Line outputs , MIDI I / O , ADAT I / O , AES / EBU and SPDIF I / O , the DU- Rec USB Type-A storage input , and main USB 2.0 Type-B jack , as well as a switchable word clock I / O . Four button keys and an encoder next to the screen offer tactile control of the device .
As far as the performance of the Fireface UCX II , I pretty much got what I expected – meaning the BabyFace , but better . Like that first jump from GarageBand to Logic Pro ( though maybe that ’ s a bit drastic ), it ’ s the same foundation but with significantly more stuff all across the board , and it made getting started very easy . TotalMix operation is identical aside from the additional features , and the added reverb and delay DSP effects are incredibly easy to dial in and sound fantastic ; they cannot be printed , however , while the EQ and compressor can . Still great for getting a headphone mix going , though .
Once again , the sonics here are stunning , and again , the first thing my ears were drawn to was the DAC conversion this thing pushes . The high-end clarity and pleasant air are a dream for mixing , mastering , and casual listening , while the stereo field is super wide and very precise . Obviously , the preamps and ADC are stellar too , the preamps offering 75dB of pristine gain and wide-open dynamics .
As far as workflow , TotalMix is a pretty solid control platform given how much it needs to be able to do , but I do find it a bit clunky at times ; though not enough to really take off any points . With an interface this good across the board , in this small a package , an entirely digital control scheme is a very gracious compromise ; but it ’ s going to be the largest and most necessary part of the learning curve for any of the devices in this series . I really can ’ t dwell on that too much though , because I love this thing for how it performs .
The Fireface UCX II is , to me , the pinnacle of what a portable studio hub should be ; fantastic built-in preamps , massive expendability , mastering-grade conversion , and I really can ’ t emphasize how small this thing is for the immense power behind its punches . No minced words from me on this verdict : it ’ s excellent , and my interface of choice since I tried it out . This one ’ s worth your attention .
Audrey Leyenhorst is a freelance producer , engineer , mixer , and former Assistant Editor of Canadian Musician and Professional Sound . Find her at
www . audsounds . com .
24 CANADIAN MUSICIAN