baffelled between digidesign & RME Pls help

R

rahul

New member
hi Friends,

Could some one really help me for I am confused so much between which interface should I buy...a Digisign 002 Rack or a RME Hammerfall DSP Multi face.

Though the cost is so huge between these two Cards it this is not all abt the cost that is really causing me a hiss...What is bothering me is that

1)Which Interfaces out of these two would have a better PRE AMP.

2) Would the Digidesign 002 run on Nuendo or Cubase or does this support only Protools. Simultaniously is the RME DSP compatible with Cubase SX2 & Nuendo.

3) Which Interface of thsese two would fetch me a better sound quality beacuse the A/D convertors matter a lot in the Interfaces.

Kinldly help which Interface should I go for....the M-Audio is ruled out now I have a choce between the Digidesign & the RME...

Kindly Help-

Rahul.
 
As far as I know, you may only be able to use a Digidesign 002 with Pro Tools. Also, I don't think that the RME Multiface has preamps at all. The Fireface I believe has 4 preamps, where the 002 has 8. The 002 is not known for having good preamps. My gut says the RME will sound better.

Also, the RME will work flawlessly with Cubase and/or Nuendo. Steinberg actually uses RME rebranded stuff for all of their hardware. I also find the RME converters to be the best of the affordable soundcard's available.

If you want to get into Pro Tools though, the 002 is a great place to start. It's a pretty solid tightly integrated interface.
 
This post was sent from heaven, I have been wanting to tell someone what i think about the hammerfall HDSP for some time.

I just purchased a Hammerfall HDSP 9652 and OMFG, this card is amazing, they say No hiss and NO pops and NO cracks, but i was kinda ehhh on that, but when i got the thing installed and configured, I was in heaven, I am using the optical In's from my alesis HD24 and the transfer is SOOOO smooth and SOOO SMOOTH, I cannot stress enuf what a great buy this card was. and no hissing, no pops , no cracks, just the audio.

everyone using a PC or MAC to record should do themselves a favor and buy a hammerfall.

BTW i am using it with Nuendo, and its flawless.
 
xstatic said:
As far as I know, you may only be able to use a Digidesign 002 with Pro Tools.

The Fireface I believe has 4 preamps, where the 002 has 8. The 002 is not known for having good preamps.
Click to expand...

Those first two sentences are wrong. The 002 will work with other popular software programs out there (Cubase, Nuendo, Sound Forge, etc.)
And there are only 4 preamps on the 002 unit.
And as far as not having good preamps...they aren't the greatest, no...but they get the job done pretty well enough. But then again, Digi isn't in the preamp business.
 
Thanks for the correction. It has been a long time since I have used a Digi 002. I do my best to avoid PT LE systems wherever possible.
 
I was in heaven, I am using the optical In's from my alesis HD24 and the transfer is SOOOO smooth and SOOO SMOOTH
Click to expand...
Ok, but you do realize that you are telling us NOTHING about the RME preamps or converters. You are telling us about your Alesis converters (that's how the audio got in, right?). There are no converters used when you go digital out of the Alesis to digital in on the RME. Any card that can transfer optical digital will do the exact same job as long as one is clocked to the other.
 
Well charger, he mentioned the card and i was filling in the blanks, just because i did not color the whole picture does not mean i did not add color... :P
 
I avoid Pro Tools LE because in general I am not into crippled programs that lock you into mediocre overpriced hardware. Also, I am not nearly as familiar with Pro Tools as I am with Nuendo and Cubase SX.

If we were talking about a full blown Pro Tools HD rig, thats a whole different story:D
 
The best price I have seen for the Multiface w/PCI was $850 (at Bayview once upon a time). The best price I have seen for the Digidesign 002R is $1,200, so you are looking at (best case) approx. $350 variance.

I compared the feature set of the two, which are essentially identical. Each has their individual quirks that set them appart, but essentially they're the same. 8 analog I/O, ADAT, S/PDIF, MIDI, etc., etc.. The 002R connects via firewire, the MultiFace via PCI or Cardbus. The 002R has four preamps, the MultiFace zip.

Ignoring the 002R preamps I think you can compare the 002R and the MultiFace on three broad aspects...

  • Feature set... tie
  • User interface... 002R
  • Converters... MultiFace

So what kind of preamps can you lay your hands on for $350? Well, you could get two M-Audio DMP3 (four channels) for about $300 which I think many would consider to be superior to the preamps in the 002R.

When all is said and done I think that the MultiFace wins. For the price of a 002R I get superior converters and superior preamps, with the option (if and when the cash shows up) of being able to sell my old preamps and upgrade... not an option with the 002R.

Now to be fair, the 002R comes bundled with a heap of software, but then again, it's all castrated software that is of very limited value.

Luck!
 
Castrated software that is of limited value? Jeesh, I know lots of people who do killer work on Pro Tools LE, including myself. I've heard tha arguments hundreds of times, and I do believe that RME has better converters and clocks than Digidesign. However, the level of "better" at this point is marginal. We are still at "Homerecording.com", right? For the home user, I don't think you will see a whit of difference from the hardware side. In fact, I'm sure many professionals wouldn't see a difference. It's an argument that always baffles me, arguing over .001% THD or the difference between 104 dB noise floor and 105 dB noise floor.

What do you think the noise floor is on a Beatles album?

Gimme a break. If you like Pro Tools, go for it, there is no reason to allow people to deride you for a choice that makes you comfortable. I like the interface, it gets things done. I like other interfaces too, and I record on a number of systems, but Pro Tools is the straightest path for me to results. And there is absolutely no reason to try to shame people for a choice of hardware or software that is only "inferior" on devices that measure tolerances well out of human hearing... and well out of any sort of range that anyone who is not a serious professional could conceivably care about.
 
charger said:
Castrated software that is of limited value? Jeesh, I know lots of people who do killer work on Pro Tools LE, including myself.
Click to expand...
I was not referring to Pro Tools LE. I was thinking of Samplitude, and specially Abelton LIVE!. I like LIVE!, but the constraints are hitting me all of the time and I refuse to pop $400 for the full package.... too many mics I want to get, and still saving up for a top drawer preamp. Vendors pop that software in to lure you into buying the full package.
 
When I upgraded my hardware recently, I did basically this same research - Digi 002R vs RME. Now, I chose to compare the 002R to the Fireface, because I wanted the preamps. There were two deciding factors:

1. Quality of preamps - almost universally, I found that people preferred RME's preamps to the Digi002R's.

2. Hardware compatibility - as stated earlier, Cubase and such will work with the Digi002R. However, Pro Tools will not work with any hardware besides Digi stuff. I personally found the idea of being tied to proprietary hardware unsettling, especially when I felt the hardware wasn't on par with other stuff out there.

So, I went with an RME Fireface. I use it with Cubase, and I love it.

All that aside, I'll second charger's statements - the measure of 'better' at this point is somewhat marginal, and if you already like Pro Tools, go with Pro Tools. Both options are great platforms, and both will perform spectacularly if put to good use.
 
While you gentlemen are debating I have a quick question about audio interfaces. I have a Delta 66 and I am looking to upgrade for better quality. Do you get better sound from say a firewire interface that houses the pre-amps and A/D converters externally from the PC or from a PCI set up? I was looking at MOTU 828mkII or Lynxtwoa PCI set up myself but I am not sure which is a better product. Can anyone give me any suggestions in regards to my quest for a sound card.
 
charger said:
Castrated software that is of limited value? Jeesh, I know lots of people who do killer work on Pro Tools LE, including myself. I've heard tha arguments hundreds of times, and I do believe that RME has better converters and clocks than Digidesign. However, the level of "better" at this point is marginal. We are still at "Homerecording.com", right? For the home user, I don't think you will see a whit of difference from the hardware side. In fact, I'm sure many professionals wouldn't see a difference. It's an argument that always baffles me, arguing over .001% THD or the difference between 104 dB noise floor and 105 dB noise floor.

What do you think the noise floor is on a Beatles album?

Gimme a break. If you like Pro Tools, go for it, there is no reason to allow people to deride you for a choice that makes you comfortable. I like the interface, it gets things done. I like other interfaces too, and I record on a number of systems, but Pro Tools is the straightest path for me to results. And there is absolutely no reason to try to shame people for a choice of hardware or software that is only "inferior" on devices that measure tolerances well out of human hearing... and well out of any sort of range that anyone who is not a serious professional could conceivably care about.
Click to expand...

Sorry if you misinterpreted my post. I have nothing against Pro Tools LE. I do have many reasons why I will not use it though. First and foremost, I can not live with the track limitation nor should I have to. Second, I do not want to be locked into what Digidesign deems to be good hardware. I would also miss native VST support. I am still not sold on VST wrappers.

As far as this being a home recording environment.... Nowhere does it say that a home recording environment has to be cheap or even small. I stated my opinions based on my experiences. I have used the different systems and have a knowledgable and informed opinion based on doing sound whether it be live or in the studio an average of 40-80 or more hours a week for 8 years now. That alone has earned me the right to have an opinion.

As far as "specs" go and what is or isn't "marginally better".... i don't make judgements or purchase gear on specs. I concluded that I like the RME converters better from USING the different systems. Not based on what other people think or what some review or white paper says.

Also, i never tried to talk anyone out of buying a Pro Tools LE system or a digi 002. I did however state the reasons that I can think of why someone might not want to buy one or the other. Those are important things to know when making a purchase. For me, I would rather know what an items faults are and not what the benefits are. I can decide much more when I know what something will not do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top