RME Audio Fireface UCX II User Manual
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RME Audio Fireface UCX II User Manual

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User's Guide
Fireface UCX II
The most powerful USB audio interface ever!
™
TotalMix FX
24 Bit / 192 kHz
™
™
SteadyClock
SyncCheck
FS
USB 2.0 Digital I/O System
8 Channel Analog Interface
2 + 2 Channel AES / SPDIF Interface
8 Channel ADAT Interface
24 Bit / 192 kHz Digital Audio
40 x 20 Matrix Router
MIDI Input / Output
Full Stand-Alone Operation
Direct USB Recording
Class Compliant Operation

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  • Page 1 User's Guide Fireface UCX II The most powerful USB audio interface ever!  ™ TotalMix FX 24 Bit / 192 kHz ™ ™ SteadyClock SyncCheck USB 2.0 Digital I/O System 8 Channel Analog Interface 2 + 2 Channel AES / SPDIF Interface...
  • Page 2 (see warranty statement on page 82). Proper Use The Fireface UCX II is a digital interface for professional audio applications for use with CE ap- proved class B computers. To comply with the European CE standard, the Fireface UCX II must be used with CE approved Class B computers.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Operation under ASIO General ..............25 Channel Count under ASIO ......... 25 Known Problems ..........26 Using more than one Fireface UCX II ....26 DIGICheck Windows ..........27 Hotline – Troubleshooting ........28 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 4 24.1 8-Channel AD/DA-Converter ........ 51 24.2 2-Channel Mic Preamp ........51 24.3 Monitor Mixer ............51 24.4 Digital Format Converter ........51 24.5 Analog/Digital Routing Matrix ....... 51 24.6 Stand-Alone Recorder/Player ....... 51 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 5 28.4 Operation ............. 85 28.5 MIDI Control ............86 28.6 Stand-Alone MIDI Control ........87 28.7 Loopback Detection ..........89 28.8 OSC (Open Sound Control) ......... 89 DAW Mode ............... 89 TotalMix Remote ............. 90 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 6 40.5 QS – Quad Speed ..........114 40.6 Noise Level in DS / QS Mode ......115 40.7 SteadyClock ............115 Diagrams 41.1 Block Diagram Fireface UCX II ......116 41.2 Connector Pinouts ..........117 Miscellaneous Accessories ............120 Warranty ..............120 Appendix ..............

  • Page 7: General

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II General User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 8: Introduction

    1. Introduction Thank you for choosing the Fireface UCX II. This unique audio system is capable of transferring analog and digital audio data directly to Windows and Mac computers. The latest Plug and Play technology guarantees a simple installation, even for the inexperienced user. Numerous unique features like a well thought-out Settings dialog and an integrated routing solution realize a quick, comfortable and efficient operation of the Fireface UCX II.

  • Page 9: First Usage - Quick Start

    5. First Usage – Quick Start 5.1 Connectors – Controls – Display The front of the Fireface UCX II features two instrument and microphone inputs, a stereo head- phone output, a rotary encoder with push functionality, four buttons, a graphical colour display and two status LEDs.
  • Page 10 The rear panel of the Fireface UCX II features 4 analog inputs and 6 analog outputs, the power socket, USB, DURec (USB-A), word clock, MIDI I/O, ADAT I/O, and a connector for the included breakout cable D-sub to XLR/RCA (SPDIF/AES I/O).

  • Page 11: Quick Start

    5.3 Menu and Navigation The Fireface UCX II has a simple and clear menu structure, for fast and efficient operation di- rectly at the device. In most cases, however, all settings will be done via the Settings dialog and TotalMix FX of the host computer.
  • Page 12 The quick select buttons MIC/GAIN, REC/PLAY, CHAN/MIX and SETUP/REV are described in chapter 23.2. Navigation The Fireface UCX II has a simple and fast 1-button operation. Pressing the VALUE encoder switches between adjusting the parameter and moving horizontally through the menu to moving vertically through the menu.

  • Page 13: Overview Menu Structure

    5.4 Overview Menu Structure User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 14: Special Options

    Level Meters. All, Analog. Global Level Meter or Analog Lev- el Meter screen. Same function as pressing the VALUE en- coder for half a second. Scroll Type. cw up, cw down. Allows changing the scroll di- rection when turning the encoder. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 15: Installation And Operation - Windows

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II Installation and Operation – Windows User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 16: Hardware, Driver And Firmware Installation

    Start rmeinstaller.exe and follow the instructions of the installer. After installation connect com- puter and UCX II using a USB 2 cable. Windows detects the new hardware as Fireface UCX II and installs the drivers automatically.

  • Page 17: Configuring The Fireface - Settings Dialog General

    7. Configuring the Fireface – Settings Dialog 7.1 General Configuration of the Fireface UCX II is done via its own settings dialog. The panel Settings can be opened by clicking on the fire or hammer symbol in the Task Bar's system tray.
  • Page 18 Word Clock Output This option switches the BNC socket into word clock output mode. WDM Devices Reduce the number of WDM devices to the ones really needed to improve per- formance of the operating system. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 19: Pitch

    Fine Fine modification in steps of 1 Hz is done by using the left/right cursor keys. Reset Ctrl key plus left mouse click. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 20: Option Wdm Devices

    8. Operation and Usage 8.1 Playback In the audio application being used, Fireface UCX II must be selected as output device. This can often be found in the Options, Preferences or Settings menus under Playback Device, Audio Devices, Audio etc.

  • Page 21: Dvd-Playback (Ac-3/Dts)

    Note: Since Windows Vista the audio application can no longer control the sample rate under WDM. Therefore the driver of the Fireface UCX II includes a way to set the sample rate globally for all WDM devices within the Settings dialog, see chapter 7.1. As the change within the system requires some time, record/playback should not be started immediately, but only after at least 5 seconds after a change.

  • Page 22: Channel Count Under Wdm

    Fireface ADAT 1 (7+8) 8.4 Multi-client Operation RME audio interfaces support multi-client operation. Several programs can be used at the same time. The formats ASIO and WDM can even be used on the same playback channels simulta- neously. But as WDM uses a real-time sample rate conversion (ASIO does not), all active ASIO software has to use the same sample rate.

  • Page 23: Analog Recording

    The level of the front-side analog inputs can be optimized via TotalMix (Input Channel Settings, Gain), or directly at the Fireface UCX II by the key Mic/Gain and the encoders 1/2. The multi- colour level meters shown on the display also provide useful information about the current level state.

  • Page 24: Clock Modes - Synchronization

    A digital system can only have one master! If the Fireface’s clock mode is set to 'Master', all other devices must be set to ‘Slave’. The Fireface UCX II utilizes a very user-friendly, intelligent clock control, called AutoSync. In AutoSync mode, the system constantly scans the digital input for a valid signal. If any valid signal is found, the Fireface switches from the internal quartz (Clock Source –...

  • Page 25: Operation Under Asio

    The Fireface UCX II supports ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM). The Fireface UCX II MIDI I/Os can be used with both MME MIDI and DirectMusic MIDI. 9.2 Channel Count under ASIO At a sample rate of 88.2 or 96 kHz, the ADAT optical input and outputs operate in S/MUX mode, so the number of available channels per port is reduced from 8 to 4.

  • Page 26: Known Problems

    PCIe-bus transfer rates, then drop outs, crackling and noise will appear. Raising the buffer size in the Settings dialog of the Fireface UCX II helps in most cases. It is also recommended to deactivate all PlugIns to verify that these are not the reason for such effects.

  • Page 27: Digicheck Windows

    DIGICheck is free but works only with RME interfaces. It is constantly improved and updated. The latest version is always available on our website www.rme-audio.com, section Downloads / Software. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 28: Hotline - Troubleshooting

     Check that there is a valid signal at the input. If so, the current sample frequency is displayed in the Settings dialog.  Check whether the Fireface UCX II has been selected as recording device in the audio appli- cation.

  • Page 29: Installation And Operation - Mac Os X

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II Installation and Operation – Mac OS X User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 30: Hardware, Driver And Firmware Installation

    During driver installation the programs Totalmix (TotalMix FX) and Fireface USB Settings are copied to the Applications folder. They will automatically start into the dock if a Fireface UCX II is connected. A reboot of the computer is not required.

  • Page 31: Configuring The Fireface

    14.1 Settings Dialog Configuring the Fireface is done via its own settings dialog. Start the program Fireface USB Settings. The mixer of the Fireface UCX II (TotalMix FX) can be configured by starting the pro- gram Totalmix. The Fireface’s hardware offers a number of helpful, practical functions and options to suit many different requirements.
  • Page 32 (coarse recognition, 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz etc.). Short Safety Offset Reduces overall latency by using smaller Safety Offsets (12 samples instead of 24 samples). Change is performed in real-time. Smaller Safety Offsets might cause clicks and dropouts. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 33: Clock Modes - Synchronization

    A digital system can only have one master! If the Fireface’s clock mode is set to 'Master', all other devices must be set to ‘Slave’. The Fireface UCX II utilizes a very user-friendly, intelligent clock control, called AutoSync. In AutoSync mode, the system constantly scans the digital input for a valid signal. If any valid signal is found, the Fireface switches from the internal quartz (Clock Mode –...

  • Page 34: Mac Os X Faq

    Fireface Analog 1 to 8 Fireface Analog 1 to 8 Fireface SPDIF Fireface SPDIF Fireface SPDIF Fireface AES Fireface AES Fireface AES Fireface ADAT 1 to 8 Fireface ADAT 1 to 4 Fireface ADAT 1 to 2 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 35: Various Information

    Core Audio function Aggregate Devices, which allows to combine several devices into one. The current driver supports up to three Fireface UCX II. All units have to be in sync, i.e. have to receive valid sync information either via word clock or by feeding synchronized signals.

  • Page 36: Digicheck Mac

     Completely multi-client. Open as many measurement windows as you like, on any chan- nels and inputs or outputs! DIGICheck is constantly updated. The latest version is always available on our website www.rme-audio.com, section Downloads / DIGICheck. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 37: Hotline - Troubleshooting

     Check that there is a valid signal at the input. If so, the current sample frequency is displayed in the Settings dialog.  Check whether the Fireface UCX II has been selected as recording device in the audio appli- cation.
  • Page 38 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 39: Inputs And Outputs

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II Inputs and Outputs User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 40: Analog Inputs

    19.2 Microphone / Line Front The two balanced microphone inputs of the Fireface UCX II offer a digitally controlled gain of 0 to 75 dB via XLR/TRS combo jacks. The gain range is 0 to 75 dB, adjustable in steps of 1 dB.

  • Page 41: Instrument / Line Front

    19.3 Instrument / Line Front Inputs 3/4 of the Fireface UCX II are exceptionally flexible. Several gain and impedance options make them the ideal receivers for both line and instrument signals. Line Inputs 3/4 have balanced line inputs as 1/4" TRS jacks. The electronic input stage is built in a servo balanced design which handles unbalanced (mono jacks) and balanced (stereo jacks) correctly, automatically adjusting the level reference.

  • Page 42: Analog Outputs

    (mono jacks) and balanced (stereo jacks) correctly. To maintain an optimum level for devices connected to the analog outputs, the Fireface UCX II internally uses hi-quality electronic switches, which allow for a perfect adaptation of all outputs individually to the three most often used studio levels.

  • Page 43: Dc-Coupled Outputs (Cv/Gate)

    Note: The level meters in TotalMix show DC 3 dB higher due to its factory default setting. This can be changed by disabling the Settings - Level Meters - RMS +3 dB option in TotalMix FX. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 44: Digital Connections

    Using the cable adapter XLR/RCA described above, devices with coaxial SPDIF interface can be connected to the AES output of the Fireface UCX II as well. Note that most consumer equip- ment with phono (SPDIF) inputs will only accept signals having a Channel Status Consumer. In such cases the above adapter cable will not work.

  • Page 45: Spdif (Coaxial, Optical)

    Therefore in SPDIF mode the optical output is fixed to Consumer status. 21.4 MIDI Fireface UCX II offers one MIDI I/O via two 5-pin DIN sockets. The MIDI ports are added to the system by the driver. Using MIDI capable software, these ports can be accessed under the name UCX II MIDI Port.

  • Page 46: Word Clock

    BNC output (see chapter 40.8). The Fireface UCX II has one BNC socket with dual functionality – it can serve as word clock input OR word clock output. The current mode is set in the Settings dialog by the user.

  • Page 47: Technical Description And Background

    22 MHz from a slow word clock of 44.1 kHz is no problem anymore. Additionally, jitter on the input signal is highly rejected, so that even in real world usage the re-gained clock signal is of highest quality. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 48: Cables And Termination

    BNC jack. This message has the same meaning as the green State field, but appears on the monitor, i.e. the user can check immediately whether a valid word clock signal is present and is currently being used. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 49: Stand-Alone Operation

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II Stand-Alone Operation User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 50: Operation And Usage

    23. Operation and Usage 23.1 General Using the rotary encoder, the four buttons and the clear colour display the Fireface UCX II can be configured and set up completely at the device. Additionally internal memory allows for the permanent storage of six different states of the unit. Therefore the Fireface UCX II is able to operate fully stand-alone, without any connected computer.

  • Page 51: Examples

    The perfect headphone monitor mixer! 24.4 Digital Format Converter As TotalMix allows for any routing of the input signals, the Fireface UCX II can be used as ADAT to AES converter, ADAT to AES/SPDIF and AES/SPDIF to ADAT converter.
  • Page 52 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 53: Totalmix Fx

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II TotalMix FX User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 54: Routing And Monitoring

    25. Routing and Monitoring 25.1 Overview The Fireface UCX II includes a powerful digital real-time mixer, the Fireface UCX II mixer, based on RME’s unique, sample-rate independent TotalMix technology. It allows for practically unlim- ited mixing and routing operations, with all inputs and playback channels simultaneously, to any hardware outputs.
  • Page 55 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 56: The User Interface

    The visual design of the TotalMix mixer is a result of its capability to route hardware inputs and software playback channels to any hardware output. The Fireface UCX II has 20 input channels, 20 software playback channels, and 20 hardware output channels: TotalMix can be used in the above view (View Options 2 Rows).

  • Page 57: The Channels

    The arrow symbol at the bottom minimizes the channel width to that of the level meters. Anoth- er click maximizes it again. A mouse click with held Ctrl key causes all channels to the right to enlarge and minimize at once. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 58 (the submix selected in the third row) is shown as white triangle. Background: TotalMix has no fixed channel fader. In case of the Fireface UCX II there are 20 mono Aux sends, shown alternately as single fader within the channel strip.

  • Page 59: Settings

    Phase L. Inverts the phase of the left channel by 180°. Phase R. Inverts the phase of the right channel by 180°. Note: the functions Width, MS Proc, Phase L and Phase R affect all routings of the respective channel. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 60: Equalizer

    Lo Cut. Activated by the button Lo Cut. The slope of the high-pass filter is adjustable between 6, 12, 18 and 24 dB per octave. The cut-off point (-3 dB) is adjustable between 20 Hz and 500 Hz. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 61 Presets have special names. For example Telephone (LC+EQ) will sound much better when the LC has been activated additionally to the EQ, as the LC is set to an unusual high frequency of 500 Hz here. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 62: Dynamics

    Preset. Includes the same functions as de- scribed on the previous page for the Equalizer. The names of the Factory Presets make clear whether Compressor, Auto Level or both (C+A) have to be switched on. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 63: Section Control Room

    Phones outs. The output for the Cue signal, which is usually Main, can also be set to one of four Phones out- puts. The setting Cue/PFL to also controls the PFL monitoring. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 64: The Control Strip

    FX - DSP Meter. Shows the DSP load caused by activated EQ, Low Cut, Compressor, Auto Level, Echo and Reverb. The DSP of the Fireface UCX II has an automatic load limiter. If no DSP resources are left further effects can not be activated.

  • Page 65: View Options

     2 Row. Switches the mixer view to 2 rows. Hardware Inputs and Software Playbacks are placed side by side. This view saves a lot of space, especially in height.  Names. Display of the original names of channels when they had been renamed by the us- User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 66: Snapshots - Groups

    Instead signals can be muted on specific submixes by the push of a button. A solo group operates exactly like the global solo, signals outside the current routing are not affected. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 67: Channel Layout - Layout Presets

    Name (User) column. Editing channel names in this dialog is quick, Enter jumps to the next line. The names of the channels in the Control Room section can only be changed this way. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 68: Scroll Location Markers

    When the TotalMix FX window is intentionally made small in width, so only a few channels are shown.  When some or all EQ or Dynamics panels are open. Then all relevant settings are always visible, but require a lot of space horizontally. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 69: Reverb And Echo

    TotalMix FX comes with factory presets and default values for all reverb types to ensure a fast setup time and quick results. Please take the time to experiment with them with different signals and different settings, to learn how different they can sound and can be used. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 70 High Damp. Sets the treble damping over time for the reverb signal. In principle, this is a low- pass filter like High Cut. Because of the operation principle of this reverb it shows a slightly dif- ferent behaviour. Adjustable from 5 kHz up to 20 kHz. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 71 Reverb  Reset: Resets the Reverb or Echo  Rename: The Presets 1 to 16 can be renamed. The changes will be shown in both lists Recall and Save to. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 72: Preferences

     Auto Level. Activates the display of the variable amplification of the Auto Leveler. As Auto Level can both amplify and attenuate the audio signal, depending on its configuration, the display can show negative (typical gain reduction) as well as positive (above 0 dB, amplifica- tion) values. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 73: Store For Current Or All Users

     Always init DSP devices with TotalMix FX settings. Used to suppress the mismatch message after using the unit stand-alone. Settings in the unit are lost.  Count MADI Channels per port. Not available with the Fireface UCX II.  Disable ASIO Direct Monitoring. Disables ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM) for the Fireface UCX II within TotalMix FX.

  • Page 74: Settings

     Exclusive Solo/PFL Mode. Only a single Solo or PFL can be active at a time. Activating a different one automatically deactivates the previous one.  2-Row Mode with only Input in first row. The Software Playback channels are shifted to the lower row, beside the Hardware Outputs. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 75: Midi Page

    Note: When MIDI Out is set to NONE then TotalMix FX can still be controlled by Mackie Control MIDI commands, but the 8-channel block is not marked as remote target. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 76: Osc Page

     Number of faders per bank. Available choices are 8 (default), 12, 16, 24, 32 and 48. Note that when working in underperforming networks, especially wireless, a higher number of faders might not work as smooth as expected. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 77: Aux Devices

    The RME OctaMic XTC is a highly flexible hi-quality 8-channel microphone, line and instrument preamp with integrated AD-conversion to ADAT, AES/EBU and MADI, plus 4 channels of DA- conversion for monitoring. It can be used as universal front-end for the Fireface UCX II and oth- er interfaces.

  • Page 78: Hotkeys And Usage

    DIGICheck). The dialog Preferences is opened with F3. Alt-F4 closes the current window. Alt and number keys 1 to 8 (not on the numeric keypad!) will load the corresponding Work- space from the Workspace Quick Select feature (hotkey W). User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 79: Menu Options

    In most cases mono hardware outputs will break ADM. Mono inputs are in most cases compatible. If not wrong panning might occur.  Total Reset. Playback routing 1:1 with mixdown to Main Out. Switches off all other func- tions. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 80: Menu Window

    26.2 Elements of the Matrix View The visual design of the Matrix is determined by the architecture of the Fireface UCX II system:  Horizontal labels. All hardware outputs  Vertical labels. All hardware inputs. Below are all playback channels.

  • Page 81: Operation

    <name> will paste the whole submix and then synchronize it automatically to any future chang- es. The outputs now always send out the same signals, but their main volume (fader) and the EQ and Dynamics settings stay fully independent. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 82: Delete A Submix

    TotalMix. Therefore TotalMix can be used to route this input signal to any hardware output. Using the subgroup recording, the input can still be recorded on a different channel. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 83: Ms Processing

    The most basic application is the manipulation of the stereo width: a change of the level of the side channel allows to manipulate the stereo width from mono to stereo up to extended. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 84: Midi Remote Control

    Main Out F10 - F12 select Cue Phones 1 - 3 *Tested with Behringer BCF2000 Firmware v1.07 in Mackie Control emulation for Steinberg mode and with Mackie Control under Mac OS X. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 85: Setup

    TotalMix also supports the 9th fader of the Mackie Control. This fader (labelled Master) will con- trol the stereo output faders (lowest row) which are set up as Main Out in the Control Room sec- tion. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 86: Midi Control

    16 Controller numbers are used: 102 up to 117 (= hex 66 to 75). With these 16 Controllers (= faders) and 4 MIDI channels each per row, up to 64 faders can be controlled per row (as re- quired by the HDSPe MADI). User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 87: Stand-Alone Midi Control

    1 to 16, B3 0C nn for Echo preset 1 to 16 28.6 Stand-Alone MIDI Control When not connected to a computer, the Fireface UCX II can be controlled directly via MIDI. The stand-alone MIDI control mode is activated in the unit’s menu Options, Hardware/Diagnosis, Standalone MIDI.
  • Page 88 Loading the Setups stored in the device enables a quick configuration change of the UFX. With this any possible operation state can be activated by the push of a button at any time. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 89: Loopback Detection

    Several useful, advanced features are still available in TotalMix FX in DAW mode:  Talkback, External Input  Phones definition and handling with Talkback  Speaker A / B  All FX (EQ, Dynamics, Echo, Reverb)  Mute and Solo  Cue / PFL User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 90: Totalmix Remote

    TotalMix Remote is a remote control for TotalMix FX v1.50 and up, to control the hardware mix- er and effects in RME audio interfaces. TotalMix Remote mirrors the current state of the host system on the iPad and Windows/Mac computers - the entire mixing state, the complete routing, all FX settings, up to the level meters, and everything in real-time.
  • Page 91 • State. Is shown in the upper right corner (offline or connected), or the Mac/Windows title bar. Downloads Remote Windows http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/tmfx_win_remote.zip Remote Mac http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/tmfx_mac_remote.zip iPad From the Apple App Store, search for 'TotalMix Remote'. This app is free. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 92 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 93: Class Compliant Mode

    User’s Guide Fireface UCX II Class Compliant Mode User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 94: General

    31. General The Fireface UCX II operates in two different modes: driver-based USB2 and Class Compli- ant. The latter describes a standard that is natively supported by operating systems like Win- dows, Mac OS X and Linux. No proprietary drivers are required, the device will be directly rec- ognized when the CC firmware is loaded.

  • Page 95: Operation

    USB 3 Camera Adapter. It has an additional Lightning port for power supply that charges the iPhone/iPad even when used with the UCX II. The iPad Pro with its USB-C socket operates as regular USB host. Therefore no adapter is needed, only a matching cable (USB-C to USB-B). User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 96: Class Compliant Under Windows/Mac Os X

    While the MIDI I/O will send and receive Sysex messages, not all apps are ready to do this. The app Midi Tool Box can be used to verify that the UCX II is working correctly. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 97: Front Panel Operation

    8 Ch. Playback. Same, but no copy of 1/2 to Phones, so the output Phones (7/8) is available for separate playback. 20 Ch. Playback. No copy mode active, all 20 channels are available separately. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 98: Setups

    Remote USB, as its buttons can load the Setups 1 to 6 directly On the iPad the optional app TotalMix FX for iPad gives full control of all functions and parame- ters in real-time and with full overview, similar to working under Windows and Mac. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 99: Durec - Direct Usb Recording

    User’s Guide Fireface UCX II ™ DURec - Direct USB Recording User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 100: Direct Usb Recording

    38. Direct USB Recording 38.1 Overview The Fireface UCX II can record and playback up to 40 channels of audio via the DURec USB port on the rear panel. This functionality is provided by the internal DSP and is therefore inde- pendent from a Windows or Mac computer connected via USB.
  • Page 101 When loading a different workspace during ongoing recording and playback, the configuration of record and playback is not updated or changed. The display of the Fireface UCX II brings up the Record/Playback menu automatically when a storage medium is connected and recognized, or after pushing the REC/PLAY button.
  • Page 102 The clock is used to timestamp the recorded DURec files with the current time and date values (file attribute). Time & Date can also be set manually using this easy to use dialog. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 103: Limitations And Important Notes

    The recording signal is taken before EQ and Dynamics, on both inputs and outputs. To record with EQ/Dyn, activate REC on an output and route a signal processed by the input EQ/Dyn to that output. The insert point of playback is at the same place. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 104: Multichannel Wav File Batch Processor

    2 GByte. With higher track counts and longer re- cording times this limit is quickly exceeded. The DURec process of the Fireface UCX II therefore writes multiple consecutive files of 2 GByte each. Importing these files into typical DAWs re- quires the user to adjust and align the content of each file to the previous one.

  • Page 105: Technical Background

    The free software is available for Windows and Mac OS X and can be downloaded from the RME website, www.rme-audio.com, section Downloads / Software. The Fireface UCX II adds some meta data to the recorded files, like date, time, recording device and channel number. The WAV File Batch Processor reads these data and writes them accord- ingly into the generated wav files.
  • Page 106 Note the exact type details for best performance: the card should have U3 and V30 specification. Additionally these cards are usually formatted with exFAT. They need to be wiped completely, a new volume created and formatted with FAT32 to be accepted by the UCX II. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 107: Technical Reference

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II Technical Reference User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 108: Technical Specifications

     Channel separation: > 110 dB  Maximum output level: +19 dBu  Output: 6.3 mm TRS jack, servo-balanced  Output impedance: 75 Ohm  Output level switchable +19 dBu, +13 dBu, +4 dBu User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 109: Midi

     Quad Speed (S/MUX4): 2 channels 24 bit 192 kHz  Bitclock PLL ensures perfect synchronisation even in varispeed operation  Lock range: 31.5 kHz – 50 kHz  Jitter suppression: > 50 dB (2.4 kHz) User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 110: Digital Outputs

     Dimensions without rack ears, body depth (WxHxD): 215 x 44 x 130 mm (8.5" x 1.73" x 5.1")  Weight: 910 g ( 2.0 lbs)  Temperature range: +5° up to +50° Celsius (41° F up to 122°F)  Relative humidity: < 75%, non condensing User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 111: Technical Background

    PLL tracks the receiver's frequency. If an ADAT or SPDIF signal is applied to the Fireface UCX II, the corresponding input field starts flashing. The unit indicates LOCK, i. e. a valid input signal (in case the signal is also in sync, the filed is constantly lit, see below).

  • Page 112: Latency And Monitoring

    RME's Zero Latency Monitoring. The term describes the digital path of the audio data from the input of the interface to its output. The digital receiver of the Fireface UCX II can't oper- ate un-buffered, and together with TotalMix and the output via the transmitter, it causes a typical delay of 3 samples.

  • Page 113: Usb Audio

    An additional small safety buffer on the playback side has proven to be very efficient and useful. It is therefore implemented in all RME interfaces. Under Windows the Fireface UCX II uses a fixed additional buffer of 32 samples, under Mac 24 samples, which is added to the current buff- er size.

  • Page 114: Ds - Double Speed

    Because the ADAT interface does not allow for sampling frequencies above 48 kHz (a limitation of the interface hardware), the Fireface UCX II automatically uses Sample Multiplexing in DS mode. One channel's data is distributed to two channels. As the transmission of double rate signals is done at standard sample rate (Single Speed), the ADAT outputs still deliver a 44.1 kHz...

  • Page 115: Noise Level In Ds / Qs Mode

    40.6 Noise level in DS / QS Mode The outstanding signal to noise ratio of the Fireface UCX II AD-converters can be verified even without expensive test equipment, by using record level meters of various software. But when activating the DS and QS mode, the displayed noise level will rise from -113 dB to -105 dB at 96 kHz, and –79 dB at 192 kHz.

  • Page 116: Diagrams

    41. Diagrams 41.1 Block Diagram Fireface UCX II User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 117: Connector Pinouts

    AES Out - SPDIF In + SPDIF Out - AES In - Note: The digital breakout cable BO968 is also used on the HDSP9632, HDSPe AIO, HDSPe AIO Pro and the ADI-2 Pro versions. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...
  • Page 118 User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 119: Miscellaneous

    User's Guide Fireface UCX II Miscellaneous User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 120: Accessories

    Audio AG does not accept claims for damages of any kind, especially consequential damage. Liability is limited to the value of the Fireface UCX II. The general terms of business drawn up by Audio AG apply at all times.

  • Page 121: Appendix

    For this the device has to be sent free to the door to: IMM electronics GmbH Leipziger Straße 32 D-09648 Mittweida Germany Shipments not prepaid will be rejected and returned on the original sender's costs. User's Guide Fireface UCX II © RME...

  • Page 122: Declaration Of Conformity

    Synthax United States, 6600 NW 16th Street, Suite 10, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33313 T.:754.206.4220 Trade Name: RME, Model Number: Fireface UCX II This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

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