Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

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stanlea
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Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by stanlea »

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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by martibs »

But no interface to operate it from Linux? Or even Android for that matter?
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by stanlea »

martibs wrote: Tue Jun 01, 2021 8:23 pm But no interface to operate it from Linux? Or even Android for that matter?
Still nope.
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by bluebell »

"Alle Gerätezustände des Fireface UCX 2 lassen sich mittels Drehgeber und mehreren Tastern unmittelbar über die Frontplatte steuern und bieten einen direkten Zugriff auf sämtliche Funktionen. Vier Tasten und der Encoder, das hochauflösende Farbdisplay sowie eine durchdachte Menüstruktur sollen es dem Anwender ermöglichen, die Einstellungen des Gerätes schnell zu ändern und zu konfigurieren."

"All device states of the Fireface UCX 2 can be controlled directly via the front panel by means of rotary encoders and several buttons, offering direct access to all functions. Four buttons and the encoder, the high-resolution color display, and a well thought-out menu structure are intended to allow the user to quickly change and configure the device's settings."

https://www.amazona.de/rme-audio-praese ... interface/

Sounds promising.

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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by martibs »

This is an illustration of the TotalMix FX app from RME:
Image
Your going to control all this using four buttons and an encoder? Enjoy!
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by Jamesf »

Nice!
I just wish they'd released it a few months ago, before I got a Babyface, because this is what I was actually looking for. First world problems, and all that :)

As for control software, bbfpromix has been good enough for my purposes with the Babyface - I use it as an interface, not an effects device. Mr Bollie seems to have vanished (I hope he's OK) but I'm sure it'd be possible to fork that code and extend it to cover this thing. He didn't specify a license for that project, but I looked at others of his, and he's consistent with using GPLv3, so I'd be confident in assuming the same intent here.
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by eliasy »

Guys, this other features made me super excited about this interface!
What do you think:
Full Stand-alone Functionality

Control all device states directly from the front panel for convenient, direct access to all features. Four keys and the encoder, the high-resolution and clear color display, and a well thought-out menu structure enable the user to quickly change and configure the device’s settings. 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. In stand-alone operation it can transform into totally different devices by the simple click of a button. Furthermore TotalMix FX can also be controlled via MIDI.

DURec is an integrated digital recorder for all inputs and outputs directly to USB memory devices via the rear USB port. It allows to record on USB thumb drives or hard drives with up to 2 TB capacity. The recording functionality is provided by the internal DSP, and is therefore independent from a connected Windows or Mac computer.

The additional TotalMix Remote is a remote control for TotalMix FX, to control the hardware mixer 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. Easily adjust all the mixer and FX settings from a distance, via Ethernet and WiFi.
...
The Fireface UCX II operates in two different modes: driver-based USB2 and Class Compliant.
From what I see, it may be possible to change the device state by midi controls, which is already superb, besides the controls on the unit's screen.
Does any one knows what is the TotalMix remote? Is it a different hardware?
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by bluebell »

eliasy wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 12:04 pm From what I see, it may be possible to change the device state by midi controls, which is already superb, besides the controls on the unit's screen.
Does any one knows what is the TotalMix remote? Is it a different hardware?
AFAIK the Total Mix Remote doesn't control the interface but some software on the Mac oder WIndowsPC. So it's not the "real thing". They did it wrong.

Correct me if Total Mix Remote works without a Mac or WindowsPC where the interface is connected to.

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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by sjzstudio »

The only decent option is for RME to start supporting Linux-side users properly. There are certainly buyers for these devices among the Linux people as well. There is a completely incomprehensible attitude today to ignore the Linux side. Hopefully this situation will change.

It’s really frustrating to use Windows just because I get to use Totalmix FX features in the studio. Fortunately, at home I can open a Linux machine, absolutely brilliant AVLinux MXE always brings a good mood. And all the same software still works.

It would hardly hurt anyone if the Linux people put a lot of feedback in the direction of hardware manufacturers. "Hey we exist and we expect hardware support from you."
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by Jamesf »

sjzstudio wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:28 am The only decent option is for RME to start supporting Linux-side users properly. There are certainly buyers for these devices among the Linux people as well. There is a completely incomprehensible attitude today to ignore the Linux side. Hopefully this situation will change.

It’s really frustrating to use Windows just because I get to use Totalmix FX features in the studio. Fortunately, at home I can open a Linux machine, absolutely brilliant AVLinux MXE always brings a good mood. And all the same software still works.

It would hardly hurt anyone if the Linux people put a lot of feedback in the direction of hardware manufacturers. "Hey we exist and we expect hardware support from you."
I get where you're coming from, but it's not incomprehensible at all.

We have put in a lot of feedback, and the answer is consistently that the numbers just don't add up in our favour - RME in particular have said this clearly and directly. We don't have to like it, but the revenue from Linux users just isn't enough to support a business case to dedicate people to supporting this OS. The only way this calculation will change is if Linux is adopted much more broadly, so that it goes from fringe to mainstream. However passionate we are, the fact is that we're a tiny minority against the Mac and Windows userbase - there just isn't enough money coming in from this community.

Personally, I'll credit RME with engaging in good faith with the Linux community, and with being totally forthcoming about what they will and won't do, and why. They've been impressively patient in the face of petulance, too.

I used to think "but it's the same kernel under all distributions!" however I've come to understand that you can't just go that far and no further. If RME offers kernel support, they'll be flooded with (even more) demands for a port of Totalmix FX. If they provide Totalmix FX for one distribution, their support team will spend all their time answering complaints about it not working on a dozen out-of-date versions of other distros. Even if they state clearly that it's a best-efforts community-support deal, people will still soak up their time aggressively demanding professional-quality support.

One way of turning this around would be to found a company dedicated to making audio interfaces for Linux. It's cheaper and easier than ever to make custom hardware, so that isn't the barrier it used to be. If somebody did this, and it grew to be big enough to get widespread attention, then you'd start seeing a shift in vendor attitudes, and then you'd be dealing with the question of whether there's enough to go around. You'd need to convince some well-heeled investors that it's a good risk to take - good luck with that.

The more viable approach would be to make Linux the no-brainer better option, and this is where I think opportunities are opening up. ARM has been demonstrating the potential of the RISC architecture, and now RISC-V is maturing quickly. If there were a Linux A/V distro that ran so well on RISC-V that MacOS on M1 just couldn't keep up (including n00b-friendliness), heads would start turning. Even better than that would be an old-style off-the-shelf DAW which bundled hardware and software into an auto-updating unit, with a level of integration that out-Appled Apple. It would have to have a list of outboard hardware that it "just works" with, and for which the company provided professional support. It would also need to gain some high-profile endorsements, simply because that's how consumers' minds work. I think it's possible, and it's probably even feasible. I'm also not the person to do it, but maybe you could be.
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by sjzstudio »

You write well and relevant.

Personally, I'm just a user. I am not a device or software designer at all. So I hardly find any benefit other than being involved with the user base. I just have to hope that there will be some solution in the future that will benefit everyone and make things possible.
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by Drumfix »

The trivial solution is not to buy a RME interface in the first place. The only people complaining are the ones that bought the device already.

IMO there are 2 reasons why they don't support their (USB) Interfaces on Linux, either by doing the work themselfs or just handing over the necessary information to the alsa developers:

1. Their USB Windows driver has better performance and latency than most drivers of other vendors. So they don't want to show the reason for that to their competitors by means of the required opensource kernel module.
2. Their unique selling point, which makes the brand number 1 on windows is the performance, latency, as mentioned before, and their lifelong support of their drivers/software Windows.

The problem is, that the same performance/latency/lifelong support you get with every supported device on Linux. So the only reason to pay the premium is the possible higher price you get when later selling the device to a Windows user.

The always contemplated cost of Linux support and porting of Totalmix et al is a non-issue.
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by sjzstudio »

That is certainly true. On the other hand, RME quality is in a class of its own. Likewise, the versatility of the equipment. Sure, these work quite well in Class compliant mode. so yes they are still available on Linux.

Of course, many other brands know how to make high-quality equipment. Personally, I'm just used to using these.
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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by bluebell »

Jamesf wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 7:07 am If they provide Totalmix FX for one distribution, their support team will spend all their time answering complaints about it not working on a dozen out-of-date versions of other distros.
They have to write Totalmix only once: running on the audio interface and to be controlled with a web browser. MOTU can do this. RME can do this, too.

They will save a lot of money because they can abandon platform dependent versions of Totalmix.

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Re: Introducing the New RME Fireface UCX II

Post by merlyn »

Drumfix wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 10:47 am So they don't want to show the reason for that to their competitors by means of the required opensource kernel module.
Does that argument hang together? They could produce a proprietary kernel module, like Nvidia do if I understand correctly. On the RME forum the response from the CEO Matthias Carsten that I remember when asked about Linux was "We think about this from time to time, but most often we simply don't have the time left to even start it."

They don't seem to be actively anti-Linux, it's simply that their business is doing fine through having a mystic latency aura on Windows. :)

I bought an RME HDSP9632 on ebay for £50. It's a PCI card and nobody wants PCI cards these days, hence the price. I've installed the Linux version of Total Mix -- hdspmixer and honestly I don't see what the fuss is about. I never use it. Your DAW doesn't know anything about hdspmixer. hdspmixer controls a DSP mixer on the card. In a way I see these things as anachronisms -- they date from when latency was unusably bad and hardware monitoring was essential. Total Mix FX -- great, you can put FX on the monitor path. :) If I understand correctly the FX can't be used like plug-ins in a DAW -- they only operate on the card's internal signals.

I'm only recording myself at the moment and I can monitor through the computer by using a 64 sample buffer meaning the functionality of hdspmixer is not essential. (You do need to install it and have it running for JACK to work for some reason).

If you are thinking about an RME interface I would suggest you ask yourself what you would use Total Mix for and therefore if Total Mix is even a factor. (Posts from people who do use the DSP mixer on their interface welcome).
Last edited by merlyn on Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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