Thanks Brian! I wasn’t aware of the iConnectivity RTP, sounds like an impressive setup. You’re quite right about the RME drivers ;) To be honest if you’re going for that many channels we’d usually recommend a MADI-based setup - the RME MADIface XT for example gives you 192 channels each way in a single box (plus analogue / phones output and 2 x mic inputs); www.synthax.co.uk/rme/firewire-usb/rme-madiface-xt/

@@SynthaxAudioUK If I had planned better, it probably would have been the way to go. But, The Digiface is very scalable. So, as I added channels beyond the first 32, I just bought an additional Digiface...and then my third. In retrospect, that might have been better, though the cost might still be more. The Digiface USB can be had now for $400 or so if you get lucky. Depending on what your converters cost, that's incredibly cost - efficient. I picked up 4 MOTU 828 mkii's for about $500. With have Digiface, that's $28 per analog channel into the DAW…preamps, routing, conversion and all. I'm sure there's not another 96 channel system available for under $3,200 (including Black Lion Audio Micro Clock mkiii and all cabling). Still, it's not really a fully integrated device. More of an engineered system. More flexibility, but a few more headaches at the beginning, too.

@@mc2engineeringprof Ah okay that makes sense. Yeah it's definitely easy to end up with a slightly unusual setup if it's something that started out smaller and grew over time - as long as it's all working for you then more power to you!

@@mc2engineeringprof Man, it sounds like you have really figured something affordable out. Did you use a micro clock with the digiface usb and the motus? I'm trying to wrap my head around this setup. Originally I was thinking a digiface usb, and four behringer ada8200 would be the way to go, but the old motu's look like much better hardware.

Also will this setup work on mac ? Thanks

Glad you enjoyed the video! What other content would you like to see on the channel?

@@SynthaxAudioUK Please I really wanna know how to do 5.1 in the Ferrofish Pulse MKII

Yes please can you guys share how I can route 5.1 with the Ferrofish A16 MkII and this rme unit?

Yeah for sure! If you're going the MADI route, it's worth noting that Ferrofish also do a 32-channel model (the Ferrofish A32). It's more expensive of course, but it might be a more cost-effective solution overall - it really depends if you see yourself needing the extra channels in the future. Like the Pulse 16s it also only takes up 1U of rack-space, although you'll need a bunch of cable looms (D-Sub to XLR or TRS) or breakout boxes to go along with it of course. www.synthax.co.uk/ferrofish/ferrofish-ad-da-converters/ferrofish-a32/

@@SynthaxAudioUK we will always need more channels in the future lol. On paper, I would definitely fill up the 16 with what I have already and what I plan to add. The 32 would give me the space to expand and might as well go all out with Dante to future proof the setup. I just have to get my head around the looks and positioning of equipment

Yeah we still laugh about that very loud "Clock" moment...glad you enjoyed the video!

Excellent products :)

Hey! We agree this is a fantastic way of saving space whilst also keeping the channel count high! The only issue is of course that churches would require microphones and so would also need a microphone preamp in that instance!

@@SynthaxAudioUK A lot of these consoles actually seem to double as recording desks as well, I should have specified that haha I'm seeing models like Allen&Heath GL2400 and the GL3000, or even the Mackie 32.8.2 going for as little as a grand, flat! Amazing deals

Hi and thanks for the tip on the ADAT cables! In regards to MIDI program changes, I believe you could use something like the free MIDI Monitor software, which as the name suggests, monitors which MIDI messages are being sent to and from a computer. Then run RemoteFish and make a note of which MIDI messages RemoteFish is using for preset changes. I think it might be Mac-only, but I'm sure there are equivalents for Windows.

Great choice :)

In my experience the RME phone output is quite noisy compared to Pulse 16. The digital converters introduce an audible conversion modulation. I do not use the RME phone out because of that. Much better converters on the Pulse! The RME digital channels are ok.

@@PJGiunta I’ve compared them directly with my hd600 headphones and the RME phones out sounds better to me. No noise at all, the Pulse headphones out might be to weak to drive these headphones.

@@PJGiunta Do you think that the Pulse 16 has better AD / DA conversion than the RME? I have an RME FireFace UFX ii, and I would need more channels. I would need converters that are in the same ballpark as the RME ones.

@@peteralbert9805 the rme only has da for the phone out, I would imagine it being bus powered it probably isn’t going to be phenomenal, though the fact that there are no pres etc and more power to dedicate almost exclusively to phones it could be pretty decent

Our friends over at RME in Germany have a video that explains just this, actually: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mrl5mZeCrL_XXZc.html&pp=ygUNcm1lIHVzYiBhdWRpbw%3D%3D Hope this helps explain it!

@@SynthaxAudioUK Wow! This really puts my concerns to rest! Thank you very much for suggesting this helpful video to me!

Hi, no I’m afraid not, the Digiface USB doesn’t have an SRC. I’d recommend speaking to a pro audio dealer to see what your options are (or simply run everything at the same sample rate if possible).

Hi there! No problem at all, we're glad to help! Funnily enough we have a video that explains all this, which guides you through the exact process: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rN9_ndGHnr3Pe5s.html Hope this helps!

@@SynthaxAudioUK That video was AWESOME! Thank you. Follow up question... I am learning to mix to train my ears for mastering. I've only been in the box until now... I'm looking at a future with converters (transparent & colored) as a part of mastering chain. Will these mastering converters also use adat? If so, what would I use to manage all if those ADATS? If not, how are multiple converters typically connected as a part of a mastering chain? Could you please walk through an example mastering chain using switchable multiple converters for context? You have SO MANY answers and I appreciate EVERY single one.

Hey! We opted for the Digiface USB as master clock as it benefits from RME's proprietary Steadyclock technology, offering super-stable digital clocking as well as really impress jitter suppression. RME released a video covering Steadyclock - and its newer version, Steadyclock FS - here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/is9glKuIkuC9k6c.html

@@SynthaxAudioUK And - last but not least - in this configuration the Pulse16 follows changes of the sample rate of your DAW.

Hi there, shouldn't be any reason why not!

We really can't shout about it enough! Yes this would also work with your ASP800, and you'd still have a spare set of ADAT I/O to add a further 8 channels in the future!

@@SynthaxAudioUK perfect!!! I guess this is the best adat option on the market, or is there anything else with this many adat ins n outs?

Hey! The OctoPres would work no problem as these are designed as mic pres. The 18i20 I'm not so sure about, you'd have to check the manual of the interface to see if it's actually possible to use it specifically for its I/O! Hope this helps!

@@SynthaxAudioUK After a lot of thinking I have decided to buy two Ferrofish Pulse 16 instead and connect them to a RME Digiface USB. Are you able to provide a picture of for example Ableton Live audio preferences when the Ferrofish is connected? Or at least tell me if each Ferrofish will show up as 16 in/out channels in the preferences so I can rename them to the the name of my synthesizers and outboard gear? It really feels like a dumb question but I want to be sure it works as I think it does before I buy them.

@@thrutherockies3687 If you're talking about adding the channels of each in Ableton as part of a template, that's possible, though there's quite a bit to it (RME's TotalMix etc). If you're in the UK, feel free to drop us a mail at info@synthax.co.uk or call us on 01727 821870 and we can talk you through it!

Hey! Exactly the same process for the UFX II! Hope this helps!

@@SynthaxAudioUK awesome and thank you SO much for the swift response 👍🙏👊

Hi 1 - The Pulse 16 is the newer / updated version of the A16 MKII. The A16 MKII is an older product and no longer available (which is itself an update of the Sonic Core A16). 2 - RME does not have a direct 16in/16out equivalent AD/DA, which is part of the reason we regularly supply RME and Ferrofish together. The closest thing is the M-1610 Pro (16in/10out), however this is a higher end product with different features (e.g. AVB). 3a - Yes, the Pulse 16 is definitely being used by some studios as part of a Dolby Atmos setup. It is only one link in the chain however - at a minimum you still require an interface, and an Atmos Renderer from Dolby (which I think can be hardware or software? Not something I know much about I'm afraid). 3b - Again, I don't personally have a lot of knowledge on mixing for Dolby Atmos. I believe the minimum requirement is a 7.1.4 system (so 11 speakers plus a sub), so the Pulse's 16 outputs can of course be used for this purpose. I've not personally been involved in any Atmos installs so can't really comment further - I'd recommend speaking to a dealer or system integrator who specialises in supplying those kinds of systems! Hope that helps somewhat, audio engineering can be a deep subject :)

@@SynthaxAudioUK Thank you SO much!

Hi there! Yes you can connect the Pulse 16 to the Fireface 400, but as there is only one set of ADAT I/O, you would get a maximum of 8 channels. Hope this helps!

I haven't had any extensive use of the headphone port but for the monitoring I have done it sounds really good! No need to worry about USB power though, RME's smaller interfaces offer full functionality over USB. Even the RME Babyface Pro FS allows 48V power to both mic inputs over just USB, which is pretty rare amongst small professional interfaces. Hope this helps!

Hi there! We'd probably advise doing a bit of research online for a solution that fits your particular needs, as Atmos is quite a complicated beast and would require quite a bit of expansion from a regular stereo monitoring setup. Hope this helps!

Hi there! This isn’t the easiest of comparison to make unfortunately, and it might be easier to consider both devices as separate things altogether. Whilst they may both be AD/DA converters, they serve different purposes. So if you solely wany to improve sound quality of your final monitoring stage, the ADI-2 FS would be the way to go. If you’re looking to add further channels to your setup, then the Pulse 16 is the product for you! It’s worth noting that although the ADI-2 FS may be the better choice for monitoring, Ferrofish converters are used worldwide in broadcast audio, recording studios and live sound, so they are professional-level products with high-quality sound, especially at the price point. Hope this helps!

@@SynthaxAudioUK Thank you for the insights.

Hi, I'm afraid I'm not too familiar with Audient's range (we're RME UK). The ASP800 should connect to the Digiface USB no problem, however I'm not sure about the ID14 - it depends on whether you can run the ID14 in standalone mode, i.e. as a standalone converter / mic pre. All RME interfaces can be used in this way (standalone mode), however I wouldn't know if this is the case for other interface manufacturers. I would suggest asking Audient this question. All the best.

@@SynthaxAudioUK : Thank you for the information.

Hi, the answer is yes although it depends if you’re on a Mac or PC; 1 - If you’re on a Mac, you can create an aggregate device. So, both the UFX and DF USB will be connected to the Mac via USB. Then combine the two interfaces into an aggregate device, so you can use all of the channels in your DAW. Note that you’ll have two TotalMix FX software interfaces - one for the UFX, and one for the DF USB. 2 - If you’re on a PC, you can run up to three RME devices - however they must be using the same driver. This therefore won’t work for the UFX and DF USB I’m afraid, as one uses the standard RME USB driver (UFX), and the other uses RME’s MADIface driver (DF USB). However, what you can do instead is run the UFX in standalone mode, and connect it to the DF USB via ADAT, which will allow you to still use all of the UFX's analogue I/O (and leaving you with another 2 x ADAT I/O spare on the DF USB). Hope that answers your question!

Hi there! Yes, it's possible to connect two Pulse 16's, giving you 32 channels at 44.1kHz sample rate! Alternatively, Ferrofish have recently released the A32pro, which gives you 32 channels in 1U plus MADI I/O: www.synthax.co.uk/ferrofish/ferrofish-ad-da-converters/ferrofish-a32-pro/ Hope this helps!

Hi, there’s a number of ways you could do this although it depends somewhat on if you’re using Mac or PC; 1 - If you’re on a Mac, you can create an aggregate device. So, both the UCX and DF USB will be connected to the Mac via USB, with the Pulse 16 connected to either interface via ADAT. Then combine the two interfaces into an aggregate device, so you can use all of the channels in your DAW. Note that you’ll have two TotalMix FX software interfaces - one for the UCX, and one for the DF USB. 2 - If you’re on a PC, you can run up to three RME devices - however they must be using the same driver. This therefore won’t work for the UCX and DF USB I’m afraid, as one uses the standard RME USB driver (UCX), and the other uses RME’s MADIface driver (DF USB). However, what you can do instead is run the UCX in standalone mode, and connect it to the DF USB via ADAT, which will allow you to still use all of the UCX's analogue I/O. You can then also hook up the Pulse 16 to the DF USB via ADAT, giving you use of all three devices with a Windows machine. Hope that answers your question!

Hi Steve and congrats on your new setup. In terms of recording, the Digiface USB and Pulse 16 combo will serve you very well. If you're asking about MIDI control that will still require a MIDI interface - sounds like you have one already though. The RME driver is available from the RME website here (Ferrofish doesn't require drivers so should be plug n play for the most part); www.rme-audio.de/downloads.html RME's software controller (TotalMix) is also installed as part of the driver - if you need an introduction, check out our tutorial below. It's a bit old now but the information is still relevant; RME TotalMix FX Tutorial Part 1 (of 2) - Synthax Audio UK kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qal4ZtSHxrKwXX0.html If you need any additional help then feel free to ask us here, or over on the RME forums which continues to have a very active user base; forum.rme-audio.de/

@@SynthaxAudioUK wow thanks for your quick answer and for the info , much appreciated!

Hi ,is that true that the ferrofish pulse 16 has 2 headphone outputs, i see only 1 in front. On their website, they mentioned 2.

@@SynthaxAudioUK hi, Just received both. I have a question: i want to set my master with the ferrofish pulse 16 , we use all 16 analoge inputs and 2 outputs for monitors. Could you tell us how to link the toslink cable to the rme digiface usb ( in and outs )? Also the routing in the ferrofish please. Thanks, Steve

Hi Steve, there's only one headphone output on the Pulse 16. Strange that it says on their website there's two!

Hi yeah exactly. The Pulse 16 is a standalone AD/DA converter, so you still need a way to interface with (i.e. send audio to and from) your Mac or PC for recording and playback.

@@SynthaxAudioUK Sorry for being a newb but where do I plug my Monitor speakers into to be able to hear my PC audio? Also, is this 16 stereo inputs or mono?

@@mingepotato Neither the Pulse 16 nor the Digiface have true monitor outs. You'll need a dedicated audio interface for that, or if you're using an all-analog mixing console, you'll need to plug your monitors into that (but you'll have to ensure you have a proper DAW send/return setup) Easiest way to do it is, Pulse 16 into the Digiface, Digiface into one of your USB ports, and dedicated audio interface into another USB port

@@mingepotato There's two ways you could connect monitors to this setup: 1) Through the Pulse 16's Line Outputs, then route audio to the Pulse 16 using TotalMix in a similar way to the video. 2) The headphone output on the Digiface USB can also be used as a line level output, so in theory you could plug monitors directly into this and control the level through TotalMix. And to answer your last question, the Pulse 16 has 16 mono inputs! Hope this helps!

@@SynthaxAudioUKThanks for the help. Very kind.

This unit does not have Madi, just adat. There are other two diferent units, one with adat and Madi, and other with adat , Madi and Dante.

Thanks Walter, yes we focused on ADAT for this video as it's the cheapest option, plus many people will already have interfaces that can be expanded via ADAT (less so with MADI). An alternative is certainly to look at the Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX with an RME MADIface USB (or MADIface Pro). You could daisy-chain multiple units for 64 channels of analogue each way...

Hi and yes (as well as 8 x I/O at 192 kHz).

@@SynthaxAudioUK Thanks for the reply.

@@SynthaxAudioUK Don't suppose you have A/B'd the Pulse 16 with a Motu 16A? Keen to hear opinions on the differences.

@@AC-fe8ql No I'm afraid not, we're the UK distributor for RME and Ferrofish so don't have much experience with Motu products. Your best bet would probably be to see if you can find a dealer who stocks both, and will let you compare the two. What I can say for Ferrofish is that in my time working for Synthax UK (6 years), I don't think we've ever had a single unit returned to us, other than the odd repair. Make of that what you will!

Hi and yes, the Pulse 16 can also be set to clock master (with clocking available via the ADAT or BNC connections, or via MADI with the Pulse 16 MX); www.synthax.co.uk/ferrofish/ferrofish-ad-da-converters/ferrofish-pulse16-mx/

Take a look at other AD/DA converters on the market and you'll change your tune pretty quickly. The Pulse 16 is about the only converter in its class offered for the price, about a grand wherever you find it. Any other 16-input converters, and you're easily looking at 3x to 6x the cost, and I'm not exaggerating. If you think you can find a converter with even more inputs for less or even equal pricing to the Pulse 16, you're dreaming. Most 32-input converters are over $5k

@@mgmg116 Interesting point. Do you think prices are going to come down on ADDA? Or go up?I don't see how if Ferrofish can do it, the market doesn't follow.

@@citizenworld8094 It's really difficult to say. Hardware tends to retain its value, regardless of age. I had to pony up $300 for a 3630, and around the same for a Digitech MV-5, which is pretty much what both units initially costed upon launch back in the 90s. Ferrofish's prices are probably low because they're not as big a name as Orion or Lynx, or Apogee. While the market is all over the place, I would like to think that at least as far as Ferrofish goes, their prices will remain stable

Use a patch bay. Then record separately. Easy.

That's what I'm saying....16? That ain't nothing. Especially when you're limited to 48k. It goes to 8 in SMUX 96k.

Thanks for watching! No lunch involved! We'll just have a word with Matt about his ridiculously loud swallowing next to the microphone 😉