RME Fireface 800 vs. RME Fireface 400

cameronparkins · Post by **cameronparkins** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:39 am

Hey guys, I have (with much searching through this forum) decided to go the route of the RME Fireface family for my new audio interface. I was wondering if I could get your opinions on the 800 vs the 400 though, in relation to what I will be using it for.

Here is the breakdown of how I will be using the interface:

1. I rarely use soft-synths, I mostly send midi out to hardware and then track back in. As such, I'd like as many inputs as possible standard.
2. Low-latency is a big deal for me - is the 800 going to have drastically lower latency than the 400?
3. Eventually, I'd like to be sending to outboard compressors/reverbs/effects etc.
4. I travel farely often (often enough for it to be a consideration) and a portable device is very nice
5. I rarely multi-track live instruments, although having the ability to do 4 mic inputs standard is certainly nice (I'd like to get into recording drums)

Basically, with those things in mind, is the 800 worth the extra 500? Should I just get the 400 now, and if I need more inputs later, get a separate mic pre?

Let me know what you guys think...

popslut · Post by **popslut** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:43 am

I can't answer your question directly, but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Fireface 800.

I have three and they are absolutely, flawlessly superb.

abletoff · Post by **abletoff** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:04 am

They are the same machine really, with the 400 with less ins and outs and slightly, possibily inaudibly inferior converters. Tehe 400 offers a somewath refined hardware approach, but it's the same thing really. If you need the physical i/o go for the 800, if you plan to reach a set number of channles and neer grow more, get the 400 which is also truly portable.
The mic pres are a little better on the 400 for my tastes, but the 800 too it's really there.
They are wonderful machines to use in a digital i/o ambient too, they lock up perfectly even without a wordclock to most of the devices you throw at them, even cheapo stuff. My ff800 works a charm for example with the behringer ada 8000, which gives eight more preamps to the system.
The jump in sound quality is clear. I use my studio for a little cinema and compared to the m-audio 1814 I had before, even on the big stage monitors I use for band reharsal the audio of the properly encoded movies (talking divx, xvid here, not dvds) is pristine.
The converters in these boards are serious. Not overly creamy but extremely musical. Love the soft sat on input 1 of the ff800.
Go for rme, to my ears they beat apogee. Big studios with rosettas won't admit it, but the firefaces smoke them pricey things. The only thing you feel really superior is Prism and of course the HD systems, but you can make hit records on a FF400 for sure.

popslut · Post by **popslut** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:13 am

abletoff wrote:My ff800 works a charm for example with the behringer ada 8000, which gives eight more preamps to the system.

Sorry to hijack but I was thinking of getting one of those Behringer ADA 8000 boxes; £150 for 8 ch of Adat I/O you can't go wrong I reckon.

Do they sound good enough to sit beside the RME stuff?

Jeroen · Post by **Jeroen** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:53 am

Don't forget the Fireface 800 only has one midi in/out and the ff400 two, so you have to add some midi patch bay in your case.

Timur · Post by **Timur** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:34 am

If you plan to connect more than one guitar you need to know that the 800 only offers one high impedance input where the 400 offers two. On the other hand the 800's offers some gain/crunch/compressor stuff on that guitar input. On both models the input-impedance is a bit low anyway (480 kOhm if I remember right, whereas it should better be somewhere near 1000 kOhm).

Both device will likely give you about the the same latencies, Firewire 800 is only needed for transfering more channels at once (which the 800 offers). Maybe the converters and Firewire controller on one or the other have slightly less latency, but that's likely gonna be a difference of <1 ms. Concerning Midi you need to know that the average latency of Midi will always be higher than 1 ms with Firewire/USB solutions, the minimum can be near 0 ms though, with the maximum as high as your system-load defines. PCI(e) solutions can have an average Midi latency lower than 1 ms (like 0.30 ms), but for most applications Firewire should be very suffient.

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:59 am

Since MIDI and audio are very good on both units, I would favour in your case the FF400 for the smaller size (a half-rack is MUCH more portable than a full 1U), cheaper price, and 2 independent MIDI i/o's. I think you should save your money, and get or hire extra mic pre's when and if you need them.

that'll be 2c, please

the girl next door · Post by **the girl next door** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:10 am

I'm lovin' my FF 400

cameronparkins · Post by **cameronparkins** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:45 am

i went with the 400

- i think if i need to upgrade later that works fine, but that $500 can be put towards something else nice...

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:49 am

Congrats! Welcome to the club!

Timur · Post by **Timur** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:45 am

I'm still pondering myself as to get a Fireface or wait for the ExpressCard version of the Multiface. Actually the FF400 seems to be the better option (are there any holders to put them into a 19" rack?), with 2 x Midi (Footcontroller + Remote SL) plus 2 x Guitar inputs (Guitar + Bass/Guitar/Cello). But I might need more mic pres and really high impedance (aka DI boxes) in the long run anyway, plus the ExpressCard Multiface ought to be better performaing (lower latencies plus lower CPU load).

I'm puzzled... good thing is that I have to wait for the new Macbook Pros (Penrym) anyway and own a Kore 1 (including an audio-interface with 2 x high impedance inputs), so I have plenty of time to make up my mind.