RME Audio Hammerfall DSP Digiface

In October 2OO1, I first directed to the map Emi 2 / 6 (USB) from E-magic config for first laptop with a poor Compaq Celeron Via chipset (the total should not do. ..). The sound was not bad, but the connectors: Help! In addition to this card asking too many resources to my little Celeron, etc ... So craquouilles It was to make the scene (synths in Reason), so I needed a card that works even underwater.
The feeling, I changed my Emi 2 / 6 against a Digiface with PCMCIA card. The sound was more like it! Much potato and above the card asked nothing in my laptop because it is equipped with its own processor and uses an external power supply (with the PCI card, for a config "tour" of the card PCMCIA, I think it is self-powered). I use the line out / headphone for sound reweighed on or mix with headphones at home. There are three I / O ADAT (3x 24pistes !!!). I use an ADAT for recording via a converter and an external preamp. The outputs Adat I used to pour my songs in Reason in multitrack digital magneto on my Fostex D-824 (for the stage, it is safer than a PC ...)

UTILIZATION

The installation was done as a flower. The RME drivers are sturdy. It should regularly visit their site to nab the updates (this concerns mainly 2000 and XP). Under 98Lite (try it, you can not see XP ... no joke) it turns deadly serious! it does not crash ever. I had Windows 2000 before 98Lite (weird, that guy ...) and I never had any glitch. Be careful though to link cable-box PC Card (4.5 meters): The connection is fragile and after 2 years to plug-unplug (that's portable music), you have to think to order a new one ( RME see on the site, if not a meter ref is "FWCB1, RME Cardbus Firewire Cable for 6 / 15." Oh, I forgot: If you buy your card in your usual creamery had in stock for several months, you will need to flash the boîboîte by downloading the utility from the RME website. If you do not do it, you can not use the latest updates of drivers.

GETTING STARTED

Forget the manual to try to understand the software interface. Our German friends were not very fun for the stroke and the pdf is severe pain in the ass. Imagine a page of virtual faders (style Cubase VST). The first line for the sound that comes in, the second for the one who comes out ... etc..
For those who love the routing ... Anyway we can do without most of the time. I recorded the second album of Prajna (in 24bits/48Khz) on Cubase SX with Reason in Rewire. So two or three tracks at once and taken in thirty read (+ Reason running) on ​​a Vaio PCG-SR1K (small, small) PIII 500 MHz with 256 MB of Ramoche. I quickened my times a little latency to 23 ms in case, but on stage I play my synths with 6ms without a click. The headphone output of Digiface is great for live monitoring and none of my zicos not complained of discrepancy between listening and Thurs

OVERALL OPINION

The Digiface never made me lurch in two years. She can not do everything (it does not have an analog stereo output jack!) But what it does, it does well (MIDI is perfect with 2 inputs and 2 outputs) . For specifications, see the data sheet. I prefer an A / D converter independent (style ADAT) via an optical cable, that stuff 2 francs sound cards Edirol, Roland and other crap in USB (the flow, guys, the flow ...). When the preamp of the ... things, I do not even speak. Good TL Audio 5051 (version 2 can even get a converter crystal in the ass) the fact that 10 times better. No, I'm not a snob. I do not have much stuff or a lot of money, so I think before you buy. I ordered my RME Digiface against the advice of a seller of music store, while the sound card was in its infancy in France, and I am pleased that more and more musicians today rely to RME, which makes good products and good spirit.

- What characteristics have motivated your choice?
The number of entries and quality systems RME Hammerfall HDSP! its proprietary protocol is so superior to any system USB or Firewire dropouts often based on the quality of the FW chipset embedded on the motherboard

- For what purpose?
Multitrack studio and live

- What is your config (Motherboard / CPU / Ram / Disk ,...)?
I use it on Mac OSX, and Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista. (Sometimes Linux)
some are old 2.4Ghz Pentium cuckoos, others Quadcore.

UTILIZATION

- The installation is done it without problems?
We must follow a certain procedure a bit narrow to avoid the risk of re-install several times, but when it is installed, it's life!

- Have you experienced any incompatibilities?
No it works with ALL (Mac, PC, Portable, Fixed ...)

GETTING STARTED

- The drivers are stable?
there is no driver more stable (I had many cards (MOTU, Tascam, Presonus, EMU, M-Audio etc ...)

- Are they often updated?
continuously, as well as under 98 under Vista, I say FABULOUS

- What software do you use most often?
Logic and Cubase

OVERALL OPINION

- For how long have you been using it?
I have several for at least 5 or 6 years

+ As:
reliability, robustness, compatibility with all sound quality, number of tracks (I've already done the 48 simultaneous tracks with two cards)
- The least ... uh I do not see, except perhaps the rigor needed when you first install the drivers

- Did you try many other models before getting this one?
too much, I should have bought it right away

- What is your opinion about the value for the price?
fantastic

- Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? ...
course, and I've redone o)))