Audio Interface Value
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2022
- Today we do a comparison of audio interfaces for home studio, podcasting and live streaming. We specifically compare the MOTU Ultralite mk4 and the RME Fireface UCX II to see where diminishing returns kicks in when choosing an interface.
We compare the two interface in regards to build quality, software and features and do a sound comparison of the microphone pre-amps.
MOTU M2: amzn.to/3rtofL1
Audient EVO 4: amzn.to/3Gqt38h
RME UCX II: amzn.to/3nRrx8u
MOTU Ultralite mk4: amzn.to/3uCEBiZ
Shure SM7b: amzn.to/3zr6AWA
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Love your dive into audio-interfaces! Certainly would love to see more!
This is the only video that actually shows what's going on with the screen during recording. Thank you!
Excellent comparisons and explanations!
Excellent video. You mentioned slightly better drivers of the RME and this is by far the biggest difference and decision between the units. RME fully develop their own drivers and this results if far more optimised (the latency you have experienced and others have measured) and secondly they support for their products for long time (decades). If you want features per dollar, the Motu owns this. However if your pay cheque depends on your interface, RME all the way. Also for the average home desktop user, the Babyface Pro FS is equivalent performance in many ways to the UCX ii while been more competitive with Motu price wise. Unfortunately I can't stand the form factor of the Babyface.
Personally compared to the Ultralite MK5 the new one! the Babyface is trash. They need to work on their design and they should make Total Mix a bit more intuitive.
Total mix is easy once you get used to it and it’s great. But the form factor on the Babyface seems more like a portable unit than a desktop interface
@@PainterDans Babyface is totally suited to desktop use (if the number of I/O is OK for you). But agree, the design priciple for it is to be a portable unit, evident when it comes in hard plastic case when buy it
The Babyface is not in plastic. It is a solid piece of aluminum.
Loop back, AKM velvet sound DAC's.. DC capable inputs, rock solid performance, 4mb of onboard cache. RME is incredible.
Exceptional comparison/contrast video. Dig the in-depth details with actual screenshots etc. Has anyone ever mentioned you resemble Jason Sudeikis. ..🤙
Amazing review thank you so much, it's a shame you could not get hold of an MOTU Ultralite MK5 Audio Interface but there are no where to be found at the moment, as I think the review might have been a little tighter with it being a newer model to the RME Fireface UCX II. Im waiting to buy an MOTU Ultralite MK5 at this moment in time.
Yeah because the Ultralite MK5 is literally unavailable it’s backordered till October.
Great video, I wonder how the MK5 compares to MK4/RME UCX II?
Motu M4 user here. For what I do it's perf.
The RME UCX II obviusly is more valuable and worth its higher price,.. even if we compare it to the higher class MOTU like the 828ES, which would be more 'apple to apple' to be compared than the Ultralite Mk4 or even Mk5. The UCX Ii wins, in every aspect IMO,.. although its price is higher, but it's worth it.
828es is a r ack unit, not comparable
LOL @@naegleriafowleri2230
I have two linked MOTU 24ai interfaces connected to a Windows 11 PC via USB and have zero issues with it. I can monitor all inputs through Protools and even with plugins with zero to minimal latency. I can even play my keyboards while monitoring through Protools and even with plugins engaged and not experience latency. Of course, this depends on which plugins I use and how processor intensive they are. Bottom line is, this interface performs wonderfully and does what I need it to do while providing excellent sound quality as far as a/d conversion. If there are drive issues with MOTU, I can understand. However, fortunately for me, I have not experienced any driver issues with my two MOTU 24ai"s.
Awesome video. I actually just recently purchased the BabyFace Pro FS (though the FireFace UCX II was on my radar). I decided I wanted portability over compression that the UCX offers. I went from an Audient id14 mkii to an RME BabyFace Pro FS. The big reasons for the change were long support time with drivers, super fast latency so if I wanted to process I can, and ultimately just having something that is above average in every aspect, while still being portable. RME does come with a price, but to me, it's worth it.
How does the preamps on the Audient compare to the RME babyface
@@samueloluyinkaojomu6548 I would say it depends on the microphone you are using more than anything. If you're using a condenser and your gain is not set high, they're probably close. The Audient might be a little bit brighter if I remember correctly. The preamps are certainly not an issue on the Audient.
The RME pre's are very flat and clean, so you'll know exactly what your microphone sounds like with the RME. You can also EQ before you head into your DAW on the RME if you choose to if you want to lock your tone in a bit more. Biggest difference is latency though. Cut in more than half going with RME. The headphone amp was much louder on the Audient (though it's very solid and cleaner on the RME). The iD14 mkii is an excellent interface in its price range though. That and the SSL 2+ should be on your short list in that price range.
Great vid! I own the Motu and am looking to get the RME. I had endless problems with USB dropouts on the Motu, sometimes mid-show. And I haaaaated the browser based utility - 80% of the time, the device wouldn't reflect the changes I'd made in the utility. Left me with a fairly bitter impression of Motu. I hear only good things about RME.
Just a shot in the dark, but if you're on a recent Ryzen based system, check if there's a BIOS update. My friend had similar issues with his Motu M2 (I know it's not high end but it fits his needs) and it turned out the issue was the motherboard and the chip's power delivery to USB. A quick BIOS update and no more issues.
On a personal note though, definitely consider the RME. totalmix FX is a little daunting at first, but there really isn't any software mixer that has as many features. It's truly incredible. Unlimited routing flexibility
I have a question, since you use the RME interface in Windows, I would like to ask if you put your system to sleep or hibernation, and then when you wake your PC up, is the interface recognized? I generally had such a problem with several external interfaces, that I had to unplug the sound card it from the USB port and plug again, and then Windows recognized it after having woken up. I found it quite annoying and preferred externally powered interfaces with an on/off switch which made it easier just to turn it off and on compared to unplugging and plugging it back. I just wonder if it is a Windows issue, so that even the RME who is known for their exceptional drivers cannot do anything about that or it is actually not an issue with their products.
Must compare Motu ultralite Mk5, for a fair comparison
thanks for the info! i'm currently deciding between the ultralite mk5 and the rme ucx ii, as an upgrade from a clarett 4pre which doesn't work well with my system (m1 macbook air, constant disconnects). this was really informative. i'm leaning towards the ultralite mk5, since i assume it's going to be slightly better than the mk4, which was already pretty close to the rme. i'm just not sure the "diminishing returns" are worth it for me...
What’s the purpose of including mix software with these if you have a DAW already? If you achieve a great mix then what can you do with it besides live listening? Or can you print it, use plugins, etc like a DAW?
Less latency for routing audio and for your monitoring mixes. Converter latency is much smaller compared to the transport over USB or PCIe.
wow im for decades a RME user but Muto also has a really nice Mixer ...great competition 👍
Sorry, but then you are using such mixers not so often. There is a huge difference in quality and useabiliy/features.
@@bits-bytes what do you refer to in particular? 😂 RME Mixer interface? Motu Interface? Hardware mixers in General? What do you talked about 😂😂
Does Motu make the speakers pop when you turn the computer on and off?
My M4v2 never ever did that
Just got my Motu mk5 yesterday, unboxed it, connected it and after 30min of use I got internal clock sync issues that resulted in - no sound. I'm on Windows 10 64bit and upgraded the MK5 to the latest Firmware. After switching to different USB Ports & checking Troubleshooting tipps from the MOTU website (Iwent through all of them), I still had the problem of internal clock sync loss. So tomorrow it will be returned and I'll get the RME instead.
Wow. I mean, I will say RME is ROCK solid. What format and buffer size did you use with the mk5? I found 96000/512 to be the sweet spot on the M4. If you check out my latest interface review, I am really disappointed with the MOTU latest update. Build quality has gone up, sound quality has gone down. Buffer size has been the most finicky of any of the interfaces that I've used.
@@gamingaudioguide9292 I used 48000/256. I thought I’ll give them another chance. Some years ago I used the older 8pre and 828 mk3 Interfaces. They had clock sync issues as well. I connected them via Adat, recorded some drum tracks and suddenly one of the Interfaces decided to change from 48kHz to 44kHz while recording. The result was a massively loud blast of white noise right through my InEars and some days of ringing in my ears after.
So I’ll personally NEVER buy a MOTU product ever again.
Lmao my mk5 has no issues at all. Maybe is your shitty computer
What is your opinion on Motu ultralite mk-5 vs Rme UCX-II
obviously the RME is superior, it costs more for that reason
ad da is btter in rme or in motu ??
Get both. Babyface Pro Fs and Motu Mk5, best of both world. The MK5 extends the (lame) i/o capabilities of the Babyface via ADAT.
Built in recording on unit.?
Yep mk5 out of stock, but new stock coming back in September.
I've been using the MK5 ultralight since it pretty much came out oh, and I have to say it is an incredible piece of gear and I think it would be a major waste of money to get that rme instead of the MK5
I agree.
what people like about RME is the "it just works factor" super reliable, long LONG term support, own made drivers and the software some say is worth the price alone.
But the MK5 is a nice product as well
@@Decenium before i go motu i would rather go with ssl 12 i just dont like motu period
@@Decenium they like it cause of the name lol
@@bighousemusic628 ssl 2 is crap compared to mk5
main difference driver stability. you never know how motu will work with your windows workstation. Much better mix interface, better price, good sound quality.
but i had track 16 which had cracking any time it wanted. also seen a lot of threads where people on windows have issues with mk and other motu interfaces. In same time my old presonus 22vsl work much better for common pc applications.
bullshit, ive used 2 old firewire motu ultralites and currently using an m4. absolutely flawless driver performance on all counts across multiple builds of windows 10 and 11. motu actually is known for their driver quality and performance and for the price absolutely nothing comes close
works fine lmao the real truth is RME is brand name and synonym of "audiophiles" and thats why many prefer it
Also motu has issues with the adda chip (hump in snr). This is sad because the chip vendor has instructions to fix it and other vendors are able to mitigate it. It has more jitter and worse drivers for windows. As a former motu customer the support is abysmal. So we can see rudimentary mistakes on the engineering and software side on motu as well. The one thing it wins RME with is that they have a lower noisefloor than rme. Which is quite impressive for the price. However… RME has Reliability / support and the best in Class performance for jitter and better distortion values. Rme doesnt make engineering mistakes. Case in point : the RME interface that replaced my MOTU has worked glitch free for 12 years on 6 different computers on 3 versions of windows and 5 versions of osx. Reviewer actually here brags about enabling something by editing windows registry on a 600$€ product .😂
Just purchased an Ultralite mk5, let’s see….
Actually very good. Just tested with my MPC One and it’s works fine. You have to setup the I/Os with an iPhone (my case) or a Mac/PC before but the sound recorded is just perfect. I didn’t managed to put reverb on the mic entry thru CueMix for IPhone. Still trying…
MOTU doesn’t even bother trying to equal the excellent Total Mix software common to all RME interfaces. That is a major plus for RME. MOTU has lost its way with ridiculously inadequate metering. Honestly, I said WTF about 10 times before re-boxing and returning one of MOTU’s modern mysteries. Getting close to MOTU’s useless display just made me angry. I searched for and found an old MOTU from back in the days before they lost their minds.
The price of the RME makes it a non starter for me. The motu mk5 is more than I want to spend but the value per dollar is compelling. The other that seems worth looking at is the audient id44 mk2. When you start looking at the RME UCX its competitors are rack mount professional gear. Comparing the RME to prosumere gear is a bit of a silly comparison.
use case is very important. The RME software is so fantastic for EQing headphones and microphones, setting auto levels, dynamics, etc... It's much easier to tinker with settings. I do enough recording that it's one of the very last pieces of gear I would ever get rid of. It's similar to a great camera and lens combo. I can't live without it now. No question, its the upper level of prosumer gear. All of it is highly subjective. If I was curious as a buyer on what the gap between the two products would be, I hoped it helped someone else. If the comparison is silly to you, no real reason to watch the video I suppose as I was answering a question that you weren't interested in asking.
Thanks for taking the time to share some feedback though.
@@gamingaudioguide9292 I agree. However comparing 2 devices with different purposes in different price brackets as a strawman comparison to shill product is an annoying and common RUclips scenario.
@@robertfontaine3650 he sounds like an RME shill for sure lol most people watching this video are amateur or having fun at home. RME is too expensive
@@naegleriafowleri2230 Then have fun with all the problems you will get buying cheap cheap cheap ! There's a reason why RME is the best choice ! no its not just this guy saying he's an RME shill LOL !
RME has lost a lot of sales for the Babyface purely because of its layout.
I agree the Babyface Pro FS has a terrible layout that's one of the reasons why there are many still in stock. Incredible interface though if it had the Apollo Twin X layout with a bit more I/O it would had been great.
@@tuneunleashed Yep. I ended up buying the UCX II.
@@musiccreation1198 What?! How did you get a hold of the UCX II cause I don't see them in stock is it that piece of gear that you just would have to order?!
@@tuneunleashed Yeah...it was a long wait. I ordered it from Sweetwater in May...received it just a few weeks ago. Coming from an Apollo Twin X Quad, I'm very happy with the sound quality and features. I certainly consider it an upgrade. TotalMix was a "climb". ;).
@@musiccreation1198 How the "RTL" round-trip latency compares vs the Babyface pro?
You can waste your time spending money that you will probably go with RME after realizing the moto will not do the job due to the drivers, and latency, that RME has made rock solid go RME !
Kevin "Kwiz" Ryan has been Beyoncé's tour programmer and tour recording engineer since 2006! he uses motu.. it'll do the job.
I've just bought a used MK4. Paid basically same as RRP, but I've been waiting a year to pick up an MK5 and they just aren't available. Looking forward to my MK4 arriving.
The driver are really really better on RME unfortunatly tooo much stress and problem with MOtu driver for me!
People are still using ultralite 3s
the motu sounded way more solid and focused rme smeared as usual, i went from rme to prism lyra years ago same thing
How is the prism lyra? Do you have latency?
@@dcoverzsessions no its great its as good as rme, i use a usb drum kit spot on, but the quality is the thing, its top end for not a lot of wonga
Rme did not sound smeared what??
@@WOODENYOKE to you it didnt
@@dcoverzsessions hi Lyra is more powerful in midange and very clear in mid area u never get that sound from any other i move to Lyra from Apogee duet 2 ... I love that 💖 ..
Motu has more outputs
yo prefiero mil veces una Motu Ultralite MK5 que este modelo de RME.
RME is overpriced as hell
This is very flat and shallow.
It's typical: MOTU has pioneered the DAW as we know it. In the beginning, there was Logic, PT and DP. Those were your 3 big titles. Cubase, Audition, Fairlight, Abe and the rest came later. MOTU has over 3 decades of software experience and MOTU's included plugs for DP have always been on-par with PT and Logic. But AVB is what puts MOTU gear above and beyond everyone else, since everyone pays a huge licensing fee to Audinate for DANTE. That fee is passed onto the user. Focusrite's Red series shows this markup. At $2,300, the Apollo line doesn't comes standard with Dante. Considering MOTU is still on v1 of AVB and considering how incredibly delta it was on launch, history will absolutely consider it a watershed moment; more so when considering AVB is free with no additional fees. You aren't connecting that RME to anything but close proximity gear using 1/4 audio cable. With an AVB router and another AVB enabled interface on the other end with a single CAT cable, you got an innumerable routing matrix that would have cost $150K just 15 years ago....for $1,800. If I need gear, I go straight to MOTU first. If they don't have what I'm looking for, I go to RME next.
Rme, motu customer service sucks! 10-12-23