RME FIREFACE UCX REVIEW

When recording, my aim is nearly always to capture a sound that is as true to the original as possible. If I want to add any character to my sounds, I want my choice of microphone to dictate this and I will leave any additional intentional colouration down to my arsenal of plug-ins, to process the sound once the recording has been captured. This way, I get the maximum flexibility, having full control over what I add or remove from a sound. After all, it’s a lot easier to filth up a clean signal than it is to clean up an already coloured signal! The words ‘polish’ and ‘turd’ come to mind here…

However, with virtually every preamp and converter on every interface now marketed as ‘crystal clear’, how do you know which ones really are that good? Well, having had experience with a selection of RME products in the past, I was fairly confident that the Fireface UCX would live up to its description before I had even tested it…

RME FIREFACE UCX – WHO?

What, you mean you’ve never heard of RME? Actually, if you’ve not been in this business too long, I can’t really blame you as this small German company hasn’t exactly flooded the market with an endless variety of products. But does this mean that their stuff isn’t up to the job? Don’t be fooled, as the truth is far from it! In fact, their relatively small product catalogue just means that they can fully concentrate on a specific area of the market and invest time in ensuring that all of their products reach the very highest levels of quality. In fact, most of RME’s time has gone into developing high-quality, professional converters and preamps, which is why I am expecting such big things from the Fireface UCX…

](https://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/rme-fireface-ucx-usbfirewireipad-audio-interface-no-remote.html)

RME FIREFACE UCX – BASIC USE

I hooked it up to my Mac via Firewire (although it does also feature a USB 2.0 port), booted up Logic, plugged in my sE Electronics Z3300A mic, configured my DAW for recording and performed a few basic vocal and acoustic guitar tests. I then went back, pulled out a sE Electronics sE X1 and did the same. I then repeated the tests a further two times with a Røde K2 valve mic and a Sontronics Helios.

And the results?

As expected, I was very impressed with what I had captured when I listened back. The Fireface UCX had recorded everything with exceptional detail and clarity (especially in the 192 kHz mode in which I was using it), and the unique character of each individual mic really shone through.

Although it is very difficult to say exactly how clean my recordings were because I do not have a dedicated £2000 studio preamp to compare it to in my home studio, to me, they really did sound crystal-clear with an extremely low noise floor and dare I say it, void of any additional character… but that’s a good thing…. a very good thing!

This quality is certainly something that novices need to be aware of, because to the untrained ear, poor preamps can sound better than high-quality preamps! Why? Because cheaper preamps will colour a sound, which can often make certain recordings appear more pleasing to the ear when played in isolation. However, once a sound is placed into a mix, these additional characteristics can become less than useful as they may not work with the rest of the elements of the song. This isn’t always the case, but still, it’s always much better to be able to add character to a sound if you feel the need, rather than try to remove it (as I mentioned earlier), as trying to get rid of character from a sound will usually degrade other parts that you would ideally prefer to leave untouched.

So, all in all, the quality of the RME mic preamps on the Fireface UCX impressed me… a LOT! But what about all those other inputs and outputs as the UCX actually has 8 analogue inputs (although only 2 of these have mic preamps and Hi-Z inputs for electric guitars and basses) and outputs, a stereo S/PDIF input and output and up to 8 ADAT inputs and outputs.

](https://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/rme-fireface-ucx-usbfirewireipad-audio-interface-no-remote.html)

Well, I didn’t test out the S/PDIF or ADAT capabilities, but after recording the output from my Roland Gaia through the line inputs and experimenting with some electric guitar recordings, I had to conclude that the Fireface UCX has some mighty fine converters and was capable of creating quality, clean recordings whatever the source.

RME FIREFACE UCX – DSP EFFECTS

The Fireface UCX also comes bundled with a load of DSP effects including Reverb, Echo, 3-band EQ, adjustable low-cut, auto level, compressor, expander, MS processing and phase reversal. In fact, the Fireface UCX actually has 2 built-in DSPs, allowing you to run a huge number of these plug-ins without excessively burdening your CPU. Let me tell you as well that these effects sound great, especially considering that they can also function at up to 192 kHz!

In fact, on a similar subject, the AutoSet feature is also worth a quick mention. This function makes use of digitally controlled gain to automatically reduce the level of a signal without limiting (which risks adding noise and distortion to the signal). That sounded like a challenge to me! I therefore decided to push the level of some of my recordings and see what happened. Having done this, I was pleased to hear that… nothing really happened (not that I could tell anyway)! The signal appeared as crisp and clean as ever, which I guess is testament to this technology.

](https://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/rme-fireface-ucx-usbfirewireipad-audio-interface-no-remote.html)

RME FIREFACE UCX – iPAD

Although this feature is pretty useless to me considering I do not own an iPad, something unique that will inevitably appeal to the growing number of people that are using their iOS device for serious music production is the fact that the Fireface UCX has a Class Compliant mode for transmitting up to 8 channels of audio to and from your iPad/iPad 2! Couple this with the fact that the Fireface UCX is so compact and this gives you a portable way of capturing highly professional recordings outside of your main studio. Just be aware that you will need a Camera Connection Kit in order to connect the two pieces of equipment together.

RME FIREFACE UCX – REMOTE

Apart from the sound quality, the thing that got me most excited about the Fireface UCX was the desktop controller, which looked like a mini Babyface! Aww! It had a rugged metal design, a large dial, a 'level recall' button and one assignable button and allowed me to control a number of UCX parameters with comfort and ease. Brilliant!

Please note that the controller is not included as standard with the UCX though and needs to be purchased separately. It is available in either a Basic or Advanced model. I would suggest going for the Advanced one though. For a fairly small increase in price you get a decent amount of extra useful features.

](https://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/rme-arc-advanced-remote-control-for-ucxufx-interfaces.html)

RME FIREFACE UCX – CONCLUSION

What more could I want? The Fireface UCX has a fantastic build quality, it’s packed with pro features (including a highly flexible piece of mixing/routing software) and the quality of its preamps and converters are the best that I have come across for under £1000; a price that puts it within reach of most serious home-studio owners.

If the RME Fireface UCX is within your budget and has enough I/O to satisfy your needs, then it simply has to be considered. If you are used to working with cheaper interfaces, then you will be blown away by the clarity that the Fireface UCX has to offer.

For more information on the RME Fireface UCX, click the link below or give us a call on 01202 597180.

RME Fireface UCX - More Info/Buy

RME Advanced Remote Control - More Info/Buy

RME Basic Remote Control - More Info/Buy

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