The Fireface has some sweet features that the MOTU's don't have that make it more "pro". Much better clocking, converters, ability to change buffers on the fly, without relaunching, etc. Not to mention, they sound so much better - IMHO. I was just going through my options for an interface, when I thought my multiface was dead, and the Fireface came out on top, hands down. Now, depending on what program you are using - and prefernce to your ears, the Apogee Ensemble is sweet if you are using Logic - lots of integrated control.

RME doesn't have a PCI-e card - unfortunately, but the Fireface is FW800 and, reportedly, the latency is great.

1 thing I have never been able to 'grok' is this thing about digital quality. in terms of Vienna instruments if you are working entirely in the digital domain then you are just simply reading data off the drives- there is no a/d conversion going on not until you send the audio out to your monitors- correct?. so why would an rme product sound any different since it is all just a stream of numbers in a cyber matrix. I think I can get that different products behave differently and therfore timing and latency might be better in 1 than another. anyway the fireface looks like a good product - too bad you can't rent it for a week to try it out.

It all depends on how you use it. I, personally use 8 outs from the computer into a Ghost board. there was a marked improvement going to the RME. Much warmer and natural. If everything stays digital, than you need nothing. Doesn't matter. the issue of clocks is only when you are syncing external and internal devices, etc. I have lots of synths, not to mention recording vocals, etc. So I needed something good. Of course, every setup is hindered by it's weakest device.

@Another User said:

I haven't used the Cue Mix since I had an outboard reverb. I am wondering how one can use this to any advantage with a rack of internal Vienna Instruments? sorry- the logic escapes me. Do you care to elaborate on this JW? How are you using cuemix? Thanks!

btw does RME have a card for a PCI-e Mac? but if the latency & performance is so much better with RME than motu it's time to change.

Bruce, I'm running 16 channels of outboard devices which are connected via ADAT, plus 1 or 2 channels of analog on occasion. Since getting VI, CueMix has helped bring everything together with no latency while still being able to manage internal and external audio.

I don't doubt the veracity of claims that other devices are "better", and I do confess that I am using an external word clock which is most likely keeping the clocking issues mentioned by matt in check. I'd even go further to assert that the MOTU hardware works better with the MOTU software, ie: Digital Performer. For what I'm doing presently, it works beautifully.

With the exception of a couple of synths on a 1224 box (not a critical application), I only use the MOTU stuff digitally, and I distribute clock to it and everyone else from a different device (a Waves L2). My only point is that the latency shouldn't be an issue, and the system can stream up to 96 ins and outs without any problems at all.

I wouldn't recommend the MOTU stuff for Giga on a PC, but on Mac it's brilliant. Also, I haven't used the RME stuff, so I'm not saying it's better or worse on Mac.

This looks interesting for Motu users:

http://www.blacklionaudio.com/motu_firewire_mod.html

the buzz on U-Nation is that it sounds great,

@Bruce said:

This looks interesting for Motu users:

http://www.blacklionaudio.com/motu_firewire_mod.html

the buzz on U-Nation is that it sounds great,

Hmm.. I'll have to check the U-nation forum out on this one. Hadn't heard about this.

What concerns me is that the claim is *slightly* anecdotal, and they are selling a mod. "Unmusical" is a strong word...

I'm no know-it-all by any means, but I'm surprised not to have heard about this mod before tonight...

That doesn't mean anything. If the buzz is good, then I'll have to consider it as I consider my coveted Apogee.

A friend of mine has the Black Lion upgrade to the MOTU and loves it. He is a serious gear guru, as he is an engineer with his own studio, and has never steered me wrong. So, I am confident it's a good mod. His opinion is that the MOTU witht the Black Lion upgrade sounds better than the RME. I haven't heard them to compare, but I trust his judgment.

Personally, I use a Lavry converter (arguably, the best-certainly not cheap!) and only use the converters on my RME coming back out of the computer.

Black Lion, by many reports, may have bad customer service -- do a search on Gearslutz.com before you send off your interface.

I realize that the fireface connects via firewire 800 port not pci-e. I was just saying that there are limited options for Quad G5s. I dont need analog and everything between my slaves and my DAW is digital, but I have to have it all clocked with word. Its nice my G5s have optical i/o but no Word Clock, so they are usless to me (unless someone can explain to me how to get proper clocking otherwise.) I use an Ardvark Word Clock Distribution unit that is the master clock of my studio.