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Overview:
After more than 2 years of development,
time has come: RME presents the Fireface 800, a 56 channel 24 bit / 192
kHz high-end, high performance and high speed FireWire audio interface.
The Fireface 800 combines the latest and also proven technologies of
previous RME products with the fastest FireWire technology. Analog
technology of the ADI-8 converters, microphone technology of
QuadMic and
OctaMic,
TotalMix technology of the
Hammerfall DSP series, years of
experience in programming of efficient and reliable drivers up to
complete support from
DIGICheck - only the best of the best, and even a
bit more. The Fireface 800 offers the best worked out instrument input
that could ever be found in an audio interface, a high power headphone
output and signal-to-noise ratios of 119 dBA - typically RME!
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Analog I/O's: |
RME's world-wide successful Multiface was the basis for the development
of the Fireface 800. 8 balanced line I/Os with software controlled
switching of the reference levels (-10 dBV, +4 dBu, HiGain), of course
realized discretely in the analog domain, guarantee highest dynamic
range and highest fidelity. Apart from the levels of the microphone
pre-amps and the headphone outputs, all device settings are software
controlled. Equipped with the latest A/D and D/A converter chips, all
I/Os operate up to 192 kHz and reach even 119 dBA dynamic range on
playback.
The front-sided headphone output in high power technology does not only
deliver high volume with low-impedance headphones, but represents the
playback channels 9/10. In contrast to the Multiface, the headphone
output is directly ASIO Direct Monitoring capable.
On the front side, the Fireface 800 has 4 discrete balanced microphone
inputs with class-A stage, 48 V phantom powering and separate jack and
XLR inputs, which can also be used as additional line inputs. Two of the
four mic inputs are permanently available as channels 9 and 10, the
other two can be used together with or alternatively to the inputs 7 / 8
on the back.
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Lets Rock: |
The FireFace 800's Hi-Z instrument input offers an unprecedented
fidelity and flexibility for the use of guitar and bass. A soft-limiter,
which has been tuned especially for musical instruments, takes care of
an efficient overload protection of the A/D-converter. The limiter does
not work without distortion, it deliberately creates harmonic
distortion. Due to a soft transition and deliberate creation of
harmonics, the input signal is compressed steplessly according to taste,
or the limiter can be used as a distortion with tube sound. A 'fuzz'
circuit, which can be activated in addition, delivers broad guitar
distortion. A filter with several stages, which can also be switched on
separately, takes low- and high-frequency disturbances away and
guarantees a optimal basic sound even when recording directly into the
computer, or when monitoring through a mixing console. Signals from
guitar or bass are not being alienated in this case, but pre-conditioned
for later processing in the DAW, so that the known amplifier plug-ins
can make the most out of the sound.
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Digital I/O's: |
Two ADAT I/Os allow connecting and inserting effect devices, mixing
consoles or external converters. With two additional ADI-8 DS, there are
26 analog inputs and outputs, which remain still 18 at 96 kHz. The
SPDIF-I/O works up to 192 kHz, so that there are still 10 analog in- and
outputs at the highest sample rate, plus two digital ones.
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Features: |
All inputs and outputs can be used at the same time. E. g., the
instrument input can be used either instead of the line input on the
back, or together with it. Even the jack and the XLR sockets of the
microphone inputs can be used simultaneously. In this way, up to 35
signal sources can be connected to the Fireface 800 and recorded onto 28
separate tracks!
Thanks to the DSP-based TotalMix mixer known from the Hammerfall DSP
series, all inputs and outputs can be freely mixed, distributed and
routed. Up to 14 completely independent stereo submixes are possible.
Thanks to an internal flash memory, all settings including TotalMix are
recalled during boot. After making all desired settings, the device
works stand-alone even without computer as a submixer, A/D and D/A
converter, headphone mixer, format converter, instrument or microphone
pre-amplifier, monitoring mixer and much more.
The Fireface 800 is equipped with SteadyClock, RME's latest sync and
clock technology. With this, the device becomes a sync reference for the
whole studio. SteadyClock refreshes clock signals, removes jitter, and
takes permanent care of optimal conversion quality, thus guarantees a
sensational sound quality.
Via an insert slot on the back, a time code option (TCO) for
synchronizing to LTC, video and VITC can be added. Thanks to
SteadyClock, the Fireface 800 does not only extract absolute positions,
but also a very clean low-jitter word clock.
The latest FPGAs in 90 nanometer technology with unprecedented power are
used in order to offer the FireWire 800 ports besides SteadyClock, ADAT
and SPDIF digital PLL, TotalMix and stand-alone mode. On the basis of an
integrated 32 bit RISC processor, an interface optimized especially for
audio was developed, which is flexible, reconfigurable and one the first
Giga-FW interfaces available. And of course it allows operation at
latencies down to 48 samples. The Fireface 800 has a second port for hub
functionality, bi-lingual mode for full FireWire 400 compatibility, and
an additional FW 400 port. Thanks to the multi-ports, several Fireface
800 can be used in parallel and at the same time on one FireWire port
without any problem.
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Technical Specifications: |
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| Input AD:
8 x 1/4" TRS, 4 x XLR Mic, 1/4" TRS Line, all
servo-balanced. 1 x 1/4" TS unbalanced |
| Output DA:
8 x 1/4" TRS, servo-balanced, DC-coupled
signal path. 1 x 1/4" TRS unbalanced |
| Input Digital:
2 x ADAT optical or SPDIF optical, SPDIF
coaxial (AES/EBU compatible) |
| Output Digital:
2 x ADAT optical or SPDIF optical, SPDIF
coaxial (AES/EBU compatible) |
| MIDI:
1 x MIDI I/O via 5-pin DIN jacks, for 16 channels
low jitter hi-speed MIDI |
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| Dynamic range AD:
109 dB RMS unweighted, 112 dBA |
| THD AD:
< -110 dB (< 0.00032 %) |
| THD+N AD:
< -104 dB (< 0.00063 %) |
| Crosstalk AD:
> 110 dB |
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| Dynamic range DA:
116 dB RMS unweighted, 119 dBA
(unmuted) |
| THD DA:
< -103 dB (< 0.0007 %) |
| THD+N DA:
< -100 dB (< 0.001 %) |
| Crosstalk DA:
> 110 dB |
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| Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ Hi Gain:
+19 dBu |
| Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ +4 dBu:
+13 dBu |
| Input/Output level for 0 dBFS @ -10 dBV:
+2 dBV |
| Sample rate internally:
32, 44.1, 48, 64, 88.2 kHz, 96
kHz, 128, 176.4, 192 kHz |
| Sample rate externally:
28 kHz - 200 kHz |
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| Frequency response
AD/DA, -0.1 dB: 5 Hz - 21,5 kHz (sf 48
kHz) |
| Frequency response
AD/DA, -0.5 dB: < 5 Hz - 43.5 kHz
(sf 96 kHz) |
| Frequency response
AD/DA, -1 dB: < 5 Hz - 70 kHz (sf
192 kHz) |
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