RME Digiface USB - what latency did you manage to run?

[lfm]

Found this unit which is resonable price €350 or so.
Been out since 2018 and never heard about it.

For me it seems perfect, I use an external DAC anyway doing monitors.
And it has phones out while mixing on phones.
And some rack units can run spdif in and out.

So latency and stability on usb is my concern.

What do you run as latency with it?
And maybe how strong a computer do you use?

Thanks.

[DNnX]

I've been using it with 4 classic ADAT decks.
Latency is min 32, max 1024 samples at 48kHz.
I don't always work at 32 samples, but it's quite stable for outputing 32ch.
Win10 Latest, 6th Gen i7, 8GB RAM.

[sqigls]

I've owned a Multiface a Fireface and a Babyface, but no Digiface. but i've run a Fireface with 8 channels going in and out of ADAT and got down to 64 samples? in a decent sized live set with hardware synths and a mixing desk... like a few ms really, faster than some hardware. it depends on everything else you're running, as in CPU load. and the sample rate.
RME USB drivers are great though. Latency and stability shouldn't be high on the list of concerns.
They're rock solid.

[lfm]

I've been using it with 4 classic ADAT decks.
Latency is min 32, max 1024 samples at 48kHz.
I don't always work at 32 samples, but it's quite stable for outputing 32ch.
Win10 Latest, 6th Gen i7, 8GB RAM.

Thanks. That's awesome if it actually can run usb at 32 samples buffers, but think 64 would be more than good enough. I don't use Studio One or Reaper anymore that use one extra buffer for processing monitoring audio through daw. My good old Sonar do that better.

I've used HDSP 9632 now for 12 years and have a AI4S extra inputs, but found out that this AI4S would not work on AIO version for PCIe, so looking at €1100 just for upgrading that on new computer and having to get even a new AI4S for the same setup.

And found this Digiface looking through RME products. Never knew about it. Having a Audient ASP 800 with 8 preamps will suffice. All midi gear through patch bay anyway, so easy to swap gear inputs around if needing more than 8(4 stereo).

[lfm]

I've owned a Multiface a Fireface and a Babyface, but no Digiface. but i've run a Fireface with 8 channels going in and out of ADAT and got down to 64 samples? in a decent sized live set with hardware synths and a mixing desk... like a few ms really, faster than some hardware. it depends on everything else you're running, as in CPU load. and the sample rate.
RME USB drivers are great though. Latency and stability shouldn't be high on the list of concerns.
They're rock solid.

Thanks. As I understand RME broke the barrier for low latency usb interfaces.

Was looking at swapping from HDSP 9632 to possible RayDat, which also have these ADAT, but no analog out at all.

So thrilled about Digiface that give what I mostly use are phones. I have passive monitor speakers so a hifi amp must be fired up too and the DAC for it. And Digiface sell for €200 less than RayDat.

[sqigls]

yeah it's like a headphone amp with a bonus multi-lightpipe attached
the only thing is no hardware vol knob.

[lfm]

I use a headphone preamp after with knob so it will be fine. HD650 need that.

Only thing a bit unclear is that phones out only have a fader for when talkback is activated, how much to dim. As I read in manual.

Don't know if you can set out level generally for phones on Digiface?
- 9632 has a setting for -12 dB which is perfect for headphone preamp needing 0.3V as it is made for record out on hifi amps.

Otherwise I just use main out which has two faders out to phones which I believe is one for out level in some regard. Otherwise probably solved in Totalmix instead.

[sqigls]

in true KVR style i will miss the point by saying you could save up and get a Babyface.
How many optical I/O will you actually use?
I use HD650 also, and predominately a Shure SM7B, which needs a shit ton of gain, about 50-55dB. The Babyface provides i think 60dB from memory, it's nuts. And has 2x headphone outs.
Yes i'm going sideways. But i can say after owning a bunch of top quality audio interfaces (not only RME), the Babyface does 99.9% of everything i need nowadays, and just so solid and such a tight sound. That can be said of any RME really. Anyways i can tell you 100% that their USB drivers are second to none.

i should say also, no matter the interface, RME software is amazing also. Can make custom busses and such. Generally tons of gain and options.

[lfm]

How many optical I/O will you actually use?

Curently two out and two in.
- one spdif in and out is used for digital on a Lexicon MX200
- one out for main stereo to DAC+hifi amp for monitors
- one in for Audient ASP 800 rack with ADAT

I use HD650 also, and predominately a Shure SM7B, which needs a shit ton of gain, about 50-55dB.

Similar gear, also use SM7B and a Mackie mixer fix 60 dB and Audient preamps 70 dB so that works well both of them. I believe specs from Shure say -59 dBV sensitivity.

Ditched some Focusrite over just 55 dB which I find not enough. Decent preamps otherwise. Had a TwinTrak Pro though with 60 dB, also worked.

But there are such plugs like FetHead that take phantom power to amplify 15 dB, but have not tried myself.
https://www.tritonaudio.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=33

[dikrek]

I have a FEThead with Shure and it works great.
Also have a digiface USB, can run it at 32 samples.
In general the latency is very low.

[lfm]

Also have a digiface USB, can run it at 32 samples.
In general the latency is very low.

Really good to hear, thank you.

[dikrek]

It’s not a full RTL test but check that output latency

[lfm]

No. we usually talk one way and then multiply by two for listening through the daw.

But as always when ADAT, buffers only is reported to ASIO, we have to check full latency with AD and DA converters as well. ASIO only know the buffer size, not the full story.

I even found some samples difference between onboard AD converters on my HDSP 9632 and the addon board AI4S. And in this case it is reported different values for AD and DA for onboard converters. If it was 141 DA out and 111 AD in for a 64 samples buffer.

So to get sample accuracy on where recorded clips are placed we have to add some apart from buffers to daw when having ADAT only. Just a one time calibration with a loopback thingy. Metronome is good for that so that pulses line up on grid.

Then different daws add different things. Studio One add one extra buffer for processing no matter what. Reaper add one buffer monitoring if any plugin has any latency, or multiple buffers if plugin latency is larger than one ASIO buffer. First thing I noticed why suddenly guitar is late playing it and investigated a bit.

Sonar Artist 2015 which I reverted too is having no extra penalty. Cubase does not either to my knowledge, and they have this ASIO Guard thing to optimize if interface is slower than you want.

[delayeed1]

It’s not a full RTL test but check that output latency

at what sample rate is this?

[vitocorleone123]

At 48khz with a Digiface USB with a buffer of 32 I get an RTL of 2.8ms to 2.9ms running through an Elysia Karacter hardware unit in bypass mode (not a true cable out to cable in on the Ferrofish Pulse 16 connected to the RME).

Windows 11