RME Multiface II (i am building my first studio help!)

[BadTeeth]

So its time for me to buy a new interface...
...and i need some advice from the knowledge pool and invaluable community that is VSE

I've been looking at the RME Multiface II and it seems to fit my criteria pretty well. I like the fact that it is often sold as a bundle with a low latency PCI card that i can slot into my PC (which i am currently constructing). My plan is to mix 'in the box', with a possible addition of a control surface in the not too distant future (i use cubase so the CC121 is looking like a very probably addition when i scrape some more dead prezidents together). I own a few outboard effects units and pedals which i will be hoping to use alot also. And of course most importantly i have about 5 old analog synths which i need to record as cleanly as possible. Additional to this i'm going to grab something like the MOTU express 128 for midi control.

From what i can gather, RME's converters are good value. Has anyone on here had any experience with using this setup or similar? Does anyone have any advice for a kid trying to lay the first foundations of a studio capable of producing releaseable material in the coming years?

Thanks in advance, if anyone has any advice to pass on i'd be beyond chuffed!

[Stab Frenzy]

We used to have a Multiface in one of the smaller rooms at the studio I used to work in, running on a G4. Sound quality was great, totally releasable, but then pretty much any decent soundcard these days is capable of being good enough, it's more down to the skills of the user these days. I've released stuff that was recorded through MBox convertors which are much worse and people have liked it.

You might need a preamp or two to run your old synths and pedal through to get them up to line level though, as the Multiface has no input gain. I'd be looking at something decent, running one of those little Behringer preamps into a Multiface would not be using it to its fullest potential.

[BadTeeth]

Thanks for the reply!

You might need a preamp or two to run your old synths and pedal through to get them up to line level though, as the Multiface has no input gain.

Wouldn't the impedance be much too high to use pre-amps? (EDITWithout a DI).This is something i'm currently learning but i thought synths put out line-level signals as a rule of thumb? I'd really like to have all my synths hooked up and running into the DAW simultanously so i can tweak them live (for example i will be using midi to cv gate converters with my Octave Cat and SH-101 so i will be sending sequencer data in the form of midi to these and 'playing'/tweaking the paramenters live while recording).

I was only thinking about buying a pre-amp (and a good one) when it came time to record vocals (which currently isn't a priority)?

[Stab Frenzy]

I was thinking a preamp with a DI input, most have them. Most synths are line level but some old ones are instrument level and will need a preamp to get the most out of them. Also pretty much all effects pedals (there are some exceptions) will need a preamp to bring them up to line level, as they're made for running into amps. You don't need something fancy as an instrument preamp, just a clean source of variable gain. If you can solder the JLM Baby animal is a really good quality and also cheap option.

[BadTeeth]

Awesome.

Just checked out the Baby Animal. It looks great and i'm pretty sure I could manage it. Have you put one of these together yourself? It has two inputs? Theoretically if I was wanting to run all synths simultaneously into the converters i would need a pre-amp or clean source of variable gain on each line yeah? The main synths i will be using (at present) are an Octave Cat SRM, Sh-101, Jupiter 6 and Juno 106 - i'm not sure of their +/- line output or impedance levels and don't have the information handy, but i'm assuming they will differ. The pedals will mainly be moog and boss - but i hope to phase these out of use as i get some higher-end outboard gear together in the future. (I'm starting to realise some of the drawbacks of a mixerless studio ). I was keen on the mixerless idea because i have a super fast PC and a really good collection of software (including the Waves Mercury bundle) which i figure will save me having to buy original Neve strips and/or compressors!

You don't happen to be from the land down under? Where women glow and men plunder? do you?

I'm from Palm Beach north of Sydney

[Stab Frenzy]

Yep, from Melbourne. Maybe I'll run into you the next time my band comes up to Sydney to play.

I think the Juno, Jupiter and SH-101 should all be cool to run to line inputs, don't know about the Cat though. Impedance doesn't matter than much apart from microphones and passive pickups, pretty much anything with a buffered output stage will be fine running to a normal line input. You might want something to boost up the level of the Boss pedals but Moog ones can output live level no worries. In fact you could probably put one of the Moog ones as the last before the input and use that to drive the Multiface at the right level. The input gain is still active on the Moogs when the pedal's bypassed isn't it? I'd just use that, save buying anything.

I haven't put a BA together yet (been meaning to for years, too many other DIY projects always get priority) but each one has a mic input and can have a DI input as well if you build that board. But they aren't both active at the same time.

I've got a mixerless studio too, although the 002 is kind of like a mixer. It's the way to go these days unless you've got $20k+ to spend on the studio IMO.

[BadTeeth]

Rare i think i may have even seen your band play before haha.
I'm in melbourne frequently dj-ing. Was there for Michael Delaney's new club launch on the Friday of the easter long weekend (Sorry Grandma?) and i played there at Gay Bash that sunday. Pretty cool venue i'll be back down there soon.

Small world. Turns out a my new synth tech in sydney is also on VSE, and is a close friend of my good friends' father, who was my previous tech. Doing my head in. Somehow i don't think the Australian analog vintage synth community is very large at all hahah (in a good way).

Thanks for all the advice though, i'll let you know how it turns out. Let me know when you guys are next up in Sydney or if you are looking for gigs because i have a fair few friends that run nights (in melb as well).

Peace out

[OriginalJambo]

I think the Juno, Jupiter and SH-101 should all be cool to run to line inputs, don't know about the Cat though.

The CAT should also be fine as long as you use the "high" output - puts out a pretty hot level IMO. In fact I used mine along side a V-Synth and a JX-3P for a pantomime production and had no problems running it like this. Might be a bit noisy though, but that's half the charm!

[BadTeeth]

Thanks, I can't wait to to get the thing recorded, some of the sounds it produces are next-worldly lol. Have you had much experience recording yours OriginalJambo? Any tips or recommendations? I can imagine its going to dominate a mix pretty easily and yeah as you say will probably carry a fair bit of noise in its signal.

Also, Stab Frenzy, as it turns out i am under more time-pressure than i realised, could you recommend me a product similar to the Baby Animal in quality that's already assembled?

[Stab Frenzy]

Also, Stab Frenzy, as it turns out i am under more time-pressure than i realised, could you recommend me a product similar to the Baby Animal in quality that's already assembled?

Not at the same price, but there are a few other decent pres that don't cost the earth. If I were you I'd just use the gain in the Moog pedals for now, they're probably cleaner and better sounding than any pre you'd get cheaply. Or you could look at something like the EHX LP2ube (or whatever it's called) which is just a 2 channel tube instrument preamp.

[OriginalJambo]

Thanks, I can't wait to to get the thing recorded, some of the sounds it produces are next-worldly lol. Have you had much experience recording yours OriginalJambo? Any tips or recommendations?

I've recorded it for a couple of tracks, yeah. I'd say if there's one thing to be aware of it's the waveform mixer - leave yourself a little head room just in case you want to fire up all the faders.

For some cool sounds try some VCO filter modulation or VCO cross mod. Always good fun.

[novielo]

if i may suggest something

the auteur preamp from black lion audio is 465$, the complete kit for the baby animal is 495$.
i have a auteur preamp for couple of mounths now and i'm very impressed by the performances of this device. check out the demo on their website to make your own mind.

another thing interesting in the DI world is the art studio v3 preamp (or what ever exect name they gave it). it's a good and cheap little device. with it you have 2 parallel out, one in xlr and the other in trs. i sualy send the xlr dry to the daw and run the trs thru effects so if change my mind, don't like the result or want to add something i still have a dry recording. change the tube and you enter a new world, seriously.

[BadTeeth]

For some cool sounds try some VCO filter modulation or VCO cross mod.

Oh man i know! I've lost hours on the ends of those knobs Have you seen this crazy video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3GIxYpiutk. Its a Synth Repair Services modded SRM!! They've added pink noise, 7 filter modes, ring mod and some other stuff. I have a pdf scan of a booklet with the original optional 'mod kits' and appropriate schematics which they must have used for these. I would love to get some mods like this done - the capabilities would be beyond my imagination. (btw on the original document there are a total of 23 mod kits you could purchase from Octave Instruments!)

the auteur preamp from black lion audio is 465$

This looks really good. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll also be sure to check out the Art Studio V3.

[tweakeasy]

You don't happen to be from the land down under? Where women glow and men plunder? do you?

Brissy in the house too!
It's cool to come across some fellow countrymen on my favourite synth-nerd site.

Do you think I might have the same line-level issue you're discussing running my Juno-106 and RE-201 into a MOTU 828 Mk3?

I'm just about to pick up the MOTU and sell my Mackie Onyx. It's a beautiful mixer but I likewise want to be able to run everything at once, including my MIDI controllers.

Giggidy!

[Stab Frenzy]

I'll also be sure to check out the Art Studio V3.

I'd recommend staying away, they're really wooly, unclean sounding preamps. I have a Tube MP, it never gets used. I've got nothing against distortion but this isn't good warm distortion, it's just like there's a cloud of haze and my original signal is in there somewhere but it's not coming through clearly.

Do you think I might have the same line-level issue you're discussing running my Juno-106 and RE-201 into a MOTU 828 Mk3?

Nope, the 828mk3 has four channels with gain on the input.