Why I left the Audient iD44 for the RME Babyface and an intro to the Babyface Pro FS
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- For a long time I was a keen user of the Audient iD44 but changing workflows (less demand for 4 mic preamps) and every greater pressure on space and portability led me to RME's Babyface. And now I have the Babyface Pro FS to play with. Life is good.
00:10 Dean Martin loves his Babyface... and so do I
00:45 Intro to Audient iD44
01:50 The need for space
02:10 Babyface has the power
02:30 USB drivers and software
03:10 Babyface Pro FS
03:34 XLR mic inputs
04:00 Inputs 3 and 4 and headphone outputs
04:40 ADAT and Midi
05:00 RME's smart USB solution
That intro was amazing :D
Well Dean Martin was amazing - I struggled to follow his timing! Thanks for the kind words.
The song is such a great lead in for your video!
Thanks for dropping by.
Dean Martin kills it! Ta like, ppm6
nice intro : )))
Thanks - I'm absolutely amazed no had done it before, mind you they might well have and I just haven't seen it. Thanks for taking the time to drop a comment. Ta like, ppm6.
the intro
Thanks, no word from Dean's lawyers as yet! Ta like, ppm6.
I like the quality of my id22 though it does take a bit of desk space and has a power plug rather than bus powered. That does look very dinky and nicely designed. I look forward to the next installment.
Thanks David - the Audient gear is very good, no doubt. I think the Babyface Pro FS is beautifully made and of course the price tag goes with that. Thanks for dropping by.
Wow, production values, X Factor look out, bravo! Very interesting to see those interfaces which, being disconnected for some time, I’d never come across. NB, was your audio all on the 414 or (not to be personal) was a personal also involved? Can’t wait for the next instalment, best!
Hi Hugh - my lazy audio was all on the 414 but I'm so close to it that you get the bloom boom. Which strangely everyone like... life's rich tapestry I suppose.
The biggest discovery was that Dean Martin's timing is tricksy, he's behind the beat and so late you think it will sound terrible but of course it sounds great! I was really surprised YT didn't take offence but also very pleased. The RME gear is great - it's a very small firm but they make super hardware and their drivers are king of USB world because most everyone else buys in the driver and just reskins them while they code them from the ground up. Hope life is good.
I thought the musical number worked very well, just enough colouration from the "foldback" to make it sound nice and lively, now looking forward to the next performance. I have to say I've struggled to get my head around these interfaces a bit because they're not quite mixers, it seems to me, except that they are if you add the virtual controls via a laptop / tablet. I still keep my AD 261 close for reassurance! Best wishes, Hugh @@ppmtv-qh9qk
I think you have put your finger on something. One of the attractions of the iD44 was four inputs so it could be a location mixer? But of course mixers have gain trims and then faders, interfaces only have trims. To say nothing of metering, monitoring,...And we could go on. I don't think an interface could replace your AD261 or my SQN (BBC was solidly SQN in the bits I worked in!). Actually it might be better to do it the other way round. The Zoom F series are mixer/recorders that can also be interfaces. I have some AD preamps in the shape of a six channel 147 - great gear - I should hang on to the AD261 for the duration. I also have a very battered CooperSound 104 - which is thing of beauty - I just wish it was tidier as we say in Wales!
I too moved from Audient to RME .First i had babyface fs ( its so beautiful designed and made) but traded it in for the then new UCX2 as I needed the extra facilities- I liked my Audient ID22 but moved/ upgraded to RME because of the better software, especially the rocksolid fast drivers from RME - and some hardware issues with ID22. Of cause RME and Audient are not directly comparable Pricewise . The fact that they are compared in the first place is a tribute to the good sound of Audients interfaces. For the long sommer Holliday away from home i i bought not RME Babyface but Audient id4 mk 2...but I miss holding that piece of gear in my hand
good points - recent pricing has moved RME away from Audient. RME software a real strong point. The UCX 2 looks really tasty. Ta like, ppm6.
But soundwise The Babyface FS is just as good and maybe even has a tiny edge over UCX2 - like a little bit of "air". And thank you for your Videos
Thanks PML - that is a very interesting take on UCX2 v Babyface and not something often discussed, thanks for dropping by. Ta like, ppm6.
Drivers and support. I moved due to a soppy SFF pc,from pcie cards to the original baby face for portability, the clock and the ease of routjng anything anywhere. I miss spdif.
I agree about SPDIF - I use the optical output for stereo monitoring but SPDIF would be handy. My old MOTU 828 has both but it's hardly portable. I suppose you can't have everything. Thanks for dropping by. Ta like, ppm6.
I have two Audient interfaces, iD22 at home and iD44 when I take my recording rig out. Either would be fine when using 1 set of preamps (ASP880), but since I sometimes need two, I needed an interface with two sets of Adat/optical ports, and found the iD44 invaluable there. But, when I was looking I did take a look at the Babyface
Hi BMS, the iD44 is a great interface - in terms of connectivity it is very hard to beat, solid mic amps, good build and very good support. The twin ADATS are also really useful - I need an digital output to feed the DAC for my monitors and the extra ADAT option is just great. Am I right in thinking the preamps in the ASP880 have more gain (maybe 65dB) than those on board the iD44? Thanks for dropping by, ta like - ppm6.
RME excellent quality, excellent engineering maybe the best but the pricing matches. At this price you can get audibly equivalent quality with a lot more features.
Hi Robert - there's lots of choice in interfaces which is good and Audient make some excellent gear, I think the MOTU Ultralite MK5 would be another contender and I'm sure there are others that I haven't tried. Where RME stand unrivalled is the quality of their USB drivers - they do seem to have class leading performance and stability. And of course they stand behind their products for a long time. Thanks for dropping by and for taking the time to comment. Ta like, ppm6.
Love the Audient but my ID44 is cackling, hopefully i can get a warranty for it but if not I'am thinking about grabbing this RME as i heard nothing but great things
Hi Nick I found Audient very helpful and if it's in warranty there shouldn't be a problem. RME is great gear, pricey now it has to be said but the finish and performance are both excellent. The Total Mix software is a bit controversial - because its flexibility and power mean a steepish learning curve. The drivers are absolutely rock solid. Hope you can get a solution to your iD44's maniacal laughter (cackling!) I think that's more fun than the more prosaic crackling - the Audient should give you many years of service. Ta like, ppm6.
@@ppmtv-qh9qk thank you for the great info! :) As I make more music I realize how important stability is. And yes I’m seeing on forums that the TotalMix can be a make or break depending on the person. Anywho I took your advice and reached out to Audient and I’m hoping that Daniel over there can take care of me! Love from MI 🎶
Hi Nick I think your experience is instructive - when you need to nail the take, the finesse of the features is eclipsed but the necessity of getting the recording on tape. I have had interfaces that offered quite brilliant hardware (not talking about RME or Audient here) but I wouldn't trust to make a simple recording that was of any importance. I'm rooting for Audient to sort you out - come on Dan! Ta like, ppm6.
Does it have a loop back?
Loopback is a feature of RME's TotalMix software...
th-cam.com/video/m-Zeruz-9Zk/w-d-xo.html
And so the answer is yes. Thanks for dropping by. Ta like, ppm6.
Awesome. I am new to recording , I don’t think I found a person who has. Negative thing to say about it.
Hi Vincent. I think the Babyface Pro FS is an awesome bit of kit. It is also a fair chunk of change. So for some people there will be options that will suffice for less money. Audient, MOTU and Focusrite (to name but a few) all have contenders, some offering more features - like the iD44. However the RME has that great build quality, high gain preamps, the powerful software, the small footprint, the bus powering and the great drivers. So you pays your money.... Ta like, ppm6.
@@ppmtv-qh9qk thanks
Good to hear another positive take. Thanks for dropping by. Ta like, ppm6.
What is better DAC Audient id or Rme?
Very good question. Can I point you to the audiosciencereview website for technical reviews and tests. I had a quick look for the iD44 but couldn't find it but they have other Audient interfaces and lots of RME. I'm going to say that their DAC performance will be close enough not to be audibly different. But you may have better ears than me! Generally RME are considered to have the best drivers in the business but the Audient is handily cheaper... it is a tough call. I say you will be happy with either. Ta like, ppm6.
Full steady clock🧐
Indeed - well observed David, I missed out the FS in Babyface Pro FS! School boy error. Had to send the review one back so having to make do with Babyface no Pro no FS. I console myself reading articles that say I don't have to worry too much about jitter: archimago.blogspot.com/2018/08/demo-musings-lets-listen-to-some-jitter.html
Thanks for dropping by. Ta like, ppm6.
Im about to go rme. I have had the id44 mkii for about a year and half and i cant take the preamp hiss any more. Its excruciating to deal with. I have gain staged properly but it is always present enough that i never noticed with any other interfaces i ever owned
Hi Joey, sorry to hear of your id44 problems. Is the hiss ever present or is it more pronounced with particular mics? I can't say I had noticeable hiss problems - do you think it might be faulty?
A new RME will be lovely but of course not cheap! Ta like, ppm6.
@@ppmtv-qh9qk its ok i appreciate it. Thank you. it had hiss issues from the very beginning. I dont even have to use mics, just balanced trs in the combo jacks running line level gear like modular or my synths. The only synth i have absolutely no trouble with is my hydrasynth but its also digital so that could be why i dont notice hiss.
I just ordered an rme ucx ii. Good deal from thomann as long as VAT/ import duty doesnt kill me lol.
Good choice on the UCX 2 - I paid 300 odd for a mic recently and then another 67 in charges etc. Hopefully you won't have to stump up beyond the purchase price. Let us know how you get on. Ta like, ppm6.
@@ppmtv-qh9qk thank you for the well wishes. It was expensive as hell to me but i hope its worth it. Not sure if it will be as clean or good as the audient preamps as i see a lot of people say they like them over the apollo and rme preamps but if the mixer and drivers are great and the pres have low noise compared to the audient i will be more than happy. You have a new subscriber by the way.
I tell you what - I think the DuRec is the icing on a very nice cake! enjoy.
I love the babyface's sound, but the totalmix is the worst interface, less intuitive piece of s**t I've seen in my life
Hi Marce, TotalMix does attract a lot of criticism - I'm not sure what to compare it to. I have a Marian sound card which offers The Beast DSP mixer/router - I can't say that it is much easier to understand than Total Mix. Cuemix on MOTU kit is also a bit of a challenge. Is that a lovely Revox A77 in the back of your video? I hope so! Ta like, ppm6.
You're right about Total Mix FX not being intuitive but the sound quality and solid driver of RME makes me stick with it.
Thanks for the input on Total Mix - I'm wondering who has the most intuitive interface for their interface mixer software? Any answers would be gratefully received. Though I have a theory that Total Mix is best understood backwards! I'll do a video some time. Ta like, ppm6.
@@ppmtv-qh9qk I haven't tried so many interfaces but comparing Total Mix with my experience using 'console' on UAD Apollo, I'd consider 'console' way more intuitive.
TotalMix takes time to learn but is worth the wait and effort