Yeah, I don’t use the MR816 drivers, but as stand alone 8 channel interfaces with routing via the MR editor, they work great! Just trying to helpful…
BTW:
Except for MOTU, I can’t think of ANY firewire interface that offers an integrated mixer application (or direct monitoring) when multiple units are daisy chained. I’ve had RME Fireface, Presonus Firestudio, and Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 and none of them do. And I must say I’m a little biased because I hate direct monitoring! Totalmix is the best!
I just had a look at the manual: ftp://ftp.steinberg.net/Download/Hardware/UR824/UR824_OperationManual_en.pdf
It appears that the mixer only has 4 separate mixes so, although you can output one of the mixes to an adat out, you only have 4 independent mixes. It also looks like you can apply the channel strip (max 8) to any input including the adats.
I’m new to Steinberg hardware, apologies for newbie question but what is the difference between the MR816CSX and upcoming UR824? Should I get the special offer from Steinberg now (buy MR816CSX and get C12+ for free) or is it worth the wait for UR824?
RME total mix is awesome. RME is awesome. When you get up and running, download RME’s digicheck. Digicheck is awesome too! Nor as pretty as Inspector XL but is free as long as you have RME hardware.
You can get great deals on the MR816 series now. That said, the UR824 has 24 I/O and more flexible routing of it’s “channel strips”.
My setup has the best of both worlds (although no dsp), I use 2 MR816s hooked up basically as 8 channel adat preamps to my RME Digiface.
Thank you beatpete, it seems that UR824 will be even cheaper than the current hardware line and as you said it’s more flexible in routing so I probably wait until the new unit is out.
Can you say where you’ve seen these…? Currently looking at Digital Village and they’re quoting £709 each; also, quoting £699 for UR824 each.
And, in your setup, can you elaborate a little more please - particularly on the monitoring (musician foldback) side. I don’t quite understand the Digiface with its 3 ADAT I/O channels. You plumb each MR units ADAT I/O into 2 of these on the Digiface, for your effective 16 channels of audio, correct…? How do you monitor each channel/set up foldback mixes - back through the (individual) MR’s…? Through the RME mixer software…?
And sorry, finally - the big complaint with the MR units has always been the lack of direct-monitoring on all channels, across more than one unit, when daisy-chaining. If so, we need to know this about the UR824’s too, surely. (or is it all capable via ADAT…? Oh dear, I need to go lie down… Apologies for sounding confused - I am…!).
can somebody tell me if the figures in the manual are real world examples ?
If so than this thing has with 768 samples a higher output-latency than my fireface with 1024 samples…
I see a lot of complaints on the MR816 thread about latency free direct monitoring from multiple units. Does anyone know if this is fixed in the UR824?
For example, can I have 3 UR824’s with say 12 drum tracks, 3 bass tracks (mic, DI, and sub), 4 guitar tracks (2x mic and line), and 5 vocal mics (lead singer + backgrounds) and have latency free monitoring within Cubase 6?
In this example, all that I am really asking for is the ability to record a 5-piece band live. Is this not possible?
I think nobody in this groups owns one yet, but reading up I have a few comments.
The Ur824 is not chainable, so if you buy 3 units one will be the actual soundcard as the other 2 will be ADAT preamps connected to the first one. While using 24 same pre-amps I think you cannot use the internal FX/Dynamic channels of the other 2. Using pre-amps truogh the adat connection does not limit you to steinberg only, almost every available adat unit should work, meaning you could use Lynx, apogee etc etc.
The rest has to be heared from actual owners of a UR824.
Bump.
Its very intresting to see that, if someone writes something negative about the units, there is immediately response from the moderators, but a question that can be anwered easily doesn’t get an answer (maybe because it would show weak a point of this unit ?)
Yep the rme is a great unit but cost 2.5 times more. The clocking and monitoring is definitly brilliant, but I’ve heard that the converters of the mr’s beat the RME’s a bit.
I don’t have a recent experience with a Fireface 800 (that I remember as fantastic), but compared with a Fireface 400 I like the converters of the UR824 more. While clarity is about the same, the RME is colder, whereas the Steinberg/Yamaha is smoother (without losing clarity).
Since I don’t seem to have problems with the driver (the difference is proving negligible in real-world music production), for the price (but also for the sound) I would suggest the UR is a much better value.
However, I must say that RME answered my questions a few hours after I asked them. Steinberg seems much less prone to be so quick, and this is obviously not contributing to the perceived quality of their products.
Paolo
EDIT: OK, they answered the day after, which is good.
I have a fireface 800 for nearly 10 years now and that statement is pure nonsense,sorry.
And such a high latency like the Ur’s are showing is anything but negligible in real-world music.
I for one use the FF for Livemixing with VST plugins at 48 Samples setting…
I noticed a more pleasing sound to my ears (warmer, not as cold) when I replaced my FF800 with an MR816. Unfortunately, the performance of my UR824 is not as good as either the FF or the MR. I do think the UR is a better value than the FF (it’s only half the price). But if you need something with more power & options, the UFX would be the way to go.