How is RME Babyface as DAC.

[sanj]

Hi Friends,
Has anyone used 'RME Babyface' Interface as DAC for listening music, basically it is used by professional in studio, how is it's sound quality compared to contemporary Hi-FI DACs in market.

I am asking it because i have an opportunity to buy it as used,kindly suggest if it will be good decision to use it as DAC.

Rgds
sanjay

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Probably well worth a try, if the price is sufficiently attractive.

Remember that you are paying for much more than you need, as in ADC as well as DAC, and I forget if it has any mic pre-amp or not, so you are dividing your investment between a number of features instead of spending it on just DAC. Apart from that, you are flying in the face of hifi-company marketing, which says that a computer interface can never be as good as an independent DAC.

I don't don't that, for any given interface, there is probably a better solo DAC --- but then, for any given solo DAC there is probably better available, so that is a never-ending comparison.

A long-time-ago fan of RME, for me, these days, the sad deal breaker is that this is not going to have much (or any) Linux support

 

[jls001]

If possible, get a home audition in your setup. I have not heard this particular model but if one were to go by the company's reputation, it can't be bad. What do you plan to use as transport? And which interface?

 

[sanj]

Thanks Thad and jls001,sorry for late reply , i was traveling so could not replied,
@ jls001:i will use my current CDP Marantz cd5004 as transport.

Rgds.
sanjay

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

i will use my current CDP Marantz cd5004 as transport.

The Babyface is a PC audio interface. Is there a way to use it with a CDP?

 

[cyber_cat]

Thad,

You can connect CD player OPTICAL/COAX OUT to audio interface OPTICAL/COAX IN

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

And you might even get sound from the analogue out!

This is a computer interface. Broadly (this thing is complicated, look at the manual!) that means that inputs are generally headed towards the PC and outputs are music that is being played from the PC. This is true whether the inputs are analogue or digital.

It will be possible to directly monitor an input by directing into a given output. You would be able to set this up using the drivers/control software.

Please have a look at the manual. This thing is about 150 times more complex than any sound interface I used and I found it heavy going. Compare this with a hifi "DAC" that you plug in input and output, switch on, and listen.

This is a device for the home, or even semi-pro, studio. It is a tool for recording music. It is not a device to use on a hifi rack. In the light of your further information, my advice is revised...

kindly suggest if it will be good decision to use it as DAC.

No. it would not be. It might not even work. Your money would be better spent on a stand-alone DAC.

 

[varunjh]

The RME babyface is an audio interface, primarily used to record live instruments and mics. It is one of the best interfaces out there, however if your use is going to be hooking it up to a CD player and using it as a DAC i think this is not something you should get.

As it is used for recording all the money is in the ADC(analogue to digital conversion) of this unit and for that its brilliant.

So if you want a DAC, interfaces are not what you should be looking at, unless you want to record at home.

 

[abhijitnath]

It's flat as a ruler (I have a Fireface, the next model up) with no colouration at all. You may not like that for pure music listening- many people don't. If you want complete accuracy though, buy it. For the price, it's far better than the "audiophile" stuff available in this price range. May be overkill as a pure DAC, though.

 

[jls001]

Agreed with varunjh that using it as a DAC is gross under utilisation of a sound card. A sound card is an A to D, D to A, and in many cases a mic preamp as well. But you will get a damned good DAC and have a choice of taking either balanced or unbalanced analog out. What you will not get is USB compatibility that is the rage these days.

As long as you are using the Marantz CD5004 as transport, you should be fine. The Babyface doesn't seem to support digital coax input, so get yourself a good optical cable (luckily your CD5004 does have optical out). I think most people end up disliking optical interfaces (compared to digital coax) as they have not really bothered to invest in good fiber optic patch cords. Yes, I know a photon is a photon, and many will have you know that it doesn't matter if it travels through a thousand rupee fiber patch or through a five thousand rupee fiber patch cord. This is no flame bait. I am speaking from what I have seen of pro guys prefer for connecting their sound cards (in their audio workstations) to their digital mixing consoles.

So if the price is right, don't even think. Just buy it.

 

[abhijitnath]

Also, when you get it, be sure to select -10 dB levels (consumer) and not +4. Your equipment may clip.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

So if the price is right, don't even think. Just buy it.

But will it work?

As I understand it (misundertand?) there is no PC involved in this setup. This thing needs to be controlled by software. Just attaching an input and expecting results from an output is really over-optimistic.

Yes, this has mic pre-amps, with phantom power, choice of balanced/unbalanced i/o, and a host of fascinating features. gross underutilisation is a good way of putting it, paying for stuff that isn't needed is another.

I'm a bit surprised there is no coax (or XLR) digital i/o, but indeed, it looks like there isn't. I have nothing at all against optical (but I've never yet used coax) and it even seems that, although glass seems more appealing, there may even be advantages to the plastic fibres for these connectors. Many audiophile buyers are prone to jumping to conclusions about materials.

Gong back to value for money. It would be interesting to know the potential purchase price, but I guess cyber_cat would have told us already if he wanted to. This thing retails at UK459 (example street price). What would the OP get, pure stand-alone DAC, at that price or, say, 75% of it?

I have no doubts about RME. My RME sound card was one of the hifi revelations of my life: I nearly threw away the CD player! abhijitnath's comments are pertinent, though: this is meant as a studio tool, not as living-room listening, except for the person who wants a flat, uncoloured response. I wouldn't mind one of these on my desk! Except, I hardly do any recording these days, and, big deal breaker, minimal Linux support.

cyber_cat: if you are going to go ahead with this, please check that it will work at all in in the way you intend to use it. Sure, my worries may be wrong, but it could be an expensive mistake. Check the RME site and maybe email their support.

 

[jls001]

But will it work?

As I understand it (misundertand?) there is no PC involved in this setup.

The device is way too complicated to be controlled without a PC. In fact that's where the USB interface comes in. It has a dedicated a mixer software as part of the driver and that can only be controlled from a computer screen. I am guessing RME has simply replaced the (former) standard Firewire interface (like in Presonus outboard sound cards) with an USB port.

Edit: yes, it should work. Basic setup seems fairly straightforward, though one may have to roll one's own breakout cable if one wants unbalanced interface. Or buy a pricey one from the OEM. From my experience of building 3 to 4 breakout cables from RME soundcards, if the requirement is simple like extracting one analog stereo pair (balanced or unbalanced), or one digital output (coax or AES/EBU), I would say one should simply buy the best 15-pin D-type connector (I recommend FCI make, or Keltron make), appropriate cables (shielded mic cables work well for analog balanced and unbalanced, 110 Ohm shielded balanced digital cable for AES/EBU, or RG172 for coax) and just put it together.

 

[abhijitnath]

But will it work?

As I understand it (misundertand?) there is no PC involved in this setup. This thing needs to be controlled by software. Just attaching an input and expecting results from an output is really over-optimistic.

Yes, this has mic pre-amps, with phantom power, choice of balanced/unbalanced i/o, and a host of fascinating features. gross underutilisation is a good way of putting it, paying for stuff that isn't needed is another.

I'm a bit surprised there is no coax (or XLR) digital i/o, but indeed, it looks like there isn't. I have nothing at all against optical (but I've never yet used coax) and it even seems that, although glass seems more appealing, there may even be advantages to the plastic fibres for these connectors. Many audiophile buyers are prone to jumping to conclusions about materials.

Gong back to value for money. It would be interesting to know the potential purchase price, but I guess cyber_cat would have told us already if he wanted to. This thing retails at UK459 (example street price). What would the OP get, pure stand-alone DAC, at that price or, say, 75% of it?

I have no doubts about RME. My RME sound card was one of the hifi revelations of my life: I nearly threw away the CD player! abhijitnath's comments are pertinent, though: this is meant as a studio tool, not as living-room listening, except for the person who wants a flat, uncoloured response. I wouldn't mind one of these on my desk! Except, I hardly do any recording these days, and, big deal breaker, minimal Linux support.

cyber_cat: if you are going to go ahead with this, please check that it will work at all in in the way you intend to use it. Sure, my worries may be wrong, but it could be an expensive mistake. Check the RME site and maybe email their support.

I think you'll need to set it up the first time with a PC, and then it should work just fine therafter. All the ins/outs (including SPDIF) are on the (incredibly painful) breakout cable, which comes free with it.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

The device is way too complicated to be controlled without a PC. In fact that's where the USB interface comes in. It has a dedicated a mixer software as part of the driver and that can only be controlled from a computer screen. I am guessing RME has simply replaced the (former) standard Firewire interface (like in Presonus outboard sound cards) with an USB port.

Right. That is what I thought too. I think USB is now overtaking firewire at this level of equipment, and even higher.

Edit: yes, it should work. Basic setup seems fairly straightforward, though one may have to roll one's own breakout cable if one wants unbalanced interface. Or buy a pricey one from the OEM.

I skimmed the manual. If I remember correctly, one does not need to hack the breakout cable for unbalanced, but there is a note about the wiring of the interconnect. It's XLR, isn't it? So this is not going to be a standard rca lead from the pile anyway.

I think you'll need to set it up the first time with a PC, and then it should work just fine therafter. All the ins/outs (including SPDIF) are on the (incredibly painful) breakout cable, which comes free with it.

With, apparently, an extension lead for those that don't want it to clutter the desktop! And hopefully, that initial setup should do the trick.

The optical i/o, along with a headphone socket, is on the main unit. The headphone-out, again iirc, can also be used as a line-out. That'll be unbalanced

A couple of years ago I was lusting after a USBPre-2. Just about all the settings can be done with dip switches, rather than controlling software. Again, huge overkill, of course, even though I did want to do some recording.

"The USBPre 2 can be used in Stand-Alone mode where it operates as a high-quality, portable microphone preamplifier and analog-to-digital converter. Digital signals connected to the USBPre 2 are converted to analog and available at the headphone, XLR, and RCA outputs. Stand-Alone operation requires the unit to be connected to a USB power source. Stand-Alone mode is a great option when an additional microphone preamplifer, A-D converter, or D-A converter is required.
"

Wouldn't be any problem with that one!

cyber_cat, do you use PC for audio? If not so far, then this is the time to start hyeah:. Not to mention buying the microphones and deciding who's going to be in the band

 

[abhijitnath]

Slightly OT- RME has the finest drivers on the planet. I get 1.2 ms of roundtrip latency for A/D/A at 96K, which is unbelievable. A 14 sample buffer! Sound quality is anyway more or less undistinguishable between the better converters at this level- Apogee, Lynx, and the like.