# RME Babyface Pro



## AlexRuger (Dec 23, 2015)

Just saw this today--looks like it was recently released. I'm going to begin dual-booting my Mac soon, so my Apogee Duet 2 (which I love dearly--the conversion is amazing) is going to have to go for something OS-agnostic. Looking at a used RME Fireface 800, but man, the Babyface Pro is certainly sexy. Anyone have any experience with it?


----------



## vrocko (Dec 24, 2015)

I have had it for a while now and it's everything you would expect from RME, Very well built with clean conversion and very solid build quality. I have tested it on both Windows and MAC, runs great on both.


----------



## AlexRuger (Dec 24, 2015)

Good to hear, thank you! Any comparisons you can make to other units' converters? I love the clarity of my Duet and am hoping the RME performs as well or better. From what I've read, it most likely will, but one more opinion won't hurt.


----------



## Baron Greuner (Dec 25, 2015)

Do you need a lot of inputs/outputs?


----------



## vrocko (Dec 25, 2015)

AlexRuger said:


> Good to hear, thank you! Any comparisons you can make to other units' converters? I love the clarity of my Duet and am hoping the RME performs as well or better. From what I've read, it most likely will, but one more opinion won't hurt.


I can't directly compare it to the duet, I haven't used one since the original but if clarity is what you seek, I don't think you will be disappointed with RME. A big bonus is the stability of the drivers which I am sure you have read all about.


----------



## EC2 (Dec 25, 2015)

Hi Alex, I tried both the Duet 2 and the Babyface Pro for some weeks (on my MBP) and I think both are great units in their own rights. Between both of them I´d prefer the Babyface. I realized that the Duet adds something very pleasant to the sound that the Babyface doesn´t, so in comparison Babyface´s sound is more realistic/down-to-earth. Really just a tiny tad, but enough for me to go for the more analytical one. Another great advantage of the Babyface is its ability to be expanded via ADAT. Given that you have an ADAT compatible preamp like the ASP 800 you could record up to ten tracks simultaneously: that´s an entire string section or a fully fledged drum set. RME are known for their outstanding driver stability and update policy. In addition to that, many friends of mine swear by RME´s clock. They say that they get a much tighter feel out of their music with RME against other clocking interfaces. For the sake of confusing you even more let me add that I have had the chance to test Audient´s ID 22 recently. If I were to buy a USB interface today, I´d totally go with the ID 22. I think it easily beats both the Duet 2 and the Babyface Pro, regarding sonical aspects, build quality and the features it comes with. The pres and the conversion are just fantastic, really high end. The only downside compared to the other two is it´s lack of portability, which is ok for me since it was always designed as a desktop device. But if you should be looking for a portable device that´s clearly something to consider. Hope I could help.
Cheers
Emre


----------



## AlexRuger (Dec 25, 2015)

Oh man, thanks for the suggestion--the Audient looks like it might be an even better package than the BF Pro.

Thanks for all the info, everyone, much appreciated!


----------



## Daryl (Dec 26, 2015)

EC2 said:


> I realized that the Duet adds something very pleasant to the sound that the Babyface doesn´t, so in comparison Babyface´s sound is more realistic/down-to-earth. Really just a tiny tad, but enough for me to go for the more analytical one.


This is incredibly important. It's no good something sounding great in your studio, if that sound doesn't translate to any other system. Adding pleasing aspects, no matter how small, is for Hi Fi. Not for professional use.

D


----------



## EC2 (Dec 26, 2015)

Daryl said:


> Adding pleasing aspects, no matter how small, is for Hi Fi. Not for professional use.
> 
> D



Well, the Duet 2 has been used on numerous hit records, so I wouldn´t go as far as saying that it´s a consumer interface. It´s clearly pro, but it has a unique sound to it - that certain top end sheen. I guess you could work your way around that. But there´s so many great choices today, so why bother...


----------



## AlexRuger (Dec 26, 2015)

Yeah, I'm actually pretty happy to be moving on from the Duet. I've had a lot of trouble really reigning in the top end--I other fall too bright or too dark, and I suspect a part of that is due to the oft-mentioned top end sheen that Apogee adds (though probably more blame lies in my room, and of course my ever-evolving skill as a mixer).

EC2, you've really put me in a good pickle here. That iD22 is looking FANTASTIC, except that I've read some issues with the drivers...a problem which we all know an RME unit will never have. Potentially thinking about playing it safe with the RME, but man you've made it a hard choice


----------



## EC2 (Dec 27, 2015)

AlexRuger said:


> I've read some issues with the drivers...



Really? Never heard/read that before. Win or Mac? iD22 worked like a charm with Logic and Pro Tools on my MBP, and I´ve put it to some hefty tests.

And sure, there´s potentially no doing wrong with RME gear. What really turned me off is the permanent hassle one has with the breakout cable. Of course the same applies to the Duet. On the other hand one is super mobile with these interfaces, so I totally see the raison d´être of this solution. But it just wasn´t my cup of tea.

BTW: I skipped through your soundcloud, and did not really come across high end anomalies  Everything sounded fantastic imo. The Monroe tunes are excellent, instant fav. Really lovely music mate, kudos.


----------



## zvenx (Dec 27, 2015)

@EC2......I too am considering the Babyface Pro for my MBP, but this is based only on comparing the original babyface to my current Komplete Audio 6.....for which I preferred the babyface for everything except ease of use/usability. I have only been hearing about the Audients, never got a chance to hear or test them in Jamaica. How do the (if you remember) the headphone outputs compare between the BF Pro and the Audient. Part of my issue with my KA6 is the headphone amp doesn't go nearly as loud as I want them to be and the BF were differently much louder and cleaner...
thanks
rsp


----------



## EC2 (Dec 27, 2015)

zvenx said:


> How do the (if you remember) the headphone outputs compare between the BF Pro and the Audient.
> rsp



Hi Richard, depending on the impedance of your cans the BF Pro will give you two outputs to choose from. Nevertheless both will run through the same converter and amp circuit. I had the impression that the BF Pro´s headphone outs had improved over the original version, which at times required a separate headphone amp.

Unfortunately I could not directly compare BF Pro and iD22, but as far as I remember the iD22´s headphone sound is more massive and thus stable than the BF Pro´s, at last to a certain degree. Mainly using low imp cans, I literally wondered where all that low end came from all of a sudden. If in doubt, my personal preference would be the iD22, mostly for a variety reasons that, at least to me, are a bit more important than the headphone amp. This device really shines when it comes to displaying the quality of its pres (in conjunction with the conversion). They are ultraclean, but still have unique sound that seems to make everything sound better. And this I do not mean in the Duet way, it rather seems to take away what is bad and enforce what is great in a signal  You can also bypass the pres, which is not possible with the BF Pro if I remember correctly. But as I said, I did not make a proper A/B shootout, so take these remarks with a grain of salt. Both are superb products, and I guess in the end it will come down to personal taste and workflow preference.

Cheers
Emre


----------



## zvenx (Dec 27, 2015)

Thanks Emre,
much appreciated.
Richard


----------



## AlexRuger (Dec 28, 2015)

EC2 said:


> Really? Never heard/read that before. Win or Mac? iD22 worked like a charm with Logic and Pro Tools on my MBP, and I´ve put it to some hefty tests.
> 
> And sure, there´s potentially no doing wrong with RME gear. What really turned me off is the permanent hassle one has with the breakout cable. Of course the same applies to the Duet. On the other hand one is super mobile with these interfaces, so I totally see the raison d´être of this solution. But it just wasn´t my cup of tea.
> 
> BTW: I skipped through your soundcloud, and did not really come across high end anomalies  Everything sounded fantastic imo. The Monroe tunes are excellent, instant fav. Really lovely music mate, kudos.



Been reading some issues with Windows drivers. Mac drivers seem to be solid as can be. But this was of course on Gearslutz, and one always needs salt on hand while browsing that forum...

Thanks for the kind words! That Marilyn movie was an amazing experience--it's pretty easy to get a decent mix when the engineer is so good! 

But yeah, apart from the 500 - 800hz range (always the most difficult to get right), I'm never quite happy with my high end--I always feel like I could squeeze out a little more clarity and a little more warmth (oxymoron, I know, but all my favorite mixes have that combo of clarity/warmth that truly is a cherry on top of the mix). Glad you liked it though, thank you!


----------

