RME UFX III + 12Mic: The Ultimate Drum Recording System

An in-depth review of the RME UFX III audio interface and 12Mic preamp for recording drums.
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UFX III ➠ sweetwater.sjv.io/vNY45N
12Mic ➠ sweetwater.sjv.io/R57Og2
ARC USB ➠ sweetwater.sjv.io/DK7bYq
Coax Cables ➠ amzn.to/3VBXOR8
Cable Labels ➠ amzn.to/3RS00TA
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Timestamps
Demo 00:00
Intro 00:36
Features 01:45
MADI Setup 02:36
12Mic Control 05:12
TotalMix 07:04
Built-In FX 09:05
TotalMix Remote 11:39
DigiCheck 12:24
12Mic Remote 14:24
ARC USB 16:06
Conclusion 19:13
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#rme #ufx #12mic #audiointerface #recording #studio

[@abbdrums]

UFX III ➠ sweetwater.sjv.io/vNY45N 12Mic ➠ sweetwater.sjv.io/R57Og2 ARC USB ➠ sweetwater.sjv.io/DK7bYq Coax Cables ➠ amzn.to/3VBXOR8 Cable Labels ➠ amzn.to/3RS00TA

[@JulianFernandez]

btw, RME should sponsor this channel. This is the best RME product video on the whole YT.

[@abbdrums]

🫡

[@IMJPhillipsMusic]

Austin my brother, you’re production both Audio and Visual is second to none, huge appreciation and respect for your creative vision, it’s a joy to watch and listen to!

[@abbdrums]

Thank you sir 🫡

[@57anakin67]

I have the exact same setup here in my studio : UFXIII + 12 mic D, to which I added 2 Warm Audio 273 and the UA 4-710 for a bit of flavour (transformer and tube) if needed, depending on the style of music I’m recording. I was moving on from my blackface Apollo setup, which I loved, but wasn’t anywhere close in terms of stability and routing capacity. These days I can mic up and record simultaneously my whole band + send a lot of different headphone mixes. I feel now like I could keep this setup alive for the next 20 years and never be disappointed. Also, I tend to choose more and more the clarity and transparency of the RME preamps for my everyday drum recordings, especially for overheads, cymbal mics and room. It is very very good.

[@abbdrums]

Nice 👌🏼

[@BarryJohns]

As and RME Fireface UFX+ that has a Ferrofish Pulse 16 connected by Madi, I love Madi! One atvantage of Madi is that you can have a tracking room across the house! I realize not too many people needs this, but if you do it's great. RME Is my favorite interface company!

[@abbdrums]

Hi Barry, I've been watching your vids for a while so nice to see you here :) I caught your last vid about the effects and I agree, it would be nice to get a full overhaul of the effects. I would also love to see the TotalMix UI get a full redesign to be more modern and sleek. Everything is currently functional so I'm sure they don't want to mess anything up, but at some point these things are going to need a full refresh.

[@skippybe]

I just discovered your channel and am drooling over your studio and its most recent upgrades. It blows my mind, as I have not built a home studio in over 20 years. I recently started digging back into what's out there, and this is awesome beyond measure. Thank you!

[@abbdrums]

👊🏼

[@Studio22mix]

RME designs it’s own drivers and hardware from 15 years ago is still supported so you should be fine for many years to come. Their stuff is pretty expensive but it’s top of the line, great converters and super stable. Really awesome setup you have there, definitely my choice if I had the money for it 🤟🏼

[@abbdrums]

Yea, RME’s future proof support for their products was a big draw, especially once I felt the reality of Focusrite bricking my interface if I moved to a newer OS.

[@basspartout]

Very nice video. I just recently switched to an RME Fireface 802fs, and once you got your head around TotalMix, it's an absolute pleasure to work with. And the quality, stability and latency is just outstanding in every aspect.

[@slightlybelowaveragedrummer]

Great to have you back! Thank you very much.

[@Guttalaser]

I'm on the same track of pulling the trigger on the UFX III form my studio (guitars and keyboards and VSTs oriented mostly)... and let me say that - drum aside - this is the best and clearer overview of the two RME products. Good job Man TNX!!!

[@chriswilsondrums]

This may sound weird, but man it's good to see you making stuff again. I've always really loved your videos as I try and figure out how to do these things. Thanks for this!

[@abbdrums]

Good to be back 👊🏼

[@hondbanjer]

In terms of support and drivers, I use a MadiFace witch is now 16 years in my possession. It works with a pci Express card using a Sonnett card adapter to TB2. Now on Mac OS Sonoma it still works perfectly using a TB2 to TB3 adapter. 6 months ago there was a driver update for my old madi device !

[@abbdrums]

Yea that’s one of the reasons I went with RME… future proof.

[@RandyHanley]

The detail you go into for your videos is amazing. You're not only a drummer, but a top-notch reviewer. Great videos!

[@abbdrums]

Glad you dig ‘em 👊🏼

[@LaminarSound]

Great video man! Well thought out and presented well. Long time RME user here. Youre right about Digicheck once you have it you cant go without.

[@mike__durrett]

The drum mix sounds incredible man. Glad to see you back!

[@abbdrums]

🫡

[@jeffsmithsmuzik5993]

Thanks for putting this video together 🤙🏻. I’m a drummer, with an RME UFX III setup, as well. However, like you, I knew nothing about MADI so I used the ADAT & ANALOG inputs instead. Maybe, now, I’ll have to pick with the RME 12mic for the MADI expansion!

[@GbengaAyodejiDaniel]

Men I really love your content with the fact that it’s full of new ideas and educational

[@abbdrums]

🫡

[@user-pf3sx1vr8l]

very very neat setup and very informative

[@cymbalslasher]

I love the videos you make, it's extremely difficult to explain this stuff on video and you do it very smoothly and keep the info rolling at nice pace. Thanks for your efforts! I've been using using something that kinda does some of this so it all made perfect sense. A friend gave me a Behringer ADA 8200 that I needed to pair with something with an optical input so I found the Tascam 102i (and the 208i)(all also available at Sweetwater). It works, didn't cost me much, but not nearly as slick and sweet as this.

[@abbdrums]

Nice, I’m sure it’s a great setup for the price point and gets the job done just fine 👌🏼

[@JulianFernandez]

Had every other interface on the market. RME is the strongest of them all. Hands down!

[@TheBlocos77]

RME is the best for drummers ! I have the UFX 2 with an Audient ASP800 and WARM AUDIO WA412 !! It's so cool to have this quality and the FX in real time to play through musics!

[@aaronhouseholter697]

Great job and good useful information without a lot of nonsense fluff. Keep it up!!

[@pascalmerschaudio]

I have the RME 3 too, men i love it......and thanks for this video was amazing, please do more video about RME and Totalmix, i love your style and quality you put in

[@diversekcox]

Very informative video. Thank you! 🙏🏽

[@diversekcox]

This is the dream set up... I'm stuck because I love recording and editing vocals, but I'm not to keen on recording myself playing drums. So... I'm pretty sure I'd just rent out a studio for drum recording and just cut vocals in my place. But this set up is beautiful and the video is greatly informative. Thank you

[@abbdrums]

This is definitely overkill for just vocals. If that's all you're doing you could go with the Babyface Pro FS or the UCX II.

[@QuickQuips]

It feels like there's RME and everyone else. It really pays off in the long term support and lack of headache which is probably the biggest benefit. Audient is decent at the lower end but if I got serious I'd get at least a babyface.

[@DreamStudioGuatemala]

Nice Video!

[@lamontpeoples]

Selling a house in Cali, moving back Virginia and buying there can definitely open ip some cask flow! Props to you

[@Ted_Swayinghill]

I had to upgrade from my Saffire pro 40 for the same reason. I got the Motu 8pre ES however my audient asp800 was giving me problems so I got an old RME Octomic-D…it sounds incredible and the customer service is top notch!

[@nickperez_]

You may have sold me on RME. Apollo user currently, but this is interesting.

[@andrewjacobs5579]

Good stuff

[@ProDrummer]

As a drummer and producer I worked for years with RME stuff. Rock Solid! BUT, dead, clean, thin and chracterless sounding! I really had a huge problem with that, especially on drums. When using the RME in a full analog environment with a great mixingdesk, thats perfect, because charakter and warmth comes thru the desk. I then changed to focusrite interface and pre amps wich sound full, warm and fat on drums. For me the best change ever. And to be honest; even my international top clients asked me when i send them the first drumrecordings with focusrite stuff, what i did, it sounds so damn huge and fat! Well, that say´s it all. BUT thats only my thing. Maybe someone else like the RMW sound, me not. But i would buy it any time when using it in an analog studio as recorder. For the price, the best stuff you can get!!

[@MatthiasKnorrMusic]

Yes, the RME UFX III is a fantastic interface. I paired it with 8 Warm Audio Preamps (WA412) and some additional Focusrite Clarrett Octo Pre. The Sound is so much more defined and transparent. My main reason for upgrading was that my old console didn't work together with my new Mac Studio M2 Max. Quite an investment but works & sounds amazing. I only use this setup to record drums & stream or recording content. The mixing is done on with a different system. And for this system I recently got the UCX II. Works great as well.

[@abbdrums]

Nice, I’ve seen some of your vids and you’re a great player man! Really good stuff 👌🏼

[@MatthiasKnorrMusic]

@@abbdrums Thank You very much 🙏🏻 Looking forward to your upcoming videos.

[@RudyBoy]

YEAHH BOYY

[@michaelc.meyers3534]

Thanks !!!!

[@MrMukundas]

NICE!) one notice: you can connect your 12Mic with "MIDI over MADI" to remote control your device without any looong-cable usb connection.

[@impulseproman]

MAN BEST MOVE RME I used the first UFX with two ASP880 PREs

[@MrSRellz]

RME are great. I have the MADIface Pro. I agree that RME should incorporate the 12mic functions into Totalmix, they used to do that with the Octomic XTC. All in all, great feature from their products. I use mine at home, I originally got it for touring and I’ve also used my interface for a few small live shows with the remote app so I can mix from anywhere in the room.

[@chrissiemilnarskii]

Hi, I just discovered that you can actually remote control the 12Mic without having to do USB, using MIDI over AVB (if you need to do a longer run than what USB allows). Not sure if I can link the video in this comment, but on RME's official channel, it's at ~9:15 from the video "How to Add / Configure More Microphone Inputs to Your Studio (RME)". Let me know if this helps :) EDIT: just realized this also uses a different application to run (in addition to TotalMix) so nvm haha

[@kddrums85]

Enjoying your videos again and glad you are producing new content. I would love to move to the RME or UAD interface for more flexibility and better audio quality but for me this is just too pricey to justify based on my needs. Right now I have the Audient EVO16 with an SP8 and getting good quality audio and a full 16 channels of input without breaking the bank. I definitely love the split system idea but my room is small and there is no need. I did invest in a Pearl Masters maple gum kit and Sensitone snares in part based on your excellent video reviews, so who knows, maybe an RME is in my future. 😊

[@abbdrums]

The Focusrite/Audient stuff is great for the price point. This is just the end game top shelf stuff so yea, it’s a bit steep haha. They can all get the job done though.

[@phugenla]

Great video! Great explanations And please use a deesser on your vocal chain, the esses really hits you specially on longer video as such haha

[@abbdrums]

I am using a deesser actually 💀 The s’s weren’t catching my ear that much when editing but I’ll reassess that.

[@chrissiemilnarskii]

Quick question! So I'm currently in the process of setting up MADI with this exact setup, just wondering why you chose the Coaxial MADI vs. the Fiberoptical MADI to connect the 12Mic to the UFX III? I've read that Fibreoptic MADI is rated for far longer distances, and is more reliable during long runs along/near power lines. I know ADAT optical is the opposite, and is only rated for like ~15 ft as you said in the video. Any info into your thought process is appreciated. Thanks so much for this video, and congrats on the new setup! I was googling the answer to this question and stumbled across your video, and was suprised to see you posted this 1 whole day ago! Perfect timing! :)

[@abbdrums]

Only 1 reason really: the 12Mic doesn't have optical standard out of the box. You have to get the SFP module separately and install that. So, I just went with the coax cables since those were there, ready to go. Also, the locking on them does feel pretty solid so I guess that can be considered a slight advantage. From their website: "All cables carry the same information and achieve the same signal quality, the type of cable is therefore a question of convenience, budget and compatibility. Optical cables have the advantage of being galvanically isolated, extremely lightweight and available in lengths of up to 2000m. 75 ohms coaxial cables are robust, feature a locking mechanism and are widely in use for word clock and video cabling." rme-audio.de/rme-madi-technology.html

[@chrissiemilnarskii]

@@abbdrums ​ @abbdrums Apreciate this reply! Looks like I will do it this way as well then, thank you so much! Also FYI, you can actually remote control the 12Mic without having to do USB, using MIDI over AVB if you need to do a longer run than what USB allows. Info is on RME's video "How to Add / Configure More Microphone Inputs to Your Studio (RME)". It probably isin't super helpful for your setup, as you used USB just fine, but it's 100% the call if you ever get more 12Mics since you can control them all at once (vs. one at a time over USB). Just wish this feature was incorporated into TotalMix 🤷‍♀

[@abbdrums]

@@chrissiemilnarskii Yea it gets a bit confusing trying to figure out the real purpose of all these different apps/formats since they seem to do a lot of the same things. I have played around with the midi remote app but it just felt less useful than the full usb web app, which allows you to setup all the routing, firmware updates, etc. on top of controlling the 12mic. But yea, I can see how that can get trickier once more 12mics come into the picture. Doubt I'll ever need to expand into that but I guess I'll figure that out if I have to one day haha.

[@risingphoenix1484]

This was a beautiful set up. Question what are those clips that you use to label your cables?

[@abbdrums]

Dotz Cord ID Pro amzn.to/3xIpo7p

[@braxal6983]

Austin, I have the RME UFX III and love it. I pre-ordered the new RME M-1620 Pro that is coming in AUG/SEP 2024 (its on the RME website). I am going use them with MADI. The new unit has 16 analogue ins and outs for all my hardware outboard gear. I have had the UFX III over a year (got it when it was released). So far I love the no non-sense setup and love TotalMix. It is so flexible. I do not think there is a way to dim the UFX III display unless I missed it.

[@abbdrums]

Yea I don't think there is a way to dim the displays. Would be nice though.

[@fenderplus]

@@abbdrumsHi there is a similar function that controls the LCD contrast which I use to lower the brightness of the UFXIII display. Push SETUP/REV once (Options- Hardware/Diagnosis window)-->Push rotary encoder 2 (until it finds LCD contrast). -->adjust contrast Cheers!!!

[@BillRayDrums]

I wish I'd known about this before I updated my studio. I went with a Clarett+ 8pre and the add-on Ocrapre. Still, it's been a great interface and at ~$2000, it was right in my budget. My only gripe is that I cannot expand it beyond 16 channels. I have to drop inputs on my drums for some band practices.

[@abbdrums]

Yea, expanding beyond 16 inputs is kind of tough to figure out. ADAT is usually pretty limited in that regard which is where something like MADI would come in, but the only company I know using MADI is RME.

[@Dekalboy]

Thank you ! I am curious about what model of computer are you using with these Beauty ? Do you know what is the minimum osx system compatible with ?

[@abbdrums]

Mac Studio M2. Looks like it is compatible back to 10.12. All driver info is here: www.rme-usa.com/fireface-ufx-3.html

[@FleeceMusic]

What cable labels are you using?!

[@abbdrums]

Linked in description now 👍🏼

[@ZarekMunoz]

I have the focusrite clarett octo pre and 8pre the thunderbolt varient. I do feel the same when they came out with the usb c one and no longer offer this one. I would prefer the usb c one but then I would have to dish out the money just for literally the connection change. From the new studio change the honest quesiton I have is do you feel you no longer need outboard gear like the ISA one's you were using and just use the RME pre amps now?

[@abbdrums]

I still have the ISA in storage but I've kinda forgotten about it since getting these RME units in. Having the 12Mic beside the drums is pretty much all I need. It's the simplest solution but still very high quality.

[@ZarekMunoz]

Understood. Thank you for the reply.

[@maxbuitendijk8456]

Is the 12-mic able to send twelve 196kHz signals to the UFX III? Also, if MADI is digital, that means that the 12-mic is not only a preamp but also an analog to digital converter? I've seen that the UFX III has world class AD/DA converters on its product page on the RME website. However, on the product page on the 12-mic, there is no description on the AD converters of the 12-mic. If they have different AD converters it would seem to me that the 'world class AD converters' of the UFX III are not utilized when using a 12-mic and a UFX III together. The UFX III could therefore be swapped with a cheaper version like the RME UCX II. This gives exactly the same functionality as the UFX III while cutting the price of a UFC III in half.

[@abbdrums]

RME website says "MADI is designed to send up to 64 audio channels at 48kHz sampling frequency (32 channels at 96kHz, 16 channels at 192kHz) from one device to another device in a unidirectional data stream." So, it looks like it should be able to send 12 channels at 192khz from the way that reads. And yea, the 12mic does it's own a/d conversion independent of the UFX. I couldn't find the tech specs on that so there may be a difference but probably not enough to be noticeable in real world usage. Would be nice to know the details on that though just for reference. I also was considering a different interface since I'm mostly just using the 12Mic, but it looks like the only other 2 options with built in MADI are the MADIface XT and USB. The UCX II doesn't have MADI from what I can see. Also, it looks like only the MADIface XT support the built in FX in TotalMix but the USB version doesn't. So, really, it kinda comes down to the MADIface XT or the UFX III. The price difference between those two isn't that big and I'd rather have the UFX b/c the MADIface is really designed for super large madi channel counts which I would never use... so UFX III it is.

[@JoshuaSantaCruz]

What made you decide this route over UAD? I'm running x8p's that are in a rack, with a snake running to those. Honestly seems to be the best and most efficient system as far as digital recording goes that I've found.

[@abbdrums]

It really comes down to how important the UA plugins are to you. The Apollo's are really just a hardware solution to track with their plugins with zero latency, which is definitely cool. But, when you dig into all the other things like driver stability, software updates, routing flexibility, a/d conversion, expandability, remote control, etc... I think RME has the edge. There is definitely a precision and depth to their products that makes them unique. Those nerdy German engineers don't mess around haha.

[@JoshuaSantaCruz]

@@abbdrums Gotcha. I've also been using an iPad as a remote and found that that makes it really nice. I'm also using Luna, so the Console app and the real time monitoring with plugins can be nice, you're right. There is a routing matrix inside UAD that you can mess with. It's just about as extensive as the RME stuff, if I was understanding your video correctly. Honestly between the two, I don't think there was any wrong way to go. Hoping to start putting a lot more content out soon! Been super busy with gigs and working a day job to finish paying for my studio buildout. Congratulations on yours, bro. You should be really proud of yourself. Your setup is amazing.

[@abbdrums]

Yea, with these high end audio systems, they do almost all the same things so it becomes a matter of splitting hairs at a certain point. I was debating the Apollo's vs this system for quite a while but decided to roll with this one. Both are killer setups though.

[@ramonkey2939]

KZbin placed an ad over your comment box preventing me from adding a comment initially. I had to stop the video come out of the KZbin app delete it from my history just to add the comment. So my question is Are all of the effects are already in the software? My UAD system requires me to purchase everything in addition to the hardware

[@abbdrums]

Yes, the effects are built into the interface. No extra configuration required. Just always there ready to go.

[@abrahamsotelo6188]

How many stereo mixes can you have in ufx3?

[@abbdrums]

However many you would need I guess. With these 2 units together, you would most likely just be creating submixes for your main outs + 2 headphone outs on the UFX + 1 headphone out on the 12mic.

[@spamsponge]

My questions are: How does RME behave itself on the Mac when you turn on your computer? Does it show up every time? Do you have to plug and unplug the USB? How "needy" is it? How often are you nagged to update it? I don't personally 'need' a new interface, but I would like one that doesn't annoy me. My Antelope unit always nags me to enter my admin password when the computer boots. It also craps out when I load a Logic project that has a different sample rate and I have to reboot it, which is double annoying because it doesn't have a power switch. Putting the computer to sleep and waking up again is always a question of it is going to work again or not. I would like an interface that does its job and leaves me alone.

[@abbdrums]

It always connects and just stays connected, even after sleeping/waking the computer. Never bugs you about updates and automatically switches sample rates seamlessly without you even realizing. It just works and stays out of the way. My old Focusrite interface would constantly give me weird issues where I'd have to reboot things a couple times to get it back up and running but so far, hasn't been an issue at all with the UFX.

[@CarpPine]

I bought a second hand Fireface 802 some ten years ago. I’ve used with three separate Macs running a wide variety of OS versions, and I’ve had zero issues with it. The RME driver stability is just mindboggling!

[@Elboy522]

Damn, UAD REALLY makes you pay for their UA plugins!! This system seems super good at what it does! I havent had any complaints with my recording setup of 2 Apollo X8ps + behringer powerplay headphone monitors, using teamspeak to remotely control my pc from another room, but if id known this would be over $1000 cheaper, i mightve gone with this. I wonder how well it works on pc?

[@abbdrums]

Should work pretty well on PC. UA is much more Mac focused. RME seems to give equal importance to both platforms from what I can tell.

[@Elboy522]

@@abbdrums Tell me about it! Had to jump through several hoops just to get my motherboard to even recognize the thunderbolt 3 connection!

[@dasczwo]

ok: why not ALL combo jacks? would love it on my ol babyface...

[@DanSeipel]

Heard good things, can't afford it though

[@lamontpeoples]

Are you still logic for your daw

[@abbdrums]

Yep

[@seanroberts6138]

Can you use Pro Tools with the RME instead of TotalMix?

[@abbdrums]

@@seanroberts6138 Yep kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYrLloCKqNyGl7ssi=hAsx24Sutvbi24Ua

[@morbidmanmusic]

most drummers can't afford this "dream" and can get similar results from much less cash..

[@OnlyElshafto]

Yh dude, welcome to the elitist world of sweetwater influencers ...not the 'real' world for most of us..peace

[@Carlito_Sway]

I have a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 which they stopped updating several years ago, rendering an otherwise perfectly serviceable device completely useless. What a scumbag move. I will never buy another Focusrite product. Maybe the RME is for me!

[@abbdrums]

RME is known for supporting their hardware very far into the future which was a big draw for me. Future proof and stable are not flashy features, but super important.

[@officialpoa3171]

*They copied all those features from SAC - SOFTWARE AUDIO CONSOLE!*

[@edjones2199]

I was real interested till the very end sorry dude you lost me

[@JordonBeal]

You say that like he’s somehow responsible for the price.

[@edjones2199]

@@JordonBeal yes he is. That’s the one he’s pushing isn’t he don’t be stupid.

[@damirvukelic8087]

Nice promotional video for RME. However, for tracking drums the RME (or any interface) preamps are underwhelming. Too boring to be precise. Since the UFX3 already has it's own 8 trs inputs added to 2 adat and of course madi, a much flavourful solution would be external preamps. Having in mind that UFX3 has 4 preamps of its own, a more natural sound could be achieved for a little extra money added to the cost of the unnecessary 12mic.

[@chrissiemilnarskii]

Different workflows work better for different people I think. Since I run my sessions and monitor from the same room when tracking, I actually prefer to do any coloration in-the-box, after recording (with plugins), instead of baking them in the tracking process. I'm also kind of an idiot, and have on more than one occasion baked too much coloration into a recording, so I prefer to separate the two processes. Just my 2 cents. Totally agree with what you're saying about external pres though being awesome!

[@IslandDigital]

Dream ? Your right, your DREAMING if you think I’m paying over $6,000 for this “ system” MANY MANY choices with as good or better quality at far less expense available. Hard PASS !

[@listener84]

Please name an option. No sarcasm intended, very curious