Fireface 800 vs RNP clusterfuck shootout

[Wisheraser]

EDIT: I was bored this afternoon, so I decided to do a shootout between my FMR RNP, the built in pres in my FF and my DMP3. This was done with and without a TS7, as well as with and without the cab being surrounded by a bass trap fort. It's just guits sadly (I don't have any bass gear here at the moment), but if anyone's interested, I'll update these in a bit with bass/drums so they're more in context. The tracks are raw except for HP and LP filters at 50 and 12k.

The general signal chain is Reamp -> 5150 III -> Mesa oversized -> 57 -> pre -> RME converters. The 57 was about 60/40 on the cap, very slightly off access, and about 1 inch back.

FF
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/FF.mp3

FF + TS7
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/FF TS.mp3

RNP
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/RNP.mp3

RNP + TS7
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/RNP TS.mp3

DMP3
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/DMP3.mp3

DMP3 + TS7
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/DMP3 TS.mp3


I definitely prefer the TS7 tracks on all accounts, and I think I prefer the RNP to the FF. With the supposedly lower quality DMP3, when it's A/B/C'd to these other pres I can tell the DMP3 tracks don't have quite the same level of quality as the other 2 pres, but I don't think it's a drastic difference. If I could do it again, I would have stuck with the DMP3 and just saved up for an API or Great River.


Roxul fort tracks:
FF
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/FF BT.mp3

FF + TS7
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/FF TS BT.mp3

RNP
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/RNP BT.mp3

RNP + TS7
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3450474/RNP TS BT.mp3

The brown traps have 2 2" sheets of Roxul RHT 40, and the black ones have 1 sheet.


I was surprised to not here much of any difference between the fort vs no fort tracks. I guess either the traps are too thin to do much, or my room is big enough (20' x 25' x 7 1/4') that reflections aren't much of an issue.

 

[Metaltastic]

Really cool dude, thanks for doing this! I agree that all the differences are really subtle (though I didn't even bother listening to the non-TS ones, cuz I knew they'd be inferior ), but IMO if the TS RNP Fort is a 10/10, TS RNP no fort would be like 9.9 and TS FF like 9.85 (the FF is ever so slightly less clear than the RNP, but jesus christ what a tiny difference) Nice to know that when I inevitably pick up an FF400, I'll be able to wait until I can afford an A2D

 

[Wisheraser]

Subtle indeed. I went into this thinking that the non-fort tracks would be clouded in reverb compared to the fort ones. Turns out, not so much.

Interesting side note, I had the FF pre set to a little under the +35 dB mark. When I went to the RNP (which has a stepped gain knob), I had to set it at 24 dB as well as bringing those track down a dB in cubase so the final tracks would be at the same level.

 

[tobin1]

I think the RNP + TS7 sound better, more full or something.


Thanks for the shootout!

 

[DeclanWhite]

i like that the difference isnt THAT much and i just bought a ff 800

 

[Wisheraser]

BUMP, new pre thrown into the clusterfuck

 

[kaomao]

rnp has a little bit more lowend, justa tiny bit, really subtle!

 

[JeffTD]

Oh my fucking god I want a 5150III.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Haven't had the chance to listen yet, but thatks for the shootout already!
really cool to see a new member posting something really cool and productive for the forum instead of just asking for Joey's settings.

Thanks!


P.S.
the 5150III is one of the few Amps I really feel I need (well, and a SLO100 )

 

[Lasse Lammert]

k, listened....
the RNP clearly wins for me.
The RME preamps have this muddy and undefined quality to them that I always hated (used to use the quadmic myself).
the RNP seem to be pretty good, definitely sound quite a bit better than the RME to me (only listening on headphones)

 

[Ashgarth]

RNP Wins, sounds a little better than the RME preams, better lowend.

I want a 5150III too

 

[Wisheraser]

Haven't had the chance to listen yet, but thatks for the shootout already!
really cool to see a new member posting something really cool and productive for the forum instead of just asking for Joey's settings. the 5150III is one of the few Amps I really feel I need (well, and a SLO100 )

No problem. I've learned so ridiculously much from this forum that I'm just trying to give back in any way that I can.

I hear ya on the 5150III. I'm constantly getting compliments from sound guys saying "Dude, that sounds fucking killer". Also, I never realized how awesome it is to have a cab with nice casters until I got this Mesa. I could push that thing with 1 finger and it'll softly glide over anything like it's sailing on a river of love juice straight from Angelina Jolie's cooch.

 

[Ermz]

The lows on the FF are way muddier and less controlled than the RNP. The differences with mic pres might immediately seem subtle, but you start to appreciate them greatly once you've run all of your tracks through them. The bad/good qualities tend to accumulate and it can make or break your mix process!

Thanks for the shoot-out.

 

[Machinated]

nice test, RNP for me too.

5150III in this instance has a kind of krank-esque sound to it, really digging it.

 

[Ermz]

Also the fort tracks are audibly clearer here. There is more definition retained in the playing. It's exactly the sort of difference you notice when you treat your monitoring environment. Don't listen for any specific frequency changes to hear it. Just listen for intelligibility. If you can't hear it on monitors, switch to cans.

 

[Wisheraser]

Wow, you're right. Throwing my phones on made the fort vs non-fort difference much more noticeable! I guess I need to build more traps for my room.

Also, thanks guys for not riding me for all the squeaks.

 

[jangoux]

I have a FF400 and a RNP and despite the fact that my home studio acoustics / monitoring plain sucks i always felt the FF was muddier. The RNP on 30+ tracks has something that irritates me a little bit. I dont know, it becomes kinda nasal or something.

 

[[UEAK]Clowd]

We always hear this about bad preamps adding up to sound worse, but I've never actually witnessed it - these one track to one track shootouts are kinda useless if it's how it adds up that matters.

someone should organize a multitrack shootout? like quadtrack rythyms+dual track leads+bass with an API 512 and quadtrack rythyms+dual track leads+bass with an ART.

 

[darthjujuu]

if you layer anything enough times itt'l start to sound like dook...won't it? seems kinda silly to blame that on any preamp o_0

 

[colonel kurtz]

if you layer anything enough times itt'l start to sound like dook...won't it? seems kinda silly to blame that on any preamp o_0

i seriously doubt anyone who tracks an entire album through neve/ssl/API desks bitches that things are sounding like dook cause all the tracks have been run through the same preamps