RME UFX or BLA mod my 002r?

[egan.]

What do you guys think? Should I get an RME UFX or get the old 002R modded. For all of the shit talking about the 002R I've done a lot of good recordings with it IMHO but it's definitely time for an upgrade.
A third option would be to get a high end ADAT or even SPDIF to go with the 002R (as opposed to the digimax LT I have).

Most my paid work is 2-4 tracks at a time (classical recording and VO) unless I'm in a real studio but the ability to do a drumkit with my mobile rig is still occasionally necessary. I'd say I'm 75% doing overdubs, stereo recording and VO that requires higher quality.
Compatibilty with Lion, Snow leopard and Win7 are all necessary. PT9 is my DAW of choice and I do a ton of destructive editing in SoundForge (VO for games and video). I'd like to improve both my AD and monitoring quality with whatever move I make.
Thought and other suggestions are welcome.

 

[Fbarre]

I would prefer the RME because of it's low latency monitoring, TotalMix FX, standalone Direct USB Recording and overall sound quality.

 

[jipchen]

I would prefer the RME because of it's low latency monitoring, TotalMix FX, standalone Direct USB Recording and overall sound quality.

+1. Also it has both USB and Firewire which will come in handy sooner or later

 

[PhilTheBeard]

UFX all the way. I have both a 002r and a fireface and it is much better the just go for the RME stuff for the stable driver's alone. Not to mention the pre's are very usable and the AD/DA is top notch. Better investment imo then getting a BLA mod on your 002r

 

[fatalforce]

I've heard great things about the BLA mods. The way I see it, is if you have a good front end (api, ssl, etc pres) then you benefit from the A-D and the upgraded clock. Also, signature mod + pt9 is the cheaper option. The only thing I dislike is the 002R does not have any bnc connectors. I just don't trust syncing from lightpipe.

I had emailed BLA just a week ago and asked a few questions, mainly about the A-D and clock. The associate says that it outperforms the rosetta. Also had said that the pres are very clean and transparent.

I definitely have been considering this for quite sometime. It would great if someone who has had a mod done would chime in. I know there are few other threads about this but they are alittle older...

 

[C-Martin]

RME for sure. Although i am sure the BLA mod will do wonders to your 002. It's still an old interface that has minimal expandability and may eventually stop being supported. With RME you already have a great interface with all the expandability, stability, support and quality components right out of the box.

If there is one thing i've learned in the past year, its that an interface can never have too many channels. Even if you are not using them at the moment there will be a time where having those extra channels will mean getting the job done right rather than having to come up with compromises. Seems like you got a business going on so you gotta think about possible jobs you could get if you had the options for it. I'd rather have channels to spare than a lack of.

 

[egan.]

Cool. I'm sold on the RME. At the very least it's a known quantity where as the BLA is limited to a few testimonials and is contingent on the reliability of an old box that honestly looks like fisher price made it. Thanks for the input guys.

 

[laddiemusic]

I just got an RME UFX,
also had the premium mod done to the UFX by BLA,

sounds fantastic, much better lower mids and bottom's

the UFX is fantastic

 

[greyskull]

rme, the 002 will be a doorstop soon.

 

[MatrixClaw]

I have a UFX right now that I'm trying out to compare to my Saffire Pro 40, and honestly - The results haven't been as astounding as I thought they would be. The UFX does sound a bit better, but using the same mics with the same placement, the difference is very minimal, which has quite surprised me. Until now, I was set on picking up a UFX (or maybe a FF400/800), but until one of my tests proves differently, I'm more than happy saving myself $1800. Maybe I'll just go for the Steinberg MR816, which is supposedly comparable to the UFX in conversion and preamps, for much less (plus it has 4 more on-board mic preamps), I'm just hesitant to buy a Steinberg product, as we all know how they treat their customers.

I've also been having issues with the drivers, which is odd, because RME are supposed to be rock solid in the driver department, but I'm getting horrible digital noise during playback, sometimes it goes away after a few minutes of use, and others it stays around the whole time I'm using it. I'm sure it's probably just something going on with IRQs or something, since I've got both the Saffire and UFX plugged in at the same time (Saffire through FW and UFX through USB), but I make sure to turn the one not being used off. Weird.