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RME Fireface 800 Firewire Audio Interface

After more than 2 years of development, the time has come: RME presents the Fireface 800, the world's most powerful FireWire audio interface ever. Up to 56 channels record/playback, up to 192 kHz sample rate, and true FireWire 800 sum up to an unsurpassed high-end, high performance and high speed FireWire audio interface. Learn More...

    • New $1,699.95
  • Installment Plan:4 payments of $424.98
    • free ground shipping
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Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Individual User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
More than any other firewire interface. Built to last.

Quality:
Built to last....amazing product keeps going and going.

Value:
It's pricey, but definitely worth it. I converted from a firestudio and never looked back.

Desirability:
It's got everything you could ever want in a firewire unit!

Sound:
Nothing short of professional sound quality.

Ease of Use:
Slight learning curve if you're not a pro.

Support:
Haven't needed it

Overall:
I am 100% satisfied with all of the RME gear I've ever tried, and I must say it's certainly pro level sound and build quality. Perfect for a portable rig.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
everything works perfect ,, ive seen friends srtruggle for hours with thier configs..!@ my rme setup is always straight and easy .. with the best mixing i feel i can get ..

Quality:
2 years and running , this thing is built like a tank/// true german engineering..

Value:
i chose 7 becuase i relaly do think i get the best price on mine .. but nowdays the m audio 2626 is looking real good for the money ... but i mightjust get an maudio to add onto my fireface.

Desirability:
it could be sexier.. but if your into the rough, no gimmicks look, then this is your beauty .! i love the way it looks, its pro.!!

Sound:
its great , but i feel like someday i will hear better .. but then again i need better monitors. ive had it for 2 years already and its stil sounding crisp.!

Ease of Use:
way to easy for such a professional machine.. i think the cheaper crap interfaces are much harder to setup.

Support:
no problem

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Everything I need. Like the firewire 800.

Quality:
Solid as a rock.

Value:
Worth the money, totally.

Desirability:
The best in its class. I like the way it looks. The phantom power lights that come on when clicking the software interface buttons is cool.

Sound:
Crystal clear. Worth it.

Ease of Use:
Pretty straight forward.

Support:
Haven't had to.

Overall:
RME till death.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Quality:
Great AD/DA converters for the money

Desirability:
I would surely go for a second one.

Sound:
Pure professional results, simply awesome!

Overall:
Pro all the way, crystal clear sound. Prefer to connect the unit using a 800 firewire cable.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Everyone seems to say the same thing when it comes to faults of the unit. It would have been nice to have a master/control room knob and phantom power buttons, however using the software isn't an inconvenience, you get used to it.

Quality:
Built well, Stable software. (Had firewire problems with Digi002R)

Value:
You get what you pay for.

Desirability:
I own it

Sound:
Very clean, true sound. I run my Motif, Fantom XR, MoPhatt and Proteus thru it. I had a Digi 002R before and this interface kills it.

Ease of Use:
Easy to use.

Support:
Never had a need to contact them and probably never will.

Overall:
Right now this handles all of my A/D D/A converting.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

Feature:
nice preamps, nice AD converters, ultra low latency. very funtional sound card. you can route all the signals like you want. a lot of inputs and outputs. what else you need?? I hate 2 things of this sound card, and i will never forgive the manofacturer for this. 1. dont have Control room volume knob (it sucks) 2. no phanton power bottons you have to do this using the software. is something you can handle but would be a nice detail for the next model RME

Quality:
nice finished, looks fine, and aparently feels compact and well build. i bought it 7 months ago and any problems yet.

Value:
a little expensive but you will be happy with it. I like this product and i recomend it.

Desirability:
Its not an relic but looks nice

Sound:
the sound is transparent, balanced, detalied . before the rme i had a maudio delta 1010. Nothing bad to tell about the delta 1010. I like the Rme cause its firewire and i can use it in my studio and in diferents locations with my laptop and it has more features than the delta 1010. Excelents preamps. better than my mackie vlz pro 1604. an other thing i like is the low latency. and obiuosly that it has more than 25 inputs at the same time. with the AD converters dont believe all the things people say, they are very good AD converters but sincerly compared with the maudio converters the difference is not like you would think. is difficult to hear a sustancial difference. trust me i spend more than 8 hours making tests with to more sound ingeniers.

Ease of Use:
Is not the easiest sound card to use cause its very versatile and has a lot of features. but tha mannual is well redacted and you will learn how to use it.

Support:
i cant answer the question. i got not expirience in this matter

Overall:
im satisfied with the fireface. i dont need something better than this for now. I think I will had it for a long time.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
two Adat lightpipe.. 4 Octa Mic quality pres'... excellent conversion!

Quality:
The best for the price!

Value:
like i said, best for the price!

Desirability:
i;m ordering one today!

Sound:
ad convertion and clock is the best. rme=quality..

Support:
rme fixes problems very quickly!

Overall:
killer unit! and i'v done a lot of research and heard many units..

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
The question should be - How many features does this beast 'not' have? It has it all, and to date it hasnt proven me wrong. I use all the analog channels for I/O, i use the first 8 channels of Adat digital, as well as a couple of the pres.

Quality:
Built like a tank. Well actually is built like a Pro interface, its well made, and the pots are solid, and the jacks dont wobble like some motu's do.

Value:
Well worth the $$$ if you can justify it, or else it is a bit expensive for your average bedroom producer (like most of the kids nowadays).

Desirability:
Not sexy looking, but it looks damn professional and business like.

Sound:
Besides anything eles, this thing sounds like no other. Crisp, Clear and Transparent. I love the fact that the fireface is a 'what you put in, what you get out' type of product. The sound is so professional, it puts many other sound interfaces to shame. The Preamps on this thing sound amazing (RME claim that they are class A discreet) for something thats included in an 'all in one' box. I used my Rode K2 valve mic through the Fireface Pre to record a lovely female singer, and i got a very clean sound with plenty of SPL and dynamic range. IMO The recording quality of the vocal track was just as good as stuff i hear on finish albums, if not better.

Ease of Use:
Very simple, it pretty much plug and play. On my mac it was no more than a few minutes and i was recording right away.

Support:
Do you really think this is of any concern.

Overall:
If my fireface 800 ever fails to serve me, than i would easilty replace it with another without a blink. This interface is destined to be an industry standard FW solution.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Too many features to list and all work niceley.

Quality:
I have never heard a better sound interface than this. If Apogee gets any better, than i dont want to know, i dont have time for subtle differences. This thing sounds awsome.

Value:
If you are serious about recording, then its pure value for money. If not, then its a premium.

Desirability:
Looks sophisticated and High end.

Sound:
Lush Lush Lush!!!!!!!!!!

Ease of Use:
Its only a sound card, it doesnt get easier than that. Seriously, this thing works flawlessly and installed with out a hitch.

Support:
If you need it that is. I would email them if i need support.

Overall:
Woudnt buy an other firewire based interface again. This thing has it all and more.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Swiss Army Knife like features. All the I/O's you can ask for...its so well equipped. I use it for all my synths and drum machines on the way in. The outputs route to my mixer and monitors. The D-A on this thing is the best...period.

Quality:
Nothing to say in this department. Its built like a damn tank. All the knobs on the front are very tight and smooth. The jacks are solid. I was impressed again. The top plate has all that writing, which did put me off at first, but once its racked, its gone.

Value:
If you can afford it, the Fireface is a step above all other firewire interfaces. Its definately high end, and a very professional product. I was looking at a Motu 828 mk2, but bought the RME instead. All the reviews and good things i heard turned out to be true. I dont normally beleive the hype.

Desirability:
Very professional looking. It looks plain and bland, but look at Apogee (eewww). The Fireface to me looks like a serious peice of kit. No gimmicks and thrills, and most of it is software controlled. I was suprised that i could control the Mic Pre's Phantom power from software control panel...and it lights up on the fireface...cool.

Sound:
With the latest AKM chips and RME's own analogue components, the sound of the Fireface 800 is killer. The A-D is very clean, clear, and Un Coloured. What you put in is what you get out. Superb sound al the way...very impressed with the conversion. The D-A output of 119db is just brilliant (even thru the headphones as specs claim). My audiophile grade headphones sound awesome through the RME output. My highend monitors pay off even further with the gorgeous output of the D-A on this beast. You can hear all the detail of the audio, precise imaging, and natural depth of bass with clean midrange. The top end is extremely smooth. Wonderful.

Ease of Use:
Took me less than 5 Mins to setup on my G4 with my DAW. I was shocked. I had ore trouble with my previous basic Maudio PCI card. The Fireface is a breeze to setup. It is a true plug and play.

Support:
Not needed it. I doubt anyone would. you get 2 years warranty i think, so its quite cool.

Overall:
I have to say, i had never heard of RME a few years ago, and used M Audio sound cards previously. But what ever i did hear about the company was positive and all praises. So i am glad i bought the fireface over other units. The damn thing worked first time round, which doesnt normally happen with other sound cards. No tweaking, just recording...no joke.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
It has more features than I presently use, but they're there if I need them.

Quality:
very sturdy, well built.

Value:
With all the features included on this unit I would expect to pay more.

Desirability:
Great visual appeal, user friendly, most of the connections I use are in the back and out of the way.

Sound:
Sound is pristine, clear and real.

Support:
I have needed some advice on a couple occasions and George responded quickly with clear explanations.

Overall:
I don't expect to be replacing this unit in the foreseeable future.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Has the best chips on the market, I've got it hooked up to my Apple Powerbook. They rock with Cubase.

Quality:
Built like a tank. It's tucked away in my wire shelf a arms lenght away. Looking solid!

Value:
Pricey but well worth it!

Desirability:
I would have designed it looking the same as they did.

Sound:
Absolutely beats all other products with similar features. Clean crisp sound with very good transients.

Support:
Never had to call them, product takes care of itself!

Overall:
I will be keeping this forever.

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Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* *