Why You Don't Need Thunderbolt For Professional Audio

The subject of which data transfer protocol is most suitable for audio interfaces is an ongoing one. With computer technology in a constant state of change, it can be difficult to predict which format will be permanently adopted.

For audio engineers and musicians, this can result in confusion when trying to decide which format is the most suitable for their needs, especially when factoring in the potential for future upgrades to their computer hardware.

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[RMEAudio]

How many audio channels do you use in your studio at the moment?

[jawsxx]

I have a UFX II running on USB 2.0 making great recordings. I easily recorded 14 channels at 192 Khz at 24bit with no issues. This guy is speaking the truth.

[max]

I will never own another interface that is not RME. Never had a single problem with it in over 10 years, great sound, great software.

[imaginarytube]

I applaud RME team for their Rock Solid drivers. many years of use without a single audio dropout. Impressive!

[electrosaurus]

Great explanation… not that I’d disagree given my own nearly 10 years of absolutely trouble-free RME interface use. They just work - and always sound great.

[shawntkachmusic]

This is the exact reason I trust RME over other companies that try to sell you on gimmicks. The only interfaces I’ll spend money on.

[error]

Excellent video and long overdue.
I can't believe how much misinformation is still being spread about this topic.
Sure, USB 2.0 is technically outdated but the only improvement with USB 3.x I can think of would be a higher power limit.
I'd assume USB has got such a bad reputation when it comes to audio interfaces because most manufacturer's drivers (especially on Windows) are performing pretty bad, making extremely high buffer sizes necessary.
It's so great that you keep making great USB interfaces and don't go Thunderbolt exclusive like some of your competitors do nowadays. The integrated PCIe lanes might give a slightly better performance but getting Thunderbolt to work on a Windows PC is just another nightmare to deal with.

[DanielC__]

RME has perfected their devices and software so much in my recent upgrade I stuck with RME 2.0 and don't regret it at all. Latency is still superb, rock solid stability and harmonic bliss. It's just that good. Don't buy into the 3.0 and/or thunderbolt nonsense for audio. These products are the best there is

[Limited]

My Fireface UC has been working flawlessly for 12 years now, still going great with every modern computer that I upgraded to in the meanwhile. TotalMix remains useful and effective all along as well. Thank you!!!

[vincentretg]

RME for the win !Thanks for bringing some much needed truth in this over hyped market. You guys rock!

[urgx]

What I love about thunderbolt and the usb-c connector, isn’t the bandwidth, it’s the additional power delivery. Having to use a separate dc adapter for any audio gear is just plain dumb, and totally unnecessary.
The actual connector itself is far superior as well. You can use a USB-c connector while only supporting USB 2.X data stream.
I would like to see more audio devices that get rid of the old bulky square style connector and replace it with type-c, and support the latest power delivery standards as well.
This can be done without upgrading the data stream to thunderbolt or USB v3.X, as this isn’t necessary for most devices, as the video explains.

[prophilla]

The babyface pro FS has by far been the best music/audio decision I have EVER made!!! This thing blows all the different stacks of interfaces I have previously bought of the water! It shows up to work, reliably, every-single-time! Thank you RME!

[AironExTv]

Fireface UC beta user here. Still mixing and recording with it on my third machine after almost 13 years. RME drivers are still amongst the most reliable I‘ve ever encountered, and thus they are my first choice at all times.

[drabbster]

Thank you for explaining!
Yes, my Clarett 8PreX from Focusrite didn't manage the low latencies of my Fireface 802 even though it was using Thunderbolt 2. The drivers sucked and Focusrite didn't really care about that product line too much in regards to driver updates.
Happy RME-customer now! And totally fascinated about my USB-interface being faster than the Thunderbolt one from before :D

[stevenewtube]

My FF 800 has served me very well, my new 802 is jaw dropping! Love that steady clock!!

[kommunismusarbeiterjonny]

Currently using a lendt rme interface + 12mic to record my band and wow the drivers are good!!

[dallassurfersclub]

Beautiful! This is brilliant engineering.

[rhread]

Thank you for the clear explanation on the USB 2.0 standard and how it applies to DAW’s. USB 3.0 does have an advantage over USB 2.0 because while 2.0 is limited to 500 mA and 3.0 Is limited to 900 mA. USB 3.x Is better suited for bus powered mobile audio devices. Also there are speed differences between 3.0, 3.1 gen 1 and USB 3.1 and 3.2 gen 2, But all I care about is the stability of the drivers and the quality of the DAC, s. In my opinion the advantages thunderbolt three and four devices offer is in video capture but not audio as far as my use. Thank you for the video

[bolttracks]

And as it turns out, Thunderbolt was pretty much a dead end anyway and most manufacturers have moved to USB-C instead, saving everyone a lot of frustration in the process.

[michieldpiano]

I was going to get "the standard" Universal Audio apollo Twin. But I am a PC user and I needed more inputs. Audient was also seducing me with the auto gain function, but... I will follow my gut feeling and go with RME UCX II and ARC! The specs, testimonials have convinced me completely.