The RME Babyface Pro FS was announced back in November 2019 and now we have one to play with. So rather than just diving into the tech specs and regurgitating our original article, we are going to use the Babyface Pro FS on the kind of session we think this box is designed to handle with ease. We are going to record a range of different acoustic instruments, electric bass and a vocal and see, well hear, not only how it sounds but also how the new Babyface Pro FS is in action.
RME Babyface Pro FS
This is the first time we have had our hands on the new updated Babyface Pro FS and from a build and features point of view, it’s business as usual. The outer cardboard sleeve, which also holds the printed manual slips over the moulded plastic carry case which not only holds the unit nice and snug but also has slots for the adaptor cables so these don’t get snagged and tangled.
The Recording Setup
Small format factor interfaces like the Babyface Pro FS are great for the one-person-band type of recording situation as they don’t let the tech get in the way of the music, and that has to be a good thing. It’s all about speed and getting the tracks down in the easiest most direct efficient way.
In this session, we had three different acoustic guitars. One conventionally tuned steel string. One Nashville tuned steel-string, which is all the other strings in a 12 string set and a nylon string acoustic guitar. All were recorded using a rather lovely JZ Microphones Vintage V11 cardioid condenser microphone. We then added electric bass recorded straight into the Instrument Input on the Babyface Pro FS along with some shaker and tambourine parts, a lead and two harmony vocals again recorded using the V11.
Hardware And Software Integration
RME makes some amazing interfaces and the Babyface Pro FS is another to add to this ever-growing list. They sound great, they are built like tanks and they look very stylish. However, where I struggle with nearly all RME kit is with their belief that a single button should be able to do a multitude of sometimes complex functions, and depending on the preceding combination of button pushes, the button you are about to hit might do something unintended.
Instead, I prefer to dive into the very complex looking, yet quite user-friendly, Totalmix FX software, which works hand-in-hand with the Babyface Pro FS. This allows simple setup of the gain, phantom power and all the preamp and volume controls on the interface. It works really well if you are just using it to set up levels but as the FX suffix somewhat gives away, you can dig deeper into the input and output channels using Totalmix FX and apply EQ and effects to the incoming signals to give you the best monitoring experience possible. Great if you are running a totally in the box session with no extra audio hardware.
The Recorded Track
The track below was recorded using only the RME Babyface Pro FS and a single JZ Microphones V11 and appropriate cables to hook it all together. That’s it. The recorded tracks have no EQ or Dynamics processing applied, just a little plate reverb to give the instruments and voice a sense of space. The recording was even mixed on a pair of Audio Technica M60x closed-back headphones to keep it really simple. I hope you will agree in this case simple really works.
Quality Really Does Matter
I’m a great believer in balance, if you have a good mic and a good interface then don’t ruin your recording chain by using a poor quality cable. The RME Babyface Pro FS is a very fine example of a small, portable audio interface and it deserves to be paired up with other kit of similar quality. All of the previous Babyface USB interfaces have been fantastic sounding units this new Pro FS is no exception. Yes getting your head around the minimal button layout can be a challenge on the memory at times but if you, like me are more visually driven then you only need to open the free-to-download Totalmix FX software.
If you are looking for a new portable bus-powered USB interface then the Babyface Pro FS from RME has to be on your list of units to check out. However, units of this quality and feature set are very few and far between so it’s going to be a very shortlist.
The RME Babyface Pro FS is shipping now for £663 including VAT and is available from Studiospares or RSPE Audio Solutions.