RME
DURec™

DURec is an integrated digital recorder for all inputs and outputs directly to USB storage devices via the rear (Fireface UCX II) or front (Fireface UFX II/ Fireface UFX+) USB port. It allows recording to USB sticks or hard disks with up to 2 TB capacity. The recording functionality is provided by the internal DSP and is thus independent of a connected Windows or Mac computer. This USB port can alternatively be used for direct connection of RME's optional ARC USB remote control.

Direct USB Recording turns the Fireface UCX II, Fireface UFX II or Fireface UFX III into a stand-alone recorder and a powerful multi-channel live player for previous recordings, e.g. for virtual sound checks. Live concerts, band rehearsals or spontaneous jam sessions can be recorded directly to the medium and played back - even completely without computer or software. All input and output channels can be individually selected for recording and playback.

Recording is done with the current sample rate as a 24 bit WAV file. A file has a maximum size of 2 GB and contains all (up to 76) channels in interleaved format. At 48 kHz sample rate a maximum of 76 channels (inputs and outputs) can be selected, at 96 kHz 38 channels, at 192 kHz 19 channels. The actual number of channels that can be used without errors depends on the storage medium.

• The signal recorded by a software is normally the input signal. However, if the DSP - EQ for Record option is active in the Settings dialog, the software will receive the Play Input signal - as soon as playback from the USB media occurs.
• Echo/Reverb is recorded on an output as well. To add echo/reverb to a playback it must be done on the input.
• A playback from USB cannot be processed and immediately re-recorded via DURec. It looks like it in the block diagram, but DURec can only do one of the two - either playback or record.

To avoid performance problems, all channels are recorded in a multi-channel interleaved file, which guarantees highest throughput with each medium.

Most DAW programs can import such a multi-channel file directly into their projects. The necessity of a special RME tool results from the fact that fully compatible wave files must not be larger than 2 GBytes. With a higher number of tracks and longer recording times, this limit is quickly reached. Therefore, the DURec process writes several contiguous files of 2 GBytes each. Importing these files into DAW software requires the user to manually sample-align each file to the previous one.

RME's Multichannel WAV File Batch Processor offers the easiest way to both split and merge these files channel by channel, i.e. to convert multiple multichannel files into normal single or stereo files. The contents of contiguous files are automatically combined into a single file. In the rare case that the 2-GByte limit is reached again, the tool automatically writes the RF64 format. The Mac version optionally also creates CAF files (Core Audio Format).

The RME tool can also perform multiple conversions, even from different recordings in one pass. Once the individual conversion operations are defined, the software works through them sequentially.

The free software for Windows and macOS is available on the RME website.