• Registered: 2012-04-18
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Channel Trim Gain and MIDI control

First of all, this is my first post and I MUST say that I am so satisfied with my Fireface UCX. Everything works as expected, no surprise and no painful compromises. The 3 major improvements coming from my last audio interface (MOTU 828mk3) are:
1) 40% reduction in round-trip latency with the SAME 128 samples buffer on my DAW;
2) MIDI control is much improved even though I do not have a Mackie control surface (simple MIDI controls from my Novation SL61 controller);
3) Flexible routing --> no more restriction on the software playback channels!!

Well, there is also the sound, the small size, the overall sense of robustness, and on and on…

I did find a situation where I am not sure whether this is normal or not and I would like feedback on this.

The objective is to be able to control a SINGLE channel in Trim Gain mode from MIDI. Say, MIC1 is set to Mono and Trim Gain is enabled on this channel alone, changing the volume fader using the mouse will affect all the channel's active routings as expected. But changing the MIC1 input channel volume using MIDI CC#102 / CH#1 will only change the volume of the active submix. I did not expect that, I thought the MIDI control would behave the same as the mouse controlling the fader.

If I enable Trim Gains in the Routing options, then the MIDI remote control works as expected but this puts all channels in Trim Gain mode, which was not the initial intent.

I also tried controlling MIC1 input fader using the Mackie MIDI control (meaning  MIDI Pitch control on CH#1). It has the same behavior as the MIDI CC#102/CH#1 control, i.e. it changes the volume only of the selected submix.

Please let me know if this is considered normal behavior or not. Thank you.

Setup:
Windows XP
Fireface UCX over USB
TotalMix FX V0.963
USB Driver Date 17.01.12
USB Driver Version 1.019
HW Revision 42

Options:
Enable MIDI Control: enabled
Submix linked to MIDI control: enabled

Settings:
MIDI In: assigned to one SL61 MIDI port
MIDI Out: not assigned (makes no difference if it is assigned)

Settings Mackie Control Options:
Enable Protocol Support: enabled
Map Stereo to 2 Mono Channels: disabled
Submix selection in Input/Playback Row: disabled

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
  • Administrator
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 25,608

Re: Channel Trim Gain and MIDI control

This is indeed the way it is now. Using TrimGains on just one channel is internally treated like that. When using Mackie protocol instead of CC it will work as you want.

We will add this to our list of things to do.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2012-04-18
  • Posts: 3

Re: Channel Trim Gain and MIDI control

Thanks for the feedback, this confirms my findings and I know that I am not missing some options. Yes it would be great if in a later release the TrimGain on individual channel is made consistent between the various ways that we can move the fader (mouse, Mackie protocol or simple MIDI CC controller).

I thought I tested the Mackie protocol on channel 1 and it did not make a difference...anyhow, this is not an option for me as I am using a standard MIDI template to control the Fireface UCS (the Novation SL61 has templates with the Mackie protocol but to my knowledge I cannot mix simple MIDI and Mackie protocol on the same template).

Thanks again for the quick response and keep up the good work --> I just love my Fireface UCX !!