1 Topic by itayaha7 (edited by itayaha7 2016-05-22 17:20:11)

  • Registered: 2016-05-22
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Need help setting up Fireface UC

Hi!
I recently bought a brand new Fireface UC, installed the latest driver and firmware and need a small guidance on the software wiring and on the hardware interface itself (I didn't find any answers to my questions online...)

First of all- How do I set up my OS (currently using Windows 7, I'm going to install a fresh copy of Windows 10 in about a week) so I could control my volume knob from the Windows Interface itself? The current setting  is that I can only control the volume only through the knob on the Fireface UC. Playing the volume fader on the bottom corner of the screen affects nothing.
I know I can go to "Playback Devices" and from there choose what Output would be the default Output for the OS, but I don't know which one to choose:

https://i.imgflip.com/14kvtx.jpg

And secondly- I'm Using Cubase. In the VST Connection window (F4) I can choose what are the inputs and outputs that i'm using.
What the difference (mainly on the back panel of the UC hardware) between the "Analog 1-8" and the "ADAT 1-8"?

Thanks!

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: Need help setting up Fireface UC

> How do I set up my OS (currently using Windows 7, I'm going to install a fresh copy of Windows 10 in about a week)
> so I could control my volume knob from the Windows Interface itself?

Windows 10 .. much fun, I would not upgrade.

1. If you use the ASIO driver, then the Windows Sound Subsystem is fully bypassed, then Windows volume knobs (i.e. of the Windows Mixer) do not work by intention / design. You should know why ASIO is better ...

2. If you use i.e. Windows Media player, then the windows sound subsystem will be used, as the Microsoft Media Player is unable to use an ASIO driver. In this case the volume knobs of the Windows Mixer are in effect. I just tested with with my UFX. And this makes sense ....

> The current setting  is that I can only control the volume only through the knob on the Fireface UC.
> Playing the volume fader on the bottom corner of the screen affects nothing.

If you use i.e. Cubase and the RME ASIO driver, this is correct. The Mixer application of Windows is not in the way.
Fully intended to bypass this fully by the ASIO driver. You set the Volume either on the UC, correct,
or alternatively you can set the volume in Totalmix FX.
For devices which support Basic or Advanced Remote control you can also use them to control the volume and other things.

> I know I can go to "Playback Devices" and from there choose what Output would be the default Output for the OS,
> but I don't know which one to choose

Moment .. the default playback device for Windows you set in the "sound" configuration settings.
There you see the installed RME driver and you configure it to be the standard sound device.

In Totalmix FX you assign in the control room the Montors A and B if you have 2. And the phones.

> And secondly- I'm Using Cubase. In the VST Connection window (F4) I can choose what are
> the inputs and outputs that i'm using.

Yes and best you save there your default settings, that you frequently use.

> What the difference (mainly on the back panel of the UC hardware) between the "Analog 1-8"
> and the "ADAT 1-8"?

Analog 1..8 refer to the analog channels

Your Interface has one ADAT interface. This is a digital interface.
When using 44.1 / 48 kHz Sample Rate, then its possible to transfer 8 channels via Toslink cable.

You can i.e. connect a preamp with 8 Microphone inputs via ADAT to the UC.
@44.1 you can record then the 8 Mics.

Should you select higher frequencies, then channels becomes bonded by multiplexing by the driver.
So with 88.1 / 96 kHz you can only transfer then 4 signals over ADAT.
With even higher frequencies then only 2 signals, as then 4 channels will be "bonded" by multiplexing.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2016-05-22
  • Posts: 2

Re: Need help setting up Fireface UC

Thanks for the answer!

So from now on all the volume related fiddling on the non-Cubase related softwares is through the TotalMix instead of the Windows volume fader?

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: Need help setting up Fireface UC

Again .. it depends on whether an ASIO driver or the Windows Sound system is in use, nothing else !!!!!

If you use i.e. Cubase, then you can choose an audio driver. Of course you select the better RME ASIO driver.
Then the Windows Sound system is bypassed ...
Then you control volume by either Cubase or Totalmix.
Windows Mixer, etc, is bypassed, so they are not in effect.

While Cubase sound output is running now make a nice little experiment ....
In Cubase Mixer lower the volume a little bit.
Now open a mp3 file with Windows Media Player.
You hear now the Audio Coming from Cubase via ASIO driver.
But you also hear now the Adio coming from Windows Media Player via the Windows sound subsystem.
If you open now the Windows Mixer and turn the volume down ... guess what happens ?!.....
The volume of the MP3 file played by the Windows Media Player can be controlled by the Windows Mixer,
but it only controls the playback of the mp3 ... the Volume of the Cubase playback via ASIO is unaffected.
Why ? Yes, because ASIO bypasses the Windows Audio subsystem.

While we are at it .. how can it happen, that Cubase and Windows access both the RME UC ?!
Because the RME driver are multi-client ...

Now set the playback volume of Cubase and Windows Media Player to the same level, so that you can hear both songs.
What happens now when you turn down the Volume in TotalMix FX ?!
With totalmix you control the Audio level of both / all audio streams that will be send to your monitors.
If you reduce the volume, cubase audio and Windows Media Player audio will be reduced at the same time.
Because at the end you control with TotalMix the final playback volume of all audio streams.

One more thing ... you can change the volume of the Microsoft Windows Media Player not only
- at the media player or
- at the windows mixer
If you look into Totalmix FX you see in the middle Row the the software playback channels.
All that comes from Windows .... you will see in one channel the audio playback of Microsoft Media Player.
Also in Totalmix you can additionally and finally control the volume or even mute it.

So whatever you do .. you must ask yourself the question, over which audio driver is this being done, ASIO or Windows Sound system ...

And Totalmix is at the end the final instance of Mixer which controls the Routing in your RME UC and everything ....

I hope now you get it slowly wink

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14