• Registered: 2010-10-11
  • Posts: 25

Topic: Babyface Pro DIM button stops working when TotalMix not foremost app?

Hi,

I encountered this issue last year and wrote about it in a post here: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=23150 . Returning to regular use of my Babyface Pro I am still seeing the same consistent behaviour: the DIM button is somehow deactivated after a short time if TotalMix is not the foremost application. Switching back to TotalMix restores button operation, but if you switch away again the button will go inactive 52-53 seconds later.

I have my BFP set up with the main outputs (AN1/2) driving my monitors and defined as the 'Control Room' output in TotalMix. On the BFP itself, output is selected as 'Ch 1/2'. With TotalMix in the foreground, pressing the DIM button works as expected, dropping the monitor level 20dB and illuminating the 'DIM' indicators on the BFP panel.

If I now switch away to another application (eg Logic, Firefox etc), the DIM button continues to work normally until 52-53 seconds after the switch, at which point it then ceases to operate. If I switch back to TotalMix the button resumes operation. If I switch away again, it stops working 52-53 seconds after I switch away.

Testing this is straightforward. Start with TotalMix in the foreground and verify that DIM works as expected. Then switch to another application and start a stopwatch. The DIM button continues to operate as normal up until 52-53 seconds on the stopwatch; at this point it becomes unresponsive. If you happen to be DIMmed when the button stops working, you're stuck DIMmed until you switch back to TotalMix, which will always restore normal DIM button operation.

Can anyone else confirm this behaviour with their setup?

My system:
Mid-2015 MacBook Pro (Retina 15-inch), 2.2GHz i7, 16GB RAM
OS X 10.11.6 (15G1510)
RME Babyface Pro, firmware v101
RME USB driver v2.21
RME TotalMix FX v1.43

Many thanks,
Matt

RME USB driver v2.21

  • Registered: 2010-10-11
  • Posts: 25

Re: Babyface Pro DIM button stops working when TotalMix not foremost app?

Update: if you make any configuration change in another audio app that involves making use of the Babyface Pro interface, this appears to have the same effect as switching back to TotalMix (ie the DIM button starts working again). In my situation just tested, I used Figure53's QLab software, and redirected audio from the Built-In output to the BFP. This restored DIM button operation even though TotalMix was not in the foreground. But, as before, the DIM button went inactive 52-53 seconds later.

  • Registered: 2010-10-11
  • Posts: 25

Re: Babyface Pro DIM button stops working when TotalMix not foremost app?

Further update:

This appears to be related to the MacOS 'App Nap' feature. Watching TotalMix FX's entry in Activity Monitor's 'Energy' tab, as soon as App Nap is imposed on TotalMix FX, the DIM button stops working. This is peculiar as App Nap supposedly exempts anything to do with audio playback. Is there a way to avoid TotalMix being App Napped, short of disabling it systemwide?

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Babyface Pro DIM button stops working when TotalMix not foremost app?

Command I on the TotalMix program icon, untick "AppNap"?

Or has that vanished too, under Sierra?

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

  • Registered: 2010-10-11
  • Posts: 25

Re: Babyface Pro DIM button stops working when TotalMix not foremost app?

Hey cyrano. Sadly that's not an option; the only tickable options are ''Open in 32-bit mode' and 'Open In Low Resolution', at least under El Capitan.

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Babyface Pro DIM button stops working when TotalMix not foremost app?

I have only just started testing my audio setup under El Capital. So this isn't fully tested.

You can disable AppNap for all applications by copying this to the Terminal:

defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist NSAppSleepDisabled -bool YES

I have no idea if this could affect some other apps negatively.

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

  • Registered: 2010-10-11
  • Posts: 25

Re: Babyface Pro DIM button stops working when TotalMix not foremost app?

I'd rather not disable App Nap completely as it has its uses when running on battery power.