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Topic: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

TM FX 1.73 RC (release candidate) is now available for Windows and Mac. List of changes:

- Exclusive Solo on mirrored outputs (including Speaker B) did not work correctly

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=32583

- Mute Phones 1 to 4 has been added to the drowdown list of the ARC USB button assignments

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=25508

- DURec: The playback channel list (drop down menu)  now indicates non-existing channels. Example: A DURec recording of 6 channels under Windows will show channels 7 to x in that list in brackets, under Mac have channels 7 to x greyed out. This way it is easy to see how many channels are really there to be assigned for playback. Note that for full compatibility and universal operation all channels can still be selected.

- ARC USB Settings: new Default Encoder Function options Volume Main (Device), Volume Main (0.5 dB), Volume Main (0.1 dB). See below, post #11 and 15.

Mac only: the currently selected Reverb and Echo are now marked in the drop down list with a checkmark

Mac only: added 180% zoom for retina monitors, giving a better sized and visible display of TotalMix FX

Windows only: the right mouse button gesture for touch mode now works for the output channels


Download:

Win: https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/tmfx_173rc_win.zip

Mac: https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/tmfx_173rc_mac.zip


Installation

Windows: Exit TotalMix FX and copy the new version into Windows\System32, overwriting the old file.

Mac: Exit TotalMix FX and copy the app into the Applications folder, overwriting the old file.

Any feedback is appreciated!

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

2 (edited by waedi 2021-03-23 08:21:11)

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

Confirm function on M1 BigSur Digiface USB and Digickeck NG via Loopback AN1/2.
Fantastic !
Btw is the forum running on Moskau timezone ? Zürich is an hour behind we all still sleep...

M1-Sonoma, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

If you hold shift you get a linear behaviour, 0.1dB increments though, not 0.5.

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

There is a Shift key on your keyboard, maybe in Shift Lock mode. But else you seem to have two problems:

- you did not notice before that the knob on the unit has a different characteristic as the knob on the ARC USB (which is fully intentional and will not be changed)

- you use two interfaces which can cause conflicts. You need to make sure that the ARC USB is enabled only for one unit (in ARC USB Settings). It is NOT enough to just unplug the BF, it is still listed then in the TM FX selection window and will make the ARC USB  talk to two separate units at the same time, causing weired jumps when turning the wheel for the UFX+.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

> For the third time, the ARC USB is directly connected to my UFX+

Sure, here too.

> When I switch back to TotalMix FX 1.72, the behavior instantly is back to normal.

Thanks for that, or as we say in German 'the penny has dropped'. We discussed this already and will try to find a solution.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

I just updated the thread to beta 4. This version includes quick fixes/workarounds to address the different ways of how the encoder wheel of the ARC USB is expected to work from the user side. The functionality is not fully finalized, but the existing new options should be quite helpful already now.

Note that there are different schemes. For example on the UFX+ and UFX II the unit's encoder uses fixed 0.5 dB steps for volume control, with a nice accelleration applied when turning the encoder more quickly. Using the ARC USB we quickly got feedback from professionals which expect that turning the wheel back to a former position the same gain (volume) should be reached. That required some research and is the method used since then. The steps here equal the ones in TM FX, with a range of 0.5 to 3.0 dB spread over the whole volume range.

Now things are usually not easy, and this is the case here as well. If you connect the ARC USB to the UFX+ and II, the unit itself controls the volume changes. So you get the same 0.5 dB steps as at the unit's encoder, and Shift on your keyboard for changing into fine mode (0.1 dB steps) can not work.

We now added a few modes to make usage more easy and more flexible. As said it's not finished yet. These are the new options:

Volume Main (Default): equals different step sizes and the 'same position same volume' approach

Volume Main (Device): takes over the scheme used by the device itself (like 0.5 dB steps with accelleration at the UFX +/II

Volume Main (0.5 dB): fixed 0.5 dB steps without accelleration

Volume Main (0.1 dB): fixed 0.1 dB steps without accelleration

Not all modes and setups currently support the Shift key to change to fine mode (0.1 dB steps). Here is a table with the  current modes:

Mode                           Shift ARC IF      Shift ARC PC*       Steps   
Volume Main (Device)       No                    Yes                 0.5 dB, Acc *
Volume Main (Default)      Yes                   Yes                 0.5/1.0/1.5/2.0/2.5/3.0
Volume Main (0.5 dB)       Yes                    Yes                 0.5 dB
Volume Main (0.1 dB)         -                        -                   0.1 dB

* UFX+/II: In this mode and setup the steps are the same as in Default mode. This is not easy to change at this time.

Note: if the Shift key is not working although it should according to this table, change the mode to 0.5 dB or some other modes - it will start to work then. There might be an initializing issue that we will try to fix.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

The phone muting works as expected, it's really awesome addition and helps me work faster! smile

MC, This is example of why I bought my first (though used) RME device 6 months ago, even if it was expensive considering my finances at the time.

I have gone through something like 7 audio interfaces over the last 16 years from 6 different manufacturers and every single one, except my first m-audio PCI one had some issues with drivers or lacking features etc. everything from crashes to just some features not working as they should. No matter their price.

When I got the privilege to use one RME interface at a gig ~4 years ago, I realized why people say that they are THE best devices around.

The thing just worked like nobody's business, driver package was tiny, installation was flawless and the routing options were amazing and the thing didn't even hiccup once over the whole week it was used in critical environment doing live stuff... it just WORKED! You could rely on it day in, day out. I had never seen anything like that with any of my previous interfaces or any that I've worked with elsewhere.

And that has been the experience with my Fireface 800 as well. It's solid as a rock and even if driver/TM updates are a bit slow coming, they all seem to be solid and well coded. And that stability and quality is well worth waiting for!

And not to even mention DigiCheck... that thing is amazing tool! smile

And damn... to be able to get updates to the TotalMix for an old device like Fireface 800 and know it'll keep working for the next Windows update as well... that's more amazing than you guys can imagine!
I was so afraid to update to Windows 10 since I would lose support for my previous interface and need to buy a new one. Not so with RME.

Many manufacturers might think that supporting old hardware is decreasing their sales when old units don't go out of the second hand market, but that's completely backwards IMHO, my next interface will be an RME... and next after that I'm sure.

These updates and support from RME will keep me as a happy RME user and I will probably never invest in anything else than RME, and I will not recommend anything except RME for anyone who needs the trustworthiness. It's worth it.

When I'm able, I will buy a new interface from you guys, I'm sure I'll be a happy customer smile

And that's how you make money even if you support older hardware. smile

Keep it up!

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

Amen, brother ;-)

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

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

Straight from the pulpit comes release candidate 1 for TM FX 1.73. Links in first post are updated.

In post 11 I mentioned possible issues with the Shift key (in Windows). We were able to find the issue and even improve TM FX shift key detection so that it now works in most cases, even when a different app is in the focus/foreground.

We also improved the new mode 'Volume Main (0.1 dB)'. Pressing Shift here activates 0.5 dB (means bigger, not finer) steps. This is useful as otherwise it takes much too much turning the wheel to move somewhere.

Enjoy!

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

In case you use TotalMix Remote: here are the upccming versions 1.22, which include the changes of TM FX 1.73. These are the exe files only, no installer yet.

Win: http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/tmfx_ … te_122.zip

Mac: http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/tmfx_ … te_122.zip

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

To MC and RME developers

Thank you for continuing to improve the products. I am very grateful to you.
The "Ext. Input bug (TM1.72)" I reported in January was fixed.
Flash drives that DUREC (Fireface) did not detect before are now detected. etc...

The following is a bug report of TotalMix FX v1.7.3 RC, which is the main subject.
This bug has been introduced between TotalMix FX v1.72 and v1.73 b4.

/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bug content:
TotalMix FX crashes.

Procedure:
Press the Play button (changes from the Mute button) on the DUREC Record View.

The environment in which this bug occurs:
Host: Windows 10 20H2 64bit
TotalMix FX: v1.73 RC, v1.73 b4
Fireface UFX II Driver: v0.9735
Fireface UFX II Firmware: USB 22 DSP 14 CC 8 (04/14/2021)

Environment when it did not crash:
Host: Same as above
TotalMix FX: v1.72
Fireface UFX II Driver: Same as above
Fireface UFX II Firmware: Same as above
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

Hi,

I think I found a bug:

When loading a saved workspace on a new machine, it does not correctly load the saved fader positions.
Our workspace contains 3 snapshots with different hardware outputs assigned to the main out in Total Mix's Control Room section (this is so we can control the main volume in three different stereo/multichannel setups with the same ARC USB).

To achieve that all the outputs are in one fader group which always stays enabled. All snapshots are saved with the faders down to zero. Before saving the workspace I made sure they are working in perfect sync in all 3 snapshots.

When loading it on a fresh machine some volumes within the fader group are always out of sync. Some faders remain on zero as they were saved, some are suddenly higher up.

Thanks for looking into this!

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

hselters wrote:

I think I found a bug:

When loading a saved workspace on a new machine, it does not correctly load the saved fader positions.

Can you please send us a Workspace so we can easily reproduce the issue?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

Yuskey wrote:

The following is a bug report of TotalMix FX v1.7.3 RC, which is the main subject.
/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bug content: TotalMix FX crashes.

Can you please save the current state as Workspace and send it to us so we might be able to reproduce the issue? Right now we can't. It might be useful to use the older 1.72 to save that workspace, just in case the later versions already corrupt the ws upon saving.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

MC wrote:
hselters wrote:

I think I found a bug:

When loading a saved workspace on a new machine, it does not correctly load the saved fader positions.

Can you please send us a Workspace so we can easily reproduce the issue?

Yes, just sent it to you via Forum E-Mail. Thanks for looking into this!

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

Got it, thanks.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

As a result of saving the workspace as a tmws file for the first time, the crash bug no longer reappears. (Saved with TotalMix FX v1.73 RC.)
As a visible change, the path of the saved tmws file is now displayed in the title bar of TotalMix FX.

With the workspace name selected in Workspace Quick Select displayed in the title bar (same as the title bar when the crash occurred), the reproduction procedure no longer crashes.

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Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

hselters wrote:
MC wrote:
hselters wrote:

I think I found a bug:

When loading a saved workspace on a new machine, it does not correctly load the saved fader positions.

Can you please send us a Workspace so we can easily reproduce the issue?

Yes, just sent it to you via Forum E-Mail. Thanks for looking into this!

The issue can not be reproduced on our side. But I need to mention that we set Do not Load to --. One of the Snapshots included the Main fader within the fader group, so when Do not load is not set to -- the fader group will be destroyed on load. Maybe that was the basic issue on your side?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

19 (edited by hselters 2021-05-22 00:15:54)

Re: TotalMix FX 1.73 RC available for Windows and Mac

MC wrote:

The issue can not be reproduced on our side. But I need to mention that we set Do not Load to --. One of the Snapshots included the Main fader within the fader group, so when Do not load is not set to -- the fader group will be destroyed on load. Maybe that was the basic issue on your side?

Yes, with the "Do Not Load" setting on "--" the fader group stays in fact in tact.
However, that can be a big issue for beginners who don't know Total Mix and simply want to use the interface with their DAW on their laptops. We are working in a multi user environment where the Total Mix Workspace is regularly copied to different laptops and many people rely on their DAW and just want Total Mix to work. This turns out to be more complicated than we thought.

After plugging a laptop it also asks whether to Upload the settings from the interface, but that also does not work in our case, I guess because fader groups are a setting not stored on the interface but in Total Mix?

To come back to the issue: Wouldn't it make more sense if the fader group always stays in tact? 

Or what also would work for us and maybe simpler to implement: If the "Do not Load" setting could be on "--" at its initial state after a fresh Total Mix install?

Thanks a lot!