• Registered: 2022-03-25
  • Posts: 2

Topic: [Cured] TotalMix driving me insane

I'm new to RME and TotalMix. I have not yet read the entire manual. Just to put that out there from the get. I'm working on it.

That said, I'm trying to do something pretty simple here and it works, for a moment, before TotalMix seemingly decides to use it's own settings and bug out.

Let me explain:

DAW Mono output 3> Mono output 3 on UCX II > Sampler ok (line)
Sampler > Mono input 7 on UCX II > Mono input 7 in DAW ok (line)

TotalMix:

I hear that coming out of one speaker. Ok, change respective channels (Input/Output/SW) to Mono. In preferences I have it set to Center Balance/Pan when changing Mono/Stereo so it's all good so far. ok

SW Playback looks fine, 1 Meter on Mono 3 ok
Hardware Input looks fine 1 Meter on Mono 7 ok
Hardware Output shows signal on both Mono 3 & 4 Why? There's nothing connected to Mono Output 4. Seemingly not ok

Moving on

I turn down Software Playback on Mono 3, turn up Hardware Input on Mono 7, now I hear my Sampler's output. Perfect ok


Now here is where things go haywire

I switch over to my DAW to load up an audio file I intend to send to the sampler, go back to TotalMix to make sure it's all good and all of a sudden Software Playback on Mono 3 is back up, Hardware Input on Mono 7 is back down, Hardware Output Mono 3 & 4 show nothing. I can hear Software Playback on Mono 3, I'm guessing. So obviously I put Software Playback on Mono 3 back down, (can still hear it at this point) put Hardware Input on Mono 7 back up and then nothing. No sound no matter what I do from there on until I do a complete reset in TotalMix and the cycle continues over and over. There's just no wining for me.

I have uninstalled, reinstalled drivers ect Restarted the computer, restarted the UCX II, all several times. I even Flashed (with latest SW from RME) the UCX II just in case the SW was bugged in the actual unit. I tried all 11 USB 2.x & 3.x ports. I even went back to the USB cable that came with the UCxX II just in case. Non of these helped.

The computer is up to date and new itself running Windows Pro 10.

I've been yelling at a computer all day today. Fun times.

Help.

Hopefully it's just a setting I'm unaware of but it sure looks bugged out.

Meanwhile I'll continue reading that boring manual.

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2022-04-07 07:47:18)

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: [Cured] TotalMix driving me insane

I guess you still have difficulties with the routing and some general operating concepts of TM FX full-mode / submix mode.

[ Assuming
- you work in TM FX "full mode" (this is the case if you see SW playback channels TM FX middle row) and
- you have "submix mode" enabled, see right side in the blue field "routing mode" ]

One of the most important things to understand and where TM FX differs to an analog mixer (which has only a master section and maybe a few subgroups) that every HW output has a submix of it's own. For an analog mixer this would mean that it would have as many subgroups as it has outputs and which you can enable on demand for each of the outputs. That would be a very large mixer...

In TM FX each HW output has an ** individual submix **. You can see this in submix mode by looking at fader positions of
- HW Inputs - upper row
- SW Playbacks - middle row
as soon as you select a HW output by mouse click.

As an exercise: in TM FX bottom row click through a few HW outputs and pay attention to fader positions of the upper (HW inputs) and middle row (SW playbacks, audio from PC).
At the bottom of each channel in top/middle row you can see the name of the HW output/submix for which the fader positions / routing is being displayed.

Tip: you can also click on the "Sub" button on the right, then you will only see the channels of the HW inputs (top) and SW playbacks (middle) that route audio to the respective output.

This routing concept gives you the best flexibility because you can create the perfect submix for every output:
for the monitoring, for the vocalist, for the headphone mixes of different musicians, external hardware.

Another concept important to know, audio to HW inputs will be passed unchanged to the application / DAW.
So if you have a FX chip and add e.g. reverv to a submix, this is only being heard for your monitoring.
The DAW records the audio signal dry "as is". This is the default, but can be changed in the driver.

Again, you gain a lot of flexibility in TM FX "full mode" by not routing exclusively in the DAW.
Sound from PC is 1st seen in TM FX middle row (SW playbacks).
Then TM FX acts like a patchbay, because now you can create for each HW output an individual submix by moving faders of
- top row - HW inputs (audio in near-realtime, only converter latency)
- middle row - SW playbacks (audio from PC with the additional latency over USB/...)

If you find the manual reading too dry, then I recommend you to watch the RME tutorials first, which are (unlike many other Youtube videos) made very well to the point not wasting any time. Here you get a good introduction to each topic and a great overview about TM FX capabilities and how to work with it.

In addition I wrote a step by step guide in my blog for a good TM FX 1st time setup with a lot of tips which can support you well for getting a solid 1st time setup.

Reading the manual will be easier for you after you are more familiar with TM FX after watching the tutorial videos and my setup primer.

For me personally the manual is perfect: well structured, describing every feature, avoids unnecessary repetitions.
It tells you about all features and what is important to know.
While / after reading it you need to get the idea how to make best use of it for your setup and workflow.

The following sticky article will take you to the video tutorials and the setup guide:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=34394

I can tell you from my own experience, as soon as you have understood and internalized the operation of the routing in Submix mode, it is a real pleasure to work with TM FX. It's not much, you just have to know it.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2021-12-30
  • Posts: 151

Re: [Cured] TotalMix driving me insane

hey J smile

you're reminding me of my first experience with TotalMIX after I bought a used HDSP9652 and installed it and the drivers. When TM first popped up, I thought, well that looks cool. then I tried routing some things and, like you, I eventually was found yelling at the computer screen in frustration.

don't worry, you'll eventually learn how it works and then you'll fall in love with it. so much that you won't be able to imagine your audio world without it! I found the video tutorials on the RME website were extremely helpful and I can't recommend them enough.

maybe you've already found this but remember that when you click on the little wrench of each channel, there are individual settings that will slide out to the right. for example, if you click on it for ch 3/4 you'll see a stereo button at the top. clicking on that will split 3 and 4 into mono channels. this could explain why you were hearing dual mono on output 3/4. just one example of the configurability of TotalMIX. it can seem confusing at the start but it's laid out so logically, that once you figure it out for one channel/setup/workspace, you'll be an expert at the whole thing.

hang in there. the UCXII is awesome and becoming proficient with TotalMIX is the best way to unlock the immense power of this interface smile

-Steve

  • mkok
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  • Registered: 2020-11-04
  • Posts: 633

Re: [Cured] TotalMix driving me insane

Just remember the sliders are different for whichever output you click on. So if you click on output as1/2 for instance then all the software sliders on the middle row can be adjusted for that output as can the inputs so you can monitor those to that output. If you then click on another output then the sliders can be adjusted and it will be for that output only and so on.

Babyface Pro Fs, Behringer ADA8200, win 10/11 PCs, Cubase/Wavelab, Adam A7X monitors.
  • Registered: 2022-03-25
  • Posts: 2

Re: [Cured] TotalMix driving me insane

I'm just reading this now after sampling happily for the last few hours. Total user error on my part. You all are totally right and I just didn't get it until I watched a short video on how the submix/output system works. I feel pretty silly but I get it now and yeah it's awesome. I also discovered free mode which is straight forward but I still prefer submix mode. I definitely see how useful it will be in the coming months. I'm going to watch the whole series as well.

Apologies for the post. I really should have prepared myself more but I was excited about putting my first RME interface to work and I found myself down an irrational rabbit hole of frustration. I could have avoided it so easily. Oh well, live and learn.

Thanks,

JHernandez

6 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2022-04-07 07:49:31)

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: [Cured] TotalMix driving me insane

> but I still prefer submix mode
Me too, it does everything I need.
Regarding the tutorial videos, also look at the little older series, new and old tutorial series have both their beauty.
As you noticed already, the videos do not take much time, because the "bla" factor is very low.

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

7 Reply by sbcrikey (edited by sbcrikey 2022-04-07 14:21:48)

  • Registered: 2021-12-30
  • Posts: 151

Re: [Cured] TotalMix driving me insane

JHernandez wrote:

Apologies for the post. I really should have prepared myself more but I was excited about putting my first RME interface to work and I found myself down an irrational rabbit hole of frustration. I could have avoided it so easily. Oh well, live and learn.

Thanks,

JHernandez

hey, no worries at all J smile glad you got things figured out and now you're on your way to learn all the great ways TotalMIX works with your RME interface.

cheers!

-Steve