• en5ca
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Topic: TotalMix FX external input source from loopback

Is it possible to get input signal for "External Input" function from TotalMix FX internal loopback? E.g. I turn on loopback for ADAT 1/2 output, route some audio to ADAT 1/2 output, and then assign ADAT 1/2 input for External Input, but enabling External Input results in silence. If I do this by hardware optical cable loopback, everything works as expected. Yet, DAW using ASIO driver is able to capture input signal from TotalMix FX internal loopback.

My goal is to be able to A/B switch between two sources, without actually having to rely on any external source hardware. Previously I've achieved this by muting the B source, and then 'switched' to it by soloing B source. But this doesn't seem to work with UFX+, although it still works with UCX.

  • ramses
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Re: TotalMix FX external input source from loopback

If you enable loopback on a HW output (no matter which one, analog or digital), then audio can be recorded using the corresponding HW input.

If there was/is already audio on this HW input, then this audio is not lost....

You can route it to another HW output and optionally can enable loopback there, to record it on the corresponding HW input.

See also my blog: https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … mentation/

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • en5ca
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Re: TotalMix FX external input source from loopback

ramses wrote:

If you enable loopback ...

Thank you for responding! I'm not sure if this solves the issue.

On your first schematic the loopback audio is taken into DAW. This indeed works. But I would like to route a Playback/'Software Return' channel to an input channel of TotalMix FX itself, so I could then access it via the External Input selector function. So far it seems TotalMix FX External Input selector is not able to take source from a Playback channel or loopbacked input. Only from physical hardwired input.

I know the name itself states 'External Input', but it would have been handy if any playback or loopbacked channel could have been directly assigned as an external input source. Which doesnt seem to be possible, unless I'm missing something.

E.g. DAW outputs to Playback 1/2, operating system outputs to Playback 3/4, and then A/B switch between these by assigning Playback 3/4 as source for External Input selector. I've got this working, but only by using an extra hardware loopback cable; routing Playback 3/4 to physical output > hardwire it to input > assign this input to External Input function.

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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Re: TotalMix FX external input source from loopback

en5ca wrote:

My goal is to be able to A/B switch between two sources, without actually having to rely on any external source hardware. Previously I've achieved this by muting the B source, and then 'switched' to it by soloing B source. But this doesn't seem to work with UFX+, although it still works with UCX.

There must be something different in setup as both have the same functionality in TM FX. Did you try to use the CUE button in third row  to quickly switch between the two sound sources (aka submixes/hardware outputs)?

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Matthias Carstens
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  • en5ca
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Re: TotalMix FX external input source from loopback

MC wrote:

There must be something different in setup as both have the same functionality in TM FX. Did you try to use the CUE button in third row  to quickly switch between the two sound sources (aka submixes/hardware outputs)?

Thank you for responding. I think it's about this https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=33839 . On UFX+ solo doesnt seem to override mute, which is was using as a 'switch' function. But Cue indeed works perfectly as a replacement. Although, I think I'll stick to hardware loopback and External Input function, as it survives switching between snapshots, and I only need to do A/Bing between two sources.