• Registered: 2022-09-27
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Topic: Can Channel 1-8 use Phantom Power (Total Mix and UFX+)

Hey there,

Checking the manual and searching this forum but haven't quite come up with answer yet. 

I have a Fireface UFX+ and Total Mix which is in DAW mode to make my life a little easier in Cubase.  I've recently purchased a Radial J33 phonograph Direct Box and have plugged that into the RME using channels 7 and 8 in and out to avoid plugging the turntable into the front of the interface which would be a little bit of a cable mess with my mixing desk...

The Radial can apparently be powered with phantom power.  I'm using the actual power adapter, which strangely has this huge hum just by virtue of being plugged in.  (Tried to plug it into a bunch of different power sources and it's always the same).

After it occurred to me that I might be able to get away without using the power adapter, I started looking in Total Mix to see if Phantom Power can be enabled for that particular channel.  I only see phantom power options for the jacks in the front in Total Mix.

Is there a way to get phantom power on channels 1- 8 in the interface? 

Thank you kindly!

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-02-04 21:38:36)

  • waedi
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Re: Can Channel 1-8 use Phantom Power (Total Mix and UFX+)

No, phantom power is only for microphone XLR sockets.
The turntable and the radial probably have a ground connector screw, is the ground wire proper connected there ?

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

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-02-04 21:52:13)

  • ramses
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Re: Can Channel 1-8 use Phantom Power (Total Mix and UFX+)

mrpiano wrote:

I have a Fireface UFX+ and Total Mix which is in DAW mode to make my life a little easier in Cubase.

Only because you mention it, you can get the same routing in "full mode" as in "DAW mode" by only one mouse click:

TM FX: Options → Reset Mix → Straight Playback

The advantage: you have TM FX in full mode and can — if needed — add routings in near-realtime on the interface, directly from an input to an output, without the full RTL (round trip latency) through via USB through the DAW and back.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

4 Reply by mrpiano (edited by mrpiano 2024-02-04 22:15:07)

  • Registered: 2022-09-27
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Re: Can Channel 1-8 use Phantom Power (Total Mix and UFX+)

Thank you both for the quick answers!  Understood on the phantom power part of my question. 
Regarding the hum, this power strip has outlets on the top of it and on the actual side of it (it's a square power source with 4 on top and then 2 more on each side).  I plugged the J33 into the side, and the humming stopped...no clue why, but I'll take it as it also negates the need for phantom power at this point...I can keep everything plugged in the way it is.  And the Direct Box is grounded to the turntable, by the way.

@ramses that sounds super interesting and I may give that go!  Yeah I was having some trouble getting the Cubase control room to work the way it's supposed to (I'm sure it was user error) when I was in Full Mode.  Now I just tell Cubase where to look for I/O and it all maps as expected.  This was also early on in my journey with both Cubase and Total Mix...I've learned a bit since then :-). One of the issues with DAW mode is that I have to open Cubase and setup a channel for both in and out in order to, for example, just play a synth.  There's also a nifty little Mac app called Loopback which allows you to virtually patch I/O and do all sort of custom routings, which I use to just patch ins and outs from the interface to my main speakers if I want to hear my turntable without setting up channels in my DAW.   

Thank you both once again.  Very helpful and greatly appreciated!

  • waedi
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Re: Can Channel 1-8 use Phantom Power (Total Mix and UFX+)

Alarm bell ringing !
A power strip with different results on different sockets may be broken.
I would disconnect that thing and not use it.

M1-Sonoma, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2022-09-27
  • Posts: 8

Re: Can Channel 1-8 use Phantom Power (Total Mix and UFX+)

waedi wrote:

Alarm bell ringing !
A power strip with different results on different sockets may be broken.
I would disconnect that thing and not use it.

Certainly not a bad recommendation!  Strangely, I tried it with 2 power strips...it certainly wasn't expensive, and ideally I should be running all this stuff into a power conditioner, which is probably where I'll land...thank you.  I also do not favor alarm bells!