• larme
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  • Registered: 2026-03-12
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Does digiface AVB standalone loopback without AVB network?

I know this is a strange question, but can Digiface AVB be used standalone (without any AVB switch or AVB device on the network) and still expose its channels in TotalMix so that loopback can be used?

My use case is a bit unusual: I’m interested in using the Digiface AVB as a large multi-channel loopback interface on macOS when on the road. Ideally I would like to create many internal loopback channels in TotalMix (e.g. dozens or up to 128 channels) without connecting any external AVB devices.

I noticed the manual says:

"After the driver installation the Digiface AVB has to be connected to an AVB network… The AVB controller does not allow any further settings without detecting a network."

So I’m wondering:

- If the Digiface AVB is connected only via USB to a Mac, with no AVB devices present, will TotalMix still expose the AVB input/output channels?
- If those channels appear, can loopback still work on them?
- Or are the channels only created when AVB streams are established with another AVB device?

In short: can the Digiface AVB act as a standalone 128-channel virtual interface for loopback purposes, or does it always require at least one AVB endpoint on the network?

Thanks!

  • From: Haimhausen
  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 400

Re: Does digiface AVB standalone loopback without AVB network?

Yes, you can do that. Loopback is network independent.

Regards,
Audio AG Support

Audio AG Support's Website

  • larme
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  • Registered: 2026-03-12
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Re: Does digiface AVB standalone loopback without AVB network?

Audio AG Support wrote:

Yes, you can do that. Loopback is network independent.

Thanks for confirmation!

  • Registered: 2008-06-26
  • Posts: 176

Re: Does digiface AVB standalone loopback without AVB network?

The answer is, it depends what you mean. Under Windows this is the case. Under mac OS you may need to connect a network cable to be able to switch the sample rate, because the avb controller app can only be opened when there is a nework cable connectet (but not necessarily an avb network, it can be any network). This is a restriction of the apple network driver, which we use in the latest version. Totalmix and audio transfer works also without a network.