• From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2014-12-28
  • Posts: 17

Topic: Question about outboard compressor and Totalmix FX

Hello everyone,


I have a question about my Fireface UFX and Totalmix FX.


When I hook up an outboard compressor to my Fireface I still hear the unprocessed signal coming from my DAW when I bypass the compressor. So when I print a final mix for instance through the compressor and listen to that when it's done the volume is lower than the original playback volume if that makes sense, so it's running like parallel compression on top of the unprocessed audio.


If I rout any audio signal to my compressor, play that audio and bypass the compressor I shouldn't hear any sound right? I've tried a bunch of settings in Totalmix but can't figure out how to only hear the processed sound from the compressor and not the unprocessed audio. I hope anyone knows an adjustment I can make in Totalmix.


I have uploaded a screengrab from my Totalmix FX window:
https://ibb.co/m9azwm


My question is regarding the Drawmer compressor which is connected to AN 3/4. To stop phasing and double signals I have muted AN 3/4.


The DAW I'm using is Logic Pro X.


Thanks

Logic Pro X | RME Fireface UFX | ARC USB
  • Registered: 2017-07-01
  • Posts: 32

Re: Question about outboard compressor and Totalmix FX

Complete newb here, so what I suggest may not be helpful, but Id suggest the following:
Totalmix is connected to your DAW, which needs to have at minimum a means of you hearing the playback from your DAW, likely in stereo. When I setup my UFX II recently, I had to choose which software playback channel (middle row in TotalMix) I nominate as the "return" from the pc. This stereo pair not only enables me to hear the playback from my DAW, it is also responsible for all audio coming from my pc: iTunes, YouTube, films. I chose AN 1/2 (far left on the middle row in TotalMix) for this task

Here`s the nub: Your screengrab shows sound coming from AN 1/2. So your DAW is playing back the signal you`re recording. Remember Totalmix passes everything through to the appointed channels in your DAW all the time. Even when a track is muted in TotalMix, it still sends its signal to your DAW. Took me a while to work this out btw!!!
My solution to the problem you describe is to mute AN 1/2 and save that muted setting as a snapshot (on the right side of TotalMix). We are a 6 piece rock band using UFX with Studio One DAW to record live sessions in our rehearsal space. When we are tracking I switch to this Snapshot, which I named "No PC", to remind me we wont be hearing anything coming out of the pc.

Good luck
plank

  • From: Netherlands
  • Registered: 2014-12-28
  • Posts: 17

Re: Question about outboard compressor and Totalmix FX

Thanks for your reply!

I have tried muting the AN 1/2 but then my DAW and the compressor don't play/receive any sound. I have tried some different settings in TotalMix but can't seem to figure out how to only hear my compressor..

I have fiddled with the settings on the I/O plugin in Logic Pro X there was no real improvement except the print being maybe 1 dB louder than the original/unprocessed mix. So still when I'm listening to the mix and setup the settings on my compressor, lets say the level I hear then is at -5 dB. After printing the mix and I listen back to it, the level is -10 dB.

Logic Pro X | RME Fireface UFX | ARC USB