• Registered: 2017-08-11
  • Posts: 13

Topic: Babyface and Digiface USB on same system

I have read prior threads on this topic, but the answer to a couple questions still isn't clear to me.

I currently have three different (windows) computers running three different USB audio interfaces, each with ADAT I/O.  One of those is a Babyface Pro.  These systems are used for live performance.

I'm considering a Digiface USB to act effectively as a digital mixer for combining and routing signals for different headphone and/or monitor mixes.  Each of the other interfaces (Babyface Pro, Focusrite, MOTU) would be connected to the Digiface by ADAT in and out.  At any one time I might have six or eight live stereo pairs coming into the Digiface across the different ADATs.  (e.g., guitar, bass, edrums, keyboard, vocals, click, backing track...).  I'm thinking of using Total Mix to create custom mixes, then sending those mixes back out via ADAT to the other interfaces for headphones and monitors.

Let's suppose that both the Babyface Pro and the Digiface USB are on the same PC (on different USB buses).  I understand that I can not access both of them in the same DAW.  But...

1) could I access both of them through Total Mix (even if two separate instances) at the same time?

2) could I access them independently through two different hosts?  e.g., the Babyface in a standalone ASIO app like TH-U or GigPerformer, the Digiface through a DAW

I could certainly put the Digiface on one of the other machines (with the MOTU or Focusrite) and not have to worry about how/if Total Mix would manage a Babyface Pro and Digiface on the same machine, but it would be nice to have the flexibility.

  • ramses
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Re: Babyface and Digiface USB on same system

to 1) you can not route between two different TM FX instances (of BBF Pro and Digiface USB)
to 2) why not simply using the Digiface USB as primary interface ?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2017-08-11
  • Posts: 13

Re: Babyface and Digiface USB on same system

Thanks, ramses.

To be clear, I don't want to route between two instances.  I just want to know that it's possible to run two instances - one for the Babyface and one for the Digiface.

Regarding "primary interface", I'm not sure how I'd draw a distinction between primary and secondary.  Typical use case, my Babyface is driving my powered studio monitors, has two different active guitar inputs, and handles the MIDI I/O for a guitar foot controller.  It's also sometimes the headphone mix for the guitar, and in every day use (non live) it's the headphone mix for that PC.

That's kind of typical for the different computers.  I have two different sets of vdrums on two systems, microphones, keyboards, and other various analog I/O on the different interfaces.  Only one of these is a dedicated audio PC.  The others are more general use much of the time.

This is a "home studio" situation that also doubles as internet gaming and general hanging out as well as personal home office.

  • ramses
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Re: Babyface and Digiface USB on same system

You can have up to as many instances of TM FX as you have recording interfaces in use.
Be it by same or different driver.

With Primary interface I mean
- the one which you need to connect to the PC and
- whose ASIO driver you load into the DAW

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2017-08-11
  • Posts: 13

Re: Babyface and Digiface USB on same system

Thanks, I thought that would be the case, but I wanted to be sure.

To perhaps clarify my situation, I already do most of what I want to do, except I use a Babyface Pro + a MOTU Traveler on the same machine.

I'm effectively planning on replacing the MOTU Traveler with the Digiface USB to make my life easier.  The role of the MOTU in this case is just routing signals back and forth among three separate computers during live performance so each musician can have an independent headphone mix.  It requires using a bunch of those archaic analog wire things with the 1/4" jacks on them and it's all very confusing to everyone but me because the MOTU mixer app and functionality is far less flexible and intuitive than TotalMix.

It would be really nice if the Babyface and Digiface used the same driver and could be seen by windows as effectively one interface, but I already knew they couldn't.

I just wanted to make sure there weren't any conflicts between the two RME drivers that would prevent me from fully utilizing them at the same time as two completely independent devices, as I currently do with the Babyface and MOTU.

Sounds like you're confirming that I can do this (which was my expectation).  I half expected MC to reply "of course you can, why would you think otherwise?" and I'd say "because other companies sometimes write bad drivers, so I've learned to ask."

  • ramses
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Re: Babyface and Digiface USB on same system

> It would be really nice if the Babyface and Digiface used the same driver and
> could be seen by windows as effectively one interface, but I already knew they couldn't.

From Windows perspective you can see WDM devices from both ASIO drivers in Windows Sound.
But from TM FX perspective you can not mix audio between TM FX instances even if you have multiple
interfaces using the same driver.

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