Topic: RME WMD device configuration?

hi there, I'm new to the forum, recently purchased a fire face UFX 2.  Was wondering if someone can explain what checking or unchecking the boxes in the WDM devices actually does - 'analogue 1+2" / 'analogue 3+4'?  I read the manual, which has left me even more confused...

I have managed to route my G comp compressor through the fireface's ins and outs that are 'unchecked' in this menu, so I'm guessing they don't turn the inputs / outs on or off?  Do they enable the inputs in the total mix software maybe?

The manual doesn't tell you in plain English what they actually do.

Any help appreciated, thanks.

2 (edited by ramses 2021-03-13 10:38:59)

Re: RME WMD device configuration?

The usual way to access your recording interface is by using an ASIO driver which bypasses the Windows Sound system completely to achieve best stability and lowest latencies.

Applications like your DAW and some music player also support ASIO.

But the Windows Operating System and most applications (Firefox Browser, Zoom communicator, ..) do not support ASIO.
For this you need a Windows compatible driver.

In the RME driver settings you can create such windows compatible drivers, called WDM (Windows Driver Model) driver.

Its not so good to enable WDM driver for each of the I/O ports that your recording interface has, because too many WDM drivers can put some stress to your CPU during boot, as the WDM devices become created dynamically by the driver.

So it's "best practise" to enable WDM driver only for those I/O ports, which are needed for your non-ASIO aware applications.

The 2nd TAB speaker is an optional thing, it takes care, that for the selected port you get a speaker symbol shown in the Windows Sound settings. An other difference I can not see, I regard this as an optional point that you can do or not do.

Keep the Windows Sound settings window open while configuring WDM in the RME driver settings, then you will see that the WDM devices in Windows Sound will be created dynamically depending on whether you create or remove WDM drivers on a per port setting.

I only add a WDM driver for the port, where I have connected the main monitors.
For you this might be Analog 1/2. My Monitors are connected to ADI-2 Pro which is connected to the UFX+ through AES.
So for me it is the AES port ...

Last step in the RME driver settings is to mark this port as Speaker device.
Then in Windows Sound setting make this speaker device to the standard sound device.
Done.

If you need more ports accessible by Windows or other non-ASIO aware applications, then simply add them in the RME driver settings ...

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

Re: RME WMD device configuration?

Thank's for your reply.

Ah okay, so just to clarify, I don't actually need to be enabling these WMD options to use the interface properly with my DAW?  They're just if I need to point windows in the right direction of an I/O on the interface (for a windows based application that doesn't use ASIO)?

That would explain why my ins/outs are working in my DAW with none of these checked.

Re: RME WMD device configuration?

> Ah okay, so just to clarify, I don't actually need to be enabling these WMD options to use the interface properly
> with my DAW?

Use the ASIO driver for all applications that support ASIO (DAW, ..).
For OS and all other non-ASIO supporting application you need to use the WDM driver as I mentioned already.

> That would explain why my ins/outs are working in my DAW with none of these checked.

Yes.

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

Re: RME WMD device configuration?

Great, many thanks! I understand the manual now, but wouldn't have without reading your explanation first.  Thanks.

Re: RME WMD device configuration?

You're welcome wink

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