• Registered: 2021-04-26
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Topic: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

I'll be using the interface to output 5.1 surround sound  to speakers from Wwise audio engine software.

  • From: Switzerland, Zürich
  • Registered: 2013-02-20
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

I use a RME UFX and also a RME UFX II for this. Either works for this.

If you have need less channels (no crossover) than a RME UC or UCX will work.

Actually Stereo 4-Way crossover (8 channels) and 2 (3) channel for C, surround left, surround right= 2 (3) channels.

  • waedi
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

cdelapena wrote:

I'll be using the interface to output 5.1 surround sound  to speakers from Wwise audio engine software.

Unfortunately the wwise website does not tell about the output format.
Are these 5.1 audio signals available seperate or is the software just estimating a HDMI-connected surround receiver ?
For using RME interface the audio signals must be available seperate.

I think this is not the case.
It is a gaming sound production software and it probably wants to be placed into your gaming environment.

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

4 Reply by MetalHeadKeys (edited by MetalHeadKeys 2021-04-28 02:37:34)

  • Registered: 2019-10-01
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

cdelapena wrote:

I'll be using the interface to output 5.1 surround sound  to speakers from Wwise audio engine software.

Hello!

All RME Interfaces are capable of this!

The differences are that some do not have all the physical Outputs and require additional, external ADAT or MADI converters, or expansion cards,
and some do have the physical Outputs, like the UFX and the UFXII, that pschelbert mentioned! Also, the UFX+.

Which one to choose depends on what you 're looking for! (Usb, Pci-e) (UFX+ offers both Usb3 and Thunderbolt)
Also, on what Sample Rate are you planning to work on?

@waedi
It 's a game sound-designing platform! I didn't know about it, either, but I guess it uses WDM for Windows, CoreAudio for Mac etc

RME Gear: Digiface USB, HDSP 9632

5 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2021-04-28 09:38:10)

  • waedi
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

I found a user manual of this software 921 pages, audio channel configuration offers select 5.1 or 7.1, Windows and DirectSound will downmix to stereo.
I assume that audio interfaces will receive only a stereo signal.
And I didn't see any RME interface with surround decoding options, it's all stereo.

https://www.audiokinetic.com/files/?get … ide_en.pdf
see page 35

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • ramses
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

waedi wrote:

And I didn't see any RME interface with surround decoding options, it's all stereo.

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=30351
https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=29246

ch 8
https://www.rme-audio.de/download/fface_ufxplus_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/download/fface_ufxplus_e.pdf

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • waedi
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

And how is Totalmix splitting a 5.1 surround stream format into 6 mono channels ?

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • From: Germany
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

waedi wrote:

And how is Totalmix splitting a 5.1 surround stream format into 6 mono channels ?

Totalmix does not decode surround signals.

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

9 Reply by pschelbert (edited by pschelbert 2021-04-28 20:34:45)

  • From: Switzerland, Zürich
  • Registered: 2013-02-20
  • Posts: 193

Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

no need for RME to decode surround.

The way it works is to feed the required channels over USB from RME. 5.1 or 7.1 or any other format.

The DAW has to feed these channels.

As a consumer you have a flac-file containing the surround, 4.0, 5. 0, 5.1 or any other. Then run a surround capable player. I use JRiver. Then you get the output whats in you flac file.

I the flac is:
Stereo the you get 2 channels
4.0 the you get 4 channels
5.0 the you get 5 channels
5.1 then you get 6 channels

out.

Also you can Upmix from stereo to any number of channels with the right software (in a DAW or aplayer which supports upmix)

Thes channels go to the digital output of Totalmix.

Then you route these channels to the speakers you want.

Its easy.

10 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2021-04-28 21:25:44)

  • waedi
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

Here are two different things banging together, the gaming industry and musicproducers.
The Wwise software does not export audiofiles like Flac. the end product is a file-package that goes to the game developer for embedding into the game.
The file-package contains motion objects, sounds and music.
Typically the software is good for connecting a sound (klicky-klacky-noise of a weapon) to a motion object or the Uuh-Aah screams of the shooted guys, during the work you may want to monitor the sound in the surroundfield.
For using a audio-interface, the computer must decode the output stream into mono audio channels.
Windows seems to have surround speaker configurations, in Mac i din't see such.
But then you can use every RME interface mentioned above.

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

11 Reply by pschelbert (edited by pschelbert 2021-04-28 21:56:11)

  • From: Switzerland, Zürich
  • Registered: 2013-02-20
  • Posts: 193

Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

Then the gaming software must be able to separate the channels. Otherwise how you would in general get the channels out.
This issue is a general problem. Not related to RME. If you can geht channels out it will work with RME.

  • Registered: 2021-04-26
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

Thanks everyone for the great answers. It seems like any of the RME interfaces (with enough outputs) support what I'm trying to do. I should have left more detail. I will be using the interface for both game audio surround and music surround production. I'll be using both Reaper and Pro tools. I'm not worried as much about the DAW to interface as any interface with enough outputs will work. Wwise does use the existing Windows codecs/drivers for surround sound output so being able to select a surround sound interface in the Windows system sounds menu is what I need. That way I can (in theory) use the interface as a windows surround sound device to output surround sound from Wwise (implementation of surround sound) and listen to my implemented surround sound from the actual game, then be able to go back to my DAW and make adjustments as seamless as possible. So in essence the interface is replacing the internal PC sound card to playback surround sound from windows surround applications while still being able to route surround sound from my DAW. Thanks again!

  • ramses
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Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

If you want to compare some USB/FW/TB interface, check my Excel with information from various source: web, manual, forum.
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … B-MADIfac/
Direct link to Excel (DE and EN): https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/index.ph … 0-08-xlsx/

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • From: Switzerland, Zürich
  • Registered: 2013-02-20
  • Posts: 193

Re: Which RME Interfaces can be set as a 5.1 Windows Playback Device?

cdelpena, yes the RME's  will work as a "Windows Sound Card". I use it this way for spotify and youtube.

For real high quality (with Reaper, Protools) I would use ASIO.
You can do both on the same Computer.