Did you try to run the firmware updater ?

https://rme-audio.de/downloads/fut_madifacenet_win.zip

And it works! Thanks very much Ramses.

Right now I can play website videos, Reaper, Sibelius, and Dorico all at the same time.

Up to the next steps.

Many thanks Ramses.

Two follow up questions:

1. TM FX, that Totalmix FX, correct? How do I bring that up on my computer screen? I had it up yesterday and now I can't find it.
2. I have this big volume button on my ARC USB, but it only controls the volume of my left and right front speakers. Any way I can set it up to control the volume of all six physical outputs?

By the way, I have this speaker setup (and routing in Reaper):

1 = LF (left front)
2 = RF
3 = Center
4 = LFE / subwoofer
5 = LS
6 = RS

Thanks very much Ramses! I figured out how to bring up the Total FX mixer window, there is a little button in the toolbar screen
(Restore / Minimize all TotalMix FX Windows) that toggles it on and off.

I am now working my way through the manual. Next question: does this look right to you? I don't see anything about WMD.

Thanks!

Hi Peter,

you can see in the Settings dialog that a WDM device has been created. See the number "1" next to the "Configure" button.
I recommend that you follow my step-by-step instructions for a valid initial setup for TotalMix FX.
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … rnal-equi/

There you can also find RME tutorial videos which give you the best overview about whats possible with TM FX. Those videos are short and "to the point" without "unnecessary bla factor" so this does not consume much time.
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … al-Videos/

After that pre-briefing by videos and guide you can relax, as your device has a good basic setup. But now you should definitively download the last version of UFX+ manual and browse through it. You will automatically read more closely what might be of interest for you and if there is something that you do not require you only need to browse through this information, so that you remember at least later, that the manual contains information about it, once you might need it later.

Back to your screenshot:

I see in the TM FX "Control Room" at the bottom right that the fader of "Main Out" (usually the volume control of your active monitor) is set to -12dB. That could get pretty loud under certain circumstances. For security reasons, I would first turn it down completely and slowly bring it to a comfortable volume with the monitors activated or first set it to a flat rate of -40dB and ensure that these settings cannot change so easily. I would set the phones outputs to the output level "Low" and -20 or -30, so that nothing can happen here either.

Next save that in all 8 snapshots (which are preset with the name Mix1-8) and save this profile as Profile 1 in the UFX + (Options -> Store current state into device -> Setup 1).
The following things have to be set in the TM FX Preferences (F2):
1. Snapshots section: Do not load "-"
2. [x] Always init DSP devices with TM FX settings

Then, after starting the computer and logging in, the last TM FX settings are used and when you call up a snapshot, the volume is also loaded.

Level mismatches

Mattias Carstens wrote an excellend Forum Article about level mismatch solutions:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=25399
I bought such a switchable attenuator (-10, -20, -30dB) to an affordable price of €22 because I wanted to try it out.
https://www.thomann.de/de/jts_ma_123.htm
An alternative is to get a monitor controller or like I prefer, to get an ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for monitors and phones. Then you connect the ADI digital through either AES or ADAT and the last volume setting is being stored and recalled from last session. By this there is no danger for my monitors and my ears.
An advantage for my setup was that my active monitors have a volume poti which I could down completely and which is still loud enough. I still need -35dBFS (Auto Ref Level turned on) for a comfortably listening level during office work.

Usefool tool / keyboard macro to open / close "TM FX" and "Driver Settings Dialog"

Original from forum member potscrubber, I added it also to my blog with screenshots. Very useful can be to use a macro tool to open close FM FX and Driver Settings simply by a certain combination on your keyboard, if you prefer that more. Here is how you can get it at no additional cost:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … ndruck-DE/
My personal preference is to use ALT-F1 to toggle TM FY window on/off, ALT-F2 to toggle settings dialog on/off.

Hide colums in TM FX

I see in your screenshot, that you have a lot of channels in TM FX.
You can reduce that number by hiding those, that you do not need at the moment.
If you shouldn't use MADI at the moment then you could hide MADI channel 1-60.
The last four MADI channels 60/61 and 61/62 I would keep in "inputs, playbacks, outputs" for some loopback trickeries if/once needed, then you do not need to "sacrifice" channels for loopback, that you do not need.
TM FX -> Options -> Channel Layout, ch 25.5.3:

https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/fface_ufxplus_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/fface_ufxplus_e.pdf

Save your work

Don't forget to make a backup of TM FX settings to computer (initial, current values):
TM FX -> File -> Save Snapshot as
TM FX -> File -> Save Workspace as
I also recommend to use one or two of the Workspace Quick Select slots, e.g.
-1 for the current
-2 for test
-30 backup of current
Then you can recall your TM FX settings quickly with the key combinations
ALT-1 - recall Workspace Quick Select Slot 1 (current, "Latest and greatest" setup)
ALT-2 - recall Workspace Quick Select Slot 2 (maybe a test setup .. or where phones are your main output)
Up to you how you use this ...

Thank you very much Ramses, you are very kind and patient sharing all this information.

Just in case you are wondering, "is this guy ever going to read the manual or watch all the videos?", yes I am! I am just a bit slow digesting the information. This is the first really high end audio interface I ever owned.

Mühsam ernährt sich das eichhörnchen ...

Below are a few picture of my current setup. I have the RME in a rack, and my speakers are hooked up to it. The Elgato Stream Deck is terrific for note entry in engraving programs, and guess what, my beloved old M audio projectmix still works as a midi device with powered faders - alongside the RME. How cool is that.

Allright ... next question.

So Totalmix FX has three color coded sections:

1. red - audio inputs
2. blue - software outputs
3. green - hardware outputs to speakers

So far so good?

Looking at my user interface, I see AN3/4 etc. for hardware outputs to speakers.

Shouldn't it start at 1/2?

Or is 1/2 reserved for 'main'? What does 'main' mean, anyway?

online photo upload and share

Thank you Ramses. You are right, AN 1/2 was assigned to "Main Out".

When you say "control room", what do you mean by that? I have no control room.

And then it comes to "main out", I noticed there are are two XLR outputs on the back, where I plugged in my left and right front monitors. Should I plug them in 3 and 4, instead? In terms of routing channels, does it makes any difference?

By assigning channels to Main Out, Phones you bring them to the control room to be able to make use of useful control room features like DIM, MONO, TALKBACK, ...

Hi Peter,

all that you need is a fader group consisting of Main out and all additional channels that you need. By having Main output in the channel group, you can control all monitors in such a 5.1 surround or whatever setup by TM FX, ARC USB, ..

Here a list of tutorial videos that I have you already in my post #10
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … al-Videos/

There you will find an excellent tutorial from Adrian Lehman (RME) that covers Mute-, Solo-, Fader Groups.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHQxdZT800A

Remember my advice, I would 1st watch all the videos to get an idea, what TM FX can all do for you.
Then it is also easier to remember later, that there is a video that might cover your question.

Your RME support contacts you can find on the Webpage of RME:
https://www.rme-audio.de/support.html

I can also guide you through the steps:

TM FX right side: open "Groups", manual ch 25.5.2
1. Click "Edit" and note the following effects
    - all 3x4 storage places start blinking
    - the button of your TM FX Snapshot starts blinking as reminder to save your changes later
2. Select a free storage place (1..4) under right colum "Fader" ("Edit" button starts blinking)
3. Now click to all channels that you want to have in your fader group.
    As soon as you click to a channel, then the fader knob turns to the color of that fader group.
    If you erraneously clicked to a channel, don't worry, klick againt to it to take it out.
    Selecting a channel toggels it on/off for this fader group that you are editing.
4. Once all channels have been selected by you, click again to the Edit knob.
    Now the blinking stops.

Its even possible to edit such a fader group after definition.
5. Click Edit, select the storage place of the fadergroup that you want to edit,
    selec/deselect channels, click Edit to save the modified fadergroup.

Reminder:
- remember/see the blinking snapshot button, save your changes to this snapshot
- Save the workspace to your computer
- If you use Workspace Quick Select slots then update it there as well

to 1) see manual ch 25.5.2 on page 66
"[...]As soon as the mixer state is changed the button starts flashing[...]"

It indicates, that you introduced a change compared to the mixer status that you stored into this particular snapshot.
This is the usual thing which happens when moving faders or creating a fader group.
After creating the fader group you should save (update) the snapshot again and with the volume levels that you want to start with whenever you recall that snapshot.

Tip: In TotalMix FX you can set in preferences (F2), whether a snapshot should also restore the volume or not, some people prefer that only routing/setting changes are being stored. I personally prefer that TM FX always sets a defined volume and that the UFX+ gets those stored settings from the computer each time when I power it on and loging as user:
F2 (preferences):  Snapshots -> Do not load "---" and
                             Device Handling -> [x] Always init DSP devices with TotalMix FX settings

to 2) Main channels is the stereo pair of outputs which you put into the control room to be able to use control room features like DIM, Mono, etc or to control volume with the ARC USB. It is otherwise still a normal HW output channel.
It's a routing task to decide what you want to hear on each of the Outputs individually.
The usual thing in submix mode
1. select a HW output
2. move faders up or down in the
- top row (HW inputs, audio from the inputs of your UFX+ in near-realtime)
- middle row (SW playback channels, audio from the PC).
Tip: check right under Layout Presets (you might need to open the pull-down menue).
There is a little button "sub". You can toggle this on and off, then TM FX display only those channels of top and middle row, that route audio into the selected HW output, e.g. Main or whatever output you selected.

Always remember, every HW output (also Main) has its own individual submix.
So you need to set the routing for each of the HW Outputs, including main, individually.

Maybe the best way is to use three snapshots in your case:
- Snapshot 1: Stereo via Main Out
- Snapshot 2: 5.1
- Snapshot 3: Phones1

to 1- the colors are predefined, they do not NEED to be red they ARE red for the fader group you choosed
to 2- should be no problem
to 3- in windows you have different audio settings for
a) Windows and applications, that also do not support ASIO
b) Applications, like a DAW, which support ASIO

for a) you need to create WDM devices in the RME driver settings, then you get audio devices in Windows sound settings. There you can make e.g. AN1/2 OUT (assumed your stereo speakers are connected there) to your Windows Default Sound device.
for b) you need to configure the application to use the proper ASIO driver and map 5.1 to the HW Outputs AN 1-6 OUT.

The outputs that you see in Reaper correspond to the SW Playback channels in TM FX middle row.
The real outputs are in the bottom row.
You need to check the routing for each of the "real outputs" in the bottom row.
Assumed you have Submix mode still enabled in TM FX you need to check the routing for each HW output in the bottom row one by one:

1. in TM FX bottom row select HW Output AN1/2 ("Main Out" in control room), check fader settings of  top row (HW inputs) and middle row (SW playbacks, audio from PC/DAW/Application), raise fader of SW Playback Channel AN1/2 to 0dB all other faders down to infinity

2. in TM FX bottom row select HW Output AN3/4, check fader settings of  top row (HW inputs) and middle row (SW playbacks, audio from PC/DAW/Application), raise fader of SW Playback Channel AN3/4 to 0dB all other faders down to infinity

3. in TM FX bottom row select HW Output AN5/6, check fader settings of  top row (HW inputs) and middle row (SW playbacks, audio from PC/DAW/Application), raise fader of SW Playback Channel AN5/6 to 0dB all other faders down to infinity

Blinking means, something has changed. So save again, blinking gone.

nice