1 Topic by Ninbura (edited by Ninbura 2021-08-23 16:08:16)

  • From: Utah, USA
  • Registered: 2020-10-08
  • Posts: 104

Topic: Exclude channel from mirror

I like to mirror my headphone and speaker output so that I’m not fumbling between the two sub mixes adjusting the volume for the same source. This way when I switch between said outputs, which I do frequently, I hear the same mix.

Problem is that I also like monitoring my voice via a mic when using headphones, so when I switch to my speakers an almost instantaneous (and very loud) feedback loop occurs because the headphone and speaker outputs are mirrored. The first / logical, and as far as I can tell only solution is to mute my mic before switching outputs. Which was very difficult for me to remember at first, and even now I forget to check if my mic is muted before switching from time to time.

This has had me wishing that Totalmix gave me the capability to exclude channels from within mirrored outputs, preferably on an individual output basis. That way I could completely mirror the two headphone outputs on my UFX+, and then mirror everything but my mic on the speaker output.

Could be that there is already a way to do this, but if there is I’m blind as to the how. If not, I’d think this would be a pretty common scenario, thus justifying a solution?

2x MADI FX | Digiface Dante | Fireface UFX+ | ADI-192 DD
  • waedi
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  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
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Re: Exclude channel from mirror

Try instead of mirroring the channel, copy the other channel, after that you can reduce the mic from the speakers

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • From: Utah, USA
  • Registered: 2020-10-08
  • Posts: 104

Re: Exclude channel from mirror

waedi wrote:

Try instead of mirroring the channel, copy the other channel

I'd still have to copy paste every change between the two sub mixes, and every time I did I'd have to go in and adjust the mic level accordingly.

I've got another UFX+ on the way for other reasons, guess I could send everything but the mic as one mix, and just the mic as another, and then group things on the second interface so the mic is mixed into the headphone outputs but not the speakers. Uses up more ins and outs than I'd like to, and is fairly complicated in relation to the problem I feel (requires two interfaces).

Would like to point out that this functionality is available on generally low end consumer analog mixers that have multiple submixes. Typically you just actuate a button per fader to choose which submix receives it, from there that channel is controlled with the same fader on both submixes. Any single channel (or multiple) can be excluded from either submix by simply leaving the send unpressed. Not to discredit what RME has done with Totalmix, which is far superior to any other mixer I've used in almost every way. But I can't help to feel that there's a gap in functionality here, seems to me that some sort of exclude feature, or even changing the group mute function to view mirrored outputs individually would be best.

I'm sure this functionality would open up new & other exciting possibilities too.

2x MADI FX | Digiface Dante | Fireface UFX+ | ADI-192 DD
  • waedi
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  • From: Swiss Zürich
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Re: Exclude channel from mirror

Yes you are right. When you use the copy paste method you have to copy and paste every time when you do changes.
But the Mic Level can be down for speakers and up for headphone and you can toggle between output A and B without having the feedback noise.
If you use the mirror method then the A and B output are the same and toggling brings feedback.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • bsfreq
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Re: Exclude channel from mirror

If you have ins and outs to spare, you could also go around this limitation by using a physical loopback cable. (madi, adat, whatever you have available.. simply connect from out to in)

-Exclude your mic from your current mix
-Mirror your speaker output to any free output and feed it back to a free input using a loopback cable(s)
-Clear your headphone mix, and only add your looped back stereo mix + your mic to your headphone submix.

Fireface UFX+ | Fireface UFX | Babyface Pro | 12Mic

6 Reply by Ninbura (edited by Ninbura 2021-08-24 22:56:58)

  • From: Utah, USA
  • Registered: 2020-10-08
  • Posts: 104

Re: Exclude channel from mirror

bsfreq wrote:

If you have ins and outs to spare, you could also go around this limitation by using a physical loopback cable. (madi, adat, whatever you have available.. simply connect from out to in)

Good point, not sure why I didn't think of that in terms of doing everything on a single interface.

Still not the most elegant solution, and it requires free ins/outs, but it works.

2x MADI FX | Digiface Dante | Fireface UFX+ | ADI-192 DD