1 (edited by LB82 2021-11-13 09:10:02)

Topic: TotalMix external hardware routing with Digiface USB

Good morning.

My setup is: Digiface USB + 2 x ADI 8 Ds + ADI 8 Pro + Octamic II.

I am trying to eliminate the analog mixer from my signal path and route everything via TotalMix but I'm having troubles in creating auxes/returns to send signal to external hardware reverbs, delays etc.

I know Digiface USB doesn't support TotalMix FX but standard TotalMix (no "FX"), is that the reason that I see less routing possibilities than what I read in the manual and see in the video tutorials or it is just that I still can't understand how to do it?

Thanks for your help

2 (edited by ramses 2021-11-13 10:49:20)

Re: TotalMix external hardware routing with Digiface USB

"TotalMix FX" is simply the product name of the newer TotalMix version.
The letters "FX" have nothing to do whether there are FX in a recording device or not.
So you have the same routing possibilities in Digiface USB like everybody else.

There are sometimes minor exceptions based on the HW, which are then documented in the manual. But routing audio through an HW output in submix mode and recording the wet signal from a HW input is a basic routing functionality that all recording interfaces have.

You have two possibilities:

a) routing inside TM FX

Send audio to an output which is connected to the input of an external effect.
Connect it's output to another input and then you can record the wet signal there at the analog input.

b) define external device in the DAW if it is supported

If you have a DAW like Cubase then it's even simpler, there you can define external FX devices by configuring an output and input port and then you can use it like a VST. Cubase then also automatically "pings" through the device to calculate the RTL properly.

Regarding Option a) and routing in TM FX

- Best being performed in TM FX "submix mode" (check TM FX upper right, blue area).
- If you want to route audio to an output, then you select this Hardware Output in the bottom row of TM FX.
- Then you can create an individual submix for this particular output by raising the faders of
   - HW inputs (top row with very low near-realtime latency) or
   - SW playbacks (middle row with the typical RTL through USB/TB)
- If your signal comes from
  - an input, raise the fader of this HW input in the top row ....
  - the PC / the DAW, raise the fader of this SW playback in the middle row ....
                                                                                                  .... and you'll see a signal arriving at the ext. HW.

My recommandation to you

Try a DAW like Cubase, the handing there with external devices is meanwhile extremely easy.
I personally would prefer b) when working with a DAW because of
- the very easy handling and
- the automatic RTL calculation that takes place

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

Re: TotalMix external hardware routing with Digiface USB

ramses wrote:

"TotalMix FX" is simply the product name of the newer TotalMix version.
The letters "FX" have nothing to do whether there are FX in a recording device or not.
So you have the same routing possibilities in Digiface USB like everybody else.

Two possibilities:

a) routing inside TM FX

Send audio to an output which is connected to the input of an external effect.
Connect it's output to another input and then you can record the wet signal there at the analog input.

b) define external device in the DAW if it is supported

If you have a DAW like Cubase then it's even simpler, there you can define external FX devices by configuring an output and input port and then you can use it like a VST. Cubase then also automatically "pings" through the device to calculate the RTL properly.

I personally would prefer b) when working with a DAW because of the automatic RTL calculation.

Regarding Option a) and routing

- Best being performed in TM FX "submix mode" (check TM FX upper right, blue area).
- If you want to route audio to an output, then you select this Hardware Output in the bottom row of TM FX.
- Then you can create an individual submix for this particular output by raising the faders of
   - HW inputs (top row with very low near-realtime latency) or
   - SW playbacks (middle row with the typical RTL through USB/TB)
- If your signal comes from
  - an input, raise the fader of this HW input in the top row ....
  - the PC / the DAW, raise the fader of this SW playback in the middle row ....
                                                                                                  .... and you'll see a signal arriving at the ext. HW.


Hello,

I use Cubase since a long time, I have no problems in doing external routings within it when I'm recording/working with it.
What I'm trying to do is taking away the analog mixer when I use a synth setup which is controlled by a hardware sequencer, writing songs on the sequencer + synths/drum machine + effects racks.
I wanted to avoid to configure and "keep an eye" also at Cubase and just use Totalmix (which I never really used much).

Anyway, I just found out reading your answer that I always had the "hide control strip" option ticked in TotalMix...
Now I see the blue area/submix page that you are writing about, I will work on it.

I knew that it was my error and that I could do that routing somehow but I needed someone to help me figure out what I was doing wrong.

Thanks!

4 (edited by ramses 2021-11-13 10:59:12)

Re: TotalMix external hardware routing with Digiface USB

See this nice video from Greg Ondo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-N-9AGlrXk
This video shows how easy it is to integrate external FX into cubase.

Most important, the wet audio will return in time, as Cubase can perform a delay calculation here.
This you wouldn't have when only performing the routing through TM FX.

For a great overview about routing in TM FX, see this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcWClPViBm0

Here I compiled a list of different RME training videos:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … al-Videos/

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

5 (edited by LB82 2021-11-13 11:23:24)

Re: TotalMix external hardware routing with Digiface USB

ramses wrote:

See this nice video from Greg Ondo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-N-9AGlrXk
This video shows how easy it is to integrate external FX into cubase.

Most important, the wet audio will return in time, as Cubase can perform a delay calculation here.
This you wouldn't have when only performing the routing through TM FX.

For a great overview about routing in TM FX, see this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcWClPViBm0

Here I compiled a list of different RME training videos:
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ind … al-Videos/



Maybe I didn't explain myself in my previous post: I can already do external effects routing in Cubase, set ins/outs, send the "ping" signal to sync everything, do gain staging, etc. everything works fine within Cubase.
To put it simply: I just wanted to use TM as I would use an analog line mixer, without having to open Cubase.

I watched all tutorials of TotalMix online and read my Digiface manual, in the end the problem was that I wasn't seeing the blue area you were writing aboutt, I thought it was somehow a "missing feature" in my TM version, so to speak.
Now that I see that window I can work on it.

Thanks

Re: TotalMix external hardware routing with Digiface USB

ok thanks understood now.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

Re: TotalMix external hardware routing with Digiface USB

ramses wrote:

ok thanks understood now.

No problem, thanks