• Registered: 2010-10-22
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Totalmix conundrum

I have a FF400 I'm using to record drums for my current project on my old 2009 XP PC I use just for recording.  A few years ago I convinced the same drummer we could record with the audio from Samplitude with the drum track outputs muted as he
could hear the live drums well enough thro' the headphones with the pre-recorded audio, as the latency was a big problem - Lester's timing is so good I can edit to within 1ms or so.  This time I thought I should be able to create a headphone mix of
the playback from Samplitude, with the input from the mics without delay, and I watched a few videos and experimented with
a mic at home, but at the first session he was the one who suggested we record the way we did before, ie without a foldback of the drums thro' the headphones.  I can't see why it doesn't work.  I highlight the drum tracks on the input and select headphone output; I have headphones selected on the bottom section and I can hear the input but there is a delay.  I've tried
clicking on different selections on the monitor phones and monitor main sections, but I had to give up as we wanted to get on with the session.  I presume what I hear is thro' the DAW and not the mics.  The version of TM I have is from 2010, which is different than the FX version I see on YouTube, but presumably it should work.  I'll be able to get on with my recording but it seems a shame not to be able to get the thing to work.  Any advice appreciated.  Thanks, Jamie.

  • Registered: 2021-12-30
  • Posts: 151

Re: Totalmix conundrum

If I understand correctly, you will want to disable any monitoring through your DAW. Next, try clicking/highlighting the headphone output in TotalMix first and THEN bring up your levels on the mic input channels. There should be very little latency this way.

I'm not an expert, especially if it's an older version of TotalMix, but this should give you what you're trying to achieve. others will be along shortly if I'm incorrect.

Good luck!

-Steve

  • Registered: 2010-10-22
  • Posts: 7

Re: Totalmix conundrum

Thanks, I'll try that next time.  Obviously we need to hear the backing/click track in the headphones.  If I mute the recording
tracks' outputs from Samplitude I hear the backing and don't hear any drums, but I don't see why the inputs on Totalmix which are directed to the headphones are not giving the output of the mics.  If I unmute the Samplitude tracks I'm back to latency problems.  How do I hear just the output from the drum mics?

  • waedi
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  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
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Re: Totalmix conundrum

How did you directed them to the headphone ?
If you select PH headphones at the bottom of each mic channel, thats wrong don't do that.
The way to do it correct :
Click the headphone output channel in the bottom row to highlight the channel.
Now raise each fader of those mics in the top row.

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

5 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2022-11-17 14:24:57)

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,861

Re: Totalmix conundrum

waedi wrote:

How did you directed them to the headphone ?
If you select PH headphones at the bottom of each mic channel, thats wrong don't do that.

What you want to prevent is only applicable for the routing mode "free mode".
In the default routing mode "submix mode" this is only another way for selecting the submix,
as if you would click to the HW output as you describe further on.

@VitalSigns:

The steps [in submix mode]
0. Make sure you are in submix mode (see TM FX top right side, blue area)
1. TM FX bottom row: select HW output of phones to select the submix for HW inputs / SW playbacks in top/middle row
2. TM FX middle row: move the SW playback fader of the backing track to 0dB to hear the backing track from DAW
    The middle row represents audio coming from the PC/Application/DAW
3. TM FX top row: move the fader of HW inputs (drum recording) to add it to the submix
    The top row represents audio coming from the HW inputs of the recording interface.
    Here you have for the TM FX monitoring near-zero latency because you have only the latency of the A/D conversion.

You might need to turn down the faders of HW inputs / SW playbacks a little if the audio sum overloads the phones channels (over 0dB). Best leave a bit of headroom, this is only for the monitoring mix.

If you are recording your drum signal, then audio from the HW inputs is passed unchanged to the DAW.
If I remember right, there is latency compensation in place when you are recording drums according to the backing track.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • vinark
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  • Registered: 2009-06-05
  • Posts: 2,738

Re: Totalmix conundrum

I have not read completely, but be sure direct monitoring is off, in both samplitude as totalmix. Otherwise samplitude might mute the inputs when you mute them in the daw (direct monitoring makes TMFX controlable from the daw)

Vincent, Amsterdam
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  • Registered: 2010-10-22
  • Posts: 7

Re: Totalmix conundrum

Thanks for all that.  I have a problem in that the FF400 is at the drummers' studio.  I have a spare RE20 and BG1 and I tried
that just now at home, but my soundcard is an RME HDSP9632 and the Totalmix software is different - it doesn't have headphones as an option in the clickdown buttons, just the AN1+AN2 etc in the Monitor Phones section.  I managed to get playback of the DAW tracks and the drum input without delay by muting the recording track; putting all the faders up; simply clicking the AN1 button on the bottom row and the AN1 botton on the Monitor Phones section, with all the four I/O green buttons on.  Hopefully that will translate to the FF400, but that has a lot more buttons!

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: Totalmix conundrum

Main Out, Main Out B, Phones1..4, .. These are channels in the TM FX control room.
You can map any HW output to these control room channels using the Assign button (at least in TotalMix FX).

But you do not need any control room feature here ...

What has been told works ins principle for all HW outputs regardless of TM FX version.

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