1 (edited by thehering 2023-08-07 15:10:26)

Topic: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Hi,

I would like to use the Solo buttons for soloing individual Software Playback channels in TotalMix FX, but the only way it is working for me is if I Mute the channels first. Soloing the Hardware Output channels would also work form, but they only have CUE buttons.

I attached some screenshots of what happens in TotalMix Fx when I try to solo something.

How should I set up TotalMix FX so I can use the Solo buttons as I would normally do in any other app or console?

Cheers,

Balazs

For some reason my images aren't showing up so here are the Dropbox links to them:

1 Totalmix - No Solo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/63k5qwzjpugq2 … o.png?dl=0

2 Totalmix - Solo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/37gofgeobv4go … o.png?dl=0

3 Totalmix - Mute and Solo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bweg1wqw9txl1 … o.png?dl=0

2

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

From the manual:

Solo. As soon as any Solo button is pressed, the Solo Master button lights up in the Control Strip area. With this button all selected Solos are switched off and on again. Solo operates as Solo-in-Place, post fader style, as known from common mixing desks. A typical limitation for mixing desks, Solo working only globally and only for the Main Out, does not exist in TotalMix. Solo is always activated for the current submix only.

In your screenshot it seems the current submix is ADAT 3, so Solo will only work there.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

3 (edited by waedi 2023-08-07 18:47:07)

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Edit :

MC wrote:

From the manual:
Solo. As soon as any Solo button is pressed, the Solo Master button lights up in the Control Strip area. With this button all selected Solos are switched off and on again.

This is true for the mute function but not for the solo function.

As long the S button in the Control Strip is not pressed, the Solo function is not ON.
It does not light up by pressing any solo buttons.
Usermanual seems to need correction.

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Hi Matthias,

Thanks for your quick reply, but unfortunately I still don' understand how solo works in TotalMix FX. I should have stated, that I read the manual, watched all related tutorials and videos and tried searching the forum with no answers to my problem.

How can you tell, that ADAT 3 is the current submix and what does that mean in this case? I am in Free Routing Mode exactly for the reason to avoid only being able to solo one submix.
If the current submix is ADAT 3 as you say, then why can I only solo it when I also Mute it. You can see in my second image, that solo does nothing by itself on ADAT 3.

I probably still don't exactly understand how solo works in TotalMix FX, but to simplify my question, what do I need to do to be able to Solo channels just like I can Mute channels? Because Mute works just like I'd expect it. If I mute any channel it will not go to the Hardware Outputs. If I Solo it nothing happens except the Solo lights up, but everything is still coming out of the Hardware Outputs.

Thanks for your help!

Balazs

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Yes solo does nothing because you did not enabled the whole solo function by clicking the control Section Solo button.
Click this button first.
https://i.ibb.co/ZTWp2TP/Solobutton.jpg

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Hi Waedi,
On my computer, in Free Routing Mode if I have Solo turned off in the Control Strip it will still light up, but dimmed when I press solo on any Software Playback channels. I must admit this is also confusing to me. What does it mean when it is turned off yet still lights up dim orange?

7 (edited by waedi 2023-08-07 16:18:06)

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

That means it is off click it and see the solo buttons change from dark orange to bright orange.
This is a general Solo-function On/Off switch.

Also I recommend to change away from free mode to normal submix mode.

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

What do you mean I did not turn it on? Is'nt it turned on when it is lit up in orange? Even in your image it's obviously on (unless it works in reverse than I would expect it).
If it is grey then it does absolutely nothing even when I press mute first. I would expect it to be off when grey.

9 (edited by waedi 2023-08-07 16:29:14)

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

No in my image it is off.
Indeed it may be confusing for beginners.
But once it is learned then it works.

The orange color indicates the solo function.
Dim and bright indicates On/Off position

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

In these images which one is considered on and which one off?

Image 1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hq9sb6v20tenn … 1.png?dl=0

Image 2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ou74bor3jht8t … 2.png?dl=0

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

image 1 is ON
image 2 is Off

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

That's what I thought so in my initial image it was ON (brighter orange).

With that out of the way it still does not solve my problem unfortunately. The only difference it makes when turned on is, that I can solo if I Mute the channel first which is very strange.

And it works exactly the same in Submix Routing Mode. Which is not an option for me anyway since I am monitoring Dolby Atmos (12 channels) and I want to see all faders up at unity gain at the same time and not by choosing them one by one.

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

I never use free mode, I would be lost.
That thing with Mute first is weird I can't reproduce this issue.
At moment I have only the Digiface USB at hand.
What is your interface ? Is Totalmix version 1.83 ?

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Waedi, thanks for taking the time to clear that up! Does Solo work on your computer as intended?
When Control Strip Solo is turned ON and you press Solo on a channel, does it mute all other channels on the Hardware Out? If not, then pleas explain to me what exactly it does and what is it's purpose other then soloing that single channel and muting everything that is not soloed?

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

TotalMix FX is 1.8.
i would think my interface is irrelevant as it is connected via ADAT to the Digiface USB. TotalMix only sees the ADAT outputs and that is fine for me. I would like to solo each ADAT OUT one by one or the Software Playback channels going to them, either is fine for me.

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Upgraded to 1.83, but no change unfortunately.

Should I contact support? I would just like to find out if there is maybe something wrong in my system or just my settings are wrong?

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Yes it works for me the way I like it.
Solo function is part of a submix it works there.
It is not muting other hardware outputs !
The outputs are always On.
Solo a channel makes that channel solo on the active output channel, in other words there where it is routed.
I have no idea how you can route a signal to a desired output channel when in free-mode.
Where is that solo signal suposed to go ?

What I can see is, the Mute function is global, not part of the submix, it works the. same in Submix-mode and in free-mode.
But the Solo-function is part of a submix, may be thats why you had the impression of having the mute pressed first in order to use solo.

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

18 (edited by thehering 2023-08-07 17:34:09)

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

I should probably write down the way I intend to use it to clear things up. I basically got a Digiface USB, ARC USB and TotalMix FX as a monitor controller for Dolby Atmos. I route my 12 channels (7.1.4) DAW outputs and software audio outputs to Rouge Amoeba Loopback as my system audio and that goes out to 12 ADAT channels through the Digiface USB to my converters. Everything works fine in TotalMix FX as the monitor controller, I can change the volume of all 12 channels at the same time, I can mute each channel individually or in groups. The only thing that is weird, that I can only solo channels when they are muted. If mute is not on then basically nothing happens besides the lights turning orange.

I hope that clears up my out of the ordinary use case, but I would still like to solve this somehow smile

Thanks for anyone that can help!

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

I found out the Solo is more powerful than the mute.
If a channel is mutet and then press solo it is sending signal to the desired routed output channel.
In your case you muted and soloed a channel for having it solo and muted on all other output channels.
Thats a crux of free-mode.
When Solo-function is switched ON a channel can get solo on its routed output but it does not affect other outputs.
This is not what you want.
You want everything is silent only the solo signal is loud. That's not possible.

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Thanks for looking into it Waedi!

So this is it? No way to make Solo work like solo usually works without muting everything first? I mean Logic for example also mutes everything whaen soloing, but it does it automatically when I press solo. Also the "solo is more powerful than the mute" is true in Logic, but I can still solo things as well without me having to mute everything first.

Is there no workaround to this behaviour of the mixer?

21 (edited by waedi 2023-08-07 18:21:58)

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Unfortunately not for you.
In Submix-mode with a stereo-set speakers then it works exactly as you want.
If you would use a headphone for listening the solo this would bring you more close to that.

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

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Hi all
Cannot reproduce the issue.
Babyface pro, macOS 13.5, driver v4.08, Totalmix FX 1.83
Maybe it would be good to do a total reset of Totalmix and begin from scratch again?

UCX - FF 400 - Babyface pro - Digiface USB - ADI-2 (original)
Mac mini M1 - Macbook pro - iPad Air2

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Hi Oli77sch,

What do you mean "reproduce the issue"?

Above it was stated by Waedi, that this is how TotalMix's architecture works and it is not an "issue" or bug, but intended feature. Do you think it might be a bug and I should be able to solo individual channels when each channel is routed to it's own output. So there is no confusion, I am not mixing channels to one or more outputs, but just sending 1 software output to 1 dedicated hardware output for monitoring multichannel audio. I want to solo those Hardware Outputs or the Software Playback channels routed to them.

Re: How does Solo work in TotalMix FX?

Ah sorry, maybe I didn’t read carefully enough then. Yes, the solo function of one particular channel is related to the active submix. But in my opinion it shouldn’t be necessary to mute the channels first. At least it’s what I found out so far.

UCX - FF 400 - Babyface pro - Digiface USB - ADI-2 (original)
Mac mini M1 - Macbook pro - iPad Air2