I don't understand. I thought the Babyface can only be used with a USB connection, and it doesn't have a power button. I don't have a power supply, so I guess I can't activate standalone mode?

Exactly ! Step by step it comes alive !

Interesting. It doesn't go into specifics about turning on phantom power. Did he turn on phantom power when connected to the computer via USB?

I see. So he connected the Babyface with a power supply, right? Well, my setup at the moment doesn’t allow me to do so. Does this mean that I can never use the standalone mode of the interface? If that’s the case, then how do I turn on phantom power using my computer? Thanks!

Thank you for your reply, waedi. I have another idea -- if I email you my snapshot / workspace, can you create an alternative snapshot / workspace with the phantom power switched on for analogue input 1? Just curious. Thank you!

Ah, yes, if someone else owns a Babyface Pro FS and wouldn't mind working on my work space / snapshot file to get the phantom power on, as the Total Mix FX is not accessible by a screen reader. The menu bar is accessible, but if I want to change settings, none of this is operable by me, sadly! Thanks for any help!!!

Hi again
I just found out it's possible to assign either the A SET or MIX B or DIM button to phantom power on/off.
When TotalMix FX app is running and in the foreground it's
Menu - Options - ARC & Key Command Settings...
But sadly I don't know if the now opening settings window is accessible by the screen reader. Also I don't know if it's a good idea to set one of the buttons to a new function.

I can read the dialog that opens, but sadly it looks like the settings are for the ARC USB and not the Babyface buttons. Here's some text I was able to get (note, you're seeing what my screen reader is saying).

Remote Controller Drop down, text edit,  Select (Default)
OUT Drop down, text edit,  Set Recall (press 2s; Default)
A Drop down, text edit,  TotalMix FX Mix Mode (Default)
B Drop down, text edit,  DIM Main Out (Default)
Function Keys Drop down, text edit,  Snapshot 1
Drop down, text edit,  Load
F4 Drop down, text edit,  Snapshot 2
Drop down, text edit,  Load
F5 Drop down, text edit,  Snapshot 3
Drop down, text edit,  Load
F6 Drop down, text edit,  Snapshot 4
Drop down, text edit,  Load
F7 Drop down, text edit,  Snapshot 5
Drop down, text edit,  Load

Any of this sound familiar to you?

Thanks!

David

The drop down list includes about 40 entries. Phantom 1 and Phantom 2 are the last ones in that list.

Hi David, I just sent the mail with the workspace files.
If you want to try to assign the phantom power on or off function to one of the hardware buttons, here come some informations:
In the window called "ARC and Key command settings", there are two tabs. The first one is just right and it's the one with the drop down menus you already got. It's selected by default after opening the settings window.
In the list there are 52 entries. As MC wrote, "phantom 1" and "phantom 2" are the last two ones, so numbers 51 and 52. For example: if you want to use the button A on the Babyface, you navigate to "A", using the tab key. Hitting the arrow down key, you open the list and the first entry is marked at the same time.
Now you have two possibilities. First one is to hit arrow down 51 times to reach "phantom 1" or of course 52 times to reach "phantom 2". Because this two entries are the only ones with the letter P, you also can hit the "P" key once as soon you have the list open to reach directly the entry "phantom 1". With one hit on arrow down you then reach "phantom 2".

To select "phantom 1" for button "A" it would be as follows:
Settings window is open. Then:
Tab, Tab, arrow down, P, enter, enter.
The second time "enter" means "ok" and window closing.

Second example:
To select "phantom 2" for button "DIM", settings window already open it would be:
tab, tab, tab, tab, arrow down, P, arrow down, enter, enter
Now it should be set and the window closed.

Note that after having done this settings, phantom power is still on the last state you had it before. You have to press the assigned button once to change that.
Another important thing is, all what I wrote above concerning the navigation in the settings window is only true as long the default settings are active. Sadly it changes as soon there are custom settings made for the buttons. There is a second column of drop down menus which becomes partially active when you assign a new function for a particular button. Using the tab key, it now jumps forth and back between the two columns and there would be another number of tab hits needed to reach the right drop down menu.

The Babyface pro (FS) has three independent working modes which are native driver on computer, class compliant on computer or mobile device and standalone mode without any connection to a computer. It would not help to enable phantom power in standalone mode because this setting wouldn’t stay active when connecting the interface to the computer after that. It would immediately load the settings and mixer state from the last TotalMix state on the computer.
It only works the other way round, the Babyface pro holds the last settings after switching off the computer as long it’s self powered (over a powered hub or a power adapter).

There is no display interface with buttons other than Totalmix.
Oli described a step-by-step instruction to assign the Babyface buttons "A SET" or "DIM" to phantom-power ON/OFF
You have to open the Fireface USB Settings dialog window.
Then follow thru the instruction.
Tell us if you understand this : Tab, Tab, arrow down, P, enter, enter

Oh my bad error I was on the Babyface only, I did overlook you and Oli are on the ARC.
I think it's easier to stay on one device, as the Babyface has this buttons.
The remapping of these buttons is part of Totalmix options.

Ahh then everything is fine, That is the same for the ARC device and for the Babyface.
Then the settings window is not the Fireface USB Settings dialog, it is the settings window of the Totalmix options.
From there you should be able to work thru the instructions...?

OK, you are right. I forgot about that.

But, it happens to me from time to time with RME interfaces, that TotalMix tells me that there is different configuration in interface than in TotalMix and TM asks me which one I want to keep, the one in interface or the one in TotalMix.

So under certain conditions it is posiible to keep interface set as it is despite TotalMix settings...

I have Fireface 802, UC, UCX and Digiface USB. Not sure if all exhibit such a behaviour....

There are different concepts on RME interfaces. Some of them have an internal memory for user TotalMix configurations. The Babyface models don’t have. I don’t know how it is on the original model. The pro and pro FS have a separate standalone mode which is independent from the native driver computer mode. It’s not possible to configure the unit on the computer for standalone uses. Only exception is what I wrote above, having the Babyface still powered after disconnecting it from the computer or switching the computer off.

But I meant it vice versa. That if one modifies setup of BF while unit standalone, maybe when again reconnected to PC TM would ask whether use current BF setting or load TM setting to BF. TM may know that reconnected BF does not have factory settings, so it may assume, one might want to keep current BF settings and not want to rewrite it by TM settings.

The steps would be:
1) Have BF connected to PC, load desired snapshot.
2) Force BF to standalone mode (switch off PC or use powered USB hub and disconnect it from PC) and change BF settings
3) Force BF into nonstandalone mode (switch on PC, or connect PC to powered USB hub). TM might ask what to do, or not. I do not know and cannot test, I do not have BF.

I could try it with DIGIface USB that might behave similar like BF. It also does not have memory to store settings for use on next power on if standalone.

As I wrote, time from time TM asks me if current interface setup should be used (loaded to TM) or TM setting should be sent to RME device. I am not sure under what conditions that happens...

It is indeed unclear. The user manual is missing details about this.
Number 5 A
Try this one, it can be the A SET button, second button from left above the big rotary wheel knob

No, the SET button is good for being the phantom-power switch.
From the user manual :
Press IN several times to step through the inputs 1/2, 3/4 and Optical (SPDIF/ADAT).
Press SELECT several times to step through left, right or both channels.
Then turn the wheel to change the gain

The SELECT button is bottom left on the surface of the Babyface.
The "A SET" button is top second from left.

OK, it was just my guess, it could work so. Just for curiosity, I will try with Digiface USB.

Oh wow, I was very much confused. Even the hints at the buttons is mixed up!

Yesterday, Oli on this forum sent me a workspace where the mix/set (A) button is set to phantom power. Today I looked at the arc key commands settings and this is what I found:

OUT dropdown text edit Phantom 1
dropdown text edit Toggle
A dropdown text edit TotalMix FX Mix Mode (Default)
B dropdown text edit DIM Main Out (Default)

So, according to my screen reader, the "out" button is now set to "phantom 1." But when I pressed the "out" button, it switches between the available outputs I have on the Babyface.

This can only mean one thing -- the Total Mix FX interface has really bad accessibility, that my screen reader reports the wrong button / control adjusting various features. This is very sad!

David

I'll get the microphone later today (just heard it was delivered and I'll pick it up this evening), so I can't tell if 48V Phantom Power is engaged till I plug the microphone in. But what's confusing to me was the interface. Oli told me he got button "A" as phantom power, but it had been reported incorrectly by my screen reader to be the "out" dropdown menu. This is because of the design of the Total Mix FX interface has problems, unfortunately.

Hope this now makes a bit more sense.

David

Sorry to hear about the confusion, David. I just double checked the workspace file I've sent you. I opened it now on my Macbook which has an older macOS version than the Mac mini where I created and saved the file yesterday. I can ensure you, there is all as it should be. Phantom power for first mic input channel is assigned to button 'A SET'. And with my Babyface pro it works. So I would suggest to try, if the 'A SET' button on your Babyface pro FS toggles between phantom power on and off. I guess, it's the screenreader reporting incorrectly the dropdown list.