• Registered: 2024-03-20
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Using Autotune in TotalMix FX

Hi Everybody, I am leaning heavily towards buying the Babyface Pro FS to upgrade my setup. One thing I would like to know is there a way to load Autotune in TotalMix FX to print or monitor on vocal recordings. I appreciate anyone that can help clear this up. Looking forward to becoming an official RME user.

  • waedi
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
  • Posts: 3,422

Re: Using Autotune in TotalMix FX

This topic is covered since 100 years. No, it's not possible to load any plugins into Totalmix.
Totalmix is not a DAW, you better record the signal pure into a DAW and use any plugins afterwards.
The Babyface Pro FS ist the best choice for beginners and all Youtube videos about Totalmix are highly recommended.

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

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-03-20 08:23:19)

  • ramses
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  • Registered: 2012-10-14
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Re: Using Autotune in TotalMix FX

D-Notes wrote:

Hi Everybody, I am leaning heavily towards buying the Babyface Pro FS to upgrade my setup. One thing I would like to know is there a way to load Autotune in TotalMix FX to print or monitor on vocal recordings. I appreciate anyone that can help clear this up. Looking forward to becoming an official RME user.

TotalMix FX is for controlling the FPGA/DSP on the interfaces.
For optimum user experience and stability, the application focuses on that.

3rd party plugins (VST/VSTi) are the number one reason for instabilities in DAW's.
Those instabilities are not wanted in TotalMix FX, therefore this design decision.

But this is no problem, you can use VST and VSTi at any time in your DAW as send or insert. Or you can even use external effects and use them in TotalMix FX or define them as VST in the DAW and use them as insert and sent.

There are also a few recording interfaces available with FX. But you have only one effect bus where you can add exactly those FX to monitoring mixes. The Babyface Pro FS with partial implementation, part of FX is rendered on the PC. This is required, otherwise this interface could not be operated bus-powered (has an optional PSU).
The other interfaces that offer this have a dedicated FPGA for that (UCX II, 802 FS, UFX II, UFX III). The only PCIe card with FX chip is the HDSPe MADI FX.

Babyface Pro FS is an excellent interface. If your budget allows, the UCX II would give you a lot more possibilities.

For an overview of RME interfaces (excluded PCI/PCIe based interfaces) and capabilities, you can use my Excel comparison sheet, which puts together a lot of details.  https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=35156

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2016-06-14
  • Posts: 979

Re: Using Autotune in TotalMix FX

ramses wrote:

TotalMix FX is for controlling the FPGA/DSP on the interfaces.
For optimum user experience and stability, the application focuses on that.

To make it even more clear: the audio processing and mixing happens on the RME interface hardware itself. So a VST plugin would have to be installed there, not on the computer. Imagine the mess that would cause…

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