• pmj
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Topic: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

I'm using an old Fireface 400 after quite a while and seem to have forgotten one of the basics of how the encoder knob interacts with Totalmix to adjust the audio level in headphones.

If I have the Totalmix window open I can go ahead and adjust the headphone level with the encoder knob and it behaves normally.  The fader onscreen follows what the knob is doing, level gets louder or quieter.

If I don't have Totalmix open and I'm listening to something (say, audio playback in a browser or other app) the headphone knob does nothing to the level in the headphones.  The number on the LED display scrolls up and down as before but there's no level change.

Does Totalmix therefore always need to be open in the background regardless of whatever task you're performing with the computer as host?

Silly question I'm sure but it's been a while...

  • From: Haimhausen
  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 239

Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

Are you on the right channel with the knob. See page 40 of the manual.

Regards,
Audio AG Support

Audio AG Support's Website

  • pmj
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

Yes, I'm on PH (line output 7/8)

As I say, if Totalmix is open and I turn the knob it works fine. As soon as I come out of Totalmix the knob value changes in the LED display but the actual audio level in the headphones is held wherever I left it in the Totalmix window.

4 Reply by pmj (edited by pmj 2024-06-11 10:37:46)

  • pmj
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/054f1caa … h&dl=0

That's how I have the workspace set up if it shows any errors?

  • Registered: 2016-06-14
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

pmj wrote:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/054f1caa … h&dl=0

That's how I have the workspace set up if it shows any errors?

Can you upload your screenshot as jpg or png or such, but not as zip please?

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

6 Reply by pmj (edited by pmj 2024-06-11 11:13:18)

  • pmj
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

https://philjulian.com/files/misc/settings.jpeg
https://philjulian.com/files/misc/totalmix.jpeg

  • From: Haimhausen
  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 239

Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

Found it. You need to reboot the Fireface 400 when you switch between TotalMix and stand-alone mode. Then it loads its stand-alone firmware. Do not forget to flash the mixer in "store to device"

Regards,
Audio AG Support

Audio AG Support's Website

  • pmj
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

So is the order to do that:

1. Store current mix to the device

2. Shutdown the computer and reboot the Fireface without the computer connected to load the stand alone firmware

3. Reconnect the Fireface to the computer and carry on as before?

Or something else?

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,774

Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

This only applies to standalone operation. When the FF is connected to the Mac, the controller should work regardless of whether Totalmix is in the foreground or not. Did you close Totalmix completely? That's not necessary...

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

10 Reply by pmj

  • pmj
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

No, I'm not using the Fireface in standalone mode.

So I do need to keep TotalMix open at all times in order to use the encoder knob as a headphone level when I'm not in stand alone mode?  That was my original question really. 

It's not a problem to keep the TotalMix window open and minimised if that's the case, just as I'm working on an older machine I was trying to keep the amount of open windows / apps to a minimum.

  • Registered: 2016-06-14
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

Can you make sure to have selected the hp out channels on the FF400 itself, so using the encoder knob. I'm not sure if it’s right what I say, but possibly the knob follows Totalmix software as long it’s active, but not when it’s closed. But to my knowledge it should work in every case when the right channels are selected on the unit itself.

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

12 Reply by pmj

  • pmj
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

oli77sch wrote:

Can you make sure to have selected the hp out channels on the FF400 itself, so using the encoder knob

The knob it set to PH on the display and the headphone routing is listening to everything going to AN 7/8 (as in the images a few posts up) assigned to Phones 1

Should there be another step to this using the encoder or does that seem correct?

  • From: Haimhausen
  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 239

Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

That is all correct. BUT; either you use it with TotalMix (minimized) or in standalone mode (without TotalMix), but you need to restart the FF400 before the encoder will work in stand-alone mode.

Regards,
Audio AG Support

Audio AG Support's Website

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,774

Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

There really is no need to close Totalmix, and no benefit. This is just a GUI for the device hardware DSP...

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2016-06-14
  • Posts: 1,142

Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

Anyway it’s a strange behaviour. Why isn’t the knob working as soon Totalmix app is closed?

UCX - FF 400 - Babyface pro - Digiface USB - ADI-2 (original)
Mac mini M1 - Macbook pro - iPad Air2
  • From: Haimhausen
  • Registered: 2012-04-02
  • Posts: 239

Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

oli77sch wrote:

Anyway it’s a strange behaviour. Why isn’t the knob working as soon Totalmix app is closed?

Because the FF400 needs a restart for stand-alone operation. This is different with newer devices.

Regards,
Audio AG Support

Audio AG Support's Website

17 Reply by pmj

  • pmj
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Re: Totalmix Headphone Level Behaviour

Audio AG Support wrote:

That is all correct. BUT; either you use it with TotalMix (minimized) or in standalone mode (without TotalMix), but you need to restart the FF400 before the encoder will work in stand-alone mode.

That's fine, I'll make sure I leave the TotalMix GUI open when I'm working outside of stand-alone mode.  Thanks for confirming.