1 Topic by Ultrabra (edited by Ultrabra 2024-10-26 12:20:24)

  • Registered: 2009-04-16
  • Posts: 13

Topic: TotalMix FX setup with DAW and External FX

I am trying to setup my DAW (Bitwig) where I can monitor DAW Output, and sound from External FX unit (Microcosm), using only Headphones (attached to RME Babyface Pro main headphone socket.

I think I am close to getting things right, but not totally there if someone can advise where I might have got something wrong in the following setup.

I have Babyface Pro - fairly sure all is cabled ok - XLR outputs from Babyface Pro to Microcosm, and Microcosm outs to Ins 3 and Ins 4 on Babyface pro.

My TotalMix settings follow.  DAW settings send the Babyface XLR outs to "ADAT 3/4", and returned Microsom sounds to "Stereo In 3/4". 

My problem is - as I want to monitor both DAW sounds and Microcosm sounds, I need to have the DAW fader UP to hear, but when I do this, there some doubling of sound as the Main has the babyface XLR outs, so same sound.   If I lower the DAW fader I hear no DAW sound, nd if I lower the ADAT fader I hear no Microcosm sound.  If someone could advise the solution.

Thanks

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1pum3igp … 5&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jiir07br … c&dl=0

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-10-26 13:14:31)

  • waedi
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Swiss Zürich
  • Registered: 2020-12-08
  • Posts: 4,522

Re: TotalMix FX setup with DAW and External FX

https://i.ibb.co/jzgj9hd/Bildschirmfoto-2024-10-26-um-13-24-41.png

Wrong. Thats not output from Babyface to somewhere, thats coming from the computer into Babyface.
You send sound from Bitwig to channels 3/4. This is visible here in this software playback channel.

And as the Mainout is active (highlighted to see in the second screenshot) you send the signal to the main-out, not to the headphone.

You have to do the correct routing from scratch.
Do a Total Reset.
Totalmix menu Options / Reset mix / Total Reset

Then send the desired sound to the outboard FX and to the headphone the sound you need.

Click onto the hardware output channel you want send audio. That output channel get highlighted, active.
Lift faders from software playback channels and from hardware input channels to route signal to outputs.

Totalmix has three rows of faders.
The top row is hardware input channels, these signals are going into the DAW without further ado.
Middle row is software playback channels, music from the computer, from your DAW.
Bottom Row is hardware output channels. The outputs of your interface. Headphone, loudspeakers and external FX.
There is only coming out what you route there in Totalmix.

Click the output and lift-up faders.

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

3 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-10-26 13:48:08)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Online
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,182

Re: TotalMix FX setup with DAW and External FX

By TotalMix FX routing it is possible and not too hard to use external FX for different use cases.

I am using Lexicon PCM 81 and 91 as effect for such purposes:
- recording guitar, mic'd amps (stereo setup) using either PCM81 or PCM91 with different FX intensities
- using both Lexicon as external FX for DAW
- using PCM81 for reamping
- using PCM81 when playing through an VSTi (SGear3)

See this posting which illustrates the use of external FX in DAW (Cubase) and TM FX routing:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 00#p192400

As an option

You can also see the FX routing in matrix view in the documentation of my setup which I just released.
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=40391
Blog article here: https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/blog/ent … tup-en-de/

Generally spoken

It needs a basic understanding of how TM FX works, that every HW output has a routing of its own.

So, for every HW output you have to create a submix of
- audio from HW inputs (top row, with near-zero latency)
- audio from SW Playbacks = audio from PC via USB (middle row, with the latency over USB which depends much on  buffer size being used.

The routing can be best documented in the matrix format, therefore my documentation in Excel.
But when implementing in TotalMix FX it is easiest to use the Mixer view and in submix mode (check in the upper right blue area whether Submix mode is enabled, free mode is "too special" and good for other purposes).

Submix mode is easy, because you only have to click on a HW output (bottom row), then you can immediately see the
routing for this submix according to the fader positions of top and middle row.

Additionally you can make good use of the small button "Sub" on the right side under "Layout Presets".
You can use the button "Sub" to toggle between "seeing all visible channels" and "only those input and playback channels that route audio into the selected HW output / submix".

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2009-04-16
  • Posts: 13

Re: TotalMix FX setup with DAW and External FX

Thanks for the detailed answers. 

I believe I have fixed the issue by :   Assign;  Main Out to AN 1/2, and Phones to None.  In my DAW Bitwig I have Main Out 1+2 as Headphones so I then get to monitor via Headphones (no speakers).
Then : On the PH 3/4 Hardware Output tab I have The PH 3/4 fader all the way up, and in Software Playback I have the DAW sounds fader all the way up and the ADAT 3/4 fader (where the RME XLR outs are routed) all the way down.
On the "Main" tab, on Software playback I have the ADAT 3/4 fader up.  Everything else is down.

This way I do not hear the direct XLR outputs (the unaffected sound) so do not get the doubling of the sound.
I do hear the affected sound from the Microcosm -although On the Hardware Inputs that fader (for the RME inputs (from Microcosm) is all the way down.

Not sure I am yet FULLY understanding the whys, but it does appear to work.

What do you think - does it look correct now?