MC, I know you're on the case ... :-)

While i'm waiting (Steve does not appear to have received a pre-production unit or at least has not told me about it), I've been reading the manual to understand what TM/FX will bring.  Let us turn to p.44 (V1.1) and the discussion of Trim Gain.

"The global Trim mode is recommended when using TotalMix FX as live
mixing desk."

Right up my alley.  You explain that really there is no "main fader" on TM/FX, and the situation is just like the auxiliaries on a mixing desk.   The Trim Gain makes all the sub-mixes behave like post fader aux sends on a normal mixing desk.  I have previously suggested the need for 'vertical linking' of faders (ie., the same channel on another 'layer' or submix).  This need principally arises from the need to link the main monitor submix (where one can do destructive solo-in-place) with the 'broadcast' mix (where you do not want solo to interrupt the program).  Change the monitor mix, and the broadcast (linked) mix is changed accordingly.

Now, Trim Gain appears to have given this facility, but on an " all-er-nuthin' " basis.  So all submixes on that channel are controlled on a 'post-fader' basis.  Go and look at any live desk and you will find that there is always a choice of pre-fade and post-fade aux mixes  - many desks allow you to choose pre or post fade per-channel in a single mix.  This is most useful in a live mix where you are all providing a local pa mix - pre-fade for the mics so that changing the gain in the broadcast mix does not get you into trouble with feedback, but post fade for the play-in FX and music.   Same applies for a monitor mix, where again you want to give the musos on stage a constant mix so they can balance themselves, and again isolate yourself from the problem of feedback if you have to raise a particular channel in the broadcast mix.  Then again, you may need to exclude some channels from an auxiliary mix (excluding "commentary" channels from the "international sound" feed.   These are a few real-world examples if, as is my ambition, you wish to use TotalMix as your digital mixing environment, instead of reverting to an external analog desk as in the past.

I'm bringing a live/broadcast sensibility to this, but others may also see a need to exclude some submixes from the uniform "post-fader" regime that "Trim Gain" implies.  I'm putting this up on the forum, because others may see a similar need in a different application, and may wish to add their own comments.  I'm quite happy to be the "odd man out" on this idea but as they said on Madison Avenue in the '50s, "Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes!".

I gather this is all controlled from the host/driver application not the on-board firmware, so let's hope this idea is simple.  Keep the Trim Gain facility as it is, but after selecting it for a particular channel, go to a particular sub mix where you want top exclude that channel or you want prefade control, and Ctrl-Click on the double arrow.  It will then change to another colour to show that, while Trim Gain has been activated on this channel, this submix has been isolated from it.  This effectively offers the same grouped/non-grouped facility 'vertically' ie., between layers or submixes, as you now have implemented horizontally, ie., different channels in the same submix.

OK, I know there are lots of things happening now, but maybe I (and others, if they see the need) could get you to put this on the list for a future refinement on TM/FX.  Just gets me one step closer to being able to use RME to mix "in-the-box" for live broadcast requirements, and getting me closer to the "all digital from the mic pre-amp to the transmitter output" situation.

Please consider.