• Registered: 2011-10-28
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Topic: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Hi,

I'm relatively new to TotalMix and and not quite yet grasping the best way to accomplish the following:

Create a mix using multiple inputs, and be able to monitor that mix in both headphone outputs simultaneously. I'd also like to record that mix via loopback. I'd like to be able to solo channels without it disturbing the mix, i.e. solo only affects the monitor (headphones, one or both), not the program mix.

I feel like this should be fairly straightforward, but am not finding the easy solution. I'm probably just not thinking about it correctly. If anyone can walk me through the best way to do this, I'd be very appreciative. Thanks!

David

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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Which interface do you use? Two headphone outs? The UFX?
best regards
Knut

  • Registered: 2011-10-28
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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Yes, sorry, this is with the UFX.

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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Create a mix using multiple inputs, and be able to monitor that mix in both headphone outputs simultaneously.

You can just copy the mix to the other headphone output (right click on the channels).

If you want to update both phones simultaneously (with the same mix) you can do the following:

- Create the headphone mix on an unused output (e.g. ADAT 7/8 ...)
- Loopback this channel
- Click phones output 1: set all channel faders off - except the Loopback channel (ADAT input 7/8)
- Click phones output 2: set all channel faders off - except the Loopback channel (ADAT input 7/8)

Both phones get the same mix now (ADAT output 7/8). You can record the mix via Loopback (choose input ADAT 7/8 in the recording software).
To work on the headphone mix, just click ADAT 7/8 and mix - including effects.

best regards
Knut

  • Registered: 2011-10-28
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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Thanks, I will try this tonight. A couple questions:

Any reason I shouldn't set the main output to that unused output so I can take advantage of the monitor out functionality (mono, dim, etc.)?

It looks like soloing will affect the output? If so, is there a way to create one mix, but have output get the solo and another output not be affected by solo?

  • Registered: 2011-10-28
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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Also, could you confirm that with the loopback like this, that any EQ or compression on the output channel will be recorded?

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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Any reason I shouldn't set the main output to that unused output so I can take advantage of the monitor out functionality (mono, dim, etc.)?

Every channel can be assigned to the Main output. It's just a virtual channel for a real one.

It looks like soloing will affect the output? If so, is there a way to create one mix, but have output get the solo and another output not be affected by solo?

You have two phones outputs with this configuration with the same signal. They will not be affected by solo of the other.

Also, could you confirm that with the loopback like this, that any EQ or compression on the output channel will be recorded?

Yes.

best regards
Knut

  • Registered: 2011-10-28
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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Hi Knut,

I've run into a couple problems with what you're suggesting. Here is exactly what I'm doing:

Have a single mic plugged into Mic12.
Choose AES output as main output.
Mic12 fader to unity gain.
On Main (AES) output, all faders to zero except for Mic12.
On Main (AES) output, select loopback.
Copy submix of Main (AES) out.
Paste submix to phones1 and phones 2.
Click on phones1 and phones2 and make sure ALL faders are down except for Main (AES) out.

When I do this I get no output on the phones output.

This makes sense to me, since the phones are just another hardware out, and I put all the faders down for them. Am I missing something?

I want a single mix to go to multiple outputs, and if I change that mix via faders, I want those changes to be reflected across all outputs. I'd like solo function to only affect a headphone output.

It seems to me the way to do this is to is with the trim pot function. Except there are a couple quirks with that: I have to have all input faders (for all outputs/submixes) set to unity and then click the trim pot button. If I have the fader set at zero and then click the trim pot button, the fader jumps to unity but does not pass signal to the intended output. Is this a bug or a feature? (I don't know.)

Thanks again for your help!

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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Click on phones1 and phones2 and make sure ALL faders are down except for Main (AES) out.
When I do this I get no output on the phones output.

Of course. Outputs don't get a signal from other outputs. To get an identical signal on the phones you have to create (or copy) the same mix for them. This means set all input/playback channel faders down except the Mic12 input fader to unity gain.

You can try this: If you want the same mix with all further changes on the phones and record this mix with effects - click Loopback of the AES out and set the AES Playback for both phones outputs to unity gain. All other faders down.
The mix of the AES out goes back to the AES input and from there to both phones outputs with software monitoring. The mix - including effects - can be recorded in your audio software (choose AES input).

To mix now, click AES out and set the input/playback faders and effects.

best regards
Knut

10 Reply by MC

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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

DavidTallacksen wrote:

I want a single mix to go to multiple outputs, and if I change that mix via faders, I want those changes to be reflected across all outputs. I'd like solo function to only affect a headphone output.

It seems to me the way to do this is to is with the trim pot function. Except there are a couple quirks with that: I have to have all input faders (for all outputs/submixes) set to unity and then click the trim pot button. If I have the fader set at zero and then click the trim pot button, the fader jumps to unity but does not pass signal to the intended output. Is this a bug or a feature? (I don't know.)

Hello,

indeed the trim function is the way to go, to control all your submixes at the same time. In combination with the Cue and Cue to function you get a mirrored output. An independent solo function is not implemented, sorry.

I would like to know what exactly goes wrong with the Trim function. When the fader jumps to zero it means that this is the value of the current routing (selected outputs). A white arrow in front also indicates that. It works perfectly over here. No routing and the fader will stay at the lower end.

Maybe your TM version is outdated?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Registered: 2011-10-28
  • Posts: 33

Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

Admin Knut wrote:

You can try this: If you want the same mix with all further changes on the phones and record this mix with effects - click Loopback of the AES out and set the AES Playback for both phones outputs to unity gain. All other faders down.
The mix of the AES out goes back to the AES input and from there to both phones outputs with software monitoring. The mix - including effects - can be recorded in your audio software (choose AES input).

To mix now, click AES out and set the input/playback faders and effects.

This now makes sense to me, but it's not working in practice. Here is what I do:

AES is Main out. It is in loopback mode. I bring the single channel Mic12 up to unity and see signal on the Main out. Select Phones1 submix. All faders down except AES input. There is no signal present on AES input. Thus no signal present on phones1 output.

Perhaps I'm missing something? I will explore the trim pot function.

  • Registered: 2011-10-28
  • Posts: 33

Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

MC wrote:

indeed the trim function is the way to go, to control all your submixes at the same time. In combination with the Cue and Cue to function you get a mirrored output. An independent solo function is not implemented, sorry.

I would like to know what exactly goes wrong with the Trim function. When the fader jumps to zero it means that this is the value of the current routing (selected outputs). A white arrow in front also indicates that. It works perfectly over here. No routing and the fader will stay at the lower end.

Maybe your TM version is outdated?

I'm running TM 0.95 on OSX, 10.6.8.

Here are the steps to reproduce:

AES is main out, fader at unity. On single input, fader set to zero. Click trim pot button. Single input fader jumps to unity. Signal present on input channel, but not signal being passed to main out.

Perhaps I'm not completely understanding the trim pot function?

13 Reply by MC

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Re: A little TotalMix help, please- mixing to two headphones plus loopback

The input fader jumps to unity because there exists a routing to another output. You can see this via the triangles beside the fader. Orange (at unity) for the other routing, and white for the current (AES) routing. The white triangle is shown at the fader's lowest position.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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