• From: Virginia Beach
  • Registered: 2012-06-17
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Help needed with Digiface and PT 10 (Win7-x64)

Help!  I need to know the secret for getting my Digiface to work with Pro Tools 10 (10.2 specifically).  I have HDSP Mixer preset 2 active.  I get sound back from PT when I record enable a track but it sounds like there are two signals returned a few samples apart.  The audio sounds like it's in a can and is distorted. I've updated the RME drivers (ver 327 dated 12/11) and have tried every combination of hdsp32 and hdspmix combinations I can think of. I have an HDSP PCMCIA card coming into my Quad core desktop Win7pro x64 desktop.  Studio One hears the Digiface perfect and records just perfect at 32 samples but Pro Tools sounds awful at any RME buffer size.  What am I missing here??  I know it can work but I am stumped!!

In PT 10, I only hear my mic when I record enable a channel.  The headphones (RME phones output ADAT 1+2) is following the PT panning setting.  I assume PT is what's controlling the output because it follows the panning and PT volume setting.   The HSDP Mixer window indicates input 3 is seeing the mic input before and after PT is started.  My PT session shows input signals for ADAT 3 only when I hit the reord button in PT.  PT Auto Input Monitoring or Input Only Monitoring does not effect the PT meters or hearing the mic signal as it would normalling with my Digi hardware.  The RME HDSP Mixer window shows signal before opening PT but nothing in the headphones.  When I open a PT session and enable record on my mic (ADAT 3 channel) and pan it anywhere, I hear the mic distorted in my phones with the PT panning.  TotalMix is ADAT3 has it is panned left.  This indates PT is controlling my RME output somewhat but its distorted.  I have tried turing on and off ASIO Direct Monitoring to no avail.  How can I get PT/RME to not loop back an extra signal?
Help would be much appreciated!!!   

Thanks!!

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Help needed with Digiface and PT 10 (Win7-x64)

Hi,
Pro Tools does not have any control over the HDSP Mixer.
The HDSP MIxer when used with Pro Tools is acting basically like an external hardware mixer.
The weird sound you are getting is a ring modulation/phasing type sound because you are monitoring through Pro Tools and monitoring  through the HDSP Mixer at the same time. So with Pro Tools you need to make sure you are NOT using the HDSP Mixer to monitor any hardware Inputs.

You can only use the Playback and Hardware Output section.
Pro Tools is very limited with it's monitoring abilities. It is only able to do software monitoring not ASIO Direct Monitoring.
You need to make sure that there are no submixes active which have sources coming from the Hardware Input channels.

If you want to make sure that this is the case then you should load the factory default preset which has no Input submixes.
In the HDSP Mixer hold down the CRTL key while clicking on Preset 1. This will load the factory default.

Studio One, Cubase/Nuendo, Samplitude/Sequoia and Reaper all have proper ASIO Direct Monitoring support.
Pro Tools, Sonar, Ableton do not for whatever reason.
Also no one on the MAC has direct monitoring because there is no ASIO>

Thanks Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

3 Reply by rlcowa (edited by rlcowa 2012-06-18 19:02:38)

  • From: Virginia Beach
  • Registered: 2012-06-17
  • Posts: 3

Re: Help needed with Digiface and PT 10 (Win7-x64)

Chris, 

Thank you so much for your quick reply!  I can't wait to get home to try this.  I really want software monitoring so pluggins affect the output/phones signals (like amp sims, reverbs). This is do-able with preset 1, correct?  When  you say "no submixes active which have sources coming from the Hardware Input channels" thats on the PT side or the HDSP side?

Thanks!  Rob in Va Beach.

  • From: Connecticut, USA
  • Registered: 2011-08-01
  • Posts: 376

Re: Help needed with Digiface and PT 10 (Win7-x64)

Hi Rob,
That is on the HDSP side. Basically the HDSP will not be used at all with PT unless you want to check signal levels or adjust levels on the hardware Outputs.

Chris

Chris Ludwig
North East USA Sales | Synthax/RME
www.facebook.com/RMEAmericas
Twitter @RMEAmericas

ChrisLudwig's Website

5 Reply by rlcowa (edited by rlcowa 2012-06-19 14:04:41)

  • From: Virginia Beach
  • Registered: 2012-06-17
  • Posts: 3

Re: Help needed with Digiface and PT 10 (Win7-x64)

Chris,

Many thanks for your help!!  Sadly, I tried default preset 1 to no avail.  I am using Digiface input 3 and have a PT track using this input 3 signal panned right in my session so I can tell that the audio is coming from PT.  If I was hearing the HDSP signal it would be panned left (ADAT 3).  If I was hearing the PT signal it would be panned right.  I am hearing my input signal in my phones (phone jack on digiface) panned right so I am hearing the PT output only. I think...  I had to mute HDSP playback channel 3 so it would go to the phones that are monitoring ADAT 1+2.  I hear nothing from my Digiface headphones until I hit the PT track record button.  The audio is still distorted both listening to the record enabled track and on playback.   I created a new PT session with one mono audio track and one stereo master track to Digiface Outputs ADAT 1 1+2.  I dragged a mono audio file from a previous session into m demo session and it played back distorted.  So it seems like the distortion is on the playback side not the input side. 

I got it so that in the HDSP mixer, I see the input signal but nothing is in the playback or output channels until I hit record in my PT session.  In the HDSP playback channel selection pop up list, I see both ADAT 1+2 AND Phones are checked.  How do I uncheck the Phones option in the playback section?  I should only have one output pair selected in each playback channel, right?  Playback channel should be assigned to outputs like ADAT 1 1+2 (panned left), ADAT 1+2 (panned right), right?  Could this be where the doubling is coming from -- where ADAT 1+2 AND Phones being checked in the playback section?

But wait there's more! :-)  When I go into the PT 10 IO settings, I see all the inputs and outputs that map by default perfectly to the Digiface.  But for the busses, when I tell PT to use the defaults,  I see a bunch of Digiface Output ADAT 1+2, 3+4,... outputs mapped to Digiface Outputs and the busses are named Digiface Output 1+2, 3+4, etc...  There are busses labeled Buss 1+2,, 3+4 beneath the Digiface "Output busses".   I disabled these Digiface "Output buss" mappings but the audio is still distorted.  On my single track, I am routing Digiface Input ADAT 3 to the master track on Digiface Output ADAT 1+2.  I am not using any PT buss (aux) routings.

Just so I understand the issue clearly, is it that this distortion is caused by a double loop back of two slightly delayed copies of the audio signal FROM PT to the Digiface?  I can't find where its getting doubled.  Sadly, my rig is at home right now and I have to do this email from memory.  I will try it again tonight.  I suspect that the doubling is coming from PT not HDSP so PT is where the settings fix must be.  Again, Studio One works perfect out of the box with all 24 tracks, 44.1/24bit, with the Digiface, both record and playback, at 32 samples.  It's just PT that is hosed up....  I am going to watch some Totalmix Youtube tutorials tonight so see if they help me.

Thanks!!!