RME TotalMix Notes

Published 2020-03-01. Last modified 2023-03-28.
Time to read: 3 minutes.

This page is part of the av_studio collection, categorized under OBS Studio, RME TotalMix, Studio.

I have an RME Fireface UC and a Fireface UFX III, which I updated from a Fireface UFX. All of these audio interfaces work with RME TotalMix software.

DAW software (such as Ableton Live and Pro Tools) is unaffected by mute button settings in RME TotalMix.

Audio Setup

The RME Fireface UC and UFX use Audio device type ASIO Fireface USB, but the Fireface UFX III uses ASIO MADIFace USB:

I had recorded many songs using Pro Tools and Ableton Live, using a Fireface UFX. After upgrading to the Fireface UFX III, opening any song would display an error message. This is the Pro Tools error message:

Pressing the No button, then saving the song as soon as it loads causes the song to be updated to the new ASIO driver. The error wukk no longer display for this song, however every other old song will also require the same updated ASIO information to be saved.

Dynamics Presets

I tried to make sense of the RME TotalMix dynamics presets. I am unhappy with the following explanations, hopefully I can discover more information.

Auto Level Fast (A): Automatic limiter to control peaks quickly, good for high-frequency sound
Auto Level Slow (A): Automatic limiter to control peaks slowly, good for low-frequency sound
Compactor (C): Compander, which compresses and then expands the sound to raise perceived volume
Compactor II (C+A): What is this for?
Hard Noise Gate (C): Removes unwanted low-level noise
Kick (C): A compressor set to enhance a kick drum
Mix Compressor (C): A compressor to be used across a master bus, mix bus or subgroup
Mix Expander (C): AQn expander to be used across a master bus, mix bus or subgroup
Mix Limiter (C): A limiter to control peaks on a master bus, mix bus or subgroup
Music Compressor (C): What is this for?
Music Expander (C): What is this for?
Output Protector (A): What is this for?
Smooth Noise Gate (C): A noise gate that has softer attack times to seem less choppy
Snare (C): A compressor set for a snare drum, good starting point for a voice dynamic setting
Squeeze (C+A): an aggressive compressor/limiter set to squash peaks and control levels

If you use a preset, then look at the preset menu, the preset that was used most recently is not highlighted. The software would be much more user-friendly if the matching preset was highlighted.

RME TotalMix Workspaces and Snapshots

In my studio, the Windows/WSL2 computer called Bear stores RME TotalMix settings in $music/instruments/rme (C:\sites\music.mslinn.com\instruments\rme). The files are:

default.tmss snapshot: This file defines the RME TotalMix Default snapshot. Snapshots store the mixer settings. Users that load this snapshot can instantly switch between 3 channel layouts (Default, Sax and Harp), and can choose between 2 mute groups (group 1: mute some, group 2: mute all).
default.tmws workspace: Workspaces save all settings as a complete backup, including routing modes, snapshots and fader groups.

Snapshots affect everything you an see in this screen shot of RME TotalMix, and more:

Recording Scenarios

Recording scenarios are defined in the TotalMix Default workspace as Snapshots Default, Sax and Harp:

Default: AKG1 for room ambiance, Audix for singer 1, Audix2 mic for singer 2, Behringer for singer 3, Mic 11/Guitar for guitar, Guitar2 input muted, Bass Amp, Guitar Amp, Roland HPD-15.

Just Me: Mute group 1 modifies Default; mutes Audix2, Behringer, Guitar2, Bass Amp, and Guitar Amp.
Playback: Mute group 2 modifies Default; mutes all inputs.

Sax: DPA mic for saxophone, AKG1 for room ambiance, Audix right up against the bell of the sax (on a stand), Roland HPD-15.
Harp: (cable unknown), AKG1 for room ambiance, Behringer aimed in the middle of the soundboard, Roland HPD-15.
Bass amp gain to noon
Mic preamp gain to noon

Problems

Faders Won’t Highlight?

If the output faders refuse to be highlighted, then the mix cannot be adjusted. The solution is to enable Submix routing mode by enabling the SUBMIX button as shown in the image to the right.

TotalMix Remote

The RME UFX audio interface is attached to Bear. Bear is at IP address 192.168.1.100. TotalMix Remote uses port 7009 by default.

Many types of remote devices can run Remote TotalMix, including old and new iPads, Android phones, and laptops. More than one device can connect simultaneously.

TotalMix Remote, running on a computer-sized monitor, looks like this: