RME users: Is TotalMix FX a replacement for Control Rm?

[alexis]

@thinkingcap

@alexis

Hey papi61 or any other TotalMix FX users:

At 13:45 on this TotalMix FX vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCH3qVaLL-I they talk about the “Cue” button, but it is more of a complete solo button than an equivalent of the Cubase “Listen” button (the latter of course where the other tracks are not completely muted, but simply turned down some dB).

I thought the “Dim” button in the TotalMix FX Control Room might be the ticket, but apparently it only describes how much all the channels are dimmed when the Talkback Mic is active?

Can anyone point me to where I can learn about the TotalMix FX equivalent of the Cubase “Listen” button please?

Or if there’s no “Listen” button equivalent on the TotalMix FX - as I really like that feature in the Cubase Control Room … how crazy would it be to have the Cubase Control Room activated but everything disabled but “Listen”, and use TotalMix FX for the rest of the control room functions?

Thanks -

You can´t use totalmixFX for “the rest of the control room functions”, since Totalmix FX simply doesn´t have them.

Thanks for that tc.

I was thinking of TotalMix FX having functionally similar/identical to Cubase “Control Room”: “Speaker B”, different submixes that can be used in lieu of Cubase Control Room’s “Studio Sends”, the “Mono” button, the Talkback “Dim” button, to start with off the top of my head.

Why do you say, “TotalMix FX simply doesn’t have” other Control Functions … am I misunderstanding the above?

Thanks again -

[thinkingcap]

@alexis

I was thinking of TotalMix FX having functionally similar/identical to Cubase “Control Room”: “Speaker B”, different submixes that can be used in lieu of Cubase Control Room’s “Studio Sends”, the “Mono” button, the Talkback “Dim” button, to start with off the top of my head.

Why do you say, “TotalMix FX simply doesn’t have” other Control Functions … am I misunderstanding the above?

Thanks again -

Because as I said before, Cubase Control room is way more advanced than Totalmix FX, especially, when you´re working in Cubase.

[papi61]

@thinkingcap

@alexis

I was thinking of TotalMix FX having functionally similar/identical to Cubase “Control Room”: “Speaker B”, different submixes that can be used in lieu of Cubase Control Room’s “Studio Sends”, the “Mono” button, the Talkback “Dim” button, to start with off the top of my head.

Why do you say, “TotalMix FX simply doesn’t have” other Control Functions … am I misunderstanding the above?

Thanks again -

Because as I said before, Cubase Control room is way more advanced than Totalmix FX, especially, when you´re working in Cubase.

Sure, Control Room has more features, but the integration with RME hardware is basically ZERO. I can do everything I need with TotalMix FX and UFX, no need to bother using Control Room.

[alexis]

@papi61

…

Sure, Control Room has more features, but the integration with RME hardware is basically ZERO. I can do everything I need with TotalMix FX and UFX, no need to bother using Control Room.

Hi papi61 - are you able to set up TotalMix FX to give you something analagous to the Cubase Control Room “Listen Bus”? … that is the one thing I value the most in Control Room that I haven’t figured out how to use TotalMix FX for.

Thanks -

[papi61]

Tell me what exactly you need to accomplish and I’ll tell you if you can do it with TotalMix FX.

[thinkingcap]

@alexis

@papi61

…

Sure, Control Room has more features, but the integration with RME hardware is basically ZERO. I can do everything I need with TotalMix FX and UFX, no need to bother using Control Room.

Hi papi61 - are you able to set up TotalMix FX to give you something analagous to the Cubase Control Room “Listen Bus”? … that is the one thing I value the most in Control Room that I haven’t figured out how to use TotalMix FX for.

Thanks -

You can not do this with totalmix FX, apart from input channels and unless you route every Cubase channel/track to a different output in Cubase, which would limit you to a total of 30 tracks / channels inside Cubase.
Apart from that, totalmix FX also has a PFL AFL functionality, which as I also already said is good for example in standalone mode, but not really handy when working inside Cubase.

[alexis]

@papi61

Tell me what exactly you need to accomplish and I’ll tell you if you can do it with TotalMix FX.

OK, thanks, papi61.

Here is the “Listen Bus” behavior in Cubase Control Room I like:

When the “L” button is clicked on a track in Cubase while the project is playing, the track continues to play at normal volume, but all other tracks are lowered by “X” dB, where “X” is able to be entered (e.g., 20 dB).

This is kind of like an “incomplete mute” button - allows the track to be heard in the context of the full project playing, but with emphasis on the track in question because the other tracks are lowered in volume.

Thanks!

[papi61]

@alexis

@papi61

Tell me what exactly you need to accomplish and I’ll tell you if you can do it with TotalMix FX.

OK, thanks, papi61.

Here is the “Listen Bus” behavior in Cubase Control Room I like:

When the “L” button is clicked on a track in Cubase while the project is playing, the track continues to play at normal volume, but all other tracks are lowered by “X” dB, where “X” is able to be entered (e.g., 20 dB).

This is kind of like an “incomplete mute” button - allows the track to be heard in the context of the full project playing, but with emphasis on the track in question because the other tracks are lowered in volume.

Thanks!

Well, with TotalMix FX you have that kind of control on your PHYSICAL inputs (think of TotalMix FX as the control room section of a traditional mixer), but if it’s Cubase tracks you’re talking about, obviously anything that happens to them has to be done within Cubase. Like I said, nothing prevents you from using both at the same time, if there is a particular feature you need from ControlRoom. I just don’t have that particular need. Anything I need I can find in Cubase, without going to the ControlRoom. And the tracks I need to modify (as in providing zero-latency FX, change the volume etc.) are only the physical inputs that I can control with TotalMix FX.

[alexis]

Thank you once again, gentlemen, you have been very helpful.

Seems like I will use the Cubase Control Room for Listen Bus, and TotalMix FX for zero latency tracking w/ reverb for singers.

Not sure if “Cue” mixes in Cubase (formerly known as “Studio” mixes), or routing w/ TotalMix FX to achieve the same effect will be better.

Now I have to figure out what to disable or leave enabled in my F4 Cubase VST outputs. Aaargh!

Thanks again -

[marQs]

As posted before, I’m still using the TotalMix without FX on my good old FF800. But had my hands on some Babyfaces and TotalMix FX recently which got me an idea I cannot try myself but should work in theory.

• setup direct monitoring in Cubase and TotalMix
• use Cubase’ cue sends just as ‘normal’
• add TotalMix FX’ FX where you like
• be sure to have the FX slider turned up in TotalMix’ outputs that are connected to Cubase’ cue mix(es)

Maybe that’s working, maybe it isn’t. Maybe that’s just how the folks with TotalMix FX enabled devices use it day by day anyway. In my simple mind it should just work that way. This conclusion is driven by watchin’ TotalMix non-FX faders beeing moved by Cubase cue sends. The effects are added @ TM FX anyway, so it shouldn’t matter if the faders are raised within TotalMix or by remote from Cubase.

Just an idea…

[beatpete]

I’ve used a combination of total mix and Cubase control room for years. I also use Lemur and iPad 3 to control.
Here’s a link to my YouTube video, may provide more insight for you (using 6.5).

- YouTube