ASIO Direct Monitoring (Windows)

TotalMix allows you to copy complete submixes to other outputs. In case a complex submix is need with only a few changes on a different output, the whole submix can be copied to that output.

Now fine tune the submix.

If a mix should be sent out via two (or more) different hardware outputs simply mirror that mix to any number of other outputs.

The outputs now always send out the same signals, but their main volume (fader) and the EQ settings stay fully independent.

The easiest and quickest way to delete complex routings is by selection of the according output channel in the mixer view by a right mouse click, and selection of the menu entry Clear Submix. As TotalMix FX includes an unlimited undo the delete process can be undone without any problem.

The above three tips use functions found in the right click context menu available on all channels of the TotalMix FX mixer view. These menus are also available in the Matrix, but only directly on the channel labels. They are self-explanatory and automatically adjust to where the click is performed. The input channels offer Clear, Copy input, Paste the input mix and Paste its FX. On a playback channel Copy, Paste and Clear the playback mix are available. On an output channel Copy and Mirror functionality for the current submix and copying of the FX settings is offered.

These options are very advanced and mighty tools to quickly do the impossible. Still there is no need to fear breaking something, as a simple click (or several) on the Undo button will get you back to where you started!

TotalMix includes an internal loopback function, from the Hardware Outputs to the recording software. Instead of the signal at the hardware input, the signal at the hardware output is sent to the record software. This way, submixes can be recorded without an external loopback cable. Also the playback from a software can be recorded by another software.

The function is activated by the Loopback button in the Settings panel of the Hardware Outputs. In loopback mode, the signal at the hardware input of the corresponding channel is no longer sent to the recording software, but still passed through to TotalMix. Therefore TotalMix can be used to route this input signal to any hardware output. Using the subgroup recording, the input can still be recorded on a different channel.

As each of the 128 stereo hardware outputs can be routed to the record software, and none of these hardware inputs get lost, TotalMix offers an overall flexibility and performance not rivalled by any other solution.

The risk of feedbacks, a basic problem of loopback methods, is low, because the feedback can not happen within the mixer, only when the audio software is switched into monitoring mode.

The block diagram shows how the software’s input signal is played back, and fed back from the Hardware Output to the software input.

Note: The phones output has no matching input, therefore does not support Loopback.

Recording a Software’s playback In real world application, recording a software’s output with another software will show the following problem: The record software tries to open the same playback channel as the playback software (already active), or the playback one has already opened the input channel which should be used by the record software.

This problem can easily be solved. First make sure that all rules for proper multi-client operation are met (not using the same record/playback channels in both programs). Then route the playback signal via TotalMix to a hardware output in the range of the record software, and activate Loopback for recording.

Mixing several input signals into one record channel In some cases it is useful to record several sources into only one track. For example when using two microphones recording instruments and loudspeakers, TotalMix' Loopback mode saves an external mixing desk. Simply route/mix the input signals to the same output (third row), then redefine this output into a record channel via Loopback. This way any number of input channels from different sources can be recorded into one single track.

The mid/side principle is a special positioning technique for microphones, which results in a mid signal on one channel and a side signal on the other channel. This information can be transformed back into a stereo signal quite easily. The process sends the monaural mid channel to left and right, the side channel too, but phase inverted (180°) to the right channel. For a better understanding: the mid channel represents the function L+R, while the side channel represents L-R.

During record the monitoring needs to be done in 'conventional' stereo. Therefore, TotalMix also offers the functionality of a M/S-decoder. Activation is done in the Settings panel of the Hardware Input and Software Playback channels via the MS Proc button.

The M/S-Processing automatically operates as M/S encoder or decoder, depending on the source signal format. When processing a usual stereo signal, all monaural information will be shifted into the left channel, all stereo information into the right channel. Thus, the stereo signal is M/S encoded. This yields some interesting insights into the mono/stereo contents of modern music productions. Additionally, some very interesting methods of manipulating the stereo base and generating stereo effects come up, as it is then very easy to process the side channel with Low Cut, Expander, Compressor or Delay.

The most basic application is the manipulation of the stereo width: a change of the level of the side channel allows to manipulate the stereo width from mono to stereo up to extended.