RME Fireface UFX III USB 3 audio interface RME Fireface UFX III handleiding

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User's Guide

Fireface UFX III

The most powerful USB audio interface ever!

USB 3.0 Digital I/O System

12 + 16 + 2 Channels Analog / ADAT / AES Interface

64 Channels MADI Interface

24 Bit / 192 kHz Digital Audio

188 x 94 Matrix Router

2 x MIDI I/O Full Stand-Alone Operation Class Compliant Operation

MIDI Remote Control

TotalMix FX

™

24 Bit / 192 kHz 

SteadyClock

™

SyncCheck

™

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Important Safety Instructions

ATTENTION! Do not open chassis – risk of electric shock

The unit has non-isolated live parts inside. No user serviceable parts inside. Refer service to qualified service personnel.

Mains

• The device must be earthed – never use it without proper grounding

• Do not use defective power cords

• Operation of the device is limited to the manual

• Use same type of fuse only

To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose this device to rain or moisture. Prevent moisture and water from entering the device. Never leave a pot with liquid on top of the device. Do not use this product near water, i. e. swimming pool, bathtub or wet basement. Danger of condensation inside – don't turn on before the device has reached room temperature.

Installation

Surface may become hot during operation – ensure sufficient ventilation. Avoid direct sun light and do not place it near other sources of heat, like radiators or stoves. When mounting in a rack, leave some space between this device and others for ventilation.

To comply with the European CE standard, the Fireface UFX III must be used in a CE approved Class B computer. All connecting cables must be shielded. The computer and all cables connected to the Fireface UFX III must be properly grounded. Operation with non-certified computers and cables may cause interference to other devices as well as the Fireface UFX III.

Unauthorized servicing/repair voids warranty. Only use accessories specified by the manufacturer.

Read the manual completely. It includes all information necessary to use and operate this device.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Important Safety Instructions .................................. 2

General

1 Introduction ............................................................... 8

2 Package Contents ..................................................... 8

3 System Requirements .............................................. 8

4 Brief Description and Characteristics .................... 8

5 First Usage - Quick Start

5.1 Connectors – Controls - Display ............................. 9

5.2 Quick Start ............................................................ 11

5.3 Menu and Navigation ............................................ 11

5.4 Overview Menu Structure ..................................... 12

5.5 Special Options ..................................................... 13

Installation and Operation - Windows

6 Hardware, Driver and Firmware Installation

6.1 Hardware and Driver Installation ............................. 16

6.2 De-installing the Drivers ....................................... 16

6.3 Firmware Update ................................................. 16

7 Configuring the Fireface

7.1 Settings Dialog – Main Tab .................................. 17

7.2 Option WDM Devices .......................................... 20

8 Operation and Usage

8.1 Playback .............................................................. 22

8.2 DVD Playback (AC-3 / DTS) ................................ 23

8.3 Channel Count under WDM ................................. 24

8.4 Multi-client Operation ........................................... 24

8.5 Analog Recording ................................................ 25

8.6 Digital Recording.................................................. 25

8.7 Clock Modes - Synchronization ........................... 26

9 Operation under ASIO

9.1 General ................................................................ 27

9.2 Channel Count under ASIO ................................. 27

9.3 Known Problems .................................................. 28

10 Using more than one Fireface UFX III ................... 28

11 DIGICheck Windows ............................................... 29

12 Hotline – Troubleshooting ..................................... 30

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Installation and Operation - Mac OS X

13 Hardware, Driver and Firmware Installation

13.1 Hardware and Driver Installation .......................... 32

13.2 De-installing the Drivers ....................................... 32

13.3 Firmware Update .................................................. 33

14 Configuring the Fireface

14.1 Settings Dialog ..................................................... 33

14.2 Clock Modes - Synchronization ........................... 36

15 Mac OS X FAQ

15.1 MIDI doesn't work................................................. 37

15.2 Repairing Disk Permissions ................................. 37

15.3 Supported Sample Rates ..................................... 37

15.4 Channel Count under Core Audio ........................ 37

15.5 Various Information .............................................. 38

16 Using more than one Fireface UFX III ................... 38

17 DIGICheck NG Mac .................................................. 39

18 Hotline – Troubleshooting ...................................... 40

Inputs and Outputs

19 Analog Inputs

19.1 Line Rear .............................................................. 42

19.2 Microphone / Line / Inst Front .............................. 42

20 Analog Outputs

20.1 Line....................................................................... 43

20.2 Headphones / Line Out ........................................ 43

20.3 DC-coupled Outputs (CV/Gate) ........................... 44

21 Digital Connections

21.1 ADAT .................................................................... 45

21.2 AES ...................................................................... 45

21.3 MADI .................................................................... 46

21.4 MIDI, MIDI over MADI .......................................... 47

22 Word Clock

22.1 Word Clock Input and Output ............................... 47

22.2 Technical Description and Background ............... 48

22.3 Cables and Termination ....................................... 49

22.4 General Operation ................................................ 49

Stand-Alone Operation

23 Operation and Usage

23.1 General................................................................. 52

23.2 Settings at the Unit ............................................... 52

23.3 Store / Load Setups at the Unit ............................ 52

23.4 Storing Setups from the Computer ...................... 52

23.5 ARC Options ........................................................ 53

24 Examples

24.1 12-Channel AD/DA-Converter ............................. 53

24.2 4-Channel Mic Preamp ........................................ 53

24.3 188-Channel Monitor Mixer .................................. 53

24.4 Digital Format Converter ...................................... 53

24.5 Analog/Digital Routing Matrix ............................... 54

24.6 Stand-Alone Recorder/Player .............................. 54

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

TotalMix FX

25 Routing and Monitoring

25.1 Overview .............................................................. 56

25.2 The User Interface ............................................... 58

25.3 The Channels ....................................................... 59

25.3.1 Settings ........................................................ 61

25.3.2 Equalizer ...................................................... 62

25.3.3 Dynamics ..................................................... 64

25.4 Section Control Room .......................................... 65

25.5 The Control Strip .................................................. 66

25.5.1 View Options ................................................ 67

25.5.2 Snapshots - Groups ..................................... 68

25.5.3 Channel Layout – Layout Presets ................ 69

25.5.4 Scroll Location Markers ............................... 70

25.6 Reverb and Echo ................................................. 71

25.7 Preferences .......................................................... 74

25.7.1 Store for Current or All Users ...................... 75

25.8 Settings ................................................................ 76

25.8.1 Mixer Page ................................................... 76

25.8.2 MIDI Page .................................................... 77

25.8.3 OSC Page .................................................... 78

25.8.4 Aux Devices ................................................. 79

25.9 Hotkeys and Usage.............................................. 80

25.10 Menu Options ....................................................... 81

25.11 Menu Window ...................................................... 82

26 The Matrix

26.1 Overview .............................................................. 83

26.2 Elements of the Matrix View ................................ 83

26.3 Operation ............................................................. 83

27 Tips and Tricks

27.1 ASIO Direct Monitoring (Windows) ...................... 84

27.2 Copy a Submix ..................................................... 84

27.3 Doubling the Output Signal (Mirror) ..................... 84

27.4 Delete a Submix ................................................... 84

27.5 Copy and Paste everywhere ................................ 84

27.6 Recording a Submix - Loopback .......................... 85

27.7 MS Processing ..................................................... 86

28 MIDI Remote Control

28.1 Overview .............................................................. 87

28.2 Mapping ............................................................... 87

28.3 Setup .................................................................... 88

28.4 Operation ............................................................. 88

28.5 MIDI Control ......................................................... 89

28.6 Stand-Alone MIDI Control .................................... 90

28.7 Loopback Detection ............................................. 92

28.8 OSC (Open Sound Control) ................................. 92

29 DAW Mode ............................................................... 92

30 TotalMix Remote ..................................................... 93

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Class Compliant Mode

31 General ..................................................................... 96

32 System Requirements............................................. 96

33 Operation ................................................................. 97

33.1 Useful Hints .......................................................... 97

33.2 Class Compliant under Windows and macOS ..... 98

34 Supported Inputs and Outputs .............................. 98

35 Front panel Operation ............................................. 99

36 Audio Routing and Processing .............................. 99

37 Setups .................................................................... 100

DURec - Direct USB Recording

38 Direct USB Recording

38.1 Overview ............................................................ 102

38.2 Operation ........................................................... 102

38.3 Limitations and Important Notes ........................ 105

38.4 Multichannel WAV File Batch Processor ........... 106

38.5 Technical Background........................................ 107

Technical Reference

39 Technical Specifications

39.1 Analog ................................................................ 110

39.2 MIDI .................................................................... 111

39.3 Digital ................................................................. 111

39.4 Digital Inputs ...................................................... 112

39.5 Digital Outputs .................................................... 113

39.6 General............................................................... 113

40 Technical Background

40.1 Lock and SyncCheck ......................................... 114

40.2 Latency and Monitoring ...................................... 115

40.3 USB Audio .......................................................... 117

40.4 DS – Double Speed ........................................... 119

40.5 QS – Quad Speed .............................................. 119

40.6 Noise Level in DS / QS Mode ............................ 120

40.7 SteadyClock ....................................................... 121

40.8 MADI Basics ....................................................... 122

41 Diagrams

41.1 Block Diagram Fireface UFX III ......................... 123

41.2 Connector Pinouts .............................................. 124

Miscellaneous

42 Accessories ........................................................... 126

43 Warranty ................................................................. 126

44 Appendix ................................................................ 127

45 Declaration of Conformity .................................... 128

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

User's Guide

Fireface UFX III

General

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

1. Introduction

Thank you for choosing the Fireface UFX III. This unique audio system is the premier solution to transfer analog and digital audio data directly to a computer from practically any source. Numerous unique features, well thought-out configuration dialogs, an industry-leading mixing engine and monitoring solution, professional DSP effects and class-leading analog circuits with latest digital converters put the Fireface UFX III at the very top of the range of computer-based audio interfaces.

Drivers are available for Windows 7 to 11, Mac OS X x86 (Intel) and macOS (Intel, M1). RME’s high-performance philosophy guarantees maximum system performance by executing as

many functions as possible not in the driver (i.e. the CPU), but within the audio hardware.

2. Package Contents

 Fireface UFX III  Cable USB 3.0, 1.8 m (6 ft), USB-A/B  Cable USB 3.0, 1.8 m (6 ft), USB-C/B  Optical cable  4 rubber feet, self-adhesive  Power cord  Manual

3. System Requirements

 Windows 7 or up, Intel Mac OS X (10.10 or up)  1 x USB 3.0 port, or  1 x USB 2.0 port (reduced number of audio channels – no MADI record/playback)  For USB: Computer with at least Intel Core i5 CPU

4. Brief Description and Characteristics

 All settings can be changed in real-time  Buffer sizes/latencies from 32 up to 8192 samples selectable  8 channels 96 kHz/24 bit Record/Playback via ADAT optical (S/MUX)  4 channels 192 kHz/24 bit Record/Playback via ADAT optical (S/MUX4)  Professional 64-channel MADI I/O  Clock modes slave and master  Automatic and intelligent master/slave clock control  Unsurpassed Bitclock PLL (audio synchronization) in ADAT mode  SteadyClock: Jitter-immune, super-stable digital clock  DDS technology for free setting of the sample rate  SyncAlign guarantees sample aligned and never swapping channels  SyncCheck tests and reports the synchronization status of input signals  TotalMix for latency-free submixes and perfect ASIO Direct Monitoring  TotalMix: 4096 channel mixer with 46 bit internal resolution  TotalMix FX: 3-band EQ, Low Cut, Reverb, Echo, Compressor, Expander, Auto Level  2 x MIDI I/O, 32 channels high-speed Low-Jitter MIDI  2 x MIDI over MADI I/O  2 x Hi-power low impedance headphone output  DIGICheck DSP: Level meter in hardware, peak- and RMS calculation

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

5. First Usage – Quick Start

5.1 Connectors – Controls – Display

The front of the Fireface UFX III features four combined instrument / microphone inputs, two stereo headphone outputs, three rotary encoders with push functionality, a graphical colour display, one MIDI input and output, a USB connector for DURec, and several status LEDs.

The Neutrik combo sockets of the four Mic/Line inputs provide XLR and 6.3 mm / 1/4" TRS connection. They have LEDs for Signal (SIG), phantom power (48V) and activated TRS input. The latter is high impedance (1 MOhm) and also serves as instrument input.

The analog outputs 9 to 12 feed the headphones outputs Phones 1 and Phones 2. These low impedance outputs of highest quality are able to drive headphones at higher levels undistorted, no matter if low or high impedance headphones are used.

MIDI 2 I/O. Two 5-pin DIN connectors provide the second MIDI input and output. Memory. Connector for USB stick or USB hard drive. Offers direct Recording to / Playback from

the external memory device. State LEDs Sync. WC, AES, ADAT1, ADAT2, MADI. Indicate a valid input signal separately for

each digital input. Additionally, RME's exclusive SyncCheck indicates if one of these inputs is locked, but not synchronous to the others, in which case the LED will flash. See also chapter 8.7 / 14.2, Clock Modes - Synchronization.

State LEDs MIDI. Indicate separately for input and output if MIDI data is received or transmitted. HOST lights up when the connection to the computer is successful. USB 3 and USB 2 are indicated by different colours. The LED will not turn on when connection has not been initialised or interrupted (error, cable not connected etc.).

When the Global Level Meter screen is shown, the rotary encoder Volume sets the monitoring volume of Main Out directly at the device. Pushing the button will change between Global Meter screen and the last used menu entry.

When the Global Level Meter screen is shown, volume of Phones 1 and Phones 2 is set by encoders 1 and 2 directly. Pushing these toggles the meter screen between standard view (Analog, AES, ADAT, FX) and MADI view.

The four keys, the two encoders 1 and 2, the high-resolution and clear colour display, and a well thoughtout menu structure enable the user to quickly change and configure the

device’s settings completely without

a computer. Help notes and clear markers in the display guide the user through all functions.

When the Global Level Meter screen is shown, the rotary encoder VOLUME sets the monitoring volume of Main Out directly at the device. Encoders 1 and 2 control the volume of the phones outputs 9/10 and 11/12.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

The rear panel of the Fireface UFX III features eight more analog inputs and outputs, the power socket, and all digital inputs and outputs:

Balanced Line Level Inputs. 8 balanced analog inputs via 6.3 mm stereo TRS connectors. Balanced Line Level Outputs. 8 balanced analog outputs, six via 6.3 mm stereo TRS, two via

XLR. AES/EBU I/O. XLR. The Fireface UFX III accepts

the commonly used digital audio formats, SPDIF as well as AES/EBU.

MADI I/O optical: Standard optical MADI ports (SC).

Word Clock I/O. BNC. In the Settings dialog, Input Options, this input can be set to be terminated with 75 Ohms internally.

MADI I/O coaxial: The BNC sockets can be switched individually between word and MADI I/O functionality via the Settings dialog.

ADAT1 I/O. TOSLINK. Standard ADAT optical port, 8 channels. ADAT2 I/O. TOSLINK. Standard ADAT optical port, 8 channels. Can also be used as optical

SPDIF input and output, if set up accordingly in the Settings dialog. Remote. Connector for the optional Advanced Remote Control USB (ARC USB) when the UFX

III is used in stand-alone and Class Compliant mode. This port can also be used alternatively to the connection of the ARC USB to the computer.

USB 3.0. USB socket for connection to the computer. Compatible to USB 2.0 (no MADI record and playback channels then, but all other 30 I/Os).

MIDI I/O 1. Two 5-pin DIN connectors provide the first MIDI input and output. Hook. Secure any loose cable by feeding it through the hook first. IEC receptacle for mains power con-

nection. The internal hi-performance switch mode power supply operates in the range of 100V to 240V AC at highest power efficiency. It is short-circuitproof, has an integrated line filter, is fully regulated against voltage fluctuations, suppresses mains interference, and offers hum-free operation.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

5.2 Quick Start

After the driver installation (chapter 6 / 13) connect the TRS jacks or the XLR inputs with the analog signal source. The input sensitivity of the rear inputs can be changed in TotalMix (Input Channel Settings, LoGain / +4 dBu and Gain), assuring the highest signal to noise ratio will be achieved. Also try to achieve an optimum input level by adjusting the source itself. Raise the source’s output level until the peak level meters in TotalMix reach about –3 dB.

The signal level of the front inputs can also be optimized directly at the Fireface. The key MIC/GAIN gives direct access to this setting, which is then controlled by the encoders 1 and 2. A two-colour LED beside the sockets signals overload by a colour change from green to red.

The digital outputs of the Fireface UFX III provide AES/EBU (SPDIF compatible) and ADAT optical signals at the corresponding ports.

On the analog playback side (the DA side), a coarse adjustment of the analog output level at the rear jacks is again available in TotalMix (Output Channel Settings, Level), or the Channel Settings directly at the device. The big Volume encoder controls the Main Out volume (default: Analog 1/2).

The output signal of channels 9/10 and 11/12, Phones 1 and 2, can be controlled directly from front by the small encoders 1 and 2.

The Fireface UFX III can store and load its current state in 6 different memory slots, called Setups. With this, the Fireface UFX III can be used stand-alone after setting it up accordingly, replacing lots of dedicated devices (see chapter 24).

In online mode some settings are greyed out, as these should be changed only at the computer, in the Settings dialog or in TotalMix FX. These include the choice of sample rate and the mix settings.

The factory setting for the Interface Mode, Auto, will use USB 2 or 3 automatically, depending on the detected interface. For Class Compliant operation the interface mode has to be set manually. This is done under SETUP/REV, Options, Hardware/Diagnosis, Interface Mode.

5.3 Menu and Navigation

The Fireface UFX III has a simple and clear menu structure, for fast and efficient operation directly at the device. In most cases, however, all settings will be done via the Settings dialog and TotalMix FX of the host computer. The operation on the device is typically limited to a direct adjustment of the monitoring volume (loudspeaker and headphones), the microphone gain, and DURec (Direct USB Recording). In stand-alone mode, all settings are available directly on the device.

Navigation through the menus of the display and control of the settings is done via four quick select buttons and three rotary encoder with push function. The quick select buttons MIC/GAIN, REC/PLAY, CHAN/MIX and SETUP/REV are described in chapter 23.2.

Default in the display is the Global Level Meter screen, which shows the current signal levels for all I/Os. By pressing the encoder knob 1 only the first 8 analog I/Os (Analog Level Meter screen) are displayed, which makes the level display larger and thus easier to read.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

5.4 Overview Menu Structure

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

5.5 Special Options

In the menu SETUP/REV - Options - Hardware/Diagnosis there are some additional setting options which are not described elsewhere in this manual.

Lock Keys. OFF, KEYS, ALL. Allows to disable only the four front buttons or also the three encoders. Press SETUP/REV key for 2 seconds to unlock.

Remap Keys. OFF, ON. Allows assigning 33 different functions/actions to the four quick select buttons on the device. The configuration is done in the following four entries:

MIC/GAIN, REC/PLAY, CHAN/MIX, SETUP/REV. Available functions/actions: Default, Setup 1-6, DIM, Recall, Mute Enable, Main Mono, Main Mute, Main Out Low Cut, Main Out EQ, Main Out Dynamics, Main Out AutoLevel, Phones 9/10 Mute, Phones 9/10 Low Cut, Phones 9/10 EQ, Phones 9/10 Dynamics, Phones 9/10 AutoLevel, Phones 11/12 Mute, Phones 11/12 Low Cut, Phones 11/12 EQ, Phones 11/12 Dynamics, Phones 11/12 AutoLevel, Reverb enable, Echo enable, Record*, Play/Pause* Stop*, Previous*, Next*, TotalMix (* DURec functions).

The original function of the key on the device, calling up the menu, is still possible by pressing the key on the device for a longer time (1 s).

Remap Keys is not only useful for stand-alone operation and direct access to some hardware functions, but can also be used to call up the TotalMix window. Configuration can also be done directly in TotalMix FX, in the ARC & Key Commands dialog. The buttons are labelled A (MIC/GAIN), B (REC/PLAY), C (CHAN/MIX) and D (SETUP/REV) here. Via TotalMix FX there are even 52 different functions/actions available.

Options of the ARC USB (Advanced Remote Control) are described in chapter 23.5.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

User's Guide

Fireface UFX III

Installation and Operation – Windows

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

6. Hardware, Driver and Firmware Installation

6.1 Hardware and Driver Installation

To simplify installation it is recommended to first install the drivers before the unit is connected to the computer. But it will also work the other way round.

RME is constantly improving the drivers. Please download the latest drivers from the RME website. Driver version 4.30 or higher is available via http://rme.to/downloads. Unzip the downloaded file and start the driver installation with rmeinstaller.exe.

Start rmeinstaller.exe and follow the instructions of the installer. After installation connect computer and UFX III using a USB 2 or USB 3.0 cable so that the connection matches the installed driver. Windows detects the new hardware as Fireface UFX III and installs the drivers automatically.

After a reboot, the icons of TotalMix FX and Settings dialog appear in the notification area. If not a click on the chevron leads to the settings that control the icon display.

Driver Updates do not require to remove the existing drivers. Simply install the new driver over the existing one.

6.2 De-Installing the Drivers

A de-installation of the driver files is not necessary – and not supported by Windows anyway. Thanks to full Plug & Play support, the driver files will not be loaded after the hardware has been removed. If desired these files can then be deleted manually.

Unfortunately Windows Plug & Play methods do not cover the additional autorun entries of TotalMix, the Settings dialog, and the registration of the ASIO driver. Those entries can be removed from the registry through a software de-installation request. This request can be found (like all deinstallation entries) in Control Panel, Software. Click on the entry 'RME MADIface'.

6.3 Firmware Update

The Flash Update Tool updates the firmware of the Fireface UFX III to the latest version. It requires an already installed driver.

Start the program fut_mfusb.exe (USB). The Flash Update Tool displays the current revision of the Fireface firmware, and whether it needs an update or not. If so, then simply press the 'Update' button. A progress bar will indicate when the flash process is finished (Verify Ok).

After the update the unit needs to be reset. This is done by powering down the unit for a few seconds. A reboot of the computer is not necessary.

When the update unexpectedly fails (status: failure), the unit's Safety BIOS will be used from the next boot on, the unit stays fully functional. The flash process should then be tried again.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

7. Configuring the Fireface

7.1 Settings dialog – Main Tab

Configuration of the Fireface UFX III is done via its own settings dialog. The panel Settings can be opened by clicking on the fire or hammer symbol in the Task Bar's system tray.

The mixer of the Fireface UFX III, TotalMix FX, can be opened by clicking on the DSP FX symbol in the Task Bar's system tray

The hardware of the Fireface UFX III offers a number of helpful, well thought-of practical functions and options which affect how the card operates - it can be configured to suit many different requirements. The 'Settings' dialog includes options for:

 Latency  Operation of the DSP  Configuration of the digital I/Os  Current sample rate  Synchronization behaviour  State of input and output

Any changes made in the Settings dialog are applied immediately - confirmation (e.g. by clicking on OK or exiting the dialog) is not required.

However, settings should not be changed during playback or record if it can be avoided, as this can cause unwanted noises. Also, please note that even in 'Stop' mode, several programs keep the recording and playback devices open, which means that any new settings might not be applied immediately.

The tab About includes information about the current driver and firmware version of the Fireface. The USB driver shows four options there:

Lock Registry

Default: off. Checking this option brings up a dialog to enter a password. Changes in the Settings dialog are no longer written to the registry. As the settings are always loaded from the registry when starting the computer, this method provides an easy way to define an initial state of the Fireface UFX III.

Enable MMCSS for ASIO activates support with higher priority for the ASIO driver. Note: At this time, activating this option seems to be useful only with the latest Cubase/Nuendo at higher load. With other software this option can decrease performance. The change becomes active after an ASIO reset. Therefore it is easy to quickly check which setting works better.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Limit ASIO to 32 Channels

Some software crashes when presented with more than 32 ASIO channels. This option limits the ASIO driver to 32 channels, but all I/Os can still be accessed and used via TotalMix FX.

Sort ASIO Devices

Changes the order only of the ASIO channels when using more than one interface.

Buffer Size

The setting Buffer Size determines the latency between incoming and outgoing ASIO and WDM data, as well as affecting system stability (see chapter 9.1).

USB Diagnosis and Errors does not refer to buffer errors, but USB transmission errors. The display will be reset on any start of a playback/record. More information can be found in chapter

40.3.

Input Options Word Clock In Termination

Checking this option terminates the word clock input internally with 75 Ohms.

AES Input

Default: XLR. If Optical 2 is selected, an SPDIF signal present at the ADAT 2 input is switched to the AES input channel, see also block diagram in chapter 41.1. The input signal of the AES XLR socket is then no longer available.

DSP – EQ+D for Record Switches EQ and Dynamics of all input channels into the recording path. In case Loopback has been activated the EQ and Dynamics of the Output channel are within the recording path. See also chapter 27.6.

MADI Input

Options: Optical - default. Coaxial - the BNC word clock input can be used as coaxial MADI input. AutoSelect - the UFX III scans both inputs for a valid MADI signal and activates one as soon as a MADI signal is found. Split – uses both inputs with 32 channels each.

TMS activates the transmission of Channel Status data and Track Marker information on AES, SPDIF and MADI inputs. In case these information are not required the feature should be turned off.

Iso(chronous) Streaming (USB 3 only)

The UFX III uses a special transmission mode with error correction in record mode. In case the default mode does not work Isochronous Streaming can be tried. This is the standard’s native mode for audio transmission and should work with any USB 3 controller. See also chapter 40.3.

Output Options AES Format

The AES output signal can have the Channel Status Professional or Consumer (SPDIF). For further details please refer to chapter 21.2.

Optical 1 Out

This optical TOSLINK output can operate as ADAT or SPDIF output. ADAT includes channels 15-22, SPDIF channels 15/16. In SPDIF mode the output channels 17-22 can only be used for Loopback purposes.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Optical 2 Out

This optical TOSLINK output can operate as ADAT or SPDIF output. ADAT includes channels 23-30, SPDIF channels 23/24. In SPDIF mode the output channels 25-30 can only be used for Loopback purposes. Selecting AES the output signal of the AES channel (XLR) is also send out as optical SPDIF.

MADI Format

Defines the format of the MADI output signal. MADI can be a 56 or 64 channel signal.

MADI Frame

Sample rates higher than 48 kHz can be transmitted using the normal 48K Frame, or using a native 96K Frame at the card's output.

MADI Output

Options: Optical - default. Mirror - the BNC word clock output can be used as coaxial MADI output carrying the same signal as the optical output. Split - uses both outputs with 32 channels each.

WDM Devices

Allows to freely set which I/Os are available as WDM devices, if these are stereo or multi-channel devices (up to 8 channels), and if one or multiple of the currently active WDM devices should have the Speaker property. More details are found in chapter 7.2.

Clock Mode Word Clock – Single Speed

The word clock output signal usually equals the current sample rate. Selecting Single Speed causes the output signal to always stay within the range of 32 kHz to 48 kHz. So at 96 kHz and 192 kHz sample rate, the output word clock is 48 kHz.

Sample Rate

Sets the currently used sample rate. Offers a central and comfortable way of configuring the sample rate of all WDM devices to the same value, as since Vista the audio software is no longer allowed to set the sample rate. However, an ASIO program can still set the sample rate by itself. During record/playback the selection is greyed out, so no change is possible.

Clock Source

The unit can be configured to use its own clock (Internal = Master), or one of the input signals (Word, AES, ADAT/SPDIF1, ADAT/SPDIF2, MADI optical, MADI coaxial). If the selected source isn't available (Input Status No Lock), the unit will change to the next available one (AutoSync). If none is available then the internal clock is used. The current clock source is displayed to the right.

Input Status

Indicates for each input (Word, AES, Optical 1, Optical 2, MADI optical, MADI coaxial) whether there is a valid signal (Lock, No Lock), or if there is a valid and synchronous signal (Sync). The third column shows the sample frequency detected by the hardware (coarse recognition, 32 kHz,

44.1 kHz, 48 kHz etc.). For MADI, channel format and Frame format are also shown.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

7.2 Option WDM Devices

The WDM Devices configuration has one button to enter the edit dialog, a status display showing the number of currently enabled WDM devices, and a listbox to change between Stereo or Multi- Channel devices.

The number represents both record and playback devices, so ‘1’ means one input and one output device.

The screenshot to the right shows the stereo WDM devices available with the UFX III, and that only Analog 1/2 has been activated. Any number can be activated. Also only higher numbered devices might be active. For example using the MADI output 1/2 for system based audio does not require to activate the 15 stereo devices in front. Only MADI 1/2 will show up in the Windows Sound control panel.

The checkbox All to the right allows for a quick check/uncheck of all devices.

Activating all 47 stereo devices at once may cause temporary freezing or ‘not re- sponding’ effects. Therefore activate only the ones which are really needed.

The screenshot to the left shows the multichannel WDM devices available with the UFX III after selecting ‘Multi-Channel’ in the WDM Devices listbox and hitting WDM Configure. In this example the devices Analog 1 to 8 and MADI 1 to 8 are active.

Using a multi-channel WDM device allows for the use of multi-channel playback with specialized software as well as Surround sound from DVD or Blu-Ray player software.

Please note that configuring the WDM device to a specific surround mode in the control panel Sound requires the device to have the Speaker property. See next page.

Again the checkbox All to the right allows for a quick check/uncheck of all devices.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Changing to the tab Speaker presents a list of all currently activated WDM devices. Any of these can now get the Speaker property.

Please note that defining more than one device as Speaker usually makes no sense, and

the speakers also don’t get numbered or re-

named in Windows, so it is impossible to find out which one is which.

After leaving the dialog with OK the WDM devices are reloaded so Windows sees their new properties. You can now assign any surround mode, from stereo to 7.1, in the Windows Sound control panel by selecting the playback device and clicking the Configure button.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

8. Operation and Usage

8.1 Playback

The Fireface UFX III can play back audio data in supported formats only (sample rate, bit resolution). Otherwise an error message appears (for example at 22 kHz and 8 bit).

In the audio application being used, Fireface must be selected as output device. This can often be found in the Options, Preferences or Settings menus under Playback Device, Audio Devices,

Audio etc.

WDM playback devices are not available if the number of WDM devices is set to 0 in the Settings dialog.

We recommend switching all system sounds off (via >Control Panel /Sounds<). Although the Fireface UFX III comes with extensive support for system audio, setting it to be the Default Device for playback could cause problems when working with ASIO.

The screenshot shows a typical configuration dialog of a (stereo) wave editor. Audio data is sent to an analog or digital port, depending on which has been selected as playback device.

Increasing the number and/or size of audio buffers may prevent the audio signal from breaking up, but also increases latency i.e. output is delayed. For synchronized playback of audio and MIDI (or similar), be sure to activate the checkbox ‘Get position from audio driver’.

Note: Since Vista the audio application can no longer control the sample rate under WDM. Therefore the driver of the Fireface UFX III includes a way to set the sample rate globally for all WDM devices within the Settings dialog, see chapter 7.1.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

8.2 DVD-Playback (AC-3/DTS)

AC-3 / DTS

Popular DVD software players can send their audio data stream to any AC-3/DTS capable receiver using the Fireface's SPDIF output.

The sample rate must be set to 48 kHz in the UFX III Settings dialog, or the software will only playback the down-mixed analog signal via SPDIF.

In some cases an UFX III output device has to be selected in >Control Panel / Sound / Playback< and be set as Default for the software to recognize it.

The DVD software's audio properties now show the options 'SPDIF Out' or similar. When selecting it, the software will transfer the non-decoded digital multichannel data stream to the Fireface.

Note: This 'SPDIF' signal sounds like chopped noise at highest level. Try to avoid mixing and routing the signal to your loudspeakers, as they might get damaged.

Multichannel

DVD software player can also operate as software decoder, sending a DVD's multichannel data stream directly to the analog outputs of the Fireface. For this to work select the WDM playback

device ’Loudspeaker’ of the Fireface in >Control Panel/ Sound/ Playback < as Default. The playback software’s audio properties now list several multichannel modes. If one of these is

selected, the software sends the decoded analog multichannel data to the Fireface. TotalMix can then be used to play back via any desired output channels.

The typical channel assignment for surround playback is: 1 - Left

2 - Right 3 - Center 4 - LFE (Low Frequency Effects) 5 - SL (Surround Left) 6 - SR (Surround Right)

Note 1: Selecting the Fireface to be used as system playback device is against our recommendation, as professional interfaces should not be disturbed by system events. Make sure to reassign the selection after usage or to disable any system sounds (tab Sounds, scheme 'No audio').

Note 2: The DVD player will be synced backwards from the Fireface. This means when using AutoSync and/or word clock, the playback speed and pitch follows the incoming clock signal.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

8.3 Channel Count under WDM

The Fireface ADAT optical ports allow to record sample rates of up to 192 kHz using a standard ADAT recorder. For this to work single-channel data is spread to two or four ADAT channels using the Sample Multiplexing technique. This reduces the number of available ADAT channels from 8 to 4 or 2 per ADAT port. The same is true for MADI, the number of channels is reduced to 32 or 16 respectively.

Whenever the Fireface changes into Double Speed (88.2/96 kHz) or Quad Speed mode (176.4/192 kHz) all devices no longer available vanish automatically.

WDM Stereo device

Double Speed

Quad Speed

Fireface Analog (1+2)

Fireface Analog (3+4)

Fireface Analog (5+6)

Fireface Analog (7+8)

Fireface Analog (9+10)

Fireface Analog (11+12)

Fireface AES

Fireface ADAT 1 (1+2)

Fireface ADAT 1 (3+4)

Fireface ADAT 1 (5+6)

Fireface ADAT 1 (7+8)

Fireface ADAT 2 (1+2)

Fireface ADAT 2 (3+4)

Fireface ADAT 2 (5+6)

Fireface ADAT 2 (7+8)

Fireface MADI (1-16)

Fireface MADI (17-32)

Fireface MADI (33-64)

8.4 Multi-client Operation

RME audio interfaces support multi-client operation. Several programs can be used at the same time. The formats ASIO and WDM can even be used on the same playback channels simultaneously. But as WDM uses a real-time sample rate conversion (ASIO does not), all active ASIO software has to use the same sample rate.

However, a better overview is maintained by using the channels exclusively. This is no limitation at all, because TotalMix allows for any output routing, and therefore a playback of multiple software on the same hardware outputs.

Inputs can be used from an unlimited number of WDM and ASIO software at the same time, as the driver simply sends the data to all applications simultaneously.

RME's sophisticated tool DIGICheck is an exception to this rule. It operates like an ASIO host, using a special technique to access playback channels directly. Therefore DIGICheck is able to analyse and display playback data from any software, no matter which format it uses.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

8.5 Analog Recording

For recordings via the analog inputs the corresponding record device has to be chosen (Fireface UFX III Analog (x+x)).

The input sensitivity of the rear inputs can be changed in two steps and with adjustable gain in TotalMix (Input Channel Settings, Level), assuring the highest signal to noise ratio will be

achieved. A further optimization can be achieved by adjusting the source itself. Raise the source’s

output level until the peak level meters in TotalMix reach about –3 dB. The level of the front-side analog inputs can be optimized via TotalMix (Input Channel Settings,

Gain), or directly at the Fireface UFX III by the key Mic/Gain and the encoders 1/2. A double coloured signal and clip LED provides useful information about the current level state.

Further information is found in chapter 19. It often makes sense to monitor the input signal or send it directly to the output. This can be done

at zero latency using TotalMix FX (see chapter 25). An automated control of real-time monitoring can be achieved by Steinberg’s ASIO protocol with

RME’s ASIO drivers and all ASIO 2.0 compatible programs. When 'ASIO Direct Monitoring' has been switched on, the input signal is routed in real-time to the output whenever a recording is started (punch-in).

8.6 Digital Recording

Unlike analog soundcards which produce empty wave files (or noise) when no input signal is present, digital interfaces always need a valid input signal to start recording.

Taking this into account, RME added a comprehensive I/O signal status display to the Fireface UFX III, showing sample frequency, lock and sync status for every input, and several status LEDs directly at the unit.

The sample frequency shown in the fields Clock Mode and Input Status is useful as a quick display of the current configuration of the unit and the connected external equipment. If no sample frequency is recognized, it will read ‘No Lock’.

This way, configuring any suitable audio application for digital recording is simple. After selecting the correct input, Fireface UFX III displays the current sample frequency. This parameter can then be changed in the application’s audio attributes (or similar) dialog.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

8.7 Clock Modes - Synchronization

In the digital world, all devices must be either Master (clock source) or Slave (clock receiver). Whenever several devices are linked within a system, there must always be a single master clock.

A digital system can only have one master! If the Fireface’s clock mode is set to 'Master', all other devices must be set to ‘Slave’.

The Fireface UFX III utilizes a very user-friendly, intelligent clock control, called AutoSync. In AutoSync mode, the system constantly scans the digital input for a valid signal. If any valid signal is found, the Fireface switches from the internal quartz (Clock Mode – Current Internal) to a clock extracted from the input signal (Clock Mode – Current MADI, ADAT, AES or Word). The difference to a usual slave mode is that whenever the clock reference fails, the system will automatically use its internal clock and operate in clock mode Master.

AutoSync guarantees that record and record-while-play will always work correctly. In certain cases however, AutoSync may cause feedback in the digital carrier, so synchronization breaks down. To remedy this, switch the Fireface clock mode to ‘Internal’.

RME’s exclusive SyncCheck technology enables an easy to use check and display of the current clock status. SyncCheck indicates whether there is a valid signal (Lock, No Lock) for each input (Word Clock, ADAT, SPDIF, AES, MADI), or if there is a valid and synchronous signal (Sync). See chapter 39.1.

Via Clock Source a preferred input can be defined. As long as the Fireface sees a valid signal there, this input will be designated as the sync source, otherwise the other inputs will be scanned in turn. If none of the inputs are receiving a valid signal, the Fireface automatically switches clock mode to ‘Internal’.

With WDM the Fireface will (has to) set the sample rate. Therefore the error shown to the right can occur. A stable signal with a sample rate of 44100 Hz is detected (Sync), but Windows audio had been set to 48000 Hz before. The red colour of the text label signals the error condition, and prompts the user to set 44100 Hz manually as sample rate.

Under ASIO the audio software sets the sample rate, so that such an error will usually not happen – but it can too. In slave mode the external sample rate has priority. Feeding 44.1 kHz will prevent the ASIO software to set 48 kHz – obviously, as the only way to do so would be to enter a different clock mode (Master/Internal).

In practice, SyncCheck provides the user with an easy way of checking whether all digital devices connected to the system are properly configured. With SyncCheck, finally anyone can master this common source of error, previously one of the most complex issues in the digital studio world.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

9. Operation under ASIO

9.1 General

Start the ASIO software and select RME ASIO MADIface USB as the audio I/O device or the ASIO audio driver.

The Fireface UFX III supports ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM). The Fireface UFX III MIDI I/Os can be used with both MME MIDI and DirectMusic MIDI.

9.2 Channel Count under ASIO

At a sample rate of 88.2 or 96 kHz, the ADAT optical input and outputs operate in S/MUX mode, so the number of available channels per port is reduced from 8 to 4. At a sample rate of 176.4 and 192 kHz, the ADAT optical input and output operates in S/MUX4 mode, so the number of available channels is limited to 2.

The same is true for MADI, the number of channels is reduced to 32 (Double Speed) and 16 (Quad Speed).

Note: When changing the sample rate range between Single, Double and Quad Speed the number of channels presented from the ASIO driver will change too. This may require a reset of the I/O list in the audio software.

Single Speed

Double Speed

Quad Speed

Fireface Analog 1 to 12

Fireface AES L / R

Fireface ADAT 1 to 16

Fireface ADAT 1 to 8

Fireface ADAT 1 to 4

Fireface MADI 1 to 64

Fireface MADI 1 to 32

Fireface MADI 1 to 16

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

9.3 Known Problems

If a computer does not provide sufficient CPU-power, and/or sufficient USB or PCI bus transfer rates, and/or sufficient PCIe-bus transfer rates, then drop outs, crackling and noise will appear. Raising the buffer size in the Settings dialog of the Fireface UFX III helps in most cases. It is also recommended to deactivate all PlugIns to verify that these are not the reason for such effects. Further information is found in chapter 39.3.

Another common source of trouble is incorrect synchronization. ASIO does not support asynchronous operation, which means that the input and output signals not only have to use the same sample frequency, but also have to be in sync. All devices connected to the Fireface UFX III must be properly configured for full duplex operation. As long as SyncCheck (in the Settings dialog) only displays Lock instead of Sync, the devices have not been set up properly.

The same applies when using more than one Fireface UFX III - they all have to be in sync. Else a periodically repeated noise will be heard.

RME devices support ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM). Please note that not all programs support ADM completely or error-free. The most often reported problem is the wrong behaviour of panorama in a stereo channel. Also try to avoid setting the TotalMix FX hardware outputs (third row) to mono mode. This will most likely break ADM compatibility.

In case of a drift between audio and MIDI, or in case of a fixed deviation (MIDI notes placed close before or behind the correct position), the settings in Cubase/Nuendo have to be changed. At the time of print the option 'Use System Timestamp' should be activated. The Fireface UFX III supports both MME MIDI and DirectMusic MIDI. It depends on the used application which one will work better.

10. Using more than one Fireface UFX III

The driver supports up to three Fireface UFX III or a combination of up to three supported interfaces. All units have to be in sync, i.e. have to receive valid sync information (either via word clock or by using AutoSync and feeding synchronized signals).

 If one of the Firefaces is set to clock mode Master, all others have to be set to clock mode

AutoSync, and have to be synced from the master, for example by feeding word clock. The clock modes of all units have to be set up correctly in the Fireface Settings dialog.

 If all units are fed with a synchronous clock, i.e. all units show Sync in their Settings dialog,

all channels can be used at once. This is especially easy to handle under ASIO, as the ASIO driver presents all units as one.

Please be aware that operating more than one Fireface UFX III may cause resource problems on the computer side.

Note: TotalMix is part of the hardware of each Fireface. Up to three mixers are available, but these are separated and can't interchange data. Therefore a global mixer for all units is not possible.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

11. DIGICheck Windows

The DIGICheck software is a unique utility developed for testing, measuring and analysing digital audio streams. Although this Windows software is fairly self-explanatory, it still includes a comprehensive online help. DIGICheck 5.95 operates as multi-client ASIO host, therefore can be used in parallel to any software, be it WDM or ASIO, with both inputs and outputs (!). The following is a short summary of the currently available functions:

 Level Meter. High precision 24-bit resolution, 2/8/94 channels. Application examples: Peak

level measurement, RMS level measurement, over-detection, phase correlation measurement, dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratios, RMS to peak difference (loudness), long term peak measurement, input check. Oversampling mode for levels higher than 0 dBFS. Vertical and horizontal mode. Slow RMS and RLB weighting filter. Supports visualization according to the K-System.

 Hardware Level Meter for Input, Playback and Output. Reference Level Meter freely con-

figurable, causing near zero CPU load, because calculated from the Fireface hardware.

 Vector Audio Scope. World wide unique Goniometer showing the typical afterglow of a oscil-

loscope-tube. Includes Correlation meter and level meter.

 Spectral Analyser. World wide unique 10-, 20- or 30-band display in analog bandpass-filter

technology. 192 kHz-capable!

 Totalyser. Spectral Analyser, Level Meter and Vector Audio Scope in a single window.  Surround Audio Scope. Professional Surround Level Meter with extended correlation analy-

sis, ITU weighting and ITU summing meter.

 ITU1770/EBU R128 Meter. For standardized loudness measurements.  Bit Statistics & Noise. Shows the true resolution of audio signals as well as errors and DC

offset. Includes Signal to Noise measurement in dB and dBA, plus DC measurement.

 Channel Status Display. Detailed analysis and display of SPDIF and AES/EBU Channel Sta-

tus data.

 Global Record. Long-term recording of all channels at lowest system load.  Completely multi-client. Open as many measurement windows as you like, on any channels

and inputs or outputs!

DIGICheck is free but works only with RME interfaces. It is constantly improved and updated. The latest version is always available on our website www.rme-audio.com, section Downloads / Software.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

12. Hotline – Troubleshooting

The newest information can always be found on our website www.rme-audio.com, section FAQ, Latest Additions.

The second port ADAT channels don’t seem to work

 The optical output 1 or 2 has been switched to AES or SPDIF. As can be seen in the block

diagram, all channels and their assignments still exist, but the optical transmitter has been disconnected from ADAT2 and is now fed from the AES output (channels 13/14). The ADAT2 playback devices are still usable by routing and mixing them in TotalMix to other outputs.

Playback works, but record doesn’t

 Check that there is a valid signal at the input. If so, the current sample frequency is displayed

in the Settings dialog.

 Check whether the Fireface UFX III has been selected as recording device in the audio appli-

cation.

 Check whether the sample frequency set in the audio application (‘Recording properties’ or

similar) matches the input signal.

 Check that cables/devices have not been connected in a closed loop. If so, set the system’s

clock mode to Master.

Crackle during record or playback

 Increase the number and size of buffers in the ‘Settings’ dialog or in the application.  Try different cables (coaxial or optical) to rule out any defects here.  Check that cables/devices have not been connected in a closed loop. If so, set the system’s

clock mode to ‘Master’.

 Check the Settings dialog for displayed Errors.

Driver installation and Settings dialog/TotalMix work, but a playback or record is not possible

 While recognition and control of the device are low bandwidth applications, playback/record

needs the full transmission performance. Therefore, defective USB cables with limited transmission bandwidth can cause such an error scheme.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

User's Guide

Fireface UFX III

Installation and Operation – Mac OS X

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

13. Hardware, Driver and Firmware Installation

13.1 Hardware and Driver Installation

After the Fireface has been connected to the computer and switched on install the drivers matching your current macOS.

RME is constantly improving the drivers. Please download the latest drivers from the RME website at http://rme.to/downloads. Unzip the downloaded file and start the driver installation by doubleclicking Fireface USB.pkg.

During driver installation the programs Totalmix (TotalMix FX) and Fireface USB Settings are copied to the Applications folder. They will automatically start into the dock if a Fireface UFX III is connected. A reboot of the computer is not required.

Driver Updates do not require to remove the existing drivers. Simply install the new driver over the existing one.

13.2 De-installing the Drivers

In case of problems the driver files can be deleted manually by dragging them to the trash bin:

USB

/Applications/Fireface USB Settings /Applications/Totalmix /Library/Extensions/FirefaceUSB.kext /Users/username/Library/Preferences/de.rme-audio.TotalmixFX.plist /Users/username/Library/Preferences/de.rme-audio.Fireface_USB_Settings.plist /Library/LaunchAgents/de.rme-audio.firefaceUSBAgent.plist

Under the latest Mac OS the User/Library folder is not visible in the Finder. To unhide it start Finder, click on the menu item Go. Hold down the option (alt) key, then click on Library.

With the latest DriverKit drivers, the whole driver is the RME Settings app found in Applications. Deleting this app also removes the driver from the system.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

13.3 Firmware Update

The Flash Update Tool updates the firmware of the Fireface UFX III to the latest version. It requires an already installed USB driver.

Start the program RME UFX III Flash Update Tool. The Flash Update Tool displays the current revision of the UFX III firmware, and whether it needs an update or not. If so, simply press the 'Update' button. A progress bar will indicate when the flash process is finished (Verify Ok).

After the update the Fireface UFX III needs to be reset. This is done by powering down the Fireface for a few seconds. A reboot of the computer is not necessary.

When the update fails (status: failure), the unit's second BIOS will be used from the next cold boot on (Secure BIOS Technology). Therefore the unit stays fully functional. The flash process should then be tried again on a different computer.

14. Configuring the Fireface UFX III

14.1 Settings Dialog

Configuring the Fireface is done via its own settings dialog. Start the program Fireface USB Settings. The mixer of the Fireface UFX III (TotalMix FX) can be configured by starting the pro- gram Totalmix.

The Fireface’s hardware offers a number of helpful, well thought-out practical functions and options which affect how the card operates - it can be configured to suit many different requirements. The following is available in the 'Settings' dialog:

 Operation of the DSP  Configuration of digital I/Os  Current sample rate  Synchronization behaviour  State of input and output

Any changes performed in the Settings dialog are applied immediately - confirmation (e.g. by exiting the dialog) is not required.

However, settings should not be changed during playback or record if it can be avoided, as this can cause unwanted noises.

Use the drop down menu Properties For to select the unit to be configured. On the right of it the current firmware and driver version is shown.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Input Options Word Clock - Termination

Checking this option terminates the word clock input internally with 75 Ohms.

AES Input

MADI Input

Options: Optical - default. Coaxial the BNC word clock input can be used as coaxial MADI input. Auto the UFX III scans both inputs for a valid MADI signal and activates one as soon as a MADI signal is found. Split – uses both inputs with 32 channels each.

DSP – Record EQ+D Switches EQ and Dynamics of all input channels into the recording path. In case Loopback has been activated the EQ and Dynamics of the Output channel are within the recording path. See also chapter 27.6.

Output Options AES Format

The AES output signal can have the Channel Status Professional or Consumer (SPDIF). For further details please refer to chapter 21.2.

Optical 1 Out

This optical TOSLINK output can operate as ADAT or SPDIF output. ADAT includes channels 15-22, SPDIF channels 15/16. In SPDIF mode the output channels 17-22 can only be used for Loopback purposes.

Optical 2 Out

MADI Output

Options: Optical - default. Mirror - the BNC word clock output can be used as coaxial MADI output carrying the same signal as the optical output. Split - uses both outputs with 32 channels each.

MADI Format

Defines the format of the MADI output signal. MADI can be a 56 or 64 channel signal.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

MADI Frame

Sample rates higher than 48 kHz can be transmitted using the normal 48K Frame, or using a native 96K Frame at the card's output.

Input Status

Indicates for inputs Word, AES, ADAT1 and ADAT2 whether a valid signal (Lock, No Lock) or a valid and synchronous signal (Sync) is present. The third column shows the sample frequency detected by the hardware (coarse recognition, 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz etc.).

Clock Options Word Clock I/O – Single Speed

The word clock input usually adapts to the current sample rate range. For example a 48 kHz word signal can be used to sync the internal clock of 96 and 192 kHz. When the option Single Speed is active the interface’s sample rate follows the external sample rate even over Single, Double and Quad Speed. A word signal of 192 kHz will cause the UFX III to use 192 kHz internally. This feature is also called Follow Clock.

Sample Rate

Used to set the current sample rate. This is the same setting as in the Audio MIDI Setup, just added here for your convenience.

Clock Source

The unit can be configured to use its own clock (Internal = Master), or one of the input signals (Word, AES, ADAT1, ADAT2, MADI optical, MADI coaxial). If the selected source isn't available (Input Status No Lock), the unit will change to the next available one (AutoSync). If none is available then the internal clock is used. The current clock source is displayed below.

MADI Input Status

Indicates for each input MADI input whether there is a valid signal (Lock, No Lock), or if there is a valid and synchronous signal (Sync). The third column shows the sample frequency measured by the hardware. The fourth and fifth column show the input’s channel format (48k/96k Frame, 64 or 56 channels).

Bus USB3 – Iso Transfer Format

CRC Errors

Shows transmission errors on the USB bus. See chapter 40.3.

Short Safety Offset

Reduces overall latency by using smaller Safety Offsets. Change is performed in real-time. Smaller Safety Offsets might cause clicks and dropouts.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

14.2 Clock Modes - Synchronization

In the digital world, all devices must be either Master (clock source) or Slave (clock receiver). Whenever several devices are linked in a system, there must always be a single master clock.

A digital system can only have one master! If the Fireface’s clock mode is set to 'Master', all

other devices must be set to ‘Slave’.

AutoSync guarantees that record and record-while-play will always work correctly. In certain cases however, AutoSync may cause feedback in the digital carrier, so synchronization breaks down. To solve this problem switch the Fireface clock mode to ‘Internal’.

RME’s exclusive SyncCheck technology enables an easy to use check and display of the current clock status. SyncCheck indicates whether there is a valid signal (Lock, No Lock) for each input (Word Clock, ADAT, AES, MADI), or if there is a valid and synchronous signal (Sync). In the field Clock Mode the clock reference is shown. See chapter 40.1.

In some situations changing the clock mode can not be avoided. Example: An ADAT recorder is connected to the ADAT2 input and selected as clock source. A CD player is connected to the ADAT1 input. Try recording a few samples from the CD and you will be disappointed - few CD players can be synchronized. The samples will inevitably be corrupted, because the signal from the CD player is read with the clock from the ADAT. In this case the Clock Source setting should be temporarily set to Optical 1.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

15. Mac OS X FAQ

15.1 MIDI doesn't work

In some cases the applications do not show the MIDI port. The reason for this is usually visible within the Audio MIDI Setup. It displays no RME MIDI device, or the device is greyed out and therefore inactive. Mostly, removing the greyed out device and searching for MIDI devices again will solve the problem.

The Fireface’ MIDI is class compliant. Therefore it comes without a driver. OS X recognizes it as MIDI device and will be using it with the driver included in the operating system.

15.2 Repairing Disk Permissions

Repairing permission can solve problems with the installation process - plus many others. To do this, launch Disk Utility located in Utilities. Select your system drive in the drive/volume list to the left. The First Aid tab to the right now allows you to check and repair disk permissions.

15.3 Supported Sample Rates

RME's Mac OS X driver supports all sampling frequencies provided by the hardware. This includes 32 kHz and 64 kHz, and even 128 kHz, 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz.

But not any software will support all the hardware's sample rates. The hardware's capabilities can easily be verified in the Audio MIDI Setup. Select Audio devices under Properties of: and choose the Fireface. A click on Format will list the supported sample frequencies.

15.4 Channel Count under Core Audio

The same is true for MADI, the number of channels is reduced to 32 (Double Speed) and 16 (Quad Speed).

It is not possible to change the number of Core Audio channels without a reboot of the computer. Therefore whenever the Fireface changes into Double Speed (88.2/96 kHz) or Quad Speed mode (176.4/192 kHz) all channels stay present, but become partly inactive.

Single Speed

Double Speed

Quad Speed

Fireface Analog 1 to 12

Fireface AES L / R

Fireface ADAT 1 to 16

Fireface ADAT 1 to 8

Fireface ADAT 1 to 4

Fireface MADI 1 to 64

Fireface MADI 1 to 32

Fireface MADI 1 to 16

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

15.5 Various Information

The driver of the Fireface requires at least Mac OS 10.6. Programs that don't support card or channel selection will use the device chosen as Input and

Output in the System Preferences – Sound panel. Via Launchpad – Other – Audio MIDI Setup the Fireface can be configured for the system wide

usage in more detail. Programs that don't support channel selection will always use channels 1/2, the first stereo pair.

To access other inputs, use the following workaround with TotalMix: route the desired input signal to output channels 1/2. In the channel settings of outputs 1/2 activate Loopback. Result: the desired input signal is now available at input channel 1/2, without further delay/latency.

Use Configure Speakers to freely configure the stereo or multichannel playback to any available channels.

16. Using more than one Fireface UFX III

OS X supports the usage of more than one audio device within an audio software. This is done via the Core Audio function Aggregate Devices, which allows to combine several devices into one.

The current driver supports up to three Fireface UFX III. All units have to be in sync, i.e. have to receive valid sync information either via word clock or by feeding synchronized signals.

 If one of the Firefaces is set to clock mode Master, all others have to be set to clock mode

Slave, and have to be synced from the master, for example by feeding word clock. The clock modes of all units have to be set up correctly in the Fireface Settings dialog.

 If all units are fed with a synchronous clock, i.e. all units show Sync in their Settings dialog,

all channels can be used at once.

Please be aware that operating more than one Fireface UFX III may cause resource problems on the computer side.

Note: TotalMix is part of the Fireface hardware. Up to three mixers are available, but these are separated and can't interchange data. Therefore a global mixer for all units is not possible.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

17. DIGICheck NG Mac

The DIGICheck software is a unique utility developed for testing, measuring and analysing digital audio streams. Although the software is fairly self-explanatory, it still includes a comprehensive online help. DIGICheck NG 0.89 operates in parallel to any software, showing all input data. The following is a short summary of the currently available functions:

 Level Meter. High precision 24-bit resolution, 2/8/94 channels. Application examples: Peak

 Hardware Level Meter for Input, Playback and Output. Reference Level Meter freely con-

figurable, causing near zero CPU load, because calculated from the Fireface hardware.

 Spectral Analyser. World wide unique 10-, 20- or 30-band display in analog bandpass filter

technology. 192 kHz-capable!

 Vector Audio Scope. World wide unique Goniometer showing the typical afterglow of a oscil-

loscope-tube. Includes Correlation meter and level meter.

 Totalyser. Spectral Analyser, Level Meter and Vector Audio Scope in a single window.  Surround Audio Scope. Professional Surround Level Meter with extended correlation analy-

sis, ITU weighting and ITU summing meter.

 ITU1770/EBU R128 Meter. For standardized loudness measurements.  Bit Statistics & Noise. Shows the true resolution of audio signals as well as errors and DC

offset. Includes Signal to Noise measurement in dB and dBA, plus DC measurement.

 Completely multi-client. Open as many measurement windows as you like, on any channels

and inputs or outputs!

DIGICheck is constantly updated. The latest version is always available on our website www.rme- audio.com, section Downloads / DIGICheck.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

18. Hotline – Troubleshooting

The newest information can always be found on our website www.rme-audio.com, section FAQ, latest Additions.

The unit and drivers have been installed correctly, but playback does not work:

 Is Fireface UFX III listed in the System Profiler? (Vendor ID 2613).  Has Fireface been selected as current playback device in the audio application?

The 8 ADAT channels don’t seem to work

 The optical output 1 or 2 has been set to AES or SPDIF in the Settings dialog. As can be seen

in the block diagram, all channels and their assignments still exist, but the optical transmitter has been disconnected from ADAT2 and is now fed from the AES output (channels 13/14). The ADAT2 playback devices are still usable by routing and mixing them in TotalMix to other outputs.

Playback works, but record doesn’t:

 Check that there is a valid signal at the input. If so, the current sample frequency is displayed

in the Settings dialog.

 Check whether the Fireface UFX III has been selected as recording device in the audio appli-

cation.

 Check whether the sample frequency set in the audio application (‘Recording properties’ or

similar) matches the input signal.

 Check that cables/devices have not been connected in a closed loop. If so, set the system’s

clock mode to ‘Master’.

Crackle during record or playback:

 Increase the number and size of buffers in the application.  Try different cables (coaxial or optical) to rule out any defects here.  Check that cables/devices have not been connected in a closed loop. If so, set the system’s

clock mode to ‘Master’.

 Check the Settings dialog for displayed Errors.

Possible causes for a Fireface not working

 The USB cable is not, or not correctly inserted into the socket

Driver installation and Settings dialog/TotalMix work, but a playback or record is not possible

 While recognition and control of the device are low bandwidth applications, playback/record

needs the full transmission performance. Therefore, defective USB cables with limited transmission bandwidth can cause such an error scheme.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

User's Guide

Fireface UFX III

Inputs and Outputs

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

19. Analog Inputs

19.1 Line Rear

The Fireface has eight balanced Line inputs as 1/4" TRS jacks on the back of the unit. The electronic input stage is built in a servo balanced design which handles unbalanced (mono jacks) and balanced (stereo jacks) correctly, automatically adjusting the level reference.

When using unbalanced cables with TRS jacks: be sure to connect the 'ring' contact of the TRS jack to ground. Otherwise noise may occur, caused by the unconnected negative input of the balanced input.

One of the main issues when working with an AD-converter is to maintain the full dynamic range within the best operating level. Therefore the Fireface UFX III internally uses hi-quality electronic switches, which allow for a perfect adaptation of all rear inputs individually to the most often used studio levels. The Fireface UFX III provides +13 dBu and +19 dBu with 12 dB of variable gain.:

0 dBFS @

Referenz

Headroom

Legacy

+19 dBu

+4 dBu

15 dB

Lo Gain

+13 dBu

+4 dBu

9 dB

+4 dBu

The above levels are also found in all other RME devices (Legacy). Therefore they are fully compatible to each other. A reference level of -10 dBV can be set by using +4 dBu and adding 9 dB of gain with the Gain knob in the TotalMix FX channel settings.

19.2 Microphone / Line / Inst Front

The four balanced microphone inputs of the Fireface UFX III offer a digitally controlled gain of 0 to 75 dB via XLR/TRS combo jacks. The gain range is 75 dB for XLR, adjustable in 1 dB-steps from 8 to 75 dB, and 0 dB as additional step. The soft switching, hi-current Phantom power (48 Volt), switchable per channel, provides a professional handling of condensor mics. Up to a level of +18 dBu, the front XLR input can also be used as Line input.

The unbalanced TRS Line inputs (R is connected to ground), which can be used alternatively, add even greater flexibility to the Fireface UFX III. With 1 MOhm input impedance (Hi-Z), TS jack and adjustable input gain from +8 dB to +50 dB, the front-side inputs can be used perfectly with keyboards, sampler, CD player, guitars and many more. They handle levels from -21 dBu up to +21 dBu, turning them into full level Line inputs. Thus the unit can also be used as Line gain amplifier.

The TRS jacks are free of phantom power. A two colour LED display a present signal (green, from –60 dBFS) and warns against overload (0

dBFS). Channels 9 to 12 feature an automatic overload protection. AutoSet tries to keep a headroom of

6 dB. Levels higher than -6 dBFS will permanently reduce the gain. To check set the channels to a high gain and apply an input signal. The button will quickly rotate back to a gain that is appropriate. While AutoSet in the UFX III is not exactly the same as in the RME Micstasy (with extreme overloads distortion will occur for the fraction of a second before the level is set correctly), it works quite well in real-world applications and prevents distorted recordings reliably.

Using stereo channels AutoSet operates ganged. AutoSet can be activated in TM FX or directly at the unit in the channel settings. A push on Encoder 1/2 toggles AS on/off.

As soon as AutoSet reduces the gain the label AS, shown in the front display, changes its colour from black to dark blue.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

20. Analog Outputs

20.1 Line

The short circuit protected, low impedance line outputs of channels 3 to 8 are available as 1/4" TRS jacks on the back of the unit. The electronic output stage is built in a servo balanced design which handles unbalanced (mono jacks) and balanced (stereo jacks) correctly.

To maintain an optimum level for devices connected to the analog outputs, the Fireface UFX III internally uses hi-quality electronic switches, which allow for a perfect adaptation of all outputs individually to the three most often used studio levels.

As with the analog inputs, the analog output levels are defined to maintain a problem-free operation with most other devices. The headroom of the Fireface UFX III lies between 9 and 15 dB, according to the chosen reference level:

0 dBFS @

Referenz

Headroom

Legacy

+19 dBu

+4 dBu

15 dB

Hi Gain

+13 dBu

+4 dBu

9 dB

+13 dBu

+4 dBu

-10 dBV

12 dB

+2 dBV

The above levels are also found in all other RME devices (Legacy). Therefore they are fully compatible to each other.

The outputs 1 and 2 use XLR sockets. They additionally offer an output level of +24 dBu, making these outputs compatible to SMPTE (+24 dBu @ 0 dBFS, +4 dBu with 20 dB headroom):

Reference

0 dBFS @

Headroom

+24 dBu

20 dB

The electronic driver circuit of the XLR outputs does not operate servo-balanced! When connecting unbalanced equipment, make sure pin 3 of the XLR output is not connected. A connection to ground will cause higher THD (distortion)!

20.2 Headphones / Line Out

Channels 9 to 12 of the Fireface are available on the front as 1/4" TRS jacks. These channels use the same converters as the other Line outputs, therefore offer the same technical data.

Two hardware-based reference levels are available (set in TotalMix Output Channel Settings, Level, High or Low). High equals the setting +19 dBu of the other channels, Low equals +4 dBu. They can thus also be used as high-quality, yet unbalanced line outputs.

These outputs are special low impedance types (2 Ohms), ready to be used with headphones. Setting the output level, i.e. the monitoring volume, is done – besides the pre-setting High/Low -

via TotalMix (Hardware Output, PH 9/10 and PH 11/12) or directly at the unit via the three encoders. Changing the monitoring volume is therefore very easy and quickly done.

In case the Phones outputs should operate as line outputs, an adapter TRS plug to RCA phono plugs, or TRS plug to TS plugs is required.

The pin assignment follows international standards. The left channel is connected to the tip, the right channel to the ring of the TRS jack/plug. See chapter 41.2.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

20.3 DC-coupled Outputs (CV/Gate)

All eight analog outputs of the UCX II are DC-coupled. AC coupling via capacitor is common, both directly after the DAC chip and directly at the output socket. This prevents a fixed DC component at the output, which could cause negative effects such as popping noise or malfunctions in other devices that are also DC-coupled. However, it also serves as protection against dangerous DC from the outside.

DC coupling has the obvious advantage of allowing the output to operate level-linearly down to 0 Hz. Even at extremely low bass (16 Hz) phase shifts are avoided. DC-coupled inputs are rare, especially for power amplifiers, so a possible DC offset of a playback normally does not cause serious issues.

In order to realize the outputs stable and reliable (robust) as DC-coupled, the circuitry was designed for low DC-offsets and sufficient overvoltage protection. That this works has been proven for years, not only by RME's ADI series.

To be able to generate DC is quite useful in measurement technology, also in connection with audio. However, DC coupling is especially desirable in combination with analog, electronic sound generators (synthesizers). These have an input that can control the pitch as well as other functions via a DC voltage. Control Voltage, short CV, often also CV/Gate (gate determines tone on or off), CV Filter etc. is mostly based on the voltage range 0 to +5 Volt. If an audio interface can output such DC voltages then synthesizers can be controlled via suitable software and the analog outputs of the audio interface.

The DA converters and analog output stages used in the UFX III have a very low DC drift and generate the DC voltages very reliably and reproducibly, so they are very well suited for this application. However, using balanced outputs 1/2 (XLR) is not recommended for these purposes.

Polarity - Phase

Since the outputs (of course) have a correct polarity, and TotalMix fully supports DC (via fader and level meter), a positive voltage appears at the analog output when a digital positive DC is played. The amount of voltage can be measured accurately and directly with any cheap multimeter.

Negative output voltages should be avoided, because they could theoretically lead to defects in the CV input. Even if the software used generates only positive signals, a simple phase inversion in TotalMix can invert the signal so that a negative voltage is send out.

Voltage Ranges Line Out 3-8, unbalanced (mono jack), unloaded:

+19 dBu: +9.5 V, +13 dBu: +4.75 V, +4 dBu: +1.7 V

Phones 9-12, unbalanced, unloaded: High (+19 dBu): +9.5 V, Low (+4 dBu): +1.7 V Note: The level meters in TotalMix show DC 3 dB higher due to its factory default setting. This

can be changed by disabling the Settings - Level Meters - RMS +3 dB option in TotalMix FX.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

21. Digital Connections

21.1 ADAT

The ADAT optical inputs of the Fireface UFX III are fully compatible with all ADAT optical outputs. RME's unsurpassed Bitclock PLL prevents clicks and drop outs even in extreme varipitch operation, and guarantees a fast and low jitter lock to the digital input signal. A usual TOSLINK cable is sufficient for connection.

ADAT1 In

Interface for the first or only device sending an ADAT signal to the Fireface UFX III. Carries the channels 1 to 8. When receiving a Double Speed signal, this input carries the channels 1 to 4, at Quad Speed the channels 1 and 2. Can also be used as SPDIF optical input.

ADAT2 In

Interface for the second device sending an ADAT signal to the Fireface UFX III. Carries the channels 9 to 16. When receiving a Double Speed signal, this input carries the channels 5 to 8, at Quad Speed the channels 3 and 4. Can also be used as SPDIF optical input.

ADAT1 Out

Interface for the first or only device receiving an ADAT signal from the Fireface UFX III. Transmits channels 1 to 8. When sending a Double Speed signal, this port carries channels 1 to 4, at Quad Speed the channels 1 and 2. Can also be used as SPDIF optical output.

ADAT2 Out

Interface for the second device receiving an ADAT signal from the Fireface UFX III. Transmits channels 9 to 16. When sending a Double Speed signal, this port carries channels 5 to 8, at Quad Speed the channels 3 and 4. Can also be used as SPDIF optical output.

21.2 AES

The Fireface UFX III provides one XLR AES/EBU input and output each. Connection is accomplished using balanced cables with XLR plugs. Input and Output are transformer-balanced and ground-free. The incoming channel status is ignored.

AES/EBU (and SPDIF) can contain Emphasis information. Audio signals with Emphasis have a high frequency boost, requiring high frequency attenuation on playback.

An Emphasis indication gets lost as there exists no standardized interface on computers to handle this information!

Input

Thanks to a highly sensitive input stage SPDIF coaxial can be fed too by using a simple cable adapter phono/XLR. To achieve this, pins 2 and 3 of a male XLR plug are connected individually to the two pins of a phono plug. The cable shielding is only connected to pin 1 of the XLR - not to the phono plug.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Output

Using the cable adapter XLR/phono described above, devices with coaxial SPDIF interface can be connected to the AES output of the Fireface UFX III as well. Note that most consumer equip-

ment with phono (SPDIF) inputs will only accept signals having a Channel Status ‘Consumer’

format. The Consumer status is activated in the Settings dialog of the Fireface UFX III. In Consumer mode the output voltage is reduced as well, as SPDIF calls for a lower voltage than AES/EBU.

The output signal coding of the Fireface UFX III has been implemented according to AES3-1992 Amendment 4:

 32 / 44.1 / 48 kHz, 64 / 88.2 / 96 kHz, 176.4 / 192 kHz depending on the current sample rate  Audio use  No Copyright, Copy permitted  Format Professional or Consumer  Category General, Generation not indicated  2-Channel, No Emphasis  Aux Bits Audio use, 24 Bit  Origin: RME

21.3 MADI I/O

The BNC input is shared with the Word Clock input. When switched to MADI it operates according to AES10-1991. The input impedance is 75 Ohm. It will operate error-free from about 180 mVpp on.

The optical input and output uses a FDDI (ISO/IEC 9413-3) compatible optical module, according to AES10-1991. More information can be found in chapter 39.9, MADI Basics.

The UFX III includes automatic input selection (Auto) between optical and coaxial input. In case the current input signal fails, the unit switches to the other input immediately. This mode not only offers convenient input handling, but also provides redundancy operation, which offers improved safety against errors on the transmission line. Switching the inputs is done in less than a sample and – provided the input signal fails abruptly – click free.

The BNC output is built according to AES10-1991. The output's impedance is 75 Ohm. The output voltage will be 600 mVpp when terminated with 75 Ohm.

In MADI output mirror mode coaxial and optical carry the same signal. This mode allows for dis- tributing a signal to two destinations, or redundant operation at the output of the unit. Split mode allows the use of both optical and MADI I/O at the same time, limited to 32 channels each. Split Mode exists independent for inputs and outputs.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

21.4 MIDI, MIDI over MADI

Fireface UFX III offers two MIDI I/O via four 5-pin DIN sockets. The MIDI ports are added to the system by the driver. Using MIDI capable software, these ports can be accessed under the name UFX III MIDI Port.

All RME MADI devices support the invisible transmission of MIDI via MADI. MIDI data can be transmitted from/to other RME devices with MADI ports, without any additional line or cabling between computer (MADI interface) and external units. These ports can be accessed under the name UFX III MADI Optical and UFX III MADI coaxial or UFX III MIDI Port 3 and 4.

The MIDI ports support multi-client operation. A MIDI input signal can be received from several programs at the same time. Even the MIDI output can be used by multiple programs simultaneously. However, due to the limited bandwidth of MIDI, this kind of application will often show various problems.

Note: The MIDI input LEDs display any kind of MIDI activity, including MIDI Clock, MTC and Active Sensing. The latter is sent by most keyboards every 0.3 seconds.

22. Word Clock

22.1 Word Clock Input and Output

SteadyClock guarantees an excellent performance in all clock modes. Based on the highly efficient jitter suppression, the Fireface refreshes and cleans up any clock signal, and provides it as reference clock at the BNC output (see chapter 39.8).

Input

The Fireface's word clock input is active when Clock Source in the Settings dialog has been switched to Word, and a valid word clock signal is present. The signal at the BNC input can be Single, Double or Quad Speed, the Fireface UFX III automatically adapts to it. As soon as a valid signal is detected, the WC LED is lit, and the Settings dialog shows either Lock or Sync (see chapter 40.1).

Thanks to RME's Signal Adaptation Circuit, the word clock input still works correctly even with heavily mis-shaped, dc-prone, too small or overshoot-prone signals. Thanks to automatic signal centering, 300 mV (0.3V) input level is sufficient in principle. An additional hysteresis reduces sensitivity to 1.0 V, so that over- and undershoots and high frequency disturbances don't cause a wrong trigger.

The Fireface UFX III word clock input can be not terminated or internally terminated (75 Ohms). The state is comfortably selected within the Settings dialog. To terminate the input check the option Word Clock In Term. under Input Options.

Output

The word clock output of the Fireface is constantly active, providing the current sample frequency as word clock signal. As a result, in Master mode the provided word clock is defined by the currently used software. In Slave mode the provided frequency is identical to the one present at the currently chosen clock input. When the current clock signal fails, the Fireface UFX III switches to Master mode and adjusts itself to the next, best matching frequency (44.1 kHz, 48 kHz etc.).

Selecting Single Speed in the Settings dialog causes the output signal to always stay within the range of 32 kHz to 48 kHz. So at 96 kHz and 192 kHz sample rate, the output word clock is 48 kHz.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

The received word clock signal can be distributed to other devices by using the word clock output. With this the usual T-adapter can be avoided, and the Fireface UFX III operates as Signal Re- fresher. This kind of operation is highly recommended, because

 input and output are phase-locked and in phase (0°) to each other  SteadyClock removes nearly all jitter from the input signal  the exceptional input (1 Vpp sensitivity instead of the usual 2.5 Vpp, dc cut, Signal Adaptation

Circuit) plus SteadyClock guarantee a secure function even with highly critical word clock signals

Thanks to a low impedance, short circuit proof output, the Fireface delivers 4 Vpp to 75 Ohms. For wrong termination with 2 x 75 Ohms (37.5 Ohms), there are still 3.3 Vpp at the output.

22.2 Technical Description and Usage

In the analog domain one can connect any device to another device, a synchronization is not necessary. Digital audio is different. It uses a clock, the sample frequency. The signal can only be processed and transmitted when all participating devices share the same clock. If not, the signal will suffer from wrong samples, distortion, crackle sounds and drop outs.

AES/EBU, SPDIF and ADAT are self-clocking, an additional word clock connection in principle isn't necessary. But when using more than one device simultaneously problems are likely to happen. For example any self-clocking will not work in a loop cabling, when there is no 'master' (main clock) inside the loop. Additionally the clock of all participating devices has to be synchronous. This is often impossible with devices limited to playback, for example CD players, as these have no SPDIF input, thus can't use the self clocking technique as clock reference.

In a digital studio synchronisation is maintained by connecting all devices to a central sync source. For example the mixing desk works as master and sends a reference signal, the word clock, to all other devices. Of course this will only work as long as all other devices are equipped with a word clock or sync input, thus being able to work as slave (some professional CD players indeed have a word clock input). Then all devices get the same clock and will work in every possible combination with each other.

A digital system can only have one master! If the Fireface's clock mode is set to 'Master', all

other devices must be set to ‘Slave’.

But word clock is not only the 'great problem solver', it also has some disadvantages. The word clock is based on a fraction of the really needed clock. For example SPDIF: 44.1 kHz word clock (a simple square wave signal) has to be multiplied by 256 inside the device using a special PLL (to about 11.2 MHz). This signal then replaces the one from the quartz crystal. Big disadvantage: because of the high multiplication factor the reconstructed clock will have great deviations called jitter. The jitter of a word clock is typically 15 times higher as when using a quartz based clock.

The actual end of these problems is offered by the SteadyClock technology of the Fireface UFX III. Combining the advantages of modern and fastest digital technology with analog filter techniques, re-gaining a low jitter clock signal of 22 MHz from a slow word clock of 44.1 kHz is no problem anymore. Additionally, jitter on the input signal is highly rejected, so that even in real world usage the re-gained clock signal is of highest quality.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

22.3 Cabling and Termination

Word clock signals are usually distributed in the form of a network, split with BNC T-adapters and terminated with resistors. We recommend using off-the-shelf BNC cables to connect all devices, as this type of cable is used for most computer networks. You will find all the necessary components (T-adapters, terminators, cables) in most electronics and/or computer stores. The latter usually carries 50 Ohms components. The 75 Ohms components used for word clock are part of video technology (RG59).

Ideally, the word clock signal is a 5 Volt square wave with the frequency of the sample rate, of which the harmonics go up to far above 500 kHz. To avoid voltage loss and reflections, both the cable itself and the terminating resistor at the end of the chain should have an impedance of 75 Ohm. If the voltage is too low, synchronization will fail. High frequency reflection effects can cause both jitter and sync failure.

Unfortunately there are still devices on the market which provide a word clock output that can only be called unsatisfactory. If the output breaks down to 3 Volts when terminating with 75 Ohms, you have to take into account that a device, of which the input only works from 2.8 Volts and above, does not function correctly already after 3 meter cable length. So it is not astonishing that because of the higher voltage, word clock networks are in some cases more stable and reliable if cables are not terminated at all. In some cases the 75 Ohms are built into the device and cannot be switched off. In this case the network load is often 2 x 75 Ohms, and the user is forced to buy a special word clock distributor (such a device is generally recommended for bigger studios).

Therefore it seems of advantage to design outputs of word clock as low impedance types, but all word clock inputs as high impedance types, in order to not weaken the signal on the chain.

The Fireface's word clock input can be high-impedance or terminated internally, ensuring maximum flexibility. If termination is necessary (e.g. because the Fireface is the last device in the chain), check the option Word Clock In Term. under Input Options (see chapter 7.1 / 14.1).

In case the UFX III resides within a chain of devices receiving word clock, plug a T-adapter into its BNC input jack, and the cable supplying the word clock signal to one end of the adapter. Connect the free end to the next device in the chain via a further BNC cable. The last device in the chain should be terminated using another T-adapter and a 75 Ohm resistor (available as short BNC plug). Of course devices with internal termination do not need T-adaptor and terminator plug.

Due to the outstanding SteadyClock technology of the Fireface UFX III, it is recommended not to pass the input signal via T-adapter, but to use the Fireface's word clock output instead. Thanks to SteadyClock, the input signal will both be freed from jitter and - in case of loss or drop out – be reset to a valid frequency.

22.4 Operation

The green Lock LED on the front (STATE) will light up as soon as a word clock signal is detected. To change to word clock as clock source, activate the Clock Source Word in the field Clock Mode within the Settings dialog. The status display Current changes to Word as soon as a valid signal is present at the BNC jack. This message has the same meaning as the green State LED on the front, but appears on the monitor, i.e. the user can check immediately whether a valid word clock signal is present and is currently being used.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

User's Guide

Fireface UFX III

Stand-Alone Operation

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

23. Operation and Usage

23.1 General

Using the three rotary encoders and the clear colour display the Fireface UFX III can be configured and set up completely at the device. Additionally internal memory allows for the permanent storage of six different states of the unit. Therefore the Fireface UFX III is able to operate fully stand-alone, without any connected computer. In stand-alone operation it can transform into totally different devices by the simple click of a button. Furthermore TotalMix FX, and with this the application examples shown below, ca n also be controlled via MIDI, see chapter 28.6, Stand- Alone MIDI Control.

23.2 Settings at the Unit

The Fireface UFX III has a simple menu structure, depending on the button pressed. MIC/GAIN. First push brings up the Mic.Instr. Gain 9/10, second push Mic.Instr. Gain 11/12, third

push returns to the meter screen. REC/PLAY. Brings up the Record/Playback (Direct USB Recording) menu, second push returns

to the meter screen. CHAN/MIX. First push brings up the Channel menu, second push the Mix to menu, third push

returns to the meter screen. In the Channel menu encoder 1 selects the input and output to be configured, encoder 2 selects the function to be configured. These are Settings, Low Cut, Para- metric EQ, Compressor/Expander and Auto Level.

The Mix to menu gives access to the whole submix functionality. Encoder 1 selects the mix destination, encoder 2 the source. A source can be modified in mix level and panorama.

SETUP/REV. Encoder 1 selects Setups, Options and Reverb/Echo. Options has the subpages Clock Options, HW Options/Diagnosis and Control Room Options. Reverb/Echo has the sub-

pages Reverb and Echo. The subpages are selected by encoder 2.

23.3 Store / Load Setups at the Unit

After hitting the key SETUP/REV, turning encoder 1 changes to Setups. First select the preferred memory slot, then the desired process (load or store). The load/store process is completed by pushing encoder 2 for more than one second.

The UFX III has six memory slots for free usage. Three fixed slots offer convenient and quick reset and configuration of the unit:

Factory. Sets the unit into factory default state. AD/DA A. Configures an ADAT analog to digital and vice versa converter (12 analog I/Os). AD/DA M. Configures a MADI analog to digital and vice versa converter (12 analog I/Os).

23.4 Storing Setups from the Computer

Setups can also be loaded into the unit from the computer. As the Setups are usually generated at the computer the final step of transmission offers a convenient workflow. In TotalMix FX use Options / Store current state into device to select the desired storage place (Setup) within the unit.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

23.5 ARC Options

In the menu SETUP/REV - Options - Hardware/Diagnosis there are additional settings for the optional ARC USB (Advanced Remote Control). When connected directly to the UFX III the following options are available:

Standalone ARC Volume. Deactivates all keys. Only the encoder wheel works, with a fixed assignment to Main Volume.

This option is also a safety function in case the ARC USB is connected to the UFX III, but operated

online (with computer). When the system goes offline (computer removed, sleep state…) the

functions on the keys change, because online mode changed to stand-alone mode. Operating the keys then could activate unintended functionality or changes.

Standalone ARC 1 s op

Each key has to be pressed for one second to activate the programmed functionality. This safety function prevents unintentional changes. It can be stored within the Setups, activating this mode automatically when such a Setup is loaded. When loading a Setup where this function had not been active this mode is automatically deactivated at the UFX III.

Standalone ARC normal

Normal operation of the ARC USB.

24. Examples

24.1 12-Channel AD/DA-Converter

TotalMix' super-flexible routing functions make it easy to turn the UFX into a 12-channel AD/DA converter. It’s easy to build the setup. For a clean start perform a Total Reset from the Options menu. Then select the ADAT Output 1/2 in the third row, and pull up the faders of the Analog input 1/2 in the first row. Then select ADAT 3/4, pull up Analog 3/4 and so on until all 12 analog inputs are routed to the corresponding 12 (8+4) ADAT channels. Now do the same for the analog outputs, route all ADAT inputs to these, one after the other. A monitoring of all or selected I/Os can be easily set up for the AES output, or as analog mixdown on one of the phones outputs.

24.2 4-Channel Mic Preamp

Use TotalMix to route the four microphone inputs directly to the analog outputs. This turns the Fireface UFX III into a 4-channel microphone preamp. The AD- and DA-conversion will cause a small delay of the signals of around 0.1 ms (at 192 kHz, see chapter 39.2). But this is nothing to worry about, as it is the same delay that would be caused by changing the microphone's position by about 3.3 centimeter (1.3 inches).

24.3 188-Channel Monitor Mixer

TotalMix allows ANY configuration of all I/Os of the Fireface. For example, set up the device as monitor mixer for 12 analog signals, 16 digital via ADAT, 2 via AES and 64 via MADI. Additionally, TotalMix lets you set up ANY submixes, so all existing outputs can be used for different and independent monitorings of the input signals. The perfect headphone monitor mixer!

24.4 Digital Format Converter

As TotalMix allows for any routing of the input signals, the Fireface UFX III can be used as ADAT to AES converter, ADAT to two ADAT splitter, AES to ADAT converter, and any of this from/to MADI as well.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

24.5 Analog / Digital Routing Matrix

The Matrix in TotalMix enables you to route and link all inputs and outputs completely freely. All the above functionalities are even available simultaneously, can be mixed and combined in many ways. Simply said: the Fireface UFX III is a perfect analog/digital routing matrix!

24.6 Stand-Alone Recorder/Player

The UFX III can be used for recording as well as playback of audio signals. As all settings are available directly at the unit it is possible to record a live concert completely without a computer. Music that was copied to a USB thumb drive before can be played back any time. Of course both in combination to any of the other examples above!

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

User's Guide

Fireface UFX III

TotalMix FX

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25. Routing and Monitoring

25.1 Overview

The Fireface UFX III includes a powerful digital real-time mixer, the Fireface UFX III mixer, based on RME’s unique, sample-rate independent TotalMix technology. It allows for practically unlim- ited mixing and routing operations, with all inputs and playback channels simultaneously, to any hardware outputs. TotalMix FX adds 3-band parametric Equalizer, Low Cut, Echo, Reverb, Com- pressor, Expander and Auto Level.

Here are some typical applications for TotalMix:  Setting up delay-free submixes (headphone mixes). The Fireface UFX III allows for up to 47

fully independent stereo submixes. On an analog mixing desk, this would equal 94 Aux sends.

 Unlimited routing of inputs and outputs (free utilisation, patchbay functionality).  Distributing signals to several outputs simultaneously. TotalMix offers state-of-the-art splitter

and distributor functions.

 Simultaneous playback of different programs via a single stereo output. The ASIO multi-client

driver supports the usage of several programs at the same time. If this happens on different playback channels TotalMix provides the means to mix and monitor these on a single stereo output.

 Mixing of the input signal to the playback signal (complete ASIO Direct Monitoring). RME is

not only the pioneer of ADM, but also offers the most complete implementation of the ADM functions.

 Integration of external devices. Use TotalMix to insert external effects devices, be it in the

playback or in the record path. Depending on the current application, the functionality equals insert or effects send and effects return, for example as used during real-time monitoring when adding some reverb to the vocals.

Every single input channel, playback channel and hardware output features a Peak and RMS level meter, calculated in hardware. These level displays are very useful to determine the presence and routing destinations of the audio signals.

For a better understanding of the TotalMix mixer you should know the following:  As shown in the block diagram (next page), the record signal usually stays un-altered. TotalMix

does not reside within the record path, and does not change the record level or the audio data to be recorded (exceptions: EQ+D for Record and Loopback mode).

 The hardware input signal can be passed on as often as desired, even with different levels.

This is a big difference to conventional mixing desks, where the channel fader always controls the level for all routing destinations simultaneously.

 The level meters of input and playback channels are connected pre-fader, to be able to visually

monitor where a signal is currently present. The level meters of the hardware outputs are connected post-fader, thus displaying the actual output level.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.2 The User Interface

The visual design of the TotalMix mixer is a result of its capability to route hardware inputs and software playback channels to any hardware output. The Fireface UFX III has 94 input channels, 94 software playback channels, and 94 hardware output channels:

TotalMix can be used in the above view (View Options 2 Rows). However, the default is a vertical alignment in three rows as known from an Inline desk, so that the row Software Playback equals the Tape Return of a real mixing desk:

 Top row: Hardware inputs. The level shown is that of the

input signal, i.e. fader independent. Via fader and routing menu, any input channel can be routed and mixed to any hardware output (bottom row).

 Middle row: Playback channels (playback tracks of the

audio software). Via fader and routing menu, any playback channel can be routed and mixed to any hardware output (bottom row).

 Bottom row: Hardware outputs. Here, the total level of the

output can be adjusted. This may be the level of connected loudspeakers, or the level of any submix.

Usage in mode Submix View (Default)

Click on the Hardware Output channel in the third row where the audio signal is supposed to show up. This channel turns brighter, means it is selected as current submix. Now move the faders up from all sources – these are the input and playback channels, in the first and second row. That’s it. The input (monitoring) and playback (DAW software) audio signals are now available at that very output, which can be verified immediately from the level meters reacting accordingly.

The following chapters explain step by step all functions of the user interface.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.3 The Channels

A single channel can be switched between mono and stereo mode. The mode is set in the channel settings.

Channel name. The name field is the preferred place to select a channel by a mouse click. A double click opens a dialog to assign a different name. The original name will be shown when activating the option Names in the View Options.

Panorama. Routes the input signal freely to the left and right routing destination (lower label, see below). The level reduction in center position is -3 dB.

Mute and Solo. Input channels and playback channels each have a mute and solo button.

Numerical level display. Shows the current RMS or Peak level, updated twice per second. OVR means overload. The setting Peak/RMS is changed in the View Options.

Level meter. The meter shows both peak values (zero attack, 1 sample is enough for a full scale display) by means of a yellow line, and mathematically correct RMS values by means of a green bar. The RMS display has a relatively slow time constant, so that it shows the average loudness quite well. Overs are shown in red at the top of the bar. In the Preferences dialog (F2) the Peak Hold time, the over detection and the RMS reference can be set.

Fader. Determines the gain/level of the signal routed to the current routing destination (lower label). Please note that this fader is not the fader of the channel, but only the fader of the current routing. Compared to a standard mixing desk TotalMix does not have a channel fader, but only Aux Sends, as many as there are hardware outputs. Therefore TotalMix can create as many different Submixes as there are hardware outputs. This concept is understood best in the Submix View, but more on that later.

Below the fader the Gain is shown in a numerical display field, according to the current fader position. The fader can be:

 dragged with the left mouse button pressed  moved by the mouse wheel  set to 0 dB and −∞ by a double click. The same happens with

a single click plus held down Ctrl key.

 adjusted in fine mode by mouse drag and mouse wheel when

holding the Shift key down

A Shift-click on a fader adds the fader to the temporary fader group. All faders now marked yellow are ganged, and move simultaneously in a relative way. The temporary fader group is deleted by a click on the F symbol in the upper right of the window.

The arrow symbol at the bottom minimizes the channel width to that of the level meters. Another click maximizes it again. A mouse click with held Ctrl key causes all channels to the right to enlarge and minimize at once.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

The lowest field shows the current routing target. A mouse click opens the routing window to select a routing target. The list shows all activated routings of the current channel by arrows in front of the listed entries, the current one is shown in bold letters.

An arrow is only shown with an activated routing. A routing is seen as activated when audio data is sent. As long as the fader is set to −∞ the current routing will be shown in bold letters, but not have an arrow in the front.

Trim Gain. After a click on the T-button one channel’s faders are all synchronized. Instead of changing only a single routing the fader affects all the channel’s active routings. For a better

overview the faders currently not visible are indicated by orange triangles beside the fader path. When moving the fader the triangles also move to a new position, equalling the invisible faders’ new settings.

Note that the fader button is automatically set to the highest routing gain of all routings so that best control is offered. The gain (fader knob position) of the currently active routing (the submix selected in the third row) is shown as white triangle.

Background: TotalMix has no fixed channel fader. In case of the Fireface UFX III there are 94 mono Aux sends, shown alternately as single fader within the channel strip. The high number of Aux sends enables multiple and fully independent routings.

In some cases it is necessary to synchronize the gain changes of these routings. An

example is the Post fader function, where a change of the singer’s volume shall be

performed identical to the volume change of the signal sent to the reverb device, so that the reverb level keeps its relation to the original signal. Another example is the signal of a guitar that is routed to different submixes, means hardware outputs, which gets much too loud during the solo part, and therefore needs to be reduced in volume on all outputs simultaneously. After a click on the Trim button this can be done easily and with a perfect overview.

As all channel’s routings change simultaneously when Trim is active, this mode basically causes the same behaviour as a trim pot within the input channel, affecting the signal already before the mixer. That’s how this function got its name.

In the View Options / Show the function Trim Gains can be globally switched on and off for all channels. The global Trim mode is recommended when using TotalMix FX as live mixing desk.

The Context Menu. With a right click on the input, playback and output channels their context menus provide advanced functionality (these menus are also available in the Matrix, but only directly on the channel labels). The entries are self-explanatory and automatically adjust to where the click is performed. On all of these the first entry opens the Channel Layout dialog. 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.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.3.1 Settings

A click on the tool symbol opens the channel’s Settings panel with differing elements. For exam- ple the option Inst exists only in input channels 9-12, and the ADAT channels do not offer the phantom power option.

Stereo. Switches the channel to mono or stereo mode. 48V. Activates phantom power at the corresponding input. Serves as

power supply for high quality condenser mics. This option should stay off with other sources to prevent failure by spikes.

Inst. Switches inputs 9 to 12 individually from XLR to the TRS jack. Gain (9-12). Sets the gain for the four front inputs. The knob can be ad-

justed by dragging the mouse or by the mouse wheel. This also works when the mouse has been moved over the two gain displays. Then the gain can be changed separately for left and right channel, even when the channel is in stereo mode.

Gain (1-8). Additionally to the reference level setting, Line inputs 1 to 8 have an adjustable gain option from 0 dB to +12 dB.

Level. Sets the reference level individually for the 8 rear Line inputs. The available settings are +4 dBu and LoGain.

AutoSet. Activates an automatic gain reduction preventing overloads caused by too high gain settings. See chapter 19.2 for details.

Width. Defines the stereo width. 1.00 equals full stereo, 0.00 mono, -1.00 swapped channels. FX Send. Setting the level of the signal sent to the FX bus which feeds Echo and Reverb. The

current setting is also visible with closed channel settings, because knob and small fader are always synchronized. To make this function as useful as possible FX Send is locked to the highest submix, thus imitating the Aux Post Fader function of a standard mixing desk. When moving the big fader both knob and small fader will also move. This way the reverb signal will always have the same relation to the dry signal.

The level of the signal sent to the effects can be controlled by the FX In level meters of the FX window. It becomes visible after a click on FX in the View Options.

MS Proc. Activates M/S processing within the stereo channel. Monaural information is sent to the left channel, stereo information to the right.

Phase L. Inverts the phase of the left channel by 180°. Phase R. Inverts the phase of the right channel by 180°.

Note: the functions Width, MS Proc, Phase L and Phase R affect all routings of the respective channel.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

Besides Stereo/Mono, Phase L und Phase R the settings of the Hardware Outputs have further options:

Level. Sets the reference levels of the 8 analog Line outputs. The available settings are -10 dBV, +4 dBu and HiGain. The outputs 1/2 additionally offer +24 dBu. The Phones (channels 9-12) have a Low and High setting to choose from.

FX Return. The effect signal (Echo and Reverb) is mixed to the respective hardware output by the duo knob/small fader.

Talkback. Activates this channel as receiver and output of the Talkback signal. This way Talkback can be sent to any outputs, not only the Phones in the Control Room section. Another application could be to send a certain signal to specific outputs by the push of a button.

No Trim. Sometimes channels need to have a fixed routing and level, which should not be changed in any case. An example is the stereo mixdown for recording of a live show. With No Trim active, the routing to this output channel is excluded from the Trim Gains function, therefore is not changed unintentionally.

Loopback. Sends the output data to the driver as record data. The corresponding submix can be

recorded then. This channel’s hardware input sends its data only to TotalMix, no longer to the

recording software. Another difference to the input and playback channels is the Cue button instead of Solo. A click

on Cue sends the respective Hardware Output’s audio to the Main Out, or any of the Phones outputs (option Assign / Cue to in the Control Room section). With this any hardware output can be controlled and listened to through the monitoring output very conveniently.

25.3.2 Equalizer

A click on EQ opens the Equalizer panel. It is available in all input and output channels, and affects all routings of the respective channel (pre fader). The panel includes a low cut and a 3band parametric equalizer which can be activated separately.

EQ. Activated by the EQ button. Type. Band 1 and 3 can operate in peak (bell) or shelf (shelv-

ing) mode. The middle band is fixed to peak mode. Band 3 can also operate as Hi Cut (low pass filter), especially useful for LFE and subwoofer purposes.

Gain. All three bands can change their amplification between +20 dB to -20 dB.

Freq. The center frequency of the filters is adjustable between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. While in peak mode the center frequency is adjusted, in shelf mode the cut-off point (-3 dB) will be changed.

Q. The Quality factor of the filter is adjustable from 0.7 (wide) to 5.0 (narrow).

Lo Cut. Activated by the button Lo Cut. The slope of the high-pass filter is adjustable between 6, 12, 18 and 24 dB per octave. The cut-off point (-3 dB) is adjustable between 20 Hz and 500 Hz.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

The frequency graphics give a precise overview of the filter results. Overlapping filters influence each other. This can be used to achieve more than 20 dB amplitude, or to generate difficult frequency response optimizations.

Note: TotalMix has an internal headroom of 24 dB. Extreme boosts with overlapping filters can therefore cause an internal overload. In any case such an overload is displayed by the Over LED of the channel’s level meter.

Preset. Settings of the EQ and the Low Cut can be stored, loaded, and copied between channels at any time. A click on Preset opens a menu with several entries:

 Recall: Presets stored before by the user

can be selected and loaded

 Save to: There are 16 storage places

available (EQ Preset 1 to 16)

 Import: Loads a previously stored TM EQ

file (.tmeq)

 Export: Stores the current state as TM EQ

file (.tmeq)

 Factory: Includes 14 examples for the cre-

ative use of Low Cut and Equalizer

 Reset: Resets the Low Cut and EQ to have

zero influence (Gain 0 dB)

 Rename: The EQ Presets 1 to 16 can be renamed. The changes will be shown in both lists

Recall and Save to.

Notes on the EQ Presets Copy between channels: The EQ Preset menu of all channels is identical. If an EQ setup is

stored via Save to on one of the 16 storage places, it is then also available in any other channel via Recall.

Copy between Snapshots: The Presets are not saved in Snapshots, therefore do not change when a different Snapshot is loaded. Presets are saved in Workspaces and also loaded with these.

Copy between Workspaces: is done by the export and import function of the Preset menu. Important and useful Presets should always be saved as TM EQ file, so that they can not get lost even on accidental overwrite.

Factory Presets: loaded like all Presets the settings of both Low Cut and EQ simultaneously. The current state, On or Off, is neither saved nor activated on load. With this a preset can be loaded anytime, but will not become active before the user decides to switch the EQ and/or LC on – except they had been active already before the load process. For this reason some Factory Presets have special names. For example Telephone (LC+EQ) will sound much better when the LC has been activated additionally to the EQ, as the LC is set to an unusual high frequency of 500 Hz here.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.3.3 Dynamics

A click on D opens the Dynamics panel with Compressor, Expander and Auto Level. They are available in all input and output channels, and affects all routings of the respective channel.

Dynamics. Activated by this button. Thresh. Threshold where Compressor or Expander start to

work. The Compressor is adjustable from -60 dB to 0 dB, the Expander is adjustable from -99 dB to -20 dB.

Ratio. Ratio of input to output signal. Defines the intensity of the signal processing. Adjustable from 1 to 10.

Gain. Gain stage to compensate a loss in level caused by the Compressor. Adjustable from -30 to +30 dB. With inactive Compressor (Threshold 0 dB, Ratio 1:1) this function can also be used as universal digital gain stage.

Attack. Defines the rise time for the control voltage of Compressor/Expander. Adjustable from 0 ms to 200 ms.

Release. Defines the release time for the control voltage of Compressor and Expander. Adjustable from 100 ms to 999 ms.

The amplitude graphics give a precise overview of the level changes caused by the current settings of Compressor and Expander. The white dot shows the level of the input signal and with this whether the signal is within the processing range or not. The small light blue lines in the level meter show the currently active gain reduction. Settings for these Dynamic Meters are found in the Preferences dialog (F2).

Auto Level. Activated by this button. Max. Gain. Defines the maximum amplification of the input signal. Adjustable from 0 dB to 18 dB. Headroom. To minimize short-time overloads and

clipping of the signal peaks Auto Level can be set to operate at a fixed offset to 0 dBFS. Adjustable from 3 dB to 12 dB.

Rise Time. Defines the speed of a level increase after a level reduction. Adjustable from 0.1 s to 9.9 s.

Preset. Includes the same functions as described on the previous page for the Equalizer. The names of the Factory Presets make clear whether Compressor, Auto Level or both (C+A) have to be switched on.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.4 Section Control Room

In the section Control Room the menu Assign defines the Main Out which is used for listening in the studio. For this output the functions Dim, Recall, Mono, Talkback, External In and Mute FX are automatically applied. At the unit the VOLUME knob follows this assignment.

Additionally the channel will be shifted from the Hardware Outputs into the Control Room section, and renamed Main. The same happens when assigning Main Out B or the Phones. The original name can be displayed by the function Names in the View Options menu at any time.

Phones 1 to 4 will have Dim (set in Settings) and a special routing applied when Talkback is activated. Putting them beside the Main Out increases the overview within the output section greatly.

Dim. The volume will be reduced by the amount set in the Settings dialog (F3).

Recall. Sets the gain value defined in the Settings dialog. Speaker B. Switches playback from Main Out to Main Out B.

The faders of the channels Main and Speaker B can be ganged via Link.

Mono. Mixes left and right channel. Useful to check for mono compatibility and phase problems. Talkback. A click on this button will dim all signals on the Phones outputs by an amount set up

in the Preferences dialog. At the same time the control room's microphone signal (source defined in Preferences) is sent to the Phones. The microphone level is adjusted with the channel's input fader.

External Input. Switches Main monitoring from the mix bus to the stereo input defined in the Settings dialog (F3). The relative volume of the stereo signal is adjusted there as well.

Mute FX. Mutes Reverb and Echo on the Main Out, to hear the mix without those effects.

Assign. Allows to define the Main Out, Main Out B (Speaker B), and up to four Phones outs.

The output for the Cue signal, which is usually Main, can also be set to one of four Phones outputs. The setting Cue/PFL to also controls the PFL monitoring.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.5 The Control Strip

The Control Strip on the right side is a fixed element. It combines different functions that are either required globally, or constantly used, and therefore should not be hidden in a menu. It can still be hidden via the top menu Window – Hide Control Strip.

The areas described in the following chapters can be minimized by a click on the arrow in their title bar.

Device selection. Select the unit to be controlled in case more than one is installed on the computer.

FX - DSP Meter. Shows the DSP load caused by activated EQ, Low Cut, Compressor, Auto Level, Echo and Reverb. The DSP of the Fireface UFX III has an automatic load limiter. If no DSP resources are left further effects can not be activated. When switching to DS and QS modes effects will be deactivated automatically until the DSP is not overloaded anymore.

Undo / Redo. With the unlimited Undo and Redo changes of the mix can be undone and redone, at any time. Undo/Redo does not cover graphical changes (window size, position, channels wide/narrow etc.), and also no changes to the Presets. The accidental overwrite of an EQ Preset can not be made undone.

Undo/Redo also operates across Workspaces. Therefore a completely differently set up mixer view can be loaded via Workspace, and with a single click on Undo the previous internal mixer state is returned – but the new mixer view stays.

Global Mute - Solo - Fader. Mute. Global Mute operates in a pre fader style, muting all currently activated routings of the

channel. As soon as any Mute button is pressed, the Mute Master button lights up in the Control Strip area. With this button all selected mutes can be switched off and on again. One can comfortably set up a mute group or activate and deactivate several mute buttons simultaneously.

Solo. As soon as any Solo button is pressed, the Solo Master button lights up in the Control Strip area. With this button all selected Solos are switched off and on again. Solo operates as Solo-inPlace, post fader style, as known from common mixing desks. A typical limitation for mixing desks, Solo working only globally and only for the Main Out, does not exist in TotalMix. Solo is always activated for the current submix only.

Fader. A Shift-click on a fader adds the fader to the temporary fader group. All faders now marked yellow are ganged, and move simultaneously in a relative way. The temporary fader group is deleted by a click on the F symbol.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.5.1 View Options

The field Show combines different functions of routing, the level meters and the mixer view. Routing Mode

 Submix. The Submix view (default) is the preferred view and delivers the

quickest overview, operation and understanding of TotalMix. The click on one of the Hardware Output channels selects the respective submix, all other outputs are darkened. At the same time all routing fields are set to this channel. With Submix view, it is very easy to generate a submix for any output: select the output channel, adjust the fader and pans of first and second row – finished.

 Free. The Free view is for advanced users. It is used to edit several sub-

mixes simultaneously, without the need to change between them. Here one works with the routings fields of the input and playback channels only, which then show different routing destinations.

Level Meters

 Post FX. Switches all level meters before (pre) or after (post) the effects. Level changes by

these can be easily checked using this feature. Additionally the input signal can be checked for overloads. It is recommended to use Post FX as default setting, as the extreme reduction of a signal by LC/EQ is very seldom. Also all OVR displays of all level meters operate both pre and post, efficiently preventing overloads going unnoticed.

 RMS. The numerical level display in the channels displays peak or RMS.

Show

 FX. Opens the window to set up the effects Reverb and Echo.  Trim. Activates all Trim buttons on all channels. TotalMix thus behaves like a conventional,

simple mixing desk. Each fader affects all active routings of the channel simultaneously, as if the fader were a trim-pot in the hardware input.

 2 Row. Switches the mixer view to 2 rows. Hardware Inputs and Software Playbacks are

placed side by side. This view saves a lot of space, especially in height.

 Names. Display of the original names of channels when they had been renamed by the user.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.5.2 Snapshots - Groups

Snapshots. Snapshots include all mixer settings, but no graphical elements like window posi-

tions, window size, number of windows, visible EQs or Settings, scroll states, Presets etc. Only the state wide/narrow of the channels is registered. Moreover the Snapshot is only temporarily stored. Loading a Workspace causes the loss of all stored Snapshots, when these all had not been saved before in a Workspace, or separately via File / Save Snapshot as. Via File / Load Snapshot the mixer states can be loaded individually.

Eight different mixes can be stored under individual names in the Snapshot section. A click on any of the eight buttons loads the corresponding Snapshot. A double click on the name field opens the dialog Input Name to edit the name. As soon as the mixer state is changed the button starts flashing. A click on Store lets all buttons flash, whereby the last loaded one, the base of the current state, flashes inversely. The storage finishes by clicking the desired button (means storage place). The storage process is exited by another click on the flashing Store button.

The area Snapshots can be minimized by a click on the arrow in the title bar. Groups. The area Groups provides 4 storage places each for fader, mute and

solo groups. The groups are valid per Workspace, being active and usable in all 8 Snapshots. But with this they are also lost when loading a new workspace, in case they have not been saved before in a different Workspace.

Note: The Undo function will help in case of an accidental overwrite or deletion of the groups.

TotalMix uses flashing signals to guide you through the group setup. After a click on Edit and click on the desired storage place all desired functions for this group have to be activated or selected. The storage process is finished by another click on Edit.

When setting up a fader group make sure to not add faders that are at the top or low position, unless all faders of that group have this position.

The Mute groups operate – other than the global mute – exclusively for the current routing. This way you can not mute signals on all outputs unintentionally. Instead signals can be muted on specific submixes by the push of a button.

A solo group operates exactly like the global solo, signals outside the current routing are not affected.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.5.3 Channel Layout - Layout Presets

To maintain overview within TotalMix FX channels can be hidden. Channels can also be excluded from being remoted. Under Options / Channel Layout a dialog lists all I/Os with their current state. Selecting one or several channels enables the options to the right:

 Hide Channel in Mixer/Matrix. The selected channels are no longer shown in TotalMix FX,

nor are they available via MIDI or OSC remote control.

 Hide Channel in MIDI Remote 1-4. The selected channels are hidden for MIDI remote (CC

and Mackie Protocol).

 Hide Channel in OSC Remote 1-4. The selected channels are hidden for OSC remote con-

trol.

Hidden channels in Mixer/Matrix are still fully functional. An existing routing/mixing/FX processing stays active. But as the channel is no longer visible it can not be edited anymore. At the same time the hidden channels are removed from the list of remote controllable channels, to prevent them from being edited unnoticed.

Hidden channels in MIDI Remote x are removed from the list of remote controllable channels. Within an 8-channel block of a Mackie compatible control they are skipped. The control therefore is no longer bound to consecutive orders. For example it will control channels 1, 2, and 6 to 11, when channels 3 to 5 are hidden.

The same can be done for OSC. With unnecessary channels made invisible for the OSC remote the more important channels are available as one block on the remote.

The dialog can be called directly from TotalMix by a right mouse click on any channel. The corresponding channel will then be preselected in the dialog.

The rows Inputs, Playbacks and Outputs are set up individually by the tabs at the top. In Use shows which channels are currently used in the mixing process.

In the above example the AES input channels have been made invisible. When AES is not used this is an easy way to remove it from the mixer completely. A more complex setup would be to only show all channels of the drum section, the horn section or the violins.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

A double click onto any line opens the edit field for the Name (User) column. Editing channel names in this dialog is quick, Enter jumps to the next line. The names of the channels in the Control Room section can only be changed this way.

After clicking on a field in the Color column, the color of the channel name can be changed. The locator picture below shows the effect and the available colors.

After finishing those settings the whole state can be stored as Layout Preset. A click on Store and the desired memory slot makes the current channel layout recallable anytime. The button All makes all channels temporarily visible again.

With a simple click on a button it will then be possible to easily switch views of only the channels involved with the mixing of the drum section, the horn section, the violins, or any other useful view. An optimized remote layout can be activated here as well, with or without visible changes. Double-click the default slot name to enter any other name.

Layout Presets are stored within the Workspace, so make sure to save the current state before loading a different Workspace!

The button Sub activates another useful special view. When in Submix view, Sub will cause all channels to disappear that are not part of the currently selected Submix/Hardware Output. Sub temporarily shows the mix based on all channels from Inputs and Playback row, independent from the current Layout Preset. That makes it very easy to see and to verify which channels are mixed/routed to the current output. Sub makes checking and verifying of mixes, but also the mix editing itself, a lot easier, and maintains perfect overview even with lots of channels.

25.5.4 Scroll Location Markers

Another feature to improve overview and working with TotalMix FX are scroll location markers (TotalMix view only). These are displayed automatically when the horizontal size of the TotalMix FX window is smaller than the channel display requires. Shown on the right side of the scrollbar of each row they have four elements:

 Arrow to the left. A left mouse click let the channels scroll to the very first one, or most left.  1. Marker number 1. Scroll to the desired position and perform a right mouse click on 1. A

dialog comes up with precise information. Once stored, a left mouse click will scroll the channels to the stored position.

 2. Marker number 2. See 1 for details.  Arrow to the right. A left mouse click let the channels scroll the last one, or most right.

Scroll Location markers are stored in the Workspace.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

25.6 Reverb and Echo

A click on FX in the View Options / Show brings up the Output FX panel. Here all parameters for the effects Reverb and Echo are adjusted.

Reverb. Activated by the On button. Type. Lists different reverb types for selection. Available are:

 Rooms Small, Medium, Large, Walls. Room simulation of rooms in

different size and behaviour.

 Shorty provides a short, rich and warm reverb.  Attack slaps back.  Swagger enriches and blows up the original sound source.  Old School is just that.  Echoistic has a heavy echo part within the reverb sound which

brings some nice stereo effect as well.

 8plus9 is a mixture of Old School and Echoistic.  Grand Wide stands for a wide and open room and space.  Thicker can be used as short reverb to enrich the original signal.  Space has the most sizzle and longest reverb time.  Envelope. Reverb effect where the volume course (envelope) is

freely adjustable.  Gated. Simpler version of the Envelope reverb for cut reverb effects. Please note that all these reverb types are extremely flexible due to the

available Smooth and Room Scale controls. Most of them can be used as short and long reverb, and sound totally different with Smooth turned to maximum or minimum.

TotalMix FX comes with factory presets and default values for all reverb types to ensure a fast setup time and quick results. Please take the time to experiment with them with different signals and different settings, to learn how different they can sound and can be used.

User's Guide Fireface UFX III © RME

General Settings PreDelay. Delay of the reverb signal. Adjustable from 0 ms up to 999 ms. Low Cut. High-pass filter before the reverb generation, removes low frequency signals which

should not cause a reverb sound. Adjustable from 20 Hz up to 500 Hz. High Cut. Low-pass filter after the reverb generation. A reduction of the treble often lets the reverb

sound more natural. Adjustable from 5 kHz up to 20 kHz. Smooth. Softens the reverb effect, affects stereo width, density and sound colour. Adjustable

from 0 up to 100.

Width. Adjusts the stereo width of the reverb signal from 100 (stereo) to 0 (mono). Volume. Adjusts the level of the reverb effects signal sent to the FX return bus.

Special Settings for Room Types Room Scale. Determines the size of the room, thus changing density and length of the reverb

effect. Adjustable from 0.5 up to 3.0.

Special Settings for Envelope and Gated Attack. Length of time for the volume increase of the reverb signal. Also called rise time. Adjust-

able from 5 ms up to 400 ms. Hold. Length of time for the fixed volume part of the reverb signal. Adjustable from 5 ms up to

400 ms. Release. Length of time for the volume decrease of the reverb signal. Adjustable from 5 ms up

to 400 ms.

Special Settings for Space Reverb Time. Sets the duration of the reverb referenced to a volume drop of 20 dB. Adjustable

from 0.1 s up to 4.9 s. High Damp. Sets the treble damping over time for the reverb signal. In principle, this is a low-

pass filter like High Cut. Because of the operation principle of this reverb it shows a slightly different behaviour. Adjustable from 5 kHz up to 20 kHz.

Echo. Activated by the On button. Type. Lists different echo algorithms for selection. Available are:

 Stereo Echo. Separated echo generators on left and right channel. As a result the echo

follows the sound source within the stereo field.  Stereo Cross. Echo generator on left and right channel with cross coupled feedback which

is only working for the stereo parts of the input signal. In case the input signal is only left or

right the Stereo Cross acts exactly like the Pong Echo.  Pong Echo. Generates an echo that jumps between left and right channel, independent from

the source signal’s stereo position.

Settings Delay Time. Sets the delay time for the first echo. BPM. A double click on the lower value field offers a delay adjustment as Beats Per Minute. Feedback. Feedback to produce further echoes. Width. Adjusts the stereo width of the echo signal from 100 (stereo) to 0 (mono). Volume. Adjusts the level of the echo effects signal sent to the FX return bus. High Cut (HC). Option for more natural sound or intentional damping of the delayed signal.

Preset. Settings of the Reverb and the Echo can be stored, loaded, and copied between channels

at any time. A click on Preset opens a menu with several entries:  Recall: Presets stored before by the user

can be selected and loaded  Save to: There are 16 storage places availa-

ble (Reverb/Echo Preset 1 to 16)  Import: Loads a previously stored TM FX

Reverb file (.tmrv) or a TM FX Echo file

(.tmeo)  Export: Stores the current state as TM FX

Reverb file (.tmrv) or as TM FX Echo file

(.tmeo)  Factory: Includes 10 examples for the con-

figuration of the Reverb

 Reset: Resets the Reverb or Echo  Rename: The Presets 1 to 16 can be renamed. The changes will be shown in both lists Recall

and Save to.

25.7 Preferences

The dialog Preferences can be opened via the Options menu or directly via F2.

Level Meters

 Full scale samples for OVR. Number of

consecutive samples to trigger an over detection (1 to 10).

 Peak Hold Time. Hold time of the peak

value. Adjustable from 0.1 up to 9.9 s.

 RMS +3 dB. Shifts the RMS value by +3

dB, so that full scale level is identical for Peak and RMS at 0 dBFS.

Mixer Views

 FX Send follows highest Submix.

Locks the FX Send knob to the channel fader. As TotalMix supports multiple routings per channel, a definition is needed which fader (only one is visible) is the one that FX Send will follow. This is always the one with the highest fader position, means the highest gain.

 FX Send follows Main Out mix. Locks

the FX Send knob to the channel fader only for the Main Out submix. This is a typical Live feature, where the FX Send is always tied to the fader for the most important output - the Main Out. When adjusting other submixes the FX send will not follow the fader movement.

 Center Balance/Pan when changing

Mono/Stereo. When switching a stereo

channel into two mono channels the panpots are set fully left and right. This option will set them to center instead.

 Disable mouse wheel operation. Pre-

vents unintentional changes when using the mouse wheel.

 Disable double click fader action. Pre-

vents unintentional gain settings, for example when using sensitive touchpads.

 Store channel open/close in Layout

Preset. Also loads the state of the chan-

nel panels (Setting/EQ/Dyn).

Dynamic Meters  Compressor/Expander. Activates the

display of the Compressor/Expander’s

gain reduction as thin blue line in the level meters of the corresponding channel.

 Include Gain setting. The currently set fixed amplification value (by the Gain knob) is in-

cluded in the display. This can lead to positive values, with the display limited to +6 dB. In case the option Compressor/Expander is deactivated this option is also not available, therefore grayed out.

 Auto Level. Activates the display of the variable amplification of the Auto Leveler. As Auto

Level can both amplify and attenuate the audio signal, depending on its configuration, the display can show negative (typical gain reduction) as well as positive (above 0 dB, amplification) values.

Snapshots  Do not load - Main Volume, Main/Phones Volumes, Control Room Settings. The selected

values stored in the Snapshot are not loaded, so the current setting is not changed. Device Handling

 Always init DSP devices with TotalMix FX settings. Used to suppress the mismatch mes-

sage after using the unit stand-alone. Settings in the unit are lost.

 Count MADI Channels per port. Not available with the Fireface UFX III.  Disable ASIO Direct Monitoring. Disables ASIO Direct Monitoring (ADM) for the Fireface

UFX III within TotalMix FX. Graphics

 Use D2D (Change requires restart). Default on. Can be deactivated to use a compatible but

CPU-taxing graphics mode, in case graphics problems show up.

 Brightness Correction. Adjusts the brightness of the TotalMix FX graphics. Store Setting for

 All Users (Restart required). See next chapter. Special Options

 Lock User Interface. Default off. Can be activated to freeze the current mix state. Faders,

buttons and knobs relating to the mix state can not be moved anymore.  Enter Password (Windows only). Secures the locked user interface with an additional pass-

word.

25.7.1 Store for Current or All Users

TotalMix FX stores all settings, workspaces and snapshots for the current user in:

XP: C:\Documents and Settings\ Username\Local Settings\ Application Data\TotalMixFX Since Vista: C.\Users\Username\AppData\Local\TotalMixFX Mac Current User: user/Library/Application Support/RME TotalMix FX Mac All Users: /Library/Application Support/RME TotalMix FX

Current User ensures that when workstations are used by several people they all find their own settings. In case the settings should be identical or given for any user, TotalMix FX can be changed to use the All User directory. An admin could even write protect the file last-

FirefaceUFXIII1.xml, which results in a complete reset to that file’s content whenever TotalMix

FX is restarted. The xml-file is updated on exit, so simply set up TotalMix as desired and exit it (right mouse click on the symbol in the notification area).

25.8 Settings

The dialog Settings can be opened via the Options menu or directly via F3.

25.8.1 Mixer Page

On the mixer page some typical settings for the mixer operation are set, like Talkback source, Dim amount when Talkback is active, the stored main volume or the input used for the External Input function.

Talkback

 Input. Selects the input channel of the

Talkback signal (microphone in control room). Default: None.

 Dim. Amount of attenuation of the sig-

nals routed to the Phones in dB.

Listenback

 Input. Selects the input channel of the

Listenback signal (microphone in recording room). Default: None.

 Dim. Amount of attenuation of the sig-

nals routed to the Main Out in dB.

Main Out

 Recall. User defined listening volume,

activated by the Recall button at the unit or in TotalMix.

 Dim. Amount of attenuation for the Main

Out in dB.

 External Input. Selects the stereo input

that replaces the mix signal on the Main Out when activated. The volume of the stereo signal is adjusted by the slider Gain.

Solo/PFL Mode  Live Mode, PFL replaces Solo. PFL

means Pre Fader Listening. This feature is very useful when operating TotalMix in a live environment, as it allows to quickly listen/monitor any of the inputs by hitting the Solo button. Monitoring happens on the output set for the Cue signal via the Assign dialog.

 Exclusive Solo/PFL Mode. Only a single Solo or PFL can be active at a time. Activating a

different one automatically deactivates the previous one.

 2-Row Mode with only Input in first row. The Software Playback channels are shifted to

the lower row, beside the Hardware Outputs.

25.8.2 MIDI Page

The MIDI page has four independent settings for up to four MIDI remote controls, using CC commands or the Mackie Control protocol.

Index

Select one of four settings pages and thus remote controls. Settings are remembered automatically. To activate or deactivate any of the four remote controls check or uncheck ‘In Use’.

MIDI Remote Control

 MIDI In. Input where TotalMix receives

MIDI Remote data.  MIDI Out. Output where TotalMix sends

MIDI Remote data.  Disable MIDI in background. Deac-

tivates MIDI Remote Control as soon as

another application is in the focus, or

when TotalMix has been minimized.

Mackie Control Options

 Enable Protocol Support. When disa-

bled TM FX will only react on the Control

Change commands of chapter 28.5.  Extender to. Sets the current remote to

be an extender to the main remote. Both

remotes will be shown as one block and

navigate simultaneously.  Map Stereo to 2 Mono Channels. One

fader controls one (mono) channel.

Should be disabled when stereo chan-

nels are used.

 Submix Selection in Input/Playback

Row. Enables a selection of the submix

when in first row, without having to

change to the third row first. However,

when using both mono and stereo chan-

nels first and third row usually do not

match anymore, so the selection often

becomes unclear this way.  Enable full LCD support. Activates full

Mackie Control LCD support with eight

channel names and eight volume/pan

values.  Send User defined Names. Channel names defined by the user will be sent to the remote

device via MIDI and – if supported – shown in its display.  Send Level Messages. Activates the transmission of the level meter data. Peak Hold acti-

vates the peak hold function as set up for the TotalMix level meters in the preferences.

Note: When MIDI Out is set to NONE then TotalMix FX can still be controlled by Mackie Control MIDI commands, but the 8-channel block is not marked as remote target.

25.8.3 OSC Page

The OSC page has four independent settings for up to four MIDI remote controls via Open Sound

Control (OSC). This is a network based remote protocol that can be used for example by Apple’s

iPad with the app TouchOSC or Lemur to wirelessly remote control TotalMix FX running on a Mac or Windows computer.

Index

Select one of four settings pages and thus remote controls. Settings are remembered automatically. To activate or deactivate any of the four remote controls check or uncheck ‘In Use’.

TotalMix FX OSC Service

 IP. Shows the network address of the

computer running TotalMix FX (local host). This address must be entered on the remote side.

 Host Name. Local computer name.  Port incoming. Must match the remote

entry ‘Port outgoing’. Typical values are

7001 or 8000.

 Port outgoing. Must match the remote

entry ‘Port incoming’. Typical values are

9001 or 9000.

Remote Control

 IP or Host name. Enter the IP or host

name of the remote control. Please note that the IP number usually works better than the host name.

Options

 Send Peak Level Data. Activates the

transmission of the peak level meter data. Peak Hold activates the peak hold function as set up for the TotalMix level meters in the preferences.

 Lock Remote to submix. When activated the current remote control can only modify the

submix selected from the drop-down list. This prevents havoc in multi-remote monitoring environments.

 Number of faders per bank. Available choices are 8 (default), 12, 16, 24, 32 and 48. Note

that when working in underperforming networks, especially wireless, a higher number of faders might not work as smooth as expected.

25.8.4 Aux Devices

The RME OctaMic XTC is a highly flexible hi-quality 8-channel microphone, line and instrument preamp with integrated ADconversion to ADAT, AES/EBU and MADI, plus 4 channels of DA-conversion for monitoring. It can be used as universal front-end for the Fireface UFX III and other interfaces.

To simplify operation the most important parameters of the XTC (gain, 48V, phase, mute, AutoSet) can be controlled directly from the TotalMix FX input channels. This special remote control uses MIDI of any format (DIN, USB, MIDI over MADI).

Device Settings

 Digital Channels. Select where the Oc-

taMic XTC sends its 8 analog channels

to: ADAT channels 1-8, 9-16 or one of

the 8-channel MADI blocks.  Device. At this time only the OctaMic

XTC is supported and can be chosen.

MIDI Settings

 MIDI In. Set the currently used MIDI

connection to the OctaMic XTC.  MIDI Out. Set the currently used MIDI

connection to the OctaMic XTC.  Device ID. Default 0. This setting re-

lates to the current choice in Digital

Channels. When using more than one OctaMic XTC these must have different Device IDs (configuration is

done at the OctaMic XTC). Aux Devices supports to set different Device IDs to the 8-channel blocks as well. Storing the setting is done automatically when selecting a Device ID. To check the current assignments toggle the two 8-channel blocks.

The screenshot to the right shows what happens as soon as the above settings have been confirmed with OK. The MADI channels show new elements for phantom power, Inst/PAD, Gain and AutoSet. Control operates bidirectional, so changing the gain at the unit will be mirrored in the TotalMix channels. Changing the gain in TotalMix FX will set the gain in the unit, which is also shown on the unit’s display.

For the remote to work the XTC’s currently used MIDI I/Os have to be set to Control. More details are found in the manual of the OctaMic XTC.

25.9 Hotkeys and Usage

TotalMix FX has many hotkeys and mouse/hotkey combinations to speed up and simplify the usage. The below description refers to Windows. On Mac substitute Ctrl in the below list with the command key ().

The Shift key enables a fine-tuning of the gain with all faders and in the Matrix. On all knobs it will speed up the setting.

A click on a fader with held down Shift key adds the fader to the temporary fader group. A click in the fader path with held down Ctrl key will let the fader jump to 0 dB, at the next click

to −∞. Same function: Double click of the mouse. Clicking on one of the Panorama or Gain knobs with held down Ctrl key lets the knob jump to

center position. Same function: Double click of the mouse. Clicking on the Panorama knob with held down Shift key lets the knob jump to fully left, with

Shift-Ctrl to fully right. Clicking on one of the channel settings buttons (slim/normal, Settings, EQ, Dynamics) with held

down Ctrl key lets all channels to the right change their state. For example all panels can be opened/closed simultaneously.

A double click of the mouse on a knob or its numerical field opens the according Input Value dialog. The desired value can then be set by keyboard.

Dragging the mouse from a parameter field increases (move up) or decreases (move down) the value in the field.

Ctrl-N opens the dialog Function Select to open a new TotalMix window. Ctrl-W opens the dialog File Open of the operating system to load a TotalMix Workspace file.

The key W starts the dialog Workspace Quick Select for a direct selection or storage of up to 30 Workspaces.

The key M switches the active window to Mixer view. The key X switches the active window to Matrix view. Ctrl-M opens a new Mixer window, Ctrl-X opens a new Matrix window. Another CtrlM or Ctrl-X closes the new window again.

F1 opens the online help. The Level Meter setup dialog can be opened with F2 (same as in DIGICheck). The dialog Preferences is opened with F3.

Alt-F4 closes the current window. Alt and number keys 1 to 8 (not on the numeric keypad!) will load the corresponding Workspace

from the Workspace Quick Select feature (hotkey W).

25.10 Menu Options

Deactivate Screensaver: When active (checked) any activated Windows screensaver will be

disabled temporarily. Always on Top: When active (checked) the TotalMix window will always be on top of the Win-

dows desktop. Note: This function may result in problems with windows containing help text, as the TotalMix window will even be on top of those windows, so the help text isn't readable.

Enable MIDI /OSC Control: Activates external MIDI control of the TotalMix mixer. In Mackie Protocol mode the channels which are currently under MIDI control are indicated by a colour change of the name field.

Submix linked to MIDI / OSC control (1-4). The 8-channel group follows the currently selected submix, means Hardware Output, when a different submix is chosen on the remote as well as when doing this in TotalMix. When using multiple windows it can be useful to deactivate this feature for specific windows. The view will not change then.

Preferences: Opens a dialog box to configure several functions of the level meters and the mixer. See chapter 25.7.

Settings. Opens a dialog box to configure several functions like Talkback, Listenback, Main Out and the MIDI Remote Control. See chapter 25.8.

Channel Layout. Hide channels visually and from remote. See chapter 25.5.3. ARC & Key Commands. Opens a window to configure the programmable buttons of the Stand-

ard, Advanced and Advanced Remote USB, and of the computer’s keyboard keys F4 to F8.

Reset Mix. Offers several options to reset the mixer state:  Straight playback with all to Main Out. All Playback channels are routed 1:1 to the Hard-

ware Outputs. Simultaneously all playbacks are mixed down to the Main Out. The faders in

the third row are not changed.  Straight Playback. All Playback channels are routed 1:1 to the Hardware outputs. The faders

in the third row are not changed.

 Clear all submixes. Deletes all submixes.  Clear channel effects. Switches off all EQs, Low Cuts, Reverb, Echo, Dynamics and Stereo

Width and sets their knobs to default position.

 Set output volumes. All faders of the third row set to 0 dB, Main and Speaker B to -10 dB.  Reset channel names. Removes all names assigned by the user.  Set all channels mono. Reconfigures all TotalMix FX channels to mono mode.  Set all channels stereo. Reconfigures all TotalMix FX channels to stereo mode.  Set inputs mono / outputs stereo (ADM). Preferred setup for best ASIO Direct Monitoring

compatibility. In most cases mono hardware outputs will break ADM. Mono inputs are in most

cases compatible. If not wrong panning might occur.  Total Reset. Playback routing 1:1 with mixdown to Main Out. Switches off all other functions.

Operational Mode. Defines TotalMix FX basic operational mode. Choices are Full Mode (default, mixer active, all routing options available), and Digital Audio Workstation Mode (straight playback routing, no input mix). See chapter 29 for details.

Offline Device Setup. Makes all devices supported by TotalMix FX available offline. This 'demo' mode can load and save workspaces, and thus also allows offline editing and visual inspection of workspaces and snapshots.

Setup: Select the desired devices and add them to the list of Configured Devices by clicking Add. Close the dialog by clicking OK.

Mixer and Matrix can now be opened even without a connected device. The device selection is done on the top right via the device selection field in the Control Strip.

Network Remote Settings. Settings to remote control TotalMix FX by TotalMix Remote via network. See chapter 30.

Store current state into device. The unit can store up to 6 setups (the current state) in its own memory. This function has been developed especially for the stand-alone mode operation, where there are no playback channels. Therefore using it under Windows, Mac or iOS will result in incomplete setups.

25.11 Menu Window

Zoom Options 100%, 135%, 200%, 270%. Depending on the size of the monitor and the current

resolution TotalMix FX might be much too small and the controls too tiny to easily operate them. Together with the 2 Row mode these options give a lot of different window sizes that suit all monitors and resolutions currently existing.

Hide Control Strip. Shifts the Control Strip out of the visible area.

26. The Matrix

26.1 Overview

The mixer window of TotalMix looks and operates similar to mixing desks, as it is based on a conventional stereo design. The matrix display presents a different method of assigning and routing channels, based on a single channel or monaural design. The matrix view of the Fireface UFX III has the look and works like a conventional patchbay, adding functionality way beyond comparable hardware and software solutions. While most patchbays will allow you to connect inputs to outputs with just the original level (1:1, or 0 dB, as known from mechanical patchbays), TotalMix allows you to use a freely definable gain value per crosspoint.

Matrix and TotalMix are different ways of displaying the same processes. Because of this both views are always fully synchronized. Each change in one view is immediately reflected in the other view as well.

26.2 Elements of the Matrix View

The visual design of the Matrix is based on the architecture of the Fireface UFX III:

 Horizontal labels. All hardware outputs  Vertical labels. All hardware inputs. Below are all

playback channels.

 Green 0.0 dB field. Standard 1:1 routing  Dark grey field with number. Shows the current

gain value as dB

 Blue field. This routing is muted  Red field. Phase 180° (inverted)  Dark grey field. No routing.

To maintain overview when the window size has been reduced, the labels are floating. . They won't leave the visible area when scrolling. A right mouse click on the labels brings up the context menu with the exact same options as in the mixer view: Copy / Mirror / Paste /Clear input channels and submixes.

26.3 Operation

Using the Matrix is a breeze. It is very easy to indentify the current crosspoint, because the outer labels light up in orange according to the mouse position.

 If input 1 is to be routed to output 1, use the mouse and click one time on crosspoint In 1 / AN

1 with held down Ctrl key. Two green 0.0 dB field pop in, another click removes them.

 To change the gain (equals the use of a different fader position, see simultaneous display of

the mixer view), drag the mouse up or down, starting from the gain field. The value within the field changes accordingly. The corresponding fader in the mixer view is moving simultaneously, in case the currently modified routing is visible.

 On the right side is the Control Strip from the mixer window, adapted to the Matrix. The button

for the temporary fader group is missing as well as all View options, as they don’t make sense

here. Instead the button Mono Mode lets you decide whether all the actions performed in the Matrix are valid for two channels or just one.

The Matrix not always replaces the mixer view, but it significantly enhances the routing capabilities and - more important - is a brilliant way to get a fast overview of all active routings. It shows you in a glance what's going on. And since the Matrix operates monaural, it is very easy to set up specific routings with specific gains.

27. Tips and Tricks

27.1 ASIO Direct Monitoring (Windows)

Programs that support ADM (ASIO Direct Monitoring - Samplitude, Sequoia, Cubase, Nuendo etc.) send control commands to TotalMix. This is directly shown by TotalMix. When a fader is moved in the ASIO host the corresponding fader in TotalMix will move too. TotalMix reflects all ADM gain and pan changes in real-time.

But: the faders only move when the currently activated routing (the selected submix) corresponds to the routing in the ASIO host. The Matrix on the other hand will show any change, as it shows all possible routings in one view.

27.2 Copy a Submix

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. Right click with the mouse on the original submix output, means Hardware Output. In the context menu select Copy Submix. Then right click on the new submix output, choose Paste Submix in the context menu. Now fine tune the submix.

27.3 Doubling the Output Signal (Mirror)

If a mix should be sent out via two (or more) different hardware outputs simply mirror that mix to any number of other outputs. A right click on the original output brings up the option to Copy/Mirror <name>. Another right click on the new output, then selecting Mirror of Output <name> will paste the whole submix and then synchronize it automatically to any future changes. The outputs now always send out the same signals, but their main volume (fader) and the EQ and Dynamics settings stay fully independent.

27.4 Delete a Submix

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.

27.5 Copy and Paste everywhere

The above three tips use functions found in the right click context menu available on all channels of the 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!

27.6 Recording a Submix - Loopback

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 47 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.

The block diagram also shows why with activated Loopback the EQ of the Hardware Output is now within the record path. With Loopback active the EQ of the input is not in the record path, only in the monitoring path, even when the Option DSP – EQ+D for Record is activated.

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.

27.7 MS Processing

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.

28. MIDI Remote Control

28.1 Overview

TotalMix can be remote controlled via MIDI. It is compatible to the widely spread Mackie Control protocol, so TotalMix can be controlled with all hardware controllers supporting this standard. Examples are the Mackie Control, Tascam US-2400 or Behringer BCF 2000.

Additionally, the stereo output faders (lowest row) which are set up as Main Out in the Control Room section can also be controlled by the standard Control Change Volume via MIDI channel

1. With this, the main volume of the Fireface is controllable from nearly any MIDI equipped hardware device.

MIDI Remote Control always operates in View Submix mode, even when the View Option Free is currently selected in TotalMix FX.

28.2 Mapping

TotalMix supports the following Mackie Control surface elements*: Element: Meaning in TotalMix: Channel faders 1 – 8 volume

Master fader Main Out channel fader V-Pots 1 – 8 pan pressing V-Pot knobs pan = center

CHANNEL LEFT or REWIND move one channel left CHANNEL RIGHT or FAST FORWARD move one channel right BANK LEFT or ARROW LEFT move eight channels left BANK RIGHT or ARROW RIGHT move eight channels right ARROW UP or Assignable1/PAGE+ move one row up ARROW DOWN or Assignable2/PAGE- move one row down

EQ Master Mute PLUGINS/INSERT Master Solo STOP Dim Main Out PLAY Talkback PAN Mono Main Out

FLIP Speaker B DYN/INSTRUMENT TrimGains MUTE Ch. 1 – 8 Mute SOLO Ch. 1 – 8 Solo SELECT Ch. 1 – 8 Select REC Ch. 1 – 8 select output bus (Submix) RECORD Recall

F1 - F8 load Snapshot 1 - 8 F9 select Main Out F10 - F12 select Cue Phones 1 - 3

*Tested with Behringer BCF2000 Firmware v1.07 in Mackie Control emulation for Steinberg mode and with Mackie Control under Mac OS X.

28.3 Setup

Open the Preferences dialog (menu Options or F3). Select the MIDI Input and MIDI Output port where your controller is connected to.

When no feedback is needed select NONE as MIDI Output. Check Enable MIDI Control in the Options menu.

28.4 Operation

The channels being under Mackie MIDI control are indicated by a colour change of the name field, black turns to brown.

The 8-fader block can be moved horizontally and vertically, in steps of one or eight channels. Faders can be selected to gang them. In Submix View mode, the current routing destination (output bus) can be selected via REC Ch.

1 – 8. This equals the selection of a different output channel in the lowest row by a mouse click when in Submix View. In MIDI operation it is not necessary to jump to the lowest row to perform this selection. This way even the routing can be easily changed via MIDI.

Full LC Display Support: This option in Preferences (F3) activates complete Mackie Control LCD support with eight channel names and eight volume/pan values. When Full LC Display Support is turned off, only a brief information about the first fader of the block (channel and row) is sent. This brief information is also available on the LED display of the Behringer BCF2000.

Disable MIDI in Background (menu Options, Settings) disables the MIDI control as soon as another application is in the focus, or in case TotalMix has been minimized. This way the hardware controller will control the main DAW application only, except when TotalMix is in the foreground. Often the DAW application can be set to become inactive in background too, so that MIDI control is switched between TotalMix and the application automatically when switching between both applications.

TotalMix also supports the 9th fader of the Mackie Control. This fader (labelled Master) will control the stereo output faders (lowest row) which are set up as Main Out in the Control Room section.

28.5 MIDI Control

The hardware output which is set up as Main Out can be controlled by the standard Control Change Volume via MIDI channel 1. With this, the main volume of the Fireface is controllable

from nearly any MIDI equipped hardware device. Even if you don't want to control all faders and pans, some buttons are highly desired to be avail-

able in 'hardware'. These are mainly the Talkback and the Dim button, and the monitoring options (listen to Phones submixes). Fortunately a Mackie Control compatible controller is not required to control these buttons, as they are steered by simple Note On/Off commands on MIDI channel 1.

The notes are (hex / decimal / keys):

Dim: 5D / 93 / A 6 Mono: 2A / 42 / #F 2 Talkback: 5E / 94 / #A 6 Recall: 5F / 95 / B 6 Speaker B: 32 / 50 / D3

Cue Main Out: 3E / 62 / D 4 Cue Phones 1: 3F / 63 / #D 4 Cue Phones 2: 40 / 64 / E 4 Cue Phones 3: 41 / 65 / F 4 Cue Phones 4: 42 / 66 / #F 4

Snapshot 1: 36 / 54 / #F 3 Snapshot 2: 37 / 55 / G 3 Snapshot 3: 38 / 56 / #G 3 Snapshot 4: 39 / 57 / A 3 Snapshot 5: 3A / 58 / #A 3 Snapshot 6: 3B / 59 / B 3 Snapshot 7: 3C / 60 / C 4 Snapshot 8: 3D / 61 / #C 4

Trim Gains: 2D / 45 / A 2 Master Mute: 2C / 44 / #G 2 Master Solo: 2B / 43 / G 2

Note: The hex value is standardized, the key is not. If it doesn’t work try all notes one octave lower.

Furthermore all faders of all three rows can be controlled via simple Control Change commands. The format for the Control Change commands is:

Bx yy zz x = MIDI channel

yy = control number zz = value

The first row in TotalMix is addressed by MIDI channels 1 up to 4, the middle row by channels 5 up to 8 and the bottom row by channels 9 up to 12.

16 Controller numbers are used: 102 up to 117 (= hex 66 to 75). With these 16 Controllers (= faders) and 4 MIDI channels each per row, up to 64 faders can be controlled per row (as required by the HDSPe MADI).

Examples for sending MIDI strings:

- Set input 1 to 0 dB: B0 66 68

- Set input 17 to maximum attenuation: B1 66 0

- Set playback 1 to maximum: B4 66 7F

- Set Output 16 to 0 dB: B8 75 68 Note: Sending MIDI strings requires to use programmer's logic for the MIDI channel, starting with

0 for channel 1 and ending with 15 for channel 16. Further functions:

- Trim Gains On: BC 66 xx (BC = MIDI channel 13, xx = any value)

- Trim Gains Off: BC 66 xx or select a submix Select submix (fader) in third row:

- channel 1/2: BC 68/69 xx

- channel 3/4: BC 6A/6B xx etc.

Input Gain control is available via CC9, value range as the gain itself (up to 65). The MIDI channel determines the controlled channel, from 1 to 16 (UFX: 9 to 12). For this to work, Enable MIDI Control in the Options menu has to be activated.

The Reverb and Echo User Presets can be changed via MIDI CC: B2 0C nn for Reverb preset 1 to 16, B3 0C nn for Echo preset 1 to 16

28.6 Stand-Alone MIDI Control

When not connected to a computer, the Fireface UFX III can be controlled directly via MIDI. The

stand-alone MIDI control mode is activated in the unit’s menu Options, HW Options/Diagnosis, Standalone MIDI.

Note: When not needed the stand-alone MIDI operation should not be active, as the unit will react on MIDI notes after power-on, and will also send MIDI notes.

Control is performed via both the Mackie Control protocol and some standard MIDI functions (see below). In stand-alone mode not all functions known from TotalMix are available, because some of them aren't hardware, but software routines. Functions like Talkback, Mono, Solo, rela- tive ganging of the faders, Monitor Main and Monitor Phones are realized by complex software code, therefore not available in stand-alone MIDI control operation.

Still many functions, and especially the most important functions to control the Fireface UFX III, are implemented in hardware, thus available also in stand-alone mode:

 All faders and pans of the first and third row  Mute of the input signal per channel  Ganging via 'Select'  Choice of the routing destination, i.e. the current submix  Sending of LED and display data to the MIDI controller

The second row (software playback) is skipped. The Fireface UFX III sends display data as brief information, enabling an easy navigation through lines and rows. Other data like PAN and miscellaneous status LEDs are supported as well.

In stand-alone mode the unit always operates in View Submix mode. Only this way the routing destination can be changed, and several mixdowns/submixes can be set up quickly and easily. If the current TotalMix setup is transferred into the Fireface via 'Flash current mixer state', the currently selected submix output is also pre-configured in the hardware for stand-alone MIDI remote operation.

Mackie Control Protocol

The stand-alone operation supports the following Mackie Control surface elements*:

*Tested with Behringer BCF2000 Firmware v1.07 in Mackie Control emulation for Steinberg mode.

Element: Meaning in Fireface: Channel faders 1 – 8 volume

V-Pots 1 – 8 pan pressing V-Pot knobs pan = center

STOP Dim Main Out EQ Master Mute

MUTE Ch. 1 – 8 Mute SELECT Ch. 1 – 8 Select REC Ch. 1 – 8 select output bus (current submix)

F1 – F6 load Setup 1 - 6

Additionally the following functions are available via simple MIDI notes on MIDI channel 1:

Dim: 5D / 93 / A 6 Setup 1: 36 / 54 / #F 3

Setup 2: 37 / 55 / G 3 Setup 3: 38 / 56 / #G 3 Setup 4: 39 / 57 / A 3 Setup 5: 3A / 58 / #A 3 Setup 6: 3B / 59 / B 3

Loading the Setups stored in the device enables a quick configuration change of the UFX. With this any possible operation state can be activated by the push of a button at any time.

28.7 Loopback Detection

The Mackie Control protocol requires feedback of the received commands, back to the hardware controller. So usually TotalMix will be set up with both a MIDI input and MIDI output. Unfortunately any small error in wiring and setup will cause a MIDI feedback loop here, which then completely blocks the computer (the CPU).

To prevent the computer from freezing, TotalMix sends a special MIDI note every 0.5 seconds to its MIDI output. As soon as it detects this special note at the input, the MIDI functionality is disabled. After fixing the loopback, check Enable MIDI Control under Options to reactivate the TotalMix MIDI.

28.8 OSC (Open Sound Control)

Besides simple MIDI notes, the Mackie Protocol and Control Change commands, TotalMix FX can also be controlled by the Open Sound Control, OSC. For details on setup and usage see chapter 25.8.3.

An OSC implementation chart can be downloaded from the RME website:

http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/osc_table_totalmix_new.zip

RME offers a free iPad template for the iOS app TouchOSC (by Hexler, available in the Apple App-Store):

http://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/tosc_tm_ipad_template.zip

The RME forum hosts further information, more templates (iPhone…) and lots of useful user feed-

back.

29. DAW Mode

Users that work exclusively with their DAW software, and don’t want to use TotalMix FX for addi- tional routing tasks, need a way to be sure that TotalMix FX currently doesn’t change the DAW’s routing. While Reset Mix can do so, those users would be better served with a very simple surface that offers the interface’s hardware controls (gain, phantom control, instrument…), but guarantees a straight 1:1 routing for all playback channels, and has no hardware monitoring of the input channels (which is then done by the DAW software).

For such cases TotalMix FX includes an alternative operating mode. It can be booted into the so called DAW mode. This simplified interface is for anyone performing all monitoring and routing within the DAW. The DAW mode restarts TM FX into a light version with just two rows, no playback row, and no mixing faders in the input row. Routing is 1:1 only. Just the hardware controls (if existing) and hardware output levels are available.

To change the current mode go to the menu, Options, and click on Operational Mode. Choices are Full Mode (default, mixer active, all routing options available), and Digital Audio Workstation Mode (straight playback routing, no input mix).

Several useful, advanced features are still available in TotalMix FX in DAW mode:

 Talkback, External Input  Phones definition and handling with Talkback  Speaker A / B  All FX (EQ, Dynamics, Echo, Reverb)  Mute and Solo  Cue / PFL

30. TotalMix Remote

TotalMix Remote is a remote control for TotalMix FX v1.50 and up, to control the hardware mixer and effects in RME audio interfaces. TotalMix Remote mirrors the current state of the host system on the iPad and Windows/Mac computers - the entire mixing state, the complete routing, all FX settings, up to the level meters, and everything in real-time. TotalMix Remote supports up to three hosts with multiple interfaces each, allowing Apple's popular iPad and Windows/Mac computers to adjust all the mixer and FX settings from a distance, via Ethernet and WiFi.

Supported Hardware

TotalMix Remote communicates with TotalMix FX 1.50 or up. Any RME hardware that can be used with TotalMix FX is supported automatically.

Quick Start

On the host (the computer with the connected audio interface) go to the TotalMix FX menu Options, Network Remote Settings. Click Enable TotalMix Remote Server to start this service. Under

Windows a Firewall warning will come up. Allow TotalMix FX or it won't work. This dialog also shows the host's IP, like 192.168.1.45.

Make sure both host and remote computer / iPad reside in the same network. Start TotalMix Remote on the remote computer / iPad (not on the host!). On the iPad, tap on the gear symbol in the upper right corner, then on Host Connection Set- tings. On Windows / Mac either the dialog comes up automatically or can be called from the Search Connected Hosts dialog. Type in the host's IP address (like 192.168.1.45) into the IP field of Host Connection 1, and make sure it is activated. The port defaults to 7009 and usually must not be changed. In case this port is unexpectedly occupied a warning message will be issued. Choose a different port then. Under Windows a Firewall warning will come up. Allow TotalMix Remote or it won't work.

Tap Done on top or click Ok. In the mixer view the state should change from offline to connected within a few seconds.

The Add button provides access to the user-management that can be configured in detail. Here users can be defined, with and without a password, and the rights can be assigned to viewing only, changing a specific sub-mix, or full access. For example, using Total-Mix FX as a monitor controller for all band members, user-management prevents the bassist from changing the guitarist's monitor mix. Or the drummer making himself too loud. Etc.

Tip

The remotes have the option Sync Channel Layouts active as default (in Preferences). This option transfers the Layout Presets and the current Channel Layout state from host to remote. Apart from the channel width state this option makes a mirror-style setup most easy. But when using the remote as individual setup, make sure to disable this option to have independent Layout Presets on the remote.

Limitations

• Mixer View & GUI. When connected the remote computer / iPad will immediately have the complete routing and FX settings of the host, including mono and stereo channels, but not the host's GUI setup, like panel states open/closed of Settings/EQ/Dynamic, FX panel visibility, 2-Row or 3Row mode and channel width. Channel width states can be stored as usual per Snapshot and completely as Workspace, locally on the remote computer. They need to be loaded manually after loading a Workspace on the host in case a 100% identical view is required.

• Workspaces. The Remote shows the Quick Workspaces (hotkey W on Windows/Mac) stored on the host, and allows to remotely load them. It is not possible to save complete Workspaces with mixer state from the Remote, or on the Remote. The Workspaces saved locally include GUI information only (Channel state wide/narrow, Channel Layouts, window size and position) and further local settings, to be able to have personalized views on the remote computer, independent from the view on the host.

• Real-time behaviour. Can suffer when the network is overloaded or the WiFi reception is insufficient. Level Meters will stutter then and faders do not move smoothly.

• Background operation on iPad - is not possible. This should not be a problem as the Remote doesn't need to do anything in background, and when called up very quickly reconnects and synchronizes its state.

• State. Is shown in the upper right corner (offline or connected), or the Mac/Windows title bar.

Downloads

Remote Windows

http://www.rme-audio.de/download/tmfx_win_remote.zip

Remote Mac

http://www.rme-audio.de/download/tmfx_mac_remote.zip

iPad From the Apple App Store, search for 'TotalMix Remote'. This app is free.

User’s Guide

Fireface UFX III

Class Compliant Mode

31. General

The Fireface UFX III operates in three different modes: driver-based USB2/3, stand-alone mode, and Class Compliant mode. The latter describes a standard that is natively supported by operating systems like Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. No proprietary drivers are required, the device will be directly recognized when the CC firmware is loaded. The natively available features will be limited in comparison to those provided by the RME driver for the UFX III. For example there will be no hardware settings, no (Total) Mix and no settings for the effects. However, on the iPad (iOS) the UFX III can be fully controlled by the optional app TotalMix FX for iPad.

The Class Compliant mode can be activated and deactivated directly at the unit, as long as it is not connected to a Mac or PC: SETUP/REV, Options, Hardware/Diagnosis, Interface Mode, CC.

Neither Windows nor Mac Class Compliant support is relevant, though, since there are dedicated and matured drivers for both OS X and Windows, which provide ALL the device's features at lowest latencies. The main reason for implementing Class Compliant mode was to allow connecting the UFX III to an Apple iPad®!

The UFX III provides the iPad with the professional analog I/O connections it lacks. Superb microphone preamps with EQ, dynamics, even with the AutoSet feature, in addition to professional balanced line outputs, and hi-power headphone outputs which also excel with high impedance phones. Plus level and gain adjustments, AES and ADAT I/O, reverb, echo, zero latency monitoring, digitally via USB, without any limitation in quality, at up to 96 kHz and 24 bit. And of course a Sysex-capable double MIDI I/O.

DURec, the direct USB recording on USB memory stick or portable external hard drive, is also available in Class Compliant mode. Especially in regard to recording on the iPad it is not only a world-wide unique and extraordinary feature, it also proves to be something you don’t want to miss in real-world usage.

TotalMix FX for iPad also provides full support for the optional ARC USB, an Advanced Remote Control specifically for the UFX III, making operation and handling of the iPad DAW even more easy and comfortable.

32. System requirements

 UFX III in Class Compliant mode  Any Apple iPad with at least iOS 6  iPhone with iOS 7 or up  Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit or Lightning to USB adapter  iPad Pro: USB-B to USB-C cable, USB 2 or USB 3 version

33. Operation

In factory default setting Interface Mode – Auto the UFX III will not automatically switch to CC mode as soon as an iPad or iPhone is connected. Instead it switches to mode USB 2, and iPhone/iPad show a warning of an unsupported device. The CC mode always has to be activated manually.

Activation of the Class Compliant mode

Remove USB cable from the UFX III. Press SETUP/REV. Turn encoder 1 until Options appears in the display. Turn encoder 2 until Hardware/Diagnosis appears. Push encoder 2 several times to select the entry Interface Mode. Turn encoder 2 to switch to CC mode. The UFX III reboots, all LEDs light up, after which it will be in Class Compliant mode.

The option CC Routing offers two different routings of the playback signals. See chapter 36. Connect the USB cable to the UFX III and the Lightning to USB adapter. Start the iPhone/iPad

and plug-in the adapter. If everything works as expected, the unit will enter CC host mode, indicated by the orange USB LED turning on. Audio playback will automatically be performed by the UFX III, using analog outputs 1/2 and the phones outputs 9/10, 11/12 (with routing option Phones activated).

Apps that support MIDI and are ready for Core MIDI will offer dialogs to select the desired UFX III MIDI inputs and outputs.

33.1 Useful hints

If the unit is not in CC mode, the iPhone/iPad will detect an in-

compatible USB device, and display a message saying “Cannot

Use Device – The connected USB device is not supported”. No sound: Incorrect output gain settings or wrong routing, see chapter 36. Note that the iPh-

one/iPad volume control is inactive during USB operation. If the unit does not enter Host mode: Remove and reconnect the Connection Kit. Since 2016 Apple offers another version of the USB to Lightning Adapter, called Lightning to USB

3 Camera Adapter. It has an additional Lightning port for power supply that charges the iPhone/iPad even when used with the UFX III.

The iPad Pro with its USB-C socket operates as regular USB host. Therefore no adapter is needed, only a matching cable (USB-C to USB-B).

33.2 Class Compliant Mode under Windows and macOS

The USB 2 Class Compliant mode of the UFX III (18 channels playback) is compatible to Windows

11. The USB 3 Class Compliant mode of the UFX III is currently not compatible to Windows. macOS can be used in Class

Compliant mode, although without Settings dialog and TotalMix FX it makes not much sense to do so. At least one can use the Audio MIDI Setup to check the available CC modes.

With USB 3 the Audio window in the Audio MIDI Setup lists three available modes: 34, 54 and 94 channels, with the respective sample rates (picture to the right).

The picture to the right shows the available modes with USB 2.

iOS/iPadOS

These modes also exist when connecting an iPad, but cannot be freely used and assigned by iOS and iPadOS. It is up to the application alone whether certain sample rates and channel numbers are available. Most iPad DAWs are limited to 24 channels, which are also available at 96 kHz in Cubasis with USB 3, and 22 channels with USB 2 (see pic above). Stereo players like Neutron use all sample rates of the UFX III. A mixed playlist with music from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz is played by Neutron with the original sample rates without any problems.

34. Supported Inputs and Outputs

With macOS any of the available modes will work, depending on the choice in the Audio MIDI Setup.

When connected to an iPad, the analog mic/line input 1 works with mono apps, inputs 1 and 2 with stereo apps (both dual mono and stereo), and up to 8 inputs with 8-channel applications like MultiTrack DAW and Music Studio. Garage Band supports all inputs, but only two at a time. Auria and Cubasis can record 24 inputs simultaneously.

Playback will use the rear-side analog outputs 1 and 2, or even more channels if the app supports such operation. The UFX III can optionally copy the playback channels 1/2 to outputs 9/10 and 11/12, for easier monitoring (CC routing Phones). The current routing can easily be checked and verified with the level meter display. All outputs can be processed independently (volume, EQ, dynamics, FX return).

Configuring the UFX III is ideally done via the app TotalMix FX for iPad, otherwise by loading Setups. These are written into the unit while operated with PC/Mac via TotalMix FX, also storing control clock mode master or AutoSync and the current sample rate. Using RME’s iPad app the routing Phones is automatically disabled as all routing is now controlled by the app.

The UFX III (and with it the iPhone/iPad) will be synchronized to an external digital sample rate if there is a valid digital input signal. With a wrong sample rate heavy audio noise will occur. Without an SPDIF, ADAT or MADI input signal the UFX III enters master mode and uses the sample rate set by Mac OS X or iOS (the app in use).

While the MIDI I/Os will send and receive Sysex messages, not all apps are ready to do this. The app Midi Tool Box can be used to verify that the UFX III is working correctly, and the problem lies somewhere else.

35. Front panel operation

The front panel operation is identical to the one under Windows and OS X, or standalone operation. The display therefore gives the usual easy access to all features and offers a quick editing of: input gains, playback levels, routing and monitoring, echo, reverb, EQ, dynamics, sample rate, status of the optical output (ADAT/SPDIF/MADI), and much more.

36. Audio Routing and Processing

In Class Compliant mode, the UFX III features operation very similar to normal operation with TotalMix FX, with two major differences:

 There is no second TotalMix row (no software playback channels), hence no individual routing

or mixing of playback channels*. These will always be connected either straight to the physical outputs (CC-Routing All Ch.), or have an additional signal copy from 1/2 to 9/10 and 11/12 (CC-Routing Phones), making the headphone outputs work.

Both modes can be activated at any time and do not influence the mixer state loaded via the Setups, as they only influence the playback routing. The current routing can easily be checked and verified with the level meter display.

 The input effects EQ/Dyn will always be active in the recording path The UFX can be pre-configured for CC mode via TotalMix FX under Windows/Mac by saving up

to 6 configurations into its setup memory, see next chapter.

100

The input signal will pass through all activated functions of the TM FX input channel, namely settings, EQ, and Dynamics, and is then sent to the iPhone/iPad. Like under Windows and Mac, the input fader setting controls direct monitoring to the specified outputs. The FX send control for echo/reverb is also active.

As in normal TotalMix FX use, the options Stereo Width, MS Proc and Phase L/R are NOT within the recording path, but in the monitor path. This is technically determined and can not be changed.

The iPhone/iPad output signal passes through all activated functions of the TM FX hardware outputs, namely settings, EQ, and dynamics. The third row’s fader sets the output level.

Control Room Section settings are inactive. Configuring the Phones output is done by output channel 9/10 and 11/12.

*Not valid when using an iPad and the optional app TotalMix FX for iPad.

37. Setups

TotalMix FX can transfer all current settings to the device (Options/Store Current State into Device). There are six memory slots (Setups) available. An example:

 Inputs with no processing, gain set to +30 dB and phantom power active. Outputs without

processing, faders for 1/2 set to 0 dB, 9/10 at – 20 dB, clock mode master, saved in Setup 1.

 Inputs with Compressor, Factory Preset Mix Limiter (digital overload protection), gain set to

+30 dB, no phantom power, outputs 1/2 with EQ (factory preset Modern Bass Treble), outputs 9/10 with EQ (factory preset Cheap Phones Compensation), faders for 1/2 at 0 dB, 9/10 at 20dB, clock mode AutoSync, saved in Setup 2.

Via the menu SETUP/REV, Setups, one can switch between setups 1 and 2 at any time, alternating between entirely different configurations. Further examples would be activating reverb/echo, or temporary monitoring of the input signal. Very comfortable is the use of the Advanced Remote USB, as its buttons can load the Setups 1 to 6 directly

On the iPad the optional app TotalMix FX for iPad gives full control of all functions and parameters in real-time and with full overview, similar to working under Windows and Mac.

RME Fireface UFX III USB 3 audio interface RME Fireface UFX III handleiding

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual