RME TotalMix\Hardware Routing Question

Lois Lane · Mar 6, 2025 at 2:28 PM

I can write a cool song and play many various musical instruments...but unlike some who dream of wires I just have nightmares and hope to wake from my misery when it comes to cabling. It's as if I'm dyslexic and as well legally blind. So, I'm reaching out to you to help me set up my RME UCX II like a patchbay to give me the option of freely combining my preamps and compressors without a physical patchbay or digging around my desk racks to redo stuff when I'd like to mix things up from being hardwired from preamps to compressors and into the DAW. I'm not sure if this will create latency or not so please let me know. Something like sometimes going 1073 > WA76 > Opto > DAW or Tonebeast > WA76 without dealing with cobwebs in the dark hinder recesses of my desk.

It's mostly the routing, so please walk me through it, I'm a literal catastrophe.

My preamps:
Neve 1073 DPA (2 preamps in and out)
Warm Audio Tonebeast
Daking Mic Pre One

Compressors:
Audioscape Opto
Warm Audio Tonebeast

Here is the front and back of the UCX II

My guess is that I'll use the mic pre inputs on the front of the UCX II for the two outs of the Neve and the balanced line inputs 5 and 6 for the Tonebeast and Daking.

I'm lost about the compressors and the routing in TotalMix.

Thanks for helping the glorified idiot inside of me.

Ads Master

Radio · Mar 6, 2025 at 3:58 PM

Please note that these instructions are from the AI, and there is no guarantee that the AI has connected this correctly.

To set up your RME UCX II as a virtual patchbay for your preamps and compressors, you'll need to use TotalMix FX, RME's powerful routing software. This setup will allow you to flexibly route your audio without a physical patchbay. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Connect your hardware:

Connect the outputs of your preamps (Neve 1073 DPA, Warm Audio Tonebeast, Daking Mic Pre One) to the line inputs of your RME UCX II.

Connect the inputs of your compressors (Audioscape Opto, Warm Audio Tonebeast) to the line outputs of the UCX II.

Connect the outputs of your compressors back to other line inputs on the UCX II.

Set up TotalMix FX:

Open TotalMix FX and switch to the "Submix" view.

In the "Hardware Inputs" section, you'll see your connected preamps.

In the "Software Playback" section, you'll see your DAW channels.

In the "Hardware Outputs" section, you'll see your physical outputs, including those connected to your compressors.

Create routing presets:

For each desired signal chain, create a preset in TotalMix FX.

Example for 1073 > WA76 > Opto > DAW:
a. Route the 1073 input to the WA76 output.
b. Route the WA76 input (coming back into the UCX II) to the Opto output.
c. Route the Opto input (coming back into the UCX II) to your DAW input.

Save and recall presets:

Save each routing configuration as a preset in TotalMix FX.

Recall these presets whenever you want to change your signal chain.

Regarding latency, this setup will introduce minimal latency. The UCX II has extremely low latency, with only about 68 μs at 44.1 kHz for digital routing. The analog round-trip (out to your compressors and back in) will add some latency, but it should still be negligible for most applications.

To make your life easier, consider labeling your inputs and outputs clearly in TotalMix FX. This will help you visualize your signal flow more easily. Also, remember that you can use the UCX II's internal DSP effects for additional processing without adding latency9.

This setup allows you to flexibly route your audio without dealing with physical cables, making it much easier to experiment with different signal chains. Just remember to save your routing presets for quick recall of your favorite configurations.

shinyzen · Mar 6, 2025 at 5:25 PM

Radio said: ↑

Please note that these instructions are from the AI, and there is no guarantee that the AI has connected this correctly.

To set up your RME UCX II as a virtual patchbay for your preamps and compressors, you'll need to use TotalMix FX, RME's powerful routing software. This setup will allow you to flexibly route your audio without a physical patchbay. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Connect your hardware:

Connect the outputs of your preamps (Neve 1073 DPA, Warm Audio Tonebeast, Daking Mic Pre One) to the line inputs of your RME UCX II.

Connect the inputs of your compressors (Audioscape Opto, Warm Audio Tonebeast) to the line outputs of the UCX II.

Connect the outputs of your compressors back to other line inputs on the UCX II.

Set up TotalMix FX:

Open TotalMix FX and switch to the "Submix" view.

In the "Hardware Inputs" section, you'll see your connected preamps.

In the "Software Playback" section, you'll see your DAW channels.

In the "Hardware Outputs" section, you'll see your physical outputs, including those connected to your compressors.

Create routing presets:

For each desired signal chain, create a preset in TotalMix FX.

Example for 1073 > WA76 > Opto > DAW:
a. Route the 1073 input to the WA76 output.
b. Route the WA76 input (coming back into the UCX II) to the Opto output.
c. Route the Opto input (coming back into the UCX II) to your DAW input.

Save and recall presets:

Save each routing configuration as a preset in TotalMix FX.

Recall these presets whenever you want to change your signal chain.

Regarding latency, this setup will introduce minimal latency. The UCX II has extremely low latency, with only about 68 μs at 44.1 kHz for digital routing. The analog round-trip (out to your compressors and back in) will add some latency, but it should still be negligible for most applications.

To make your life easier, consider labeling your inputs and outputs clearly in TotalMix FX. This will help you visualize your signal flow more easily. Also, remember that you can use the UCX II's internal DSP effects for additional processing without adding latency9.

This setup allows you to flexibly route your audio without dealing with physical cables, making it much easier to experiment with different signal chains. Just remember to save your routing presets for quick recall of your favorite configurations.

Click to expand...

im pretty sure the AI did a good job here. I use totalmix, and this makes sense to me.

Lois Lane · Mar 6, 2025 at 6:27 PM

@shinyzen @Radio ..Thanks for the assistance.

FrankPig · Mar 6, 2025 at 8:23 PM

Radio said: ↑

Example for 1073 > WA76 > Opto > DAW:
a. Route the 1073 input to the WA76 output.
b. Route the WA76 input (coming back into the UCX II) to the Opto output.
c. Route the Opto input (coming back into the UCX II) to your DAW input.
Click to expand...

That AI response wasn't too bad. Unfortunately, this doesn't explain how you route x to y, which can be a real pain in the anus when you first start using TotalMix. Touch an input/software/output channel by accident and start moving faders, and you can quickly get into all sorts of confusing fuckery, as the view of all channels change according to the channel you last clicked. (It's useful to have a default, untouched preset saved btw).

Although I use a physical patchbay for all of my hardware outboard, I stumbled across this video when I first got my UCXII.

Barry can be a bit of a tit (and I'm still not convinced he's ever actually recorded or mixed any music) but this video ELI5 exactly what you click in TotalMix, where you click and the result of that.

Feel free to PM if you have any qs @Lois Lane .

Lois Lane · Mar 7, 2025 at 5:31 AM

FrankPig said: ↑

That AI response wasn't too bad. Unfortunately, this doesn't explain how you route x to y, which can be a real pain in the anus when you first start using TotalMix. Touch an input/software/output channel by accident and start moving faders, and you can quickly get into all sorts of confusing fuckery, as the view of all channels change according to the channel you last clicked. (It's useful to have a default, untouched preset saved btw).

Although I use a physical patchbay for all of my hardware outboard, I stumbled across this video when I first got my UCXII.

Barry can be a bit of a tit (and I'm still not convinced he's ever actually recorded or mixed any music) but this video ELI5 exactly what you click in TotalMix, where you click and the result of that.

Feel free to PM if you have any qs @Lois Lane .
Click to expand...

Thanks, Frank Pig. I'll check out the video for as a glorified id-jut I need all the help I can get. A default kill switch preset is a great idea as my middle name is "Murphy's Law". As well, presets for different combos will hopefully keep everything copacetic. Labeling is a must too.

phloopy · Mar 7, 2025 at 6:00 AM

Great setup!!!

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