User`s guide

User's Guide Fireface 400 © RME

27.5 Recording a Subgroup (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 Out-

puts. 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 9 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.

Recording a Software's playback

In real world application, recording a software's output with another software will show the fol-

lowing 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 play-

back signal via TotalMix to a hardware output in the range of the record software, and activate it

via Loopback for recording.