RME Fireface 800 review - TotalMix
Author: Vedran Dakic
Date: 12 Feb 2007

TotalMix

With unlimited mixing and routing options, TotalMix is one of the key elements that make FireFace such an excellent product. The first and foremost - you can use all of your inputs and outputs to make any kind of mix you want. So, what you really have is a "matrix" - all of your inputs and outputs and their "connections". This comes in very handy when you want to create different mixes or submixes, or make some typical studio-things like mix in mono. And don't forget that on the back of the Fireface you have a whole bunch of outputs. You can also use-abuse these connections for additional effect units, if you want to. No matter if you want them in your playback or recording path. All of the channels can actually have independent output levels in different submixes. Also, you can have various presets - different TotalMix settings loadable from

the application. So, if you're using Fireface(s) for a rehersal, you might want to use a different submix then when recording stuff. Also, you can use Fireface without the host computer (Stand-Alone Operation, Stand-Alone MIDI Controlled Operation). This is extremely useful when you want to play and have a rehersal without recording. And if you get confused with all of these inputs and outputs, you can use Submix view to see everything in a much simpler way.

On the right side of TotalMix, you actually have something that RME calls "The Quick Access Panel" and "The Monitor Panel". First - the Quick Access Panel. There's a whole bunch of buttons there - Input, Playback, Output, Submix, Presets 1-8, Save, and Unit 1-3. What I like the most is the Presets button. These buttons are directly related to 8 different mixer settings that can be saved to your hard drive. And the button actually flashes if you change something in your mix.

The Monitor Panel acts as an addon to overall amazing mixing and routing possibilities of the Fireface. You can actually do a "quick-silencing" of your main monitor output (Dim) by a predefined amount (so, not only mute). Then, you can click the "Mono" button and check for any volume or phase problems instantly. Or use the "Talkback" button, which will dim the Main Monitor output by a predefined amount and turn on the Talkback microphone.