Newbie - Routing issues -iMac -Logic X & Reaper

[rACed2]

I have looked at the manuals for both Logic and Reaper repeatedly but I'm missing something (or I'm too stupid to use either)
I have a UFX connected to my iMac via FW, TotalMixFX works fine for me in terms of routing inputs to outputs as required. I can understand (and use)how to route any physical input/s to any physical output/s. I have a bass guitar plugged into input 12, guitar 11, organ 10 & 9, synths 1-8, main monitors on outputs 1&2, headphones in both headphone jacks (ouputs 9-12).
I get lost trying to relate this to the 'inputs' and 'outputs' of both Logic and Reaper. Every time I try and set something up to record I have enormous difficulty; I think I have only ever succeeded by accident.
I have Core audio recognising the UFX and can play back music from Vox through the UFX.
Can someone please post a screen shot of either Logic X or Reaper showing the appropriate settings for being able to monitor the 'output' of only a single Logic or Reaper track as it is recorded? By that I mean if its routed through a guitar cabinet emulator in the DAW listening to that sound not just software monitoring of the input (I can do that with the UFX). Bonus thanks if someone can tell me how Logic/Reaper interacts with the middle row of TotalMixFX regarding the DAWs ouput numbering and totalmixes.

[muzines]

I think I read your post three times and I'm still not sure what you are asking ( ! ).

It's not about "being stupid", sometimes there's just a conceptual lack of understanding of some key issue that once clicks will seem obvious.

So you seem to be having conceptual problems with the way a DAW and an audio interface work?

In general, let's say your audio interface has two inputs and two outputs. In your DAW, assuming you have the audio interface selected and working from within the DAW, if you record enable a track with Input 1, that Input 1 refers to the Input 1 one your interface.

Similarly, if you send a track to an Output 1&2 stereo track, that audio is being sent to the interface's Outputs 1 & 2.

Now, the one complication is that many audio interfaces have their own internal mixers, which gives a lot of flexibility but adds a lot of confusion. Now, you can directly monitor inputs (ie, your guitar is plugged into input 1, but instead of being routed into your DAW, through the record-enabled track, and then back out to the outputs for monitoring, it's directly monitored so it's mixed inside the audio interface's mixer and combined with the audio the DAW is sending to it before sending everything out of the interface's outputs.

So what is it your are trying to do but having difficulty with - you want to hear a guitar + plugin while recording? In this case, direct monitoring should be off, software monitoring should be on, and your track should be record enabled to the input your guitar is connected to.

Now when you play, the signal gets sent to the DAW, the incoming audio is recorded and the plugin FX are added in realtime, and the monitoring goes back to the main stereo output - you don't hear the dry guitar signal coming from the interface directly (and if you are, then direct monitoring is on, or you have that input turned up in the *audio interface's mixer* so you are hearing the dry signal.

Does this help? Or am I on completely the wrong track?

Bonus thanks if someone can tell me how Logic/Reaper interacts with the middle row of TotalMixFX regarding the DAWs ouput numbering and totalmixes.

I don't use that interface/software so I will have to leave that to somebody else.

[rACed2]

I think I read your post three times and I'm still not sure what you are asking ( ! ).

Sorry I rewrote 4 times trying to be clearer!

It's not about "being stupid", sometimes there's just a conceptual lack of understanding of some key issue that once clicks will seem obvious.

Thanks for the vote of confidence in these grey cells: I had thought it might be that but I'm not getting the click yet.

So you seem to be having conceptual problems with the way a DAW and an audio interface work?

yep

So what is it your are trying to do but having difficulty with - you want to hear a guitar + plugin while recording? In this case, direct monitoring should be off, software monitoring should be on, and your track should be record enabled to the input your guitar is connected to.

Now when you play, the signal gets sent to the DAW, the incoming audio is recorded and the plugin FX are added in realtime, and the monitoring goes back to the main stereo output - you don't hear the dry guitar signal coming from the interface directly (and if you are, then direct monitoring is on, or you have that input turned up in the *audio interface's mixer* so you are hearing the dry signal.

OK - I have the audio interface's "direct monitoring" off. The problem I have seems to be in getting software monitoring on - for both Logic and Reaper and sending that track only back to the audio interface

Does this help? Or am I on completely the wrong track?

All help helps. Hopefully this makes the problem I'm having clearer to you and other readers.

[muzines]

OK - I have the audio interface's "direct monitoring" off. The problem I have seems to be in getting software monitoring on - for both Logic and Reaper and sending that track only back to the audio interface

Ok. Let's stick to one DAW for now (simplify) and use Logic.

In Logic's audio preferences, Software Monitoring should be On. If not, turn it on.

[The Elf]

I'm similarly confused about your confusion, but the following understanding usually solves most problems involving RME's TotalMix...

The top row of faders are the physical inputs to the Fireface.
The bottom row of faders are the physical outputs from the Fireface.
The centre row of faders are the 'logical' outputs that your DAW sees.

Once you grasp this you can begin to see how the routing works, since you can send any logical DAW output to any physical Fireface output.

Not sure if this addresses your specific problems, but hopefully it adds to your understanding.

[rACed2]

Will try this and report - I don't have my music machine on the internet except to download updates.

[rACed2]

At my wits end. I've focused solely on Logic this time.
1. have Bass connected to input 12 of UFX, cords are good as when directly routed to UFX outputs I have bass sounds when playing
2. created an audio track in logic set input 12 as its input, 'stereo out' as output
3. have armed track for recording and set 'input monitoring' button
4. no sounds from bass showing as going through level monitor for the track
5. Top row of UFX shows a signal input from bass, no sign of a signal in the middle row of the UFX
6. press record get metronome sounding
7. play bass - see metronome signal in both the audio track and main outputs signal meters and can hear it
8. Dont see any level meter response to bass in the audio track or the main output meters
9. Do see signal in middle row of UFX - matches the metronome - top row shows input of bass still - UFX output sounds the metronome only.
10. playback of track plays back the metronome sound -WTF?

OK - is there an easy way to blow away all non default settings in logic? So I can eliminate that I've unwittingly changed something there?
Mods - the way this is going it might be better in the Mac Music forum could it be transferred?

[rACed2]

Thanks to Elf and desmond for their attempts at helping me.

I think I have solved it - after my last post I thought I'd try Garageband to see if I had any luck there with a simpler interface. To some extent I did as creating the audio track there gave me feedback noise as soon as I hit record - this led me to think about the UFX again and I did a total reset of it.
Problem solved in Garageband and it seems in Logic too.