Input Metering - RME Totalmix vs Reaper

[bluetomgold]

I have recently changed my recording setup and used Reaper for the first time in a live session recently. Generally it worked really well but I wanted to check something.

Outside of the box, I was having some issues with loud sources combined with a vintage preamp with a limited amount of gain control. I've since invested in some mic pads and worked out ways to route stuff to give me more control of input levels, but in the session I had some issues with input levels clipping or close to clipping.

I initially set up levels using the meters in RME Totalmix, but was later using the meters in the Reaper mixer. It seems that Reaper registered a clipping signal when Totalmix did not - in other words the meters in Reaper seem to have a slightly higher sensitivity to incoming signals.

Am I missing something here? Thanks in advance for your help!

[Baer]

Which RME product are you using? And which version of TotalMix are you using? My UFX is at the studio, so I can't check that right now. But my old FF800 is here at home, and the meters of my version of Totalmix (V2.86 - yes, I know that's ancient) on this PC track perfectly with Reaper, within 0.1db.

I used the UFX for a large live recording project a couple months ago. I wasn't paying close attention, but during the setup I was viewing both TotalMix and Reaper and can't say I noticed any difference.

Let's see what others have to say.

[bluetomgold]

It's a Multiface 2 / HDSP / PCMCIA card. Software version is Hammerfall DSP Mixer 3.42

[beatbybit]

i can confirm this.

RME FF800 / XP32 here.

[Tim Ragnur]

If memory serves me right Totalmix doesn't have peak holds (max a few sec) which Reaper does. So maybe if you didn't exactly watch the clipping when it happened it would have dissappeared from Totalmix.

[Baer]

I fed a constant 1khz sine wave into the FF800 which fed the signal to Reaper so the level showing in TotalMix is equivalent to the level showing in the peak hold in Reaper. Here's the screenshot.

https://stash.reaper.fm/22108/Reaper%...x%20Meters.ipg

An exact match. I also repeated the test in other channels with gain controls, and the results are repeatable up to 0db.

[bluetomgold]

As this is a case of brief peaks causing clipping, perhaps only once in a performance, my issue was whether the "over" indicator was triggered. A couple of the meters in Reaper had registered over/clipping, whereas equivalent input channels in Totalmix had not.

[Scir]

If you look in the "Level Meters Setup" control panel within Totalmix, you'll see a setting called "FS samples for OVR". By default, mine was set to 3 samples. Have you tried setting it to 1 sample and seeing if that matches the Reaper meters?

[bluetomgold]

Originally Posted by Scir

If you look in the "Level Meters Setup" control panel within Totalmix, you'll see a setting called "FS samples for OVR". By default, mine was set to 3 samples. Have you tried setting it to 1 sample and seeing if that matches the Reaper meters?

This sounds like a sensible explanation, thank you. I'm not going to sweat whether or not there is clipping present on the recording - I'll use my ears to judge whether or not I can work with it, but it's good to know that both sets of meters are working as I had assumed, even if they are set to different parameters. Hopefully next time I won't have the same issues with overly "hot" analogue sources so I won't have to watch the clip lights quite so closely...

[bluetomgold]

Originally Posted by Baer

I fed a constant 1khz sine wave into the FF800 which fed the signal to Reaper so the level showing in TotalMix is equivalent to the level showing in the peak hold in Reaper. Here's the screenshot.

https://stash.reaper.fm/22108/Reaper%...x%20Meters.ipg

An exact match. I also repeated the test in other channels with gain controls, and the results are repeatable up to 0db.

Thank you. Good to know!