RME BABYFACE PRO FS users (Vocal issues) - Help?

[bigvibe1739]

Hey guys

TLDR Got RME BABYFACE and my vocal recordings just don't sound the same. Help?

Was really excited to get this new unit after upgrading from a Steinberg UR22 MkII and then a Universal Audio that I enjoyed (but didn't want to pay into the plug in business).

So I got this RME Babyface FS PRO, and still trying to wrap my head around the TOTAL MIX FX.

Wondering if someone can guide me in the right direction.

Ever since I got this Audio Interface... i haven't been able to record a single song properly.

I used to open Cubase, my interface was on, I'd record smooth vocals onto the track and that'd be it. I wouldn't think twice about it.

Now, I open TOTALMIX, make sure +48v is on... and no matter what, it's still either super quiet on my vocals... or it's at a reasonable level, but as soon as I start Rapping/Singing, it instantly PEAKS, Sounds DISTORTED and doesn't ... even...sound...good. They sound airy, tinny, distorted... the bass in my voice is gone... like nothing sounds right. I haven't enjoyed recording music in almost over a month because within 10 minutes of recording the first tracks, i hear the awful result and I just get discouraged and quit. I Refuse to believe the Mic Preamps in my Steinberg are cleaner than the German engineered RME... so what gives? it must be an issue with the TOTALMIX. I've heard comparisons other people have done with vocals and theirs sound so clean. ughhhh

What am I doing wrong? There's so much I'm not touching within the TOTALMIX so Maybe that's the issue... but it feels like a Digital solution to analog signals that seems to be taking away from the quality of my vocals.

Is it the "PAD" setting? Is it the "FX Send"? Is it the "Routing mode"?

I've recorded a couple songs and my vocals just sound off. I keep trying every other day and it just feels like I've fallen out of enjoying recording since I got the RME.

 

[dfuller]

This is a problem I would take to the RME forums. https://forum.rme-audio.de/

 

[bigvibe1739]

Thank you! shall do. i've been posting everywhere, since it's not the most popular interface. hoped someone could help

 

[AnalogSteph]

That honestly sounds like screwed-up gain staging... preamp gain is at full tilt but there is lots of attenuation at digital level.

In order to get to grips with an RME interface, it seems you have to thoroughly RTFM. Specifically, for your use case, I would look into enabling the simplified DAW mode - section 25 - and study sections 9.6 and 21.3, as well as get the DIGICheck software for its hardware level meter functionality alone.

 

[dfuller]

In order to get to grips with an RME interface, it seems you have to thoroughly RTFM.

Oh, ab-so-freakin'-lutely. My ADI-2 has so many under the hood options in the device itself and it doesn't even use the (very complex) Totalmix driver - it uses the much simpler MADIFace driver.

 

[bigvibe1739]

That honestly sounds like screwed-up gain staging... preamp gain is at full tilt but there is lots of attenuation at digital level.

In order to get to grips with an RME interface, it seems you have to thoroughly RTFM. Specifically, for your use case, I would look into enabling the simplified DAW mode - section 25 - and study sections 9.6 and 21.3, as well as get the DIGICheck software for its hardware level meter functionality alone.

Thank you all for the help!
This is great advice. I'll brush up on my reading today.

Oh, ab-so-freakin'-lutely. My ADI-2 has so many under the hood options in the device itself and it doesn't even use the (very complex) Totalmix driver - it uses the much simpler MADIFace driver.

That blows my mind! haha I got lots to learn