Mastering TotalMix: Inside Bthelick’s Groovy Guide

Kicking off the video, Bthelick dives straight into the TotalMix enigma, highlighting a common confusion among RME users. Having chatted with an old friend who’s been daunted by TotalMix since the Fireface 800 days, Bthelick sets out to demystify the software. Perhaps Google’s ears were burning because a Whitese video popped up in his feed, teasing a TotalMix tutorial that sadly never materialized. Through a poll, he discovers throngs of fellow confused RME users eager for clarity, setting the stage for this exciting journey.

In true Bthelick style, the video embraces an unconventional angle, steering away from traditional tutorials. Instead of approaching TotalMix from a band recording or engineering stance, Bthelick adopts a groove-laden perspective tailored for the electronic music crowd. By limiting his use to the compact Babyface Pro, which has fewer inputs and outputs, Bthelick simplifies the chaos, ensuring the learning journey remains accessible. He acknowledges the pros who use TotalMix merely for high-quality playback but doubles down for those craving advanced control over sound routing and mixing.

Bthelick leans into the juicy details, especially when the focus shifts to the art of outputs and submixes. For software junkies spinning music solely in their digital dens, the middle row’s where the magic starts. Bthelick creatively illustrates the possibilities, like sending individual tracks from Ableton to distinct mixers, evoking visions of DJ sets thriving in basements and garages. He unravels the concept of software outputs versus physical ones, perfectly aligning the viewers’ imagination with gritty, real-world situations – think mixtapes layer after layer. His warm tone breaks barriers, making tech jargon as approachable as ordering street tacos.

Bthelick wraps the lesson by tackling inputs and the enchantment of zero latency monitoring. Through conceptual clarity that rivals a Stevie Wonder groove, Bthelick disentangles common misconceptions around faders and real-time recording setups. He advises creators to bypass latency by directly channeling inputs to outputs, ensuring the smoothest of flows. He carpenters the music production journey using tools like mono channels, digital outputs, and customizable settings, ideal for both aspiring stars and seasoned creators alike.