Waveform 13.2.0 - Input Monitoring Mode cannot be set to "off"

[Axxxeman]

Hi folks,

it is more than 4 years now that I am using Tracktion and Waveforms, currently in version 13.2.0.
I am mainly recording (non-commercial) radio shows, doing everything myself, tech and talk, so to say.
For this I always used "Input Monitoring Mode" set to "off", because I do not want speaker output to interfere with microphone input. And it always worked.

But no longer. When I assign a microphone (Input 1 or 2) to a track and click on this input, I could all those years choose, whether I wanted live monitoring or not; when it was "on", I could turn it off and no signal of this input/track went to the speakers. But not anymore! I can set it to whatever I want, I always get a speaker output. And: When I use two mics (for an interview), I could set both inputs independantly. Not anymore! When I set the monitoring of one mic to "off", the other one is switched to "off" simultaneously. Not that it concerns me, I usually set all mics to "off", but it doesn't sound normal. Still "off" does not work for any of those mics.

I am using Windows 11, a Behringer UMC audio interface (with UMC Asio), one condensator mic and one dynamic mic.

I see only two possibilities: Either, I unintentionally tweaked some setting, but, if so, which one?? Or there is a bug. Any ideas? Always turning speakers on and off for editing is a pain in the ass!

[Peter Widdicombe]

Are you sure the UMC interface itself isn't actually doing the loopback? (i.e. direct monitoring)?

[pough]

Check the Input Monitoring Mode. It shows up when you have an input sele3cted, both in the Settings -> Audio Devices and also in the Edit page (with the Controls Panel open).

It looks like you can set it independently for each audio input, but it's actually not the case. It's a single setting for all audio inputs. (But it's separate for the MIDI inputs.)

Off = you will never hear the input, even when the input is armed
Auto = you will hear the input if the input is armed
On = you will hear any active input, armed or not

I don't know if you had set it to On, but if it's set to On then it will definitely work as you describe.

[Axxxeman]

Are you sure the UMC interface itself isn't actually doing the loopback? (i.e. direct monitoring)?

No, I am not sure, where the problem comes from. But I would tend to rule out that the interface is to blame. First: it has worked all those years. Second: there are not really many knobs or potis, so there's not a lot you can do to mess it up. And third and most important: if the DAW does not send out a signal (as it should not, if monitoring is set to off), then the interface simply CANNOT send it to the speakers ...

[Axxxeman]

Check the Input Monitoring Mode. It shows up when you have an input sele3cted, both in the Settings -> Audio Devices and also in the Edit page (with the Controls Panel open).

It looks like you can set it independently for each audio input, but it's actually not the case. It's a single setting for all audio inputs. (But it's separate for the MIDI inputs.)

Off = you will never hear the input, even when the input is armed
Auto = you will hear the input if the input is armed
On = you will hear any active input, armed or not

I don't know if you had set it to On, but if it's set to On then it will definitely work as you describe.

Thank you, Pough, for your suggestion. But I am indeed familiar with this setting and putting it to "off" still gets the mic signal to the speakers, independently, whether a input device is armed ... or not.

[pough]

And third and most important: if the DAW does not send out a signal (as it should not, if monitoring is set to off), then the interface simply CANNOT send it to the speakers ...

Of the five UMC models shown on the Behringer website, none are lacking a direct monitoring option, whether it's a button or a mix knob. Direct monitoring takes the signal BEFORE it goes to your computer and routes it to the outputs. I have an SSL 2+ and it when I have monitoring on it routes the input to the speakers even when Waveform isn't even running.

I am curious about the ability to independently set monitoring modes for inputs. Whether or not it has ever worked that way, it definitely should work that way. I'm tempted to load up WF 11 or 12 just to see, but loading up old versions has a tendency to delete all the song previews in the current version.

[Axxxeman]

And third and most important: if the DAW does not send out a signal (as it should not, if monitoring is set to off), then the interface simply CANNOT send it to the speakers ...

Of the five UMC models shown on the Behringer website, none are lacking a direct monitoring option, whether it's a button or a mix knob. Direct monitoring takes the signal BEFORE it goes to your computer and routes it to the outputs. I have an SSL 2+ and it when I have monitoring on it routes the input to the speakers even when Waveform isn't even running.

I am curious about the ability to independently set monitoring modes for inputs. Whether or not it has ever worked that way, it definitely should work that way. I'm tempted to load up WF 11 or 12 just to see, but loading up old versions has a tendency to delete all the song previews in the current version.

O...kay. Never thought of this possibility. Maybe some idiot (ME???) tempered with the setting which should never be changed. I'll check that.

[pough]

I checked WF9 and WF12. Live input monitoring options were simpler and they also were goofy. ie. the setting looks like it's per-input but they're actually set across all inputs. Bummer.

[Peter Widdicombe]

We are making some guesses here. The UMC interface has 2 mikes on it. Is it setup with ASIO? Do you also have headphones in use on it, and where are your speakers connected (i.e. PC speakers with built-in Microsoft audio, or ASIO as well, and through the UMC? If you shut down Waveform ONLY, then do you hear the mikes at all?