I have searched the video section in the PGMusic support area, and also searched youtube... but sometimes there is information in a video that you'd never guess from the video name, so the right videos don't show up in a search.
So now I appeal to the group and ask if anybody knows of a video about using the AUX sends in RB? I have experimented quite a bit, and the results I get aren't what I expected.
i'm probably going to parade my own misconceptions and ignorance but here goes.
what results were you not expecting? i've always just done it and i think this is what happens.
i think the aux knob on the mixer channel sends part of the signal to the output buss via the fx you load in the aux slot on the way and therefore the effected signal is mixed in with the dry signal. you set the fx to 100% and the send knob to whatever setting sounds right. that way you can use one fx plugin not a separate instance for each track on things like reverb. just load the fx in aux 1 slot and use the aux 1 send knobs on each channel. i think the aux strip send and return knobs are set at full on by default which means that all you send from the channel aux goes to the fx plugin and all the effected signal from the fx goes to the output buss. but the mix of wet/dry signal - the amount of fx on the track in question you hear is set by the aux knob on the mixer channel of the track itself.
sorry if you know all this already. and the rule i was always taught is that processors (compression, eq etc) are used on the signal direct in the mixer strip and that only effects (reverb, delay, chorus etc) are used on auxiliaries.
one of the forum experts might put me right but doing it as i describe the results have always been what i expect. but i'm quite prepared to be told i've got it wrong. what happens when you do it?
I don't know of any videos, but Bob explained it pretty well above.
The dry signal directly from the Track (including track FX) is sent to the main Out
The AUX send dial on the mixer can send any amount of any Track(s) to a set of plugins in any AUX slot(or multiple different slots). These get added to the Main Out using the Output control of the AUX slot for the volume. Note that usually any FX in the AUX slot will likely want to be set to 100% wet so you aren't adding more dry signal from there inadvertently.
Example use: You have individual drums on 8 tracks. Set the AUX Send dial on those 8 tracks to send to one AUX slot. Add a single Reverb in that slot. Now you can control the reverb sound & volume for all 8 tracks from one spot .. yet still control how much of each drum get sent using the AUX Send dials, so you can adjust each drum, but they are sharing a reverb and thus sound like they are all in the same room.
I made a drawing of the RB routing a long time ago, but have lost track of it. I'll look again.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
I get the concept... but the actual step by step procedure eludes me.
What I have tried to do in the past is route all instruments that require reverb to a single instance of a reverb plugin. But I must be missing a key step because those instruments never end up having reverb.
Maybe now that RB is 64 bit and I have plenty of ram, it won't matter to put a separate reverb plug on each track that needs it. But I'd rather learn how this is supposed to work so I'm not on my deathbed someday thinking "dang, I never learned how AUX sends work..."
thanks for taking time to share your knowledge guys. Between what you've said and what I found in the RB HELP under MIXER WINDOW, I think I'll be able to figure it out
You need to open the mixer and use the AUX send dials (on an audio track) to send some signal to the AUX slot. Then make sure you have FX in that AUX slot (you should see meters move in those FX as a clue)
Then, in that same AUX area of the mixer, make sure the Send & Ret volume is up.
Those seem like the starting catch points.
Last edited by rharv; 12/09/2002:31 PM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
after some experimentation, I got it working the way I expected it should work. I think what was throwing me off is that in my previous experiments I was also sending the bus output to one of the 16 outputs (other than A1) after which the effects went away.
Apparently my system only uses the first output A1
(Thanks for taking time to illustrate the procedure. Apparently I am a visual learner)
If your mixer has A1 - A8 as the outputs, you may want to change the setting for 'Unassigned Output Ports work as Subgroups' .. under Prefs Audio tab. You'll notice in the mixer that A2-A8 now show G2-G8 after changing (G for Group).
Then those extra slots are actual subgroups that eventually get sent to the Main Output.
Then a track with A1 as the Output Port you can change it to S2 etc in either the mixer or Tracks view via the Port assignment per track.
Use Horn section using 4 tracks get mixed and sent to Subgroup, then you can control the volume of the 4 track horn section with a single Subgroup slider.
If you only have A1 available as a physical output, that would be the preferred setup for most.
But if that's too confusing, get used to how it works now before tinkering with things. Just thought I'd point that out; at least something accidentally sent to a Subgroup gets sent to the Main Out eventually (unless the Subgroup volume is at zero of course).
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
thanks Bob! I was reading about groups, but didn't see how they fit into the equation. I'll change the audio prefs and experiment.
I have 8 (buses?) labeled A1-A8 and 16 (outputs?) labeled A1-A16 but only A1 seems to do anything. Whatever I assign to outputs A2-A16 immediately loses whatever effects I assigned to them in the Aux settings
Not sure why the naming convention is the same for two different things (A1-A8 or A1-A16), I find it confusing in a first world problem kind of way.
Yeah, to use the multiple outputs in the bottom right corner you need an interface with multiple physical outputs. That's why Subgroup is better for basic use.
If you click the A1 - A8 on the AUX slots you'll find these are assignable. So they reference the same A1-A8 as the bottom. Note right above it that it says OUT; this is the output that AUX slot will send to.
Most of the time you'll want A1. After you change to Subgroups, you can route thru those too.
Last edited by rharv; 12/12/2002:05 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
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