Pro Tools

[Translimits]

Bus, Aux, and Sends. Can someone explain to the noobs and how to work it?

 

[paradigmshifter]

Bus, Aux, and Sends. Can someone explain to the noobs and how to work it?

Check it... an Aux, like it's name says it, it's an auxiliary channel... it has an input and an output, but you can't record to it, it only receives signals from (input you assign) and sends signals to (output you assign). In pro tools, you can create an aux channel the same way you create an audio channel, ctrl+shift+n and choose aux channel and whether u want it to be stereo or mono...

A Bus, think of it as a cable, a cable that allows you to route signals internally in pro tools... this will make more sense when you use it... keep reading...

A Send is... well, it's a way to SEND your signals somewhere... you can send signals to a bus or directly to an input...

Here is an example of how to use them together that will make everything I just said make more sense...

You have an audio track, the input of that track is say analog 1 (your mic) and the output is say analog 1-2 (your master out / speakers) - now on that same track, in the SENDS section, insert a BUS going to BUS 1-2 (that's where the signal will go) and set the level on the BUS to 0(zero) ... create a new AUX channel (in stereo) and set the input of that AUX to BUS 1-2 and the output to analog 1-2, so the signal from your mic (analog 1 in) goes to your speakers and to the AUX you just created, so on the AUX track you can put an effect (like a reverb) or whatever... once you learn how to route signals internally in pro tools, the sky is the limit...
One of my favorites is to use an AUX as a PRE, meaning the input from my mic goes directly to an AUX and then I put a compressor on the AUX track and set the output to a BUS, then I make a audio channel and set the input to that same bus and... when you record, the signal that is being recorded is being compressed first, it's like using an external compressor to record, which a lot of engineers like, its called "compressing to tape"...

Hope this helps.
Keep up.
PS
www.myspace.com/sonicparadigmshift

 

[Quality]

Great explanation, spot on..

 

[Translimits]

Yo, Paradigmshifter, thanks. Anymore examples, i would love to hear from all of you.

"Let's keep this shit real. It's all about the talent."