Buses And Sends Question!

[JohnnyAmato]

Hello all.

Quick question about Sends mainly. I've already been using buses when I know multiple tracks are going to use the same settings on a desired effect, reverb, EQ, etc, or to have all their faders controlled by just their one bus fader. Create the Aux Track, send desired tracks to Aux, put effect on Aux, set parameters, etc. I get all that.

But I'm now getting into "Sends", and my question is this:

I already set up a Stereo Aux Reverb Send, and sent all my separate drum elements. Now, say I have 2 different keyboard tracks, or two rhythm guitar tracks, and I want to bus them together for EQ or different effects, or fader control. So I make that new bus and bus the tracks to it, but also want to send them to the Reverb Aux Send I made. Do I "Send" out to the Reverb Channel from the original tracks, or from the new bus channel itself? Did my question make sense?

Both ways seem to work, I'm just not sure if I should be doing it one way or the other.

I'm in ProTools 12.7, for those that don't know. Although I imagine Buses and Sends guidelines are universal.

 

[Jonesey9]

I insert all my sends from the individual tracks

 

[JohnnyAmato]

OK cool, thanks Jonesey. After messing around a bit more, I also figure it's probably better that way so you can have the option to vary the amount of reverb the individual tracks get.

 

[Farview]

Yup, I usually send from the original tracks, unless I need to automate the send (turn it on/off, or adjust the level as the song progresses). In that case, I send from the bus because it's easier to automate one send instead of several.

 

[JohnnyAmato]

Thanks Jay, makes perfect sense.

 

[andrushkiwt]

OK cool, thanks Jonesey. After messing around a bit more, I also figure it's probably better that way so you can have the option to vary the amount of reverb the individual tracks get.

I'd disagree since I couldn't imagine a case where the L guitar needs to be wetter than the R guitar....? Unless you want all your guitars sounding like they're in different spaces, I'd suggest sending the guitar bus to the reverb channel. You can vary the amount of the send, if you need more/less reverb on the guitars.

I'm only saying this because you wrote "two rhythm guitars". If it's a lead guitar, such as a solo that requires additional FX/processing, then sure, do it separately.

 

[Farview]

Yup. It really depends on if you need the extra control over the individual sends or if you just need an effect on the guitars in general.

For drums, I always do individual, because I don't want as much verb on the kick as I want on the snare.

Btw, I normally have electric guitars pretty dry, but if I need a little something on them because one side drops out or something, I just send a tiny bit of he guitars to the drum reverb send.

 

[andrushkiwt]

For drums, I always do individual, because I don't want as much verb on the kick as I want on the snare.

Btw, I normally have electric guitars pretty dry, but if I need a little something on them because one side drops out or something, I just send a tiny bit of he guitars to the drum reverb send.

Same. Tom bus, snare bus (because SD comes with 3 snare mics), and kick channel all get sent to the single reverb channel in varying amounts. Kick the least, then toms, then snare the most, for me and my tastes/genre. However much reverb I give to the kick I also apply to the bass, which is hardly any. Guitar get a very small amount too.

You don't have vocals, so it doesn't apply here, but I do vocal reverb differently. No sends, just an insert since it's usually a flat plate style with much more pre-delay.

 

[Farview]

I do vocals on a send, then route the reverb/delay return to the vocal bus, so the compression pushes the effect out of the way when the singer is singing.

 

[andrushkiwt]

I do vocals on a send, then route the reverb/delay return to the vocal bus, so the compression pushes the effect out of the way when the singer is singing.

Interesting. I'll try that out.

So it's: Vocal bus sent to reverb (possibly new aux verb if different style/settings than drums), then that aux verb output back to vocal bus?

 

[Farview]

No. An aux send from the vocal track(s) sent to reverb, then the reverb is sent to the vocal bus along with the vocal tracks. Chances are, your daw won't let you create a loop like you described.

When you do this, you have to mess with the release on the compressor to get it in time with the song, otherwise it can turn into a mess with everything pumping. It works best for longer delays.