sends, levels, wet/dry?

[paresh]

Hi - Maybe this should be posted under mixing?

I have never been clear on some issues around aux sends:

pre or post? post for reverb & pre for everything else??

sometimes I just have one track to send & don't need to blend 2 or more tracks (like a lead vocal) - so in that case should the send level be all the way up?

in the return bus do I get my volume level with the bus fader or the vst fx controls which often have an output level?

and for reverb for example, are you supposed to set it fully wet since they usually give you a wet/dry control?

Thanks for yr patience & wisdom!

 

[Bobbsy]

Well, like any other gain settings, you want things balanced from one end of the chain to the other. If turning your Aux send all the way up requires turning down the input on your effects plug in, then turn the send down until they're both operating at a reasonable level. Similarly, set the output of the effect so your fader on the return is at a nice useful level on the control.

Pre or post? It depends what you're doing with it. For most effects like reverbs, I prefer post fade because I want the effect to track the level I put the dry signal in the mix. I'll use pre fade when I want to do something totally different with the aux...for example creating a monitor mix or maybe a distortion effect where I don't want any of the original/dry sound. However, there's no hard and fast rule...I judge it case by case depending on what I'm doing.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Hi - Maybe this should be posted under mixing?

I have never been clear on some issues around aux sends:

pre or post? post for reverb & pre for everything else??

Post for most effects, pre if you want it to be independent of the channel fader (like when you want just reverb and no dry track). Also, in live sound you use pre for monitors so your main mix adjustments don't screw up the monitor mixes.

sometimes I just have one track to send & don't need to blend 2 or more tracks (like a lead vocal) - so in that case should the send level be all the way up?

The send level should be high enough to give the effect good signal to work with.

in the return bus do I get my volume level with the bus fader or the vst fx controls which often have an output level?

Whatever works. I usually use the bus fader rather than a control in the effect. If you stack effects on the bus there may be times when you want to use a control in an effect.

and for reverb for example, are you supposed to set it fully wet since they usually give you a wet/dry control?

Yes, set it fully wet. The bus level control becomes your wet/dry control since you generally want the dry to stay put while you mix the wet in.

 

[paresh]

Great - thanks for the perspective!