Aux Bus in Sonar 2

[Munchkin]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong....or maybe I'm dumb...but...
Why does sending audio to the Aux bus (to maybe add reverb on the vocals only) "color" the sound?
It seems to me that even with all effects on the bus DIS-abled, the sound sounds different than it does from the track itself, as if the EQ has been changed.

Did that make any sense?

 

[dachay2tnr]

Are you sending it pre or post fader? Pre-fader would cause an increase in volume. Perhaps that's what you're hearing.

 

[neirbo]

If your send and/or return levels are not maxed, the volume will be less. Is that what you are hearing?

 

[Munchkin]

I don't think what I'm hearing is any change in volume....
it just sounds like bad EQ, but no EQ processor is in use....
let me mess with for a bit, see if I can figure it out...

 

[ElSilva]

The reason

I think the reason is that when you put the effect in the track itself (an insert) all the sound goes through the plugin, and what you hear on the final bus is exactly what comes out of the plugin. You're hearing only the wet output.

When you use an Aux Send/Return, what you hear on the bus is the sum of the dry track, plus what is coming out of the Aux bus. You're hearing dry+wet.

This is the basic principle of using an insert versus using a send bus. They serve two different purposes. Different effects are intended be used in inserts versus sends. Reverbs and delays are usually used in sends. Compression, distortion and EQ are usually insert. Of course you're not obligated to follow any rules, you should instead follow your ears. Sometimes breaking the rules sounds good.

Some plugins have their own "mix" controls that allow you to control the ratio of dry to wet and can be used effectively in either position. Setting the control to 100% wet and placing it the aux bus might sound just like setting it to 50% and putting it in the insert (depending on your send and volume levels, of course).

-ElSilva