AUX-Channel settings

[six]

so there are 3 send modes: Pre-Inserts, Pre-Fader, Post-Fader.
I figured out so far that pre-fader is something like a serial-chain whereas pre-inserts and post-fader are parallel...

and that's pretty much all I could find out. could anyone explain how the different modes work / what the chains look like (in simple terms)?

I once started to draw a diagram but it got too complicated ... and the help file really doesn't help much.

cheers & thanks
six

 

[cwh]

Don't know about the series/parallel stuff - I'd always assumed it's just what part of the chain the aux send is taken from. The part that confuses me is where in the chain is the aux return re-inserted?

Bill

 

[Tom Hicks]

The n-track signal flow architecture is set up like an analog mixer and recorder.
The possible varieties with these choices are very helpful. Lets say you want to send the guitarist a dripping wet signal to enhance his performance,yet record the guitar dry to preserve your later signal processing options.Send him the effected signal but don't arm the track.Via aux,route the pre-effected signal to another (armed) track for recording.
Just one obvious example.

Tom

 

[J Wah]

Send him the effected signal but don't arm the track.Via aux,route the pre-effected signal to another (armed) track for recording.


How this done in n-tracks? If you set aux 1 to pre inserts, how do you have the return go to a different recording track? Do you end up recording to tracks, one wet one dry?

 

[Tom Hicks]

Its easy to do.Let's say your guitar player wants a 300ms delay,flange and tremolo to make a certain lick sound right as he's tracking.put him in channel one (for example) and load up the effects he wants in that channel's effects section.But go to the mixer and click on the "p" in the master aux area and select pre-inserts so that the signal being sent to the aux is prior to the effects.Do not arm that track so the player can hear it,but it will not be recorded.Raise the aux send on that channel from infinity to zero to send a clean signal.Now simply choose another channel and use the aux return to get the dry signal into another track.Arm this track for recording but mute it (so the guitar player doesn't hear it) and you are ready to gbviously,you will need to set all the levels appropriately also.

Tom

 

[Tom Hicks]

oops!

Let me try again.I wasn't visualising it properly before.The dry signal (channel 1 )is armed but muted.The aux send #1 from channel 1 is raised so that its signal goes to the master aux #1 in the mixer box,where you load whatever effects you want.Leave the effects return for aux 1 in channel 1 down to infinity.Bring the wet signal back in channel 2 via its aux 1 return and leave that channel unmuted but also unarmed.That way the player will hear only the effected signal and only the dry track will record.
There,that's better.Disregard the post above.Sorry for any confusion!

Tom

 

[cwh]

ya just confused me...

I followed just fine until ya got to the aux fx return for channels 1 and 2. I see send faders, but no returns??? I'm on v2.3, is this something new to 3.0? If so, it's the first good reason I've seen to make the upgrade - don't much do MIDI, and it looked like that's where most the changes are...

Bill

 

[Tom Hicks]

If you open the mixer and make it full size on the screen,you see at the bottom of each channel that there are both aux sends and returns,two of them are default for each channel but you can set it for more if needed.
Think of the auxes as just another bus,or signal pathway.Any or all of the individual channels can be sent to an aux via sends,and returned anywhere you want via that channel's aux return.So,each channel really has TWO volume controls,the large individual fader and the small aux return fader.The most common usage of these two is blending the totally dry instrument with the 100% wet effect like reverb from the aux.

Tom

 

[J Wah]

Thanks Tom.

 

[cwh]

Thanx from me too! I think I get it - I use the aux channels a lot, but never used 'em like that before. Hafta go play with it...

Bill

 

[six]

I don't have any returns... really!

 

[bdemenil]

Tom, there is some confusion here. Let's say there's only 1 channel. There are 2 sliding faders for that channel, the main fader, and a smaller aux fader. I also see what looks like a pan pot next to the aux fader. The only aux return is at the top of the mixer, and applies to the aux channel as a whole - not to individual tracks.


(I edited this post and appologise to anyone who had to read the garbage that was here earlier. I'm also starting a new thread about using external effects instead of posting a question I had here)

 

[Tom Hicks]

You are correct and I appologise to those trying to follow me on this!I have been trying (not very well) to translate n-track signal flow into analog terms.
Here is where I'm coming from.This is an old trick with outboard gear,where you take the output from any channel via aux or monitor send,process it and then return the signal to an unused channel strip and so have a choice of dry and effected signals to either record (fader up) or send to the phones and NOT RECORD (fader down and PFL).

I have been going around and around with this signal flow and believe there are at least three different ways to do the same thing.But I have messed up trying to explain myself several times now and hesitate to go any further!Read the help file on auxes and it hints at the possibilities,as well as the new features of pre or post fader and effects.

The key thing is n-track signal via auxes can be routed multiple ways to do more than just reverb.Channel grouping is probably the most useful.Many appologies to you all for how badly I have fumbled trying to communicate this idea.

Tom