Create a Bus, or Lock FX?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Change of POETS
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Change of POETS

Change of POETS

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Hello all.

Simple question really... If I'm running the same compression level and reverb on 20 different vocal tracks in a session, should I just throw the effects on a Bus and route the tracks through that instead of using the FX rack and locking each track?

I've never really used a Bus in that fashion before... Mostly I used them for things like routing a track through it to add delay or something.

I was just wondering about your thoughts on that.
 
I have recently discovered how useful the Buses can be in AA 1.5. I like using them. I will run all my drums through one, all my guitars (I have found this useful for EQing) through one and so on....I mostly do this for compression or light reverb. I guess its rare to have that many tracks that I would want the same effects on...but if I did....id use the buses.
 
Does using a bus actually reduce the load on your computer's capacity?
 
The on thing that sucks about busses in AA 1.5 is that you cant have automation on it.
In AA 2.0 you can. AA 2.0 also has Aux sends.
 
A buss with an effect on it only runs 1 instance of the effect. 20 track would be 20 seperate instances. So yes, it is way more efficient for the processor to run that way.

BUT

If you run multiple things through a compressor, the compression will react to everything's dynamics summed. Rather than everything's dynamics seperately. So you'll run into ducking/pumping way more easily running 20 things into the same compressor.
You could sub group like instruments into a few busses.

Also, with AA2.0 you cannot lock busses- FX. But you can bump a buss to a new track, disable the buss FX and mute the buss. ;)
 
Thanks tarnation, that's what I was worried about... I didn't think the bus would compress tracks individually.

So it'll work well for reverbs, delays, etc... not so much for compression on vocals. I can see how summing the drums and compressing would work well, though.

I need to get used to using the busses effectively.

Thanks guys.
 
Most of the time when mixing drums I send my O/H's to a stereo bus and compress them on the bus.
I also send the tom's to a stereo bus for compression and gating.
 
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