NOOB Bus question

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maxabillion

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I've looked at the other questions about buses, and I get what they are and do, but I'm clearly missing a very important point: When I send a channel to a bus, where does it go? Meaning, where can I then find and alter that channel?

right now I have my drum tracks' volumes all really nice in relation to each other, but the are too loud for the song, so i want to send them all through a buss to be able to affect the drum track's volume (also a bit of reverb) as a whole. I sent them to "Buss 3-4 stereo" under the "sends a-e" tab selection, but where can I then access "Buss 3-4"? Do I make a new audio track or something, or is it somewhere all on its own. I'm using protools 9. Thanks guys!
 
It's been along time since I used PT (Reaper user here) but I think you are wanting to create an Aux track, and sending your drums to that. If my memory serves me right.
hope that help
 
@Lo-Fi
I made an aux track, but just strip silence when I solo it. Is there a specific thing I have to do to get the track to "receive" the bus?
Thanks for the help man!
 
If you assign the channel outputs to Bus 3-4 then you need to set the Aux Track's input to Bus 3-4. The Aux Track should already have its output assigned to the main bus. You may want to "Solo Safe" the bus so it doesn't mute when you solo the drum tracks.
 
It's much more easier in Cubase or Nuendo, you just create a group channel, send all your drums track into that group, and then you can send the group channel out to other channel or master out
 
ivanyoung said:
It's much more easier in Cubase or Nuendo, you just create a group channel, send all your drums track into that group, and then you can send the group channel out to other channel or master out
Click to expand...

How does that help someone using Pro Tools?
 
I must be retarded cuz Im not getting it. I made an Aux track and set its input to "Bus 1-2" (I routed all the drum tracks to "Bus 1-2" because I assume that's the main bus?) and its output to just master out. Still nothing. When I create a group track It just makes any level/pan adjustments that I do for one drum track apply to all the tracks in the group. Clearly Im missing a key step in the whole process. Could give me a layman's terms play by play of how they would get 6 drum tracks grouped/bussed together to one track for the purpose of affecting the volume as a whole? I would really appreciate it! Again, I'm a noob so take pity on me!
 
Could you post a screen shot of the session showing the tracks and their assignments? It sounds like you're doing it right, but it would help to see what's going on.
 
Ya I'd be happy to... how do i do a screenshot haha? Im using a mac
 
maxabillion said:
Ya I'd be happy to... how do i do a screenshot haha? Im using a mac
Click to expand...

It's a mac. Doesn't it just do it for you automatically? He he. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I have no idea. :(

I'm sure a quick Google of 'taking a screenshot on a mac' will sort it out. :)
 
Haha Touche. Ok here it is - you can only see the hat, snare and cymbal track, but there is a kick and tom above it. At the bottom is the AUX track (which is in stereo). The sends on the drums say "Bus 1-2) (I sent it to "Bus 1-2 Stereo") and the output of the AUX is "Built-InOutput 1-2" which is my audio interface. Seems like it should work, but nothing is going into the AUX track.
 

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I have not much experience with Protools, and this may be a dumb response, but isn't the fader turned down? I would assume there must be something to control the level from or to the Aux. I really probably shouldn't even be responding here.

Good luck man. :)
 
No the faders not down - theres just no signal going into it. Thanks for your help though
 
That pic is useless, except I can see that whatever channel has its controls up on the right does have its fader all the way down.

Don't use sends, use the channel output assignments.
 
Ya sorry I didn't know how to make it bigger. If you zoom in you can see it a bit more - the fader to the right is snare 3 not AUX, so its not the fader, I promise, there is no signal. So instead of Send to Bus 1-2, I would put the output to Bus1-2? The input on AUX to bus 1-2 as well? Thanks
 
maxabillion said:
Ya sorry I didn't know how to make it bigger. If you zoom in you can see it a bit more - the fader to the right is snare 3 not AUX, so its not the fader, I promise, there is no signal. So instead of Send to Bus 1-2, I would put the output to Bus1-2? The input on AUX to bus 1-2 as well? Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, channel outputs to bus 1-2 and aux track input set to bus 1-2. Channel faders up. You can use sends for your submix group (the aux track), but assigning the outputs does the same thing without the extra unneeded fader.

Regarding the fader down, if the sends are set to post-fader then that would make the send not work.
 
Boulder your a genius! Thanks for the help man - I finally got it working.
 
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