Hi -
Can I get the same result either way by:
a) changing the little slider in the “Send” Window at the top of an audio track vs.,
b) adjusting the fader in the Group Channel the Send effect is inserted on?
I think this is true from what I’ve been able to figure out by trying it, but was just hoping to get confirmation that I’m not hearing something that isn’t there …
Thanks!
Depends on how many other sources are being sent to the Group Channel and it also depends on what inserts you have on the Group Channel.
No, it is different…
In your 2nd example you are changing the level of the FX return…
Imagine a long reverb (let’s say 10 seconds long).
If you move the Send fader on the source channel, you are controlling the level of what goes into the reverb. So if you move that fader after the source sound has stopped, it will make no difference until the next sound is heard.
But, if instead you move the fader on the FX return (lets say the source sound has finished but the reverb will still take a further 8 seconds to die away), then you will change the level of that reverb tail.
That is great, thank you ilmolto and vic_france.
I was trying to plan out how to best use my BCF 2000 (planning the set up now) to control the sends, and wasn’t finding in youtube how to control the send sliders on the source audio track. So I was wondering if sliding the faders on the Group Channels might be OK - but I’ll just look further for how to have the BCF 2000 control the send sliders.
Thanks very much!
There is also a third element: sending prefader vs. postfader.
This is one of those issues … adjusting gain on sends, prefader vs. postfader and gain structure in a send chain … that always makes my head spin. Yes, it is different, but what situations dictate one approach or the other?
In theory, best sounds are created by having the source signal hot as desirable below clipping and attenuating further down the chain. Which would seem to generally recommend prefader sends.
As best I understand, the basic elements independent of the type of effect or effect chain on the send channel are ‘gain structure’ and ‘phase’ issues. The first has to do with passing the signal along at the same gain level as it’s being processed, short of the channel fader. The second has to do with phase issues that can be introduced into the send and out the send channel contrasted with the source channel, when there are differences of gain between the send signal and the original signal.
Gain structure can be addressed by using plugins like Free G from Sonalksis (which is free!) between other plugin. The phase issues are another beast entirely.
These issues are compounded when we get to the issue of buses. What happens when you are sending from, say a snare track to a reverb, but the snare track is bussed to a drum bus?
I know all these issues are there … but I would really like to understand them more thoroughly to guide in my routing.
Could someone please ask Paul White to write a book on this subject?
Como