I would love to see a Mix Knob on the External FX insert plugin! (like Logic X has)
This would probably take a developer an hour or 2 to implement…make it happen.
—>Additionally, it would be great if when inserting a Mono to Stereo External FX plugin on a Mono Audio track…it automatically becomes a Stereo Track (like Logic X) has. Then no need for setting up a Bus etc.
Those would make my day!!! Send me a patch…I’ll test it for you.
A mix knob would be great, but in general the whole external fx plugin thing could need some attention.
I use stereo tracks for mono audio that I want to process using stereo fx.
Just create a stereo track and drag the mono part to the stereo track.
That’s what I do! Plus most external gear has wet /dry settings
In a perfect world every plugin slot would have input/output metering + adjustment and a mix knob.
Oh well…
Hmm I disagree that most external gear has wet/dry settings.
Quickly looking at some of my gear
1176 - No
LA2A clone - No
DBX 165a - No
Shure SE-30 mic/compressor - No
Art VLA Compressor (used for crushing audio into tube distortion) - No
Moog Moogerfooger Chain - Yes
Guitar pedal chain - No
Chameleon Labs 7802 (used for crushing audio into tube distortion) - No
Eventide H3000 - Yes (but annoying to get to via menus)
Yamaha SPX90 - Yes (but annoying to get to via menus)
Alesis Quadraverb - Yes (but annoying to get to via menus)
Reamping to a Guitar Amp - No
Sanamp - No
Strymon Bluesky - Yes
For the most part alot of newer reverbs and things have wet/dry settings, yes I agree.
However reverbs/fx from the 80’s have really annoying menus to deal with. I honestly think when Logic X added the mix/wet knob I started using my H3000 alot more.
Compressors always usually don’t have mix/wet knobs (for the parallel compression trick)… unless they are of one of the few modern thinking ones that have it.
And for things like distortion (running things though guitar pedals, or over-driving tube gear etc) usually this doesn’t have mix knob.
Just adding that one thing (mix knob) to the External FX plugin opens up such creative potential and workflow speed in a mix. Having group channels and FX sends all over the place for every track becomes a pain.
It would take a Cubase engineer like an hour to implement!
You already have it: use external FXs as send effects.
Nope. Not the same.
For example, tonight I had a stereo drum track that I wanted to add a little bit of crunch and some reverb.
So I ran it to a hardware stereo tube compressor I use mostly for overloading (not actual compression)
But 100% is a little too much so I’d rather blend it in like 75% 25%.
Then I wanted to a add a reverb from my hardware unit. But then realized it would be cool to compress both the drums dry and with reverb together, not have the send be on its own isolated bus. But to do this I have to set up both a FX channel and Group channel to accomplish it.
So in the end…
rather than a stereo drum track with 2 plugin inserts (each with their own mix knob) …I now have to setup 4 Channels! Stereo Drums, FX for Parallel Compressor Distortion, FX for Reverb Send and a Group Channel for everything. Seems stupid. Take 10 minutes add a mix knob and lets move on!
Nice suggestion but:
Sorry yeh I’m an electrical/software engineer myself so I don’t mean to downplay the effort to implement and test new features.
What is the preferred method for new feature requests? Via the survey? Or other subforum available? What have you found the most effective?
Just insert the ext fx in a return slot and call it a day,
Probably via the “Feature Requests and Suggestions” forum.
Don’t you get artifacts (such as faziness and comb-filtering) with parallel processing of this sort as this is likely to introduce signal latencies (sample and even intersample)? Usually, parallel processing of this kind is best achieved in the analog domain.
Indeed, send / return is the way to go.
No, the latency detect feature of External FX plugin actually works perfectly. No artifacts or any phasing going on when parallel processing.
Agree to disagree.
I usually always like to EQ or post process both summed signals in some way.
So instead of 1 Mix knob on the plugin, I now have a Send Return and Group channel I have to setup in addition to the existing normal channel. Now my project of 16 tracks becomes potentially 48. That’s the way to go?
No? You just setup one return and feed it whatever channels you want to feed it, be it pre or post fader