[LochNESS]

Originally Posted by jkeefauver

Sorry guys, I wasn't clear. Not a VI. When I say the stems are "virtual" I just mean they are not printed, physical files. My summing setup:

1. I group like instruments and bus them to a stereo Aux (ex: 1&2 = Drums)
2. I send these groups (up to 8 stereo) out of the interface outputs and into a Dangerous 2Bus LT
3. Summing occurs and returns to the interface as a summed stereo pair
4. I bring that stereo pair back into PT on a 2Bus stereo Aux channel which I can then process and/or print to an audio track.

Ideally, I would clip gain the channels themselves up to something like -18dbFS (or so) and all would take care of itself. That can still be done but I'll have to remix 2 of the songs if I do that so was looking for a quick work-around that wouldn't involve me messing with my channel faders themselves.

The need to saturate the 2Bus LT (or lack thereof) was my initial question and BScout validated that for me. Regarding remixing those 2 songs - I'll take the time, clip gain the individual instruments and do it right. You would think I'd learn by now that workarounds don't really "work around" anything :) Thanks for the chat guys. Good stuff.

I have some questions about this, if you're willing to enlighten me:

1. Can you not insert a trim plugin or gain-staging plugin on the stereo Aux channels? The whole reason I bus my drums to a stereo Aux is so that I can edit them simultaneously with one plugin (like EQ) in addition to whatever editing I've done to each drum mic

2. If the virtual bit is a problem then why not "Commit up to this Insert" and print them?

TIA. Hope to learn something new today. ~Nick