Are sends really necessary?

[Terry Wetzel]

Some time ago I stated in a post that I did not use sends for my plugins. I received some negative feedback from members that set me back! Let me explain what works for me. I instantiate a plugin, say reverb as an example, on an aux track that I bus from the original audio track. I click on the plugin and while the track is playing I adjust the reverb parameters to suit me. In my opinion this is a satisfactory method and, after all "There are no rules"! So what's wrong with my method? I keep my sessions simple and the only plugins I have are what came with the PT's 9 install disk. My music is old school,(I hate that classification), and keeping things simple fits the scheme of things. I find the prescribed method over complicated plus it requires more screen space, more tracks and I really don't see the benefit. Also I've not been able to adjust the intensity of the reverb by using the little popup fader with the plugin set to maximum. It always sounds like too much reverb. So where am I wrong?

[mjslakeridge]

There is nothing wrong with doing it the way you are doing it for non-complex sessions. The one benefit I can see from using sends over your method, is that you can set up the send to be "pre-fader". Which means that you can adjust the level of the original track without affecting the level going to the reverb track in your example. That way you can adjust the level of the "dry" and "wet" signals independently. By bussing the dry signal to an aux track with the plugin, if you adjust the level of the dry signal up or down, that will affect the level of the signal going into the reverb plugin.

[JCBigler]

The other benefit to using sends for things like reverbs is that it puts all of the tracks in the same sonic space without having to use multiple reverb plugins, one for each track. So your background vocals can all be sent to the same reverb with the same settings as your lead vocal, using a single reverb plugin instead of 3 or 4. This also works for other effects and bus compression. Things like EQ and normal dynamics are used on a case by case basis because each channel will require it's own settings.

This method comes from the traditional "old school" method of recording in analog studios where you had limited numbers of inserts and sends for each channel and you had to make the most use of the limited resources available.

It's also easier on the system as some reverb units can take up a lot of CPU resources, so only using one or two for each session frees up CPU power for other things like automation than using 10 or 12 reverbs plugins.

[Drew Mazurek]

Home recordists can of course do whatever they want.

But be aware, that mix knobs inside reverb plugins ARE NOT the same a proper send/rtn setup. Mix knobs turn down dry while adding wet. Sends leave the dry signal untouched and add wet only. Big difference.

And please don't send sessions like this to pro mixers, they'll hate you.

[JFreak]

Almost like asking is PT really necessary? Industry standard says a lot, professionals expect that sessions are laid in a certain way

[amagras]

Sends tracks with delay compensation are perfect for parallel processing.

[Terry Wetzel]

Thanks for the tip JFreak. First of all, I don't send my stuff out for mastering so I'm not all that concerned about "industry standard" but I do recognize that it has it's purpose. Far be it for me to upset protocol! I'm just saying that in my case I find it more useable.

[Terry Wetzel]

Thanks Drew Mazurek. I understand that's the way it's supposed to work. With that method you leave the plugin mix level at maximum and adjust the send amount with the little popup fader. Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I've never been able to make the level adjustment sound like anything but too much reverb. Perhaps my confusion lies with the reverb return part. What decides the amount of return?

[Terry Wetzel]

Thanks amagras. So are reverb and delay the only 2 plugins that are meant to be used in this way,(I. e,) like the pros do it?

[Terry Wetzel]

Thanks jCBigler for your comment. I'm good with the first paragraph of your explanation of using the same reverb for different tracks or instruments. You kind of confused me with the second part about the (old school) analog days! The reverbs, and for that matter all effects back then were hardware devices, plates tape delays or rooms designed for that purpose. I guess it depends on how far back your talking about, that is if plugins were being used before recording software was in use.