Fidelity difference between track send vs track output

[helenvee]

Hi folks,

I'm wondering, has anyone experienced a difference in the sound or audio fidelity when you send audio out via a send, vs sending via the output of a track? Here's my specific scenario:

I want to control the headphone mixes to the players, I want their headphone mix to sound EXACTLY (or at least as much as possible) like the mix I'm making in the control room. I like to put plugins on the master aux, and I want the players to hear that. One way to accomplish is to set the output of all tracks to a bus, (call it MB SEND), and send that bus to an aux track, (where I can put master plugins etc), and then send that aux track to the headphone box. BUT, if I do this, then when I solo tracks in the control room, they will hear that.

Another way is to put the MB SEND bus on a send on each track, rather than setting the output. Then I can make the send pre fader, and copy main track fader levels to the send levels. Then, I can solo tracks without them hearing it. Functionally, this accomplishes what I want to accomplish. BUT, my big question is, has anyone out there experienced a difference in sound when the audio is going out of a send, vs going out of the output?

Thanks for your input.

[Top Jimmy]

The "copy to send" shortcut should become your new best friend. There's no reason at all that there should be any fidelity difference between the primary mix buss and an aux mix buss.

[BScout]

Originally Posted by helenvee

Another way is to put the MB SEND bus on a send on each track, rather than setting the output. Then I can make the send pre fader, and copy main track fader levels to the send levels. Then, I can solo tracks without them hearing it. Functionally, this accomplishes what I want to accomplish. BUT, my big question is, has anyone out there experienced a difference in sound when the audio is going out of a send, vs going out of the output?

Thanks for your input.

Solo safe the send. Don't have to make it PF. Don't need to copy anything then (since it follows master levels but ignores solos)

No difference in send quality.

[albee1952]

Indeed^^^ Make your sends post-fade and set all to -0 and that mix will mirror the main mix. For the plugins on the master, add another master for the headphone send and copy the plugins

[Mattian]

Originally Posted by helenvee

Hi folks,

I'm wondering, has anyone experienced a difference in the sound or audio fidelity when you send audio out via a send, vs sending via the output of a track? Here's my specific scenario:

I want to control the headphone mixes to the players, I want their headphone mix to sound EXACTLY (or at least as much as possible) like the mix I'm making in the control room. I like to put plugins on the master aux, and I want the players to hear that. One way to accomplish is to set the output of all tracks to a bus, (call it MB SEND), and send that bus to an aux track, (where I can put master plugins etc), and then send that aux track to the headphone box. BUT, if I do this, then when I solo tracks in the control room, they will hear that.

Another way is to put the MB SEND bus on a send on each track, rather than setting the output. Then I can make the send pre fader, and copy main track fader levels to the send levels. Then, I can solo tracks without them hearing it. Functionally, this accomplishes what I want to accomplish. BUT, my big question is, has anyone out there experienced a difference in sound when the audio is going out of a send, vs going out of the output?

Thanks for your input.

I don't think are sends per se, but summing... I can't stand grouping tracks in Pro Tools, compared to the MIO Mixer, so I do all the summing I can in the MIO Mixer