Benefits of vca vs auxbus

[JimmyM]

Hi guys, I don't really get the benefits of vca versus aux bus.
Can someone explain please...

[Glenjb]

Check out this guy's video it's a pretty good explanation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cALPW8kK4Pw

[Tom Graham]

VCA's and Auxes often go hand in hand.

Think of the VCA as a group master fader that controls several faders (and those faders can have their own separate automation that the VCA trims). It's also a great way to quickly solo or mute those faders.

VCA's allow you to take a Macro to Micro view of your mix if you have a console like an ICON. You can have just the VCA's up for Drums, Basses, Guitars, Vocals and then spill them (all the faders that are 'slaves' to the VCA master).

Auxes allow a nice level of processing to every member of the channels that feed into it. It helps glue all the members together with EQ or Dynamics. It also allows you to perhaps offline bounce all of the members of that Aux quickly.

[upscaps]

If you lower an aux bus the relationship of the fx attached to the channels of that aux buss will change drastically. Unlike VCA's.

To avoid that you would have to bring the outputs of your FX to that aux bus as well. ie: All of your drum tracks out to the DRUM BUS + All of your FX for the DRUM BUS tracks outputted to the same DRUM BUS. Don't use those DRUM BUS FX on any other tracks than drum tracks going to the DRUM BUS.

Do the same with vocal bus, music bus, etc. and you have pseudo VCA's minus the after automation maneuvering available with VCA's.

[JimmyM]

Cool guys thanks for the explanations. But vca is only with protools HD?

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Cool guys thanks for the explanations. But vca is only with protools HD?

Yes.

[chrismeraz]

Since PT 12.2, VCA is available on PT Native!