Using a Bus for common effects in Pro Tools

[tcbetka]

Being new to Pro Tools, I am still trying to figure this software out, comparing to other apps that I know. So I'm trying to figure something out, and hope one of you experienced users can help me out...

If I want to apply some reverb to four toms, for instance, what I am used to doing is simply sending all of their channels' outputs to a 'Tom Bus'. Then i would simply apply the same reverb to that one bus, and dial up the send on each drum to give me the desired reverb I want. But I seem to be having a problem with this in Pro Tools, for some reason. I created four channels in a practice project using M-powered on my Macbook Pro, just to have something to play with. Then I route all the signals to the same send, and I see the Bus channel strip. But I can't seem to figure out how to apply the effect to that Bus, for some reason. It's got to be something obvious, and I'm just missing it--so can someone give me a tip here? I just found the 1112 page user's Guide, and am going to dig through that. But I was hoping someone might also be able to make some suggestions for using a practical technique from an experience standpoint, if anyone is willing to do so.

The other thing is that the Bus channel strips aren't attached to the other channel strips in Pro Tools, like they are in other DAW apps like Sonar. They seem to be free-floating, and are sized differently than the other channels' strips. I guess I'm just used to the mixer view having ALL of the channel strips attached--so is there a way to do that, or do the Bus strips always remaining floating?

Thanks in advance!

TB

[spkguitar]

A few things:

Busses in protools are not "channel strips" like in other programs. They are just the controls to the bus. To do what you want to do, you need to create an aux track (mono or stereo, whichever you need), set the input to the bus that you have chosen from the sends on the tracks, and insert the plugin on the aux track (like you would any other plugin on any other track).

There are 10 sends on each track, in two groups of 5; A-E and F-J. The default view of the sends on each track shows the sends selectors for each send available. That view can be changed (to do what you want to do) so that the controls of one of them is visible on the track.

From the Pro Tools Reference Guide (), page 845:

To display the controls for an individual send across all tracks:
1 If sends are not currently visible on your tracks, select View > Mix Window (or Edit Win- dow) > Sends A–E (or Sends F–J).
2 Do one of the following:
• Select View > Sends A–E (or Sends F-J) and select one of the individual Send Views (such as Send A).
– or –
•
In Assignment View, Control-click (Win- dows) or Command-click (Mac) the Send Assignment selector.

[tcbetka]

OK, well that's easy enough...just one more step. Really more like the true concept of a "Bus" (a collection of information/signal) more so than that of another channel. That makes sense to me, but I'll have to practice with it a bit to cement it.

Thanks a lot for the post, as it clarifies things a lot. And I like your website--but I didn't know it existed until reading your post. I'll definitely visit there more.

TB

[spkguitar]

Originally Posted by tcbetka

Thanks a lot for the post, as it clarifies things a lot.

No problem. Glad to help.

Originally Posted by tcbetka

And I like your website--but I didn't know it existed until reading your post. I'll definitely visit there more.

Thanks! I definitely need to find time to update it more.

[tcbetka]

OK, I created some channels and just did it like you suggested. Piece of cake! At first I assigned the *output* of each channel to the Bus I wanted, and then assigned that Bus as the input to the Aux channel (which was in turn output to Main 1/2 on my USB Pre); and of course that would work. However it wouldn't allow me to mix the clean signal with the affected signal, so your method makes more sense. But it's very straightforward, and should allow me to do just what I need.

Thanks again!

TB

[albee1952]

Don't change the output of the tracks to a bus. Add an AUX send to a bus. Then create an AUX track and set the input for the same bus. Insert your reverb on the AUX track. Now the dry signal of all the toms still goes to the main outputs, and you can mix in how much reverb you want by bringing up the fader of the AUX track.

[tcbetka]

Exactly! I meant to say all that, but am not sure I did in my last post. But that's what I did...

Here's an interesting question though...have you ever run into a situation where 3-4 toms are being sent to the same Aux track, but not all of them needed the same amount of the effect?

TB

[LUpton]

Uhh... Turn down the send level on the channel that needs less reverb?

[Top Jimmy]

Originally Posted by tcbetka

Here's an interesting question though...have you ever run into a situation where 3-4 toms are being sent to the same Aux track, but not all of them needed the same amount of the effect?

The one step you're missing is that you should be sending to the FX track via an aux send from the Tom tracks rather than from the main track output.

Aux sends are inserted on tracks similarly to plugins. There's a number of slots for plugins and there are a number of slots for aux sends.

[tcbetka]

Originally Posted by LUpton

Uhh... Turn down the send level on the channel that needs less reverb?

Right, lol... I just re-read my last post, and realized that I asked the question the wrong way.

What I was asking is if people generally find that similar drums like toms, generally require about the same about of an effect like reverb? I don't know--and other than just listening and trying to gauge it that way, is there a way to tell how much reverb the individual toms (which are different sizes, in most instances) need? I guess I am asking the experienced engineers here whether or not they find that the toms need different amounts of reverb, all other things (like head thickness) being equal. I realize that you can simply turn down the amount of dry signal you are sending to the effect. I should have asked the question differently, of course.

TB