Solo FX bus?

[atticmike]

Is there a more practical way to solo FX tracks because sending it pre fader is useless isn't it?

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by atticmike

Is there a more practical way to solo FX tracks because sending it pre fader is useless isn't it?

Actually, using pre-fade sends SHOULD allow you to solo the FX track because pre-fade sends are not muted when a track is muted(something I've been asking to change for years, or give us an option for "Pre-fade send Follows Track Mute").

On my rig, I took a completely "outside the box" solution that solves a few problems. If you have the extra IO available(and maybe a monitor/source selector), it might be of value to you, so here's what's involved:
1-Create an extra output path(mine is stereo and named Solo Path).
2-on every track, add a send to this output in the last send slot.
3-Set the sends to Pre-fade, send fader to -0, and mute the send.
4-route this new output so that you can listen. This could be a headphone feed, a second set of speakers, or (in my case) to an input of a Presonus Central Station.
5-to "solo" any track(or combination of tracks), Ctrl-click on the muted send(that toggles mute on/off for the send).

The advantages of this:
1-you can listen to an AUX return regardless of it being fed pre or post fade.
2-you can listen to ANY combination of tracks without affecting ANY sends at all(imagine you have sends to feed headphone mixes for several players)
3-depending on your setup; in my case, I can hear the main mix on one set of speakers, AND hear this separate feed on a second set of speakers(or phones).

If you build the send into your session templates and track presets, its always available