Have you guys been using custom faders?

[Igotsoul4u]

I can't say I have been using the custom faders at all except to grab the master fader really fast. I have a 960 so the whole virtual larc for a reverb plug-in is not of any use for me. I was wondering if anyone had any other creative or practical uses for custom faders. I would like to use it, but it honestly seems like a bit of a pain in the ass. Please help me change my ways. By the way, I just got my rolling work surface for D-control and it rules. It sounds so good. Ha Ha.

[Chris Lambrechts]

uhu,

use number one would be groups ... usually end up having like 6 or 7 edit groups and 5 or 6 mix groups. use group CF to acces them and especially with edit groups, disable/enable them.

second use would be for stuff like lead vocal and kick / snare combos. tend to double them up a couple of times and have acces on 3 or 4 different faders at a time, assigned to things like send levels. find it very handy on say a lead vocal and I wanna automate 2 sends on there ... can do them both at the same time (1 for delay and 1 for reverb level for example)

Virus indigo larc of course. resonance and cut off and a couple of other parameters I tend to automate.

created a larc for revibe but usually don't get to use it unless I do a surround session. Which I haven't done since owning D control but ... just in case. fwiw ... I use outboard verbs.

sony Dynamics access and turning on/off. Can't be done from the dynamics section so when tuning dynamics I'll cycle through the plugins that are on the focussed channel and flip the CF to the plugin.

Filterbank ... my favourite filter automation plug is larc'd to CF

Only did one realy realy big session since owning it but expect to do this a lot more. create CF groups with instrument sections. Kinda like I used to do with the Procontrol but using the show/hide functionality of locators.

No secret that a lot ... imvho over 50% of Protools' power is in creating session templates. I have like 10 session templates which I'll start off a new session with. soft key number 12 in the CF group has for example all the auxes for the hardware synths in 'em ... standard like that in all midi containing templates.

That's it for now but I'm pretty sure that in the next couple of weeks and months (been using it in real life for like 6 weeks now) I'll further tweak my templates specifically to make more convenient use of the CF funtionality. I can understand that during a work in progress, one is unlikely to create a CF group just for the maybe one or two times use of them ... but when they're allready there in the template to start with .... damn handy. Wouldn't wanna live without 'em anymore.

Anyone else have some other CF funtionality tips .... don't hold back .... would love to hear about them and try them out and see if they work for me too.

[Jeff Hodges]

We're still engaged in a long recording/overdub process so I haven't been able to mix like a mad man yet, but I use the CF quite a bit. Probably not as scientific as Chris but I set up kicks/snares, kick/bass, toms, oh, guitars, etc basically all the instrument groups onto CF's. I also put their corresponding effects/verbs etc on there with them. Finally I'll have the #12 group always be all my sub group auxes (also put each subgroup aux on the CF with the relevant instruments, i.e. Guitars 1,2,3,4,5,6 and Guitar Sub Aux. Etc. And I put stuff in familiar places so it's the same from song to song, i.e. CF #1 is kicks/snare, CF#2 is kick/bass/compressed mult, #3 is toms, etc etc...

What I do now since 6.7 is I make the CF right center justified and all 16 faders on my right hand side are CF's while the left side of the console I can float/bank with. It's like having two consoles in one.

I dig it. Going to brush up on some of C.L's uses above and employ some of them too.

[Igotsoul4u]

Ok. I setup some "plug-in" custom fader maps in my sends template for some delays and stuff of that sort. My main problem is that I am involved mostly in mix sessions and importing all the client data into the template is kinda a pain. The sample and bit rate is never the same so there is always some sort of conversion and copying that I do not want to do. Is there some reason why my custom fader setups are not imported from my template? Am I doing something stupid? I sure hope so. I have not had time to dive into this, so if anyone has a simple answer to my problem, I would be extremely greatful. Custom Faders Forever!!!!! Haha

[SessionKat]

My favs:

1. Setting sub-mixed aux groups for overall mix-down leveling
2. Creating plug-in control maps

FYI, we're working on some cool new "abilities and benefits" for/from custom groups. Can't say much about it here and now!!

-tv

[Jeff Hodges]

My favs:

1. Setting sub-mixed aux groups for overall mix-down leveling
-tv

Yes I do this as well, also with the FX. This really speeds up final mix down dynamic leveling. I always put the subgroup fader for each on the instrument genre CF's as well so if soloing I don't have to flip back and forth, they are all there. I always use the 16 custom fader setting, right hand center.