Assign VCA to Control Send Only

[JingleDjango]

In my vocal production template I have all of my instruments bussed to auxes at the end of my session. I send from these to an output leading to a headphone amp in my booth.

I was hoping I could map a VCA fader to control just send. Is that possible? I have the tracks grouped for this already. I'm using the short-throw send faders on-screen right now but would prefer to use the typical long-throw track faders if possible.

Thanks.

[henningaround]

You can use a Master Fader to control the overall level of a bus (or output). It's a workaround for a VCA for sends. I am missing this to. I think a VCA of a common mix group should be able to have sends controlling the sends of the group members. A lot of consoles can do this for decades...

[kelsey]

If you don't need the mix output of those auxes, just the headphone sends you could do post fade sends at 0 and use the VCA to control the volume of the Auxes.

[Rich Breen]

Originally Posted by henningaround

...I think a VCA of a common mix group should be able to have sends controlling the sends of the group members. A lot of consoles can do this for decades...

What consoles allow control of group member send levels from a VCA group master?

[henningaround]

The film consoles I know can do that. AMS Neve DFC, Harisson MPC and SSL Avant. They don't call them VCAs. They also can control the EQ, Dynamics and Pan of their members. I bet Euphonic System 5 can do this too.

[bergj00]

Originally Posted by henningaround

The film consoles I know can do that. AMS Neve DFC, Harisson MPC and SSL Avant. They don't call them VCAs. They also can control the EQ, Dynamics and Pan of their members. I bet Euphonic System 5 can do this too.

The system 5 (using the DSP) can definitely do this - for sends, EQ, DYN etc. It’s called group masters. They control the members relative values from the master. I wish PT would operate this way...

[albee1952]

Here is one more way around it. On the track in question, Set the track output to none and add a pre-fade send that feeds your main output. Now, assign your VCA and leave the headphone send as post-fader. When you move the VCA, the headphone level will change, but the pre-fade send to your main outputs will not.

[henningaround]

Nice one!

[BScout]

Originally Posted by albee1952

Here is one more way around it. On the track in question, Set the track output to none and add a pre-fade send that feeds your main output. Now, assign your VCA and leave the headphone send as post-fader. When you move the VCA, the headphone level will change, but the pre-fade send to your main outputs will not.

If you are going to set your output to “none” might as well set it to headphones in the first place and skip adding a post-fader send for that purpose.

And never set your output to none unless you want to spend your time trying to figure out why your latency compensation isn’t working right. Pro Tools does not like that (or setting outputs to dummy outputs that go nowhere.)

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by BScout

If you are going to set your output to “none” might as well set it to headphones in the first place and skip adding a post-fader send for that purpose.

Thanks for thinking of yet another way

Originally Posted by BScout

And never set your output to none unless you want to spend your time trying to figure out why your latency compensation isn’t working right. Pro Tools does not like that (or setting outputs to dummy outputs that go nowhere.)

YMMV, but this has not been an issue for me(a SEND going nowhere will absolutely cause ADC misery). I have used this arrangement on my click track for years. Since my click track has 6 stereo sends(to feed 6 channels worth of headphone amps) and I want to be able to turn the click up, down or mute with a single control, setting the click track's output to none and using a pre-fade send to the main out(headphone sends are all post-fade), I can adjust the click to all 6 phones with only the track fader. I can also adjust click level in the control room using the send to main outs without affecting any headphones