How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

Hi All

I do not know how to do the above. Have viewed all Youtube Videos but to no avail. You assistance appreciated.

So far, all my tracks are split up going Out to 16 different Analog Outputs.

Then I create 1 Stereo Aux Track and 1 Stereo Audio track.

Input of Aux will be Analog 3-4. Output of this track will be ?????

Input of Audio track will be ????

With the hardware I am using a 192 I/O with 16 Analog Outs going into the 2 Bus LT. Then the Main Outs of the 2 Bus LT go into the 3-4 Analog Inputs of the 192 I/O.

I'm using an SPL Crimson monitor controller. Thanks so much!

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

So, you have some audio tracks that you feed to the Dangerous box for summing and then you want to record it back and monitor via PT?

Your main outputs (1-2 by default) are used for monitoring and the rest (3-16) you can feed to the Dangerous. Then you record the summed analog output to whatever inputs you like (1-2 for example) and that audio track can then be routed to main outputs (1-2) for monitoring.

If you need to output all 16 channels to the Dangerous, you can record it back to PT but are unable to monitor it real time, because your interface only has 16 outputs. You will have to trust your eyes to adjust levels, and after recording it back you connect main outputs (1-2) to your monitors and listen.

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

I think that this might help:

http://www.puremix.net/video/mixing/analog-summing.html

These videos are available with free registration.

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

Thanks JFreak & Shtik for the link. I already viewed. Fab is great. But I must be thick because I still need step by step insrtuctions to setup the routing in PT. :o:confused:

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

Generally, with analog summing, you want to split up your tracks fairly evenly. So using 14 channels, that's 7 stereo pairs. So if you have 30 tracks, that averages out to about 4-5 tracks per stereo pair. It's also recommended to put stuff in similar frequency ranges through different pairs. Like don't have the bass guitar going out of the same pair as the kick, or don't have cymbals going out the same pair as a tambourine, etc. With the 2 bus, you also have the option of using some channels as mono. It's typical to have the kick, snare, bass guitar, and lead vocal going to the mono channels, because they're all panned to the center anyway.

For coming back into Protools, there's no need for an aux track. Just set up a stereo audio track, with the inputs set to 3-4, and the outputs to whichever outputs go to your monitoring. You can set up a master fader as well.

The only reason to come back into Protools to an aux track is if you want to put processing on the master buss and record it that way (i.e., master buss compressor, EQ, etc.). If you want to do that, you would create an aux track with the inputs set to 3-4, and the outputs set to a stereo buss (i.e. bus 24-25, etc.). Then that buss would be the input of the stereo audio track that you will also create and record to.

On the Dangerous website, they have some diagrams that might help you.

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

Thanks so much NST7

I decided to do it your simply way for now. The thing that confused was all of Dangerous Music's tutorials refer setting up routing to monitor the sound before the summing and after (to print).

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

I would monitor the recorded summing, a.k.a. PT track that you save

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

There's a reason you want to monitor both the straight summed signal and the one after it goes back into your converters. For tracking, you want to hear the straight summed signal, because if you monitor the signal after it comes back into Protools, you are hearing an extra step of digital conversion, and that's going to add latency. By listening to the summed signal, you hear just the normal one step of D/A conversion, as would normally happen with any DAW. For mixing, you want to hear the sound after it goes back into Protools because that will be more accurate. The extra latency doesn't matter in that case because you're not tracking, just mixing.

I looked at the manual for your SPL Crimson. The only way I can see to make this work is this:

From the 2 bus LT, you probably already have the main out going back into Protools, as it should. The 2 bus also has another pair of outputs - Monitor Out - that sends the same signal. From those Monitor Outs, go into the "Source" section of the Crimson, specifically the TRS inputs.

Then, have your main outputs of Protools go out of Spidf 1-2 in your 192 (this will be the final master outs after your summed signal comes back into Protools). That digital output will go into the Crimson's "Spidf" inputs.

Now, on the front panel of the Crimson, under "Sources", you can switch between the "Jack" button for the summed signal when you're tracking, and the "Spidf" button for when you're mixing.

You can do this assuming you've set everything up the way I described in your previous post.

This may not be the optimal way to set up the Crimson, but the Crimson is a very strange, overly complicated monitor controller that's hard to get your head around. Honestly, if you like to keep things simple, you may want to ger a different monitor controller.

Re: How to Setup A Pro Tools Session For A Dangerous 2 Bus LT
 

Quick question on this old thread.

Fab makes a point in his video about not using "the Master Fader" out to the 2-Bus LT.

I understand this with respect to the Master Fader being used for the session, i.e., monitoring, but since you can add multiple Master Faders in PT Ultimate anyway, is there some other reason Master Faders are problematic vs. Auxes?

I like the idea of being able to use the more useful Master Fader metering along with my Command|8's easy access to exclusively Master Faders on the control surface.

Thanks in advance.