How do you use your Master Fader?

[Rosco1969]

Hey all,

I've been messing around with various ways of controlling overall gain structure into a "MixBus", i.e an Aux track assigned as a MixBus. And after adding plugins, levelling, balancing etc… sometimes the mixbus can become very "hot" so I would have to bring down the channel faders in order to reduce the level going to it (Aux, remember, pre fader) then it would go out to the Master Fader.

So, lets say for example you have 24 tracks, all bussed to an Aux named "MixBus" then at the end your Master Fader. Now, If you add another Master Fader (call it "PreMix" for example)and output it to your "MixBus", then your "MixBus" output assigned to your main out, no matter what level your 24 tracks are sending it can be reduced by the new Master Fader (PreMix), or increased if so desired. You can control the overall signal hitting the MixBus and plugins. So, 24 tracks assigned to your MixBus (Aux) > Master Fader (PreMix) assigned to your MixBus > MixBus > Master Fader (Final output).

Master Faders are post fader as opposed to all others which, more often than not, are set to pre fader. 48 bit mixer etc… so, lots of headroom there.

Maybe people are already doing this but I think it's a pretty cool way of controlling it all.

Just thought I'd share, just in case folks aren't aware of it. If you're not, give a try.

Rosco

[Southsidemusic]

Just a question :

Why do you guys have everything routed to a Aux and then to the master?

Why not just route everything to the master directly? We have never done this and would love to know what benefits and thoughts on that

Thanks guys
Christopher

[Rosco1969]

I always just used the Master Fader as a "volume" fader at the end as any plugins would be "post" fader.

The Aux is "pre" fader therefore no matter what you do with the fader itself, it won't affect the signal hitting the plugins. If you do this with the Master (if there are plugs on it that is) then the signal hitting the plugs will be directly affected by the level the fader is at.

So, if for instance you used the Master Fader to do a fade at the end of the song and there were plugins on it, as you bring the fader down the sound would change (depending on which plugins you used of course). For example, you have a great mix buss compressor in there and it's glueing the mix together fantastically, you'll lose it as you bring the Master down. Not so when there is an Aux before it assigned as a MixBus with all your buss compression etc… on it.

That's my thoughts on it anyway.



Rosco

[Southsidemusic]

Ok, That make sense

Thank you for the clarification, I produce but have to fess up that we have interns whi do all the "hard labour" here So time to learn correctly myself.

Best Regards
Christopher

[Rosco1969]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Ok, That make sense

we have interns whi do all the "hard labour" here

Best Regards
Christopher

I think that's part of the fun of it though, doing all that grunt work.

[VRW]

Originally Posted by Rosco1969

Hey all,

I've been messing around with various ways of controlling overall gain structure into a "MixBus", i.e an Aux track assigned as a MixBus. And after adding plugins, levelling, balancing etc… sometimes the mixbus can become very "hot" so I would have to bring down the channel faders in order to reduce the level going to it (Aux, remember, pre fader) then it would go out to the Master Fader.

So, lets say for example you have 24 tracks, all bussed to an Aux named "MixBus" then at the end your Master Fader. Now, If you add another Master Fader (call it "PreMix" for example)and output it to your "MixBus", then your "MixBus" output assigned to your main out, no matter what level your 24 tracks are sending it can be reduced by the new Master Fader (PreMix), or increased if so desired. You can control the overall signal hitting the MixBus and plugins. So, 24 tracks assigned to your MixBus (Aux) > Master Fader (PreMix) assigned to your MixBus > MixBus > Master Fader (Final output).

Master Faders are post fader as opposed to all others which, more often than not, are set to pre fader. 48 bit mixer etc… so, lots of headroom there.

Maybe people are already doing this but I think it's a pretty cool way of controlling it all.

Just thought I'd share, just in case folks aren't aware of it. If you're not, give a try.

Rosco

+1
Also use this kinda system. Found it once in a forum and
have been using it since then.
The "Master section" is made up of 3 channels/tracks.
As you mentioned it there is

one Master Fader (no plugs on it-Output=Master Bus) which controls the level of the
Master Bus (Aux track with all "final bus plug ins, Output=Output 1-2) and
a second Master Fader (no plugs on it, Output=Output 1-2) which controls the (final) Output gain.
So the (final) Output gain is independent from what´s happening on the Master Bus
and can be controlled and adjusted separately (as you mentioned e.g. for Fade Outs).

The 1. Master Fader is even useful to control the gain the Master bus plugins
are fed with (easy to avoid clipping as it is shown before the plugs).

Actually you have said this all already, I´m just confirming/repeating it.
Very useful setting IMO.

Cheers, VRW



MacMini i7Quad, 16GB Ram, MBP Mid 2012 2,5GHz i5, 16GB Ram, MacOS 10.9.2, Apogee Quartet+Duet 2, Genelec Active, Yamaha NS10,
Pro Tools 11.1.2, Logic 10.0.6, Waves, MCDSP, Duende Native, Softube, HOFA, IK Multimedia etc

[Rosco1969]

Ye, it's a great way to set it up I believe.

Gives you ultimate control of gain, clipping, signal to MixBus plugs etc…

You don't have to go back and re-adjust your mix if the MixBus begins to clip. Just lower the PreMix fader a little… done!

What's not to like?

Rosco

[SpinningDisk]

I use it to keep an eye on things😜. Let's me know when things are getting hot. albee1952 taught me that 1😚

📀

[DonaldM]

I guess I do things old school. I keep my master bus at unity. I use the IKM Meter plug to watch levels and I keep a close eye on it as I bring in parts in the mix and keep everything at -8 to -6db. If things start getting hotter than that as I mix, I make the adjustments in the mix itself. If I want some kind of over-all fade, I prefer to not do that on the master bus anyways, and would rather use sub-mix aux tracks for the various groups and fade them independently...give more control on the fade out I think, and that way, any plug I have on the master bus (reverb, soft-tube, whatever) won't be affected by the fade because the master bus fader is never moved. I also tend to not load up a lot plugs on the master either...rather do that with submixes for the groups. I don't know..just how I prefer to go about it.

As our friend Albee likes to say...the great thing about digital is there's 5 ways to do something; the bad thing about digital is there's 5 ways to do something. And as Trance master Armin Van Burren says: (see my sig below)

[SpinningDisk]

Originally Posted by donaldm

i guess i do things old school. I keep my master bus at unity. I use the ikm meter plug to watch levels and i keep a close eye on it as i bring in parts in the mix and keep everything at -8 to -6db. If things start getting hotter than that as i mix, i make the adjustments in the mix itself. If i want some kind of over-all fade, i prefer to not do that on the master bus anyways, and would rather use sub-mix aux tracks for the various groups and fade them independently...give more control on the fade out i think, and that way, any plug i have on the master bus (reverb, soft-tube, whatever) won't be affected by the fade because the master bus fader is never moved. I also tend to not load up a lot plugs on the master either...rather do that with submixes for the groups. I don't know..just how i prefer to go about it.

As our friend albee likes to say...the great thing about digital is there's 5 ways to do something; the bad thing about digital is there's 5 ways to do something. And as trance master armin van burren says: (see my sig below)

👍