Idea for Pro Tools - Lowcutting/Highpassing Sends (not the aux-track)

[FNA]

Hello fellow engineers and other pro tools enthusiasts,


I've had an idea for quite a while now and I feel like sharing it. I tried to find where to post such suggestions to Pro Tools, but I failed to find any custom thread or e-mail-adress - with the exception of a 10 year old post with the e-mail-adress of a certain: Marianna. This is my e-mail to her:

email to Marianna


Hello Marianna,



I have an idea, that I think is pretty genius (and I've had it several times) and I would love to share it with Avid. After searching the internet for where to post it, I stumbled across your e-mail adress and glowing reports about Marianna being the person getting concerns/ideas to the right department. So I hope I am not adressing you by mistake, since these posts are about 10 years old (if I remember correct).



My idea is this: Having an adjustable "lowcut/highpass" and "highcut/lowpass" option that affects only the send and not the track/bus itself. (Pre-delay would be awesome too, but HC/LC seems essential to me)



Let me explain why this is genius: In the mixing window we can create "sends" in order to send a track or bus to an aux-track, while the original signal stays untouched and routed. Usually there are effects on these aux-track, most commonly: Reverbs, delays and compression. It is common practice to use both lowcut and highcut filters on these effects, that's why many effects have integrated options to lowcut/highcut. However it is also pretty common that an engineer sends multiple tracks/busses to a single Aux-Track/effect. But since you can't have individual highcuts/lowcuts for all the different tracks on ONE Aux-track, the solution is usually to create a second (or third..) aux-track, duplicate the settings from the first aux-track and only tweak the lowcut/highcut (and predelay). If one was able to affect only the send of the individual tracks in that way that get send to the effect (much like we are able to affect the amount we send via the fader), there would be no reason to use multiple aux-tracks for one effect ever again.



I'm not an IT-guy, but this seems to be a simple and easy adjustment to make and it would benefit the workflow and CPU-usage in a pretty major way on almost every session. I've had this idea quite regularly while mixing, but today is the day I finally searched the internet for where to post this suggestion/idea effectively.



Thank you for listening, I wish you a merry christmas and a happy new year in advance out of Germany!



Best wishes and kind regards



FNA

[Matt Hepworth]

The same as what's currently accomplished by putting an EQ as the first plugin on the aux channel?

[Sardi]

No.

The OP wants to have seperate settings for the filters for each track being sent to the buss.


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[Macsearcher]

I've been wishing for this feature for a long time.
It would be so cool to be able to send kick to a plate reverb but high pass the subs or send vocals or acoustic guitar to a reverb and low pass the zingy top.

[Sardi]

Originally Posted by Macsearcher

I've been wishing for this feature for a long time.
It would be so cool to be able to send kick to a plate reverb but high pass the subs or send vocals or acoustic guitar to a reverb and low pass the zingy top.

Well you can do this now (as mentioned above) by inserting an EQ before the reverb. The problem, as the OP pointed out, is if you’re sharing an aux effect, every send will have the same filtering applied.

Can’t say I’ve ever really thought about it that much. Never really run into a situation where a global high/low cut didn’t work. But, it’s an interesting suggestion.


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[m4tune]

I second this.
Cool idea!

[arche3]

Send to a bus. Aux track with bus as input. Apply eq on insert. Aux track Send to reverb.

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[Matt Hepworth]

Originally Posted by Sardi

No.

The OP wants to have seperate settings for the filters for each track being sent to the buss.


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Ah, that would be kind of handy.

[midnightrambler]

Where’s the “vote down” button? Literally never needed this in my life. I’ve spent 20 years in studios and ProTools, for what it’s worth.

[Wolfgang Eller]

Originally Posted by FNA

Reverbs, delays and compression. It is common practice to use both lowcut and highcut filters on these effects, that's why many effects have integrated options to lowcut/highcut.

I don't know if it is really common practice to do it this way but for me - I've never needed it.
The possibilities within the effects where good enough.