Question about sending ONLY the wet signal

[Kinh]

How do I get only the wet signal through an aux input?

So the bus chain setup I have is this:

1. Vocal source track - routed to aux a, b, c.

2. Aux a - Main compression (2 compressors, eq, desser, reverb, delay)
3. Aux b - Thickening (Doubler, eq, imager)
4. Aux c - Parallel compression for bass (eq, compressor)

Now what I want to do is increase say the "aux c" send so I only get the effected signal NOT the effect AND the original audio (Vocal Track).

At the moment Im getting both which makes mixing vocal impossible as it cant cut through given every send carries with it the original, flat signal.

[SteveMcQueen]

I do believe that most time based processes should have a wet/dry lever in the plug ins. I always put my time based things, (verb echo) to an aux track. Makes it easier to automate I think, and let's more than one track have the same processes, only using one instance for a plug in. Maybe I'm not understanding. The question.

[peterle]

you have to make the aux sends PRE FADER and then lower
volume or mute the track from where you send the aux signal...

if that is what you want...

[Kinh]

Originally Posted by peterle

you have to make the aux sends PRE FADER and then lower
volume or mute the track from where you send the aux signal...

if that is what you want...

Yeah that's what Im doing and when I increase the send fader I get the source as well. Say if I have a reverb on the aux and I mute it, increase its fader, the volume increases too, not just the reverb. This indicates its also sending the source because the volume of the reverb should not change, the effect amount itself should.

If you rout to a send in Ableton, mute the source track and increase the return you only hear the reverb, the volume stays where it is.

If I set the fader to pre (in Protools), it actually makes everything louder as opposed to off. Isn't it supposed to do the opposite.

and even if you uncheck it the fader still boosts the volume.

[trakbytes]

An aux send is by definition sending a portion of the source audio track somewhere else, controlled by the send level. Making the send pre-fader just makes the send level independent of the main fader. You're still sending the source somewhere else. If you want more of the effect, bring up the return. If you want to additionally effect a return, put another send on the return and send that somewhere else.

Other than my thinking you are probably using too much processing (but that's your business for whatever you are trying to achieve,) maybe I don't understand what you are trying to do?

[Kinh]

So I take it no one's got a solution to this problem? It baffles me why you cant send only the effected signal with a fader. I mean, this is Protools, its supposed to be the best mixing DAW out there and you cant even do something that Ableton can easily do?

What happens if you have a plugin that has no mix amount like J37 Tape, it basically means you cant adjust how much you want to send.

What happens if you want to parallel process a vocal using several buses, it means you get the dry signal tone added to every bus along with the effect so you have to duplicate the eq cuts/boosts etc on every new aux. Kinda defeats the purpose of chain processing in the first place.

[Carl Kolchak]

Originally Posted by Kinh

If I set the fader to pre (in Protools), it actually makes everything louder as opposed to off. Isn't it supposed to do the opposite.

Sounds like you've got it bassackwards.

Yes, you're correct that putting the send in pre-fader mode will make everything louder - that's because you're hearing the signal coming from the channel fader, as well as the unattenuated signal being tapped off via the send (before it hits the channel fader - hence "pre-fader").

So what you want to do, is mute the channel, or pull the channel fader all the way down - this will still leave the unattenuated signal routed via the send, in pre-fader mode, with the volume set to 0dBFS (not to be confused with Infinity, which means zero signal is being allowed to pass through the fader / the fader is all the way at the bottom, so long as your desk is not a BBC modified Neve - one for the pedants there).

The pre-fader signal, tapped off via the send, is routed to another destination, in this case an Aux track, which is where you would apply any effects, usually with a 100% Wet setting.

Perhaps you are actually trying to get a signal that is pre-Insert, rather than pre-fader?

The only way to do that would be to have your original audio track, with no inserts on it whatsoever - then, using pre-fader sends (source tracks muted), or multiple bussing, send that raw signal to one Aux track for your regular in-line inset effects, and a different Aux track for the parallel effects that you did not want affected by the in-line effects.

[sw rec]

Again, as suggested, put the Aux send in pre-fader mode. Turn down the channel fader. Done.

[Kinh]

No one seems to understand the problem yet Ive outlined it very clearly.
Perhaps a better question is - is it possible to use the faders to only send the effected signal in Protools? Because everything you've all suggested doesn't do that. Try it out yourselves and you'll see...
Send your audio track to a aux, put a fader on it, mute the aux, put the fader to pre and then increase the fader with an effect on the aux. Now, can you hear the effect AND the raw audio track?

[jeffro]

Your example is a bit confusing. Do you have your plug-ins on your Audio track or on each Aux track?

Are you trying to only have wet/processed signal (from the 3 Auxes), or do you also want the dry signal from the Audio track included?

A couple ways to go...

Bussing with Sends = The Sends control level to the Aux tracks/plug-ins, and the Aux track faders control the wet levels in the mix. Sends are pre-fader so you can adjust the dry (audio) track independently.

Bussing without Sends = Don't need any of your dry track (or will mix in some of the dry signal using your Aux track plugins)? Just sent the output of your Audio track to a bus and select that bus as input on your Aux tracks.

If that doesn't help please post screenshots of your Mix window and plugins so we can see your routing/settings, or give us a detailed signal flow description.