Proper group/buss technique

[detroitkruk]

i can't seem to properly group/buss a set of channels together...

i'd like to group, for example, all the channels of a drum set...i'd like a single stereo fader to operate the overall level of the group....AND...when i solo that fader i'd like to hear all of the channels in that group...

i've made a buss with a master fader but when i solo the fader, it doesn't solo the damn channels that are sent to the fader...

please help...
detroitkruk

[Mr T]

Master Faders are... Master faders... They're not made for bussing. Aux Track are there for this purpose.
What you should do is:
-Create an Aux track (stereo) : input= bus1-2 (for example) / Output: whatever you need.
-Select all of the track you want to route to that bus (shift+click all of their names), option(alt)+shift+click one of the tracks output (while they're all still selected) and set the output to Bus 1-2 (this will set all of the selected tracks to the same output).
-Command (apple)+click the solo button of the Aux track (otherwise if you press the solo button of any of the tracks connected to that Aux, you won't hear a thing).
-While the stereo tracks are still selected, press Command+G, that will group all of the tracks (don't include your Aux track, it will play anyway since you've Command+clicked its solo button).
You're done.

(Hope that's clear in spite of the baaaad english).

[phanatik]

apple+G ... will group whatever selected tracks u have selected. make a master fader. select the drumkit outputs to the input of that masterfader named Drums.. then .. u have it.

but the master fader but if u solo any 1 of the drums they all are soloed.

[Mr T]

I repeat: the Master Fader shouldn't be used as a bus!! That's not what it's here for...

[RinnyTin]

i can't seem to properly group/buss a set of channels together...

i'd like to group, for example, all the channels of a drum set...i'd like a single stereo fader to operate the overall level of the group....AND...when i solo that fader i'd like to hear all of the channels in that group...

i've made a buss with a master fader but when i solo the fader, it doesn't solo the damn channels that are sent to the fader...

please help...
detroitkruk

Select the tracks you'd like to group by shift+clicking on the track names in the mix window. Apple+G to make a group. As long as the mix group is activated, move any fader to change the overall level of the drums, all other faders will move together. Click solo and the drums will solo. There's no reason to buss them to an aux fader unless you're looking to put a compressor across the whole kit or something, all you're doing is adding tracks and creating latency. An active group will give you all the functions you need.

[sphonemus]

There's no reason to buss them to an aux fader unless you're looking to put a compressor across the whole kit or something, all you're doing is adding tracks and creating latency.

unless of course you have any fx or aux sends set to post fader and you don't want to disturb your levels to said sends.

[JFreak]

i can't seem to properly group/buss a set of channels together...

it's easy if you THINK about how the signal flows. every audible track has an input (interface or file) and an output, and you can also insert something to the signal chain and send the signal away - but those two are another story.

so you have multiple tracks that you want to combine to "a group", as in analog consoles. first you make the group fader, which is called "aux track". then you set its input to some internal buss - say, 1&2 - and output to whatever master fader you are monitoring. then you look at the tracks you want to route to that buss, and set their outputs to the same buss your aux track listens to. now your tracks will not output the master fader anymore, but go to the aux track instead, and the aux track outputs to the master fader.

if you solo the group fader, i guess it actually mutes everything because it also mutes the single tracks that feed the aux you are soloing. i think you have to make a "mix group" to make it solo the entire buss. i have very little interest in soloing this way, so i have to make educated guess for you here but i think that this could be done with mix groups.

---

master faders are meant to be used for output interfaces. in other words, to interfaces that send the signal outside your protools box for monitoring etc. purposes. never use master fader to anything else than to control a physical output interface of your system, as the insert points are POST-fader and behave differently than track inserts. you have to understand this.

[detroitkruk]

awesome! thanks for the help guys!....

detroitkruk