Old school vs new school VCA vs Routed Folder

[midnightrambler]

Still waiting for a VCA folder, where the folder fader controls the faders within it. That'll be life changing.

[originalscottyg]

Originally Posted by midnightrambler

Still waiting for a VCA folder, where the folder fader controls the faders within it. That'll be life changing.

+1000000 This would be a game changer for my workflow.

[ejinbc]

Yo

I tried each of the methods - I work on relatively small mixes (24 tracks plus FX), but I find the Group Functions are great for managing levels (and others parameters like Pan and Sends) without the need for too many Aux tracks, and without the complications of VCAs. Even when using Aux tracks, Groups lets you optimize the sum of the tracks feeding the Aux.

Left click to adjust the level of any parameter across the Group, and right click to only adjust the level on the single track you are moving the control on.

Depending on how you configure the Group, this can work for many parameters. This keeps PT windows as simple as possible for me when mixing. YMMV.

ejinbc

[EGS]

Originally Posted by ejinbc

Yo

I tried each of the methods - I work on relatively small mixes (24 tracks plus FX), but I find the Group Functions are great for managing levels (and others parameters like Pan and Sends) without the need for too many Aux tracks, and without the complications of VCAs. Even when using Aux tracks, Groups lets you optimize the sum of the tracks feeding the Aux.

Left click to adjust the level of any parameter across the Group, and right click to only adjust the level on the single track you are moving the control on.

Depending on how you configure the Group, this can work for many parameters. This keeps PT windows as simple as possible for me when mixing. YMMV.

ejinbc

I use groups, too. And Aux's. K.I.S.S.

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by midnightrambler

Still waiting for a VCA folder, where the folder fader controls the faders within it. That'll be life changing.

That was my immediate thought when I tried to use folders the first time. I assumed it would work that way.

[EGS]

Originally Posted by midnightrambler

Still waiting for a VCA folder, where the folder fader controls the faders within it. That'll be life changing.

Groups do this...

[midnightrambler]

Originally Posted by EGS

Groups do this...

Yeah but a fader folder would be far more intuitive - move a track in to the folder, it gets automatically controlled, take it out, it gets removed - without the need to create any extra groups (or for that matter a VCA fader). I hate having excessive groups when mixing, I try to use as few as possible. I particularly hate having tracks that are members of different groups simultaneously. (This might just be me, I don't know. Sometimes I inherit Tools sessions with like 30+ groups and my heart just sinks.)

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by EGS

Aux subgroups for me. Easy old-school. Visual. Shared plugs. Works. KISS.

Definitely.
I used routing folders on a few pieces and initially it looked and worked good. However I've had to go back and re-visit said work and it just wasn't as good the second time around. Moved the tracks out of the folders and all is right in my world with all my old workflow back.


Interesting thing - in all of the YouTube videos I've seen where PT is used I have never seen folders used whether routing or regular folders. Except for any video demonstrating folders.

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by midnightrambler

Still waiting for a VCA folder, where the folder fader controls the faders within it. That'll be life changing.

If not life-changing then pretty great. I use VCA's a lot, and I'd see that as a big improvement on how they work now.

[K Roche]

Obviously it all depends on ones work flow
I can see having an option to control all the faders within a folder would be handy ....
But for me (no doubt because I record and mix only myself) all my user session templates already have the tracks within the folders set up as groups also.

So all I have to do to adjust the faders simultaneously ,,, is highlight the group, or unhighlight it for individual fader control (which seems to me logistically the same for VCA's) either way you have to select switch for individual or group control)