Not really understanding busses (Solved Thank You Much)

Tracks are SENT output to buses, buses are not inserted into a track. So I think you can send a track to only one bus at a time, but that bus can be sent to another bus.

If you want a reverb, a comp or whatever on a track you can 'insert' each of those FX into the effect bin of the track OR route your track to a bus, then insert those effects there.

To answer your question directly, you would send several TRACKS to a BUS.  If you wanted to put a reverb and a comp and a whatever on the bus, you could just insert all three into the bus channel effect.  VOILÁ.  And Larry is right, you can keep sending buses to buses like a mirror fun house.

As to why, it goes back to analog days.  We usually only had one or two good reverbs, a a few expensive comps and such.  Use a send to shunt off some of the track to a bus that went out and back in to the board.  You could put good reverb on a bunch of separate tracks that  way, and control the amount of reverb on them.  If you didn't have an SSL or other console with comps on each channel you could put your nice stereo compressor on the drum bus - hence the idea of "glue" engineers talk about.

So, track effects for single instruments is doable w/ digital, but you can still add bus effects to affect the entire kit - backing vox, drums, guitars, etc. to give them a similiar sound (and use more processor intense algorithms just like in the analog days).  Like all thingsmusical, just because you can do it doesn't mean you should.  You should only use a bus if you have a reason to - which is to combine different tracks so you can control their overall volume easily or need to add an effect for them all.

http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/reader.aspx/2007013219

drumr


http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/reader.aspx/2007013219

Great link drumr

HumbleNoise

drumr


http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/reader.aspx/2007013219

Great link drumr

problem is, this link is not X1

A simple way to understand busses are to think of them not unlike actual bus vehicles ....
 
Let's say you have a GROUP of people you want to deliver to some place.  You put them in a BUS and SEND them on their way.
 
So, as Larry pointed out, if you have a few tracks for which you want to add reverb, for example -- it's better to send those tracks to a BUS and put the reverb FX on the Bus itself. 
 
This is done by creating SENDS on each track TO the BUS that will house the reverb FX.
 
Also - if you want to control a group of tracks collectively to adjust volume, set the outputs of those tracks to a BUS, then adjust the BUS volume which will affect the level of all the tracks going TO that bus.
 
Another example is simply for having greater control over sections of the band/orchestra.   As an example, you might create a Rythmn section bus, a string section bus, etc.
 
Now, as to the tracks themselves ...   if you are using the BUS for effects, then you would want to create SENDS from each track (as stated above) so that you can control HOW MUCH signal from each track goes to that BUS.  Sends allow you to do that.
 
However, another approach is to simply set the output of the track(s) directly to a BUS.   This is primarily done as a "group" control (the example above of controlling the overall composite level, like "string section" for example).
 
In Summary: 
- Tracks can be sent to ONE OUTPUT but can have many SENDS to a bus or busses.
 
- Use SENDS to a BUS when you want to add FX to a group of tracks collectively (like reverb).   This way you only have to insert one reverb on the bus as opposed to inserting reverbs on each track  (that would use up more CPU cycles).    You can control the amount of signal (level) going to each send at the track level.
 
Using the above method is also often referred to as AUX(iliary) Sends. 
 
- Use BUS OUPTPUT from tracks (ie, set the OUPUT of the track/s to the BUS directly) to group them as as section (like "strings" or "band", etc).  You can still add FX to any bus directly via its FX bin, of course.    When tracks are directly assigned to a BUS as the track output, the track fader determines its level going to the bus.
 
A BUS may be sent to another BUS,  or output to another bus, btw.
 
But the final BUS destination is generally sent to the Master BUS (where all signals flow).
 
An important thing to remember/know is that:
 SENDS sends a COPY of the signal.
 SENDS can be PRE (fader) or POST (fader).   Pre Fader means the track fader will NOT affect the level of the SEND.   Post fader means if you change the fader of the track it will affect the level of the SEND.
Pre-fader setting is useful for "sending" different cue mixes to headphones, as one example.
 OUTPUT sends the signal itself directly to the BUS.
 
There are other ways to use busses, but that's the general overview.
 
Hope that helps a bit.
 
 
 

HumbleNoise


There's a little plus button that will add a new send, and a little down arrow to cycle through your active sends. In the inspector down at the bottom there's a 'display' button and it will show up to 2 sends. I don't see that option in the Console view. But I think the answer to your question might be that little plus button and down arrow.

thank you, this is it.
Peace

HumbleNoise


nice Billy

Thanks.  I just edited the post to add more info as well.
 

MINDCRIME

HumbleNoise

drumr


http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/kb/reader.aspx/2007013219

Great link drumr

 

How is it different?

They are different, in Ver 8 the buses would all show up on the track pane just by right click add bus. now in X1 they stay hidden and can be accessed by a drop down window, I did not realize this so every time I tried to add another bus I was wrongly overriding the previous bus and had no idea that the + button was the correct way of adding a bus. Ver, 8 was more my speed for what its worth, I could see all my buses at once. It's no big deal really a minor change from earlier to now.
Thanks for the help anyway

Eh? Is this in the Track View? Apart from the colours I see little difference. I can see all of my sends and insert one in the same way, right click and choose "Insert Send"

Glad you got it worked out.