How to "Bus" effects in Pro Tools

cwrite

New member
Could anyone offer me a breif explanation on how to bus an effect in Pro Tools?? I'm trying to save CPU by running all my vocal tracks into the same reverb instead of applying that reverb to each track. I was able to accomplish this in Cool Edit but I cant seem to figure it out in Pro Tools. I'm getting familiar with program so I'm pretty sure all I need are some basic "where to go" instructions and hopefully I'll be fine.
 
The easiest way that I know to do it is create an stereo AUX channel, load whatever Effect you into the insert then, in the audio input of that channel, select any unsed bus, lets just use bus 1; then set your output to whatever your output is set to. On the audio channel, all you have to do is set your send to the corresponding bus (which is bus 1), now you have your effect sent to that channel. Thats all!
 
Thanks

After this whole time now I know how to do it... its been like 3 yrs.
 
this something i have nver tried in cubase now i feel like an idiot ........before i drive myself made ....does aNy one know how to bus effects in cubase
 
One of the reason's I will never leave ProTools is how easy the bussing and mixing features are.


yeah man pro tools is great i love pt 8. I might be at a crossroad once propellersheads record drops on 9.9.09.
 
using an aux is all good for stuff like compression, gating, eq, etc... but for any time based effects such as reverb and delay, they should be sent using the sends on the PT channel strip. Here's a quick run through of how to do so:

- Create an Aux track and set the input of the channel to a bus
- Throw the reverb/delay plugin you want to use on this aux track and make sure to have the MIX setting of the plugin all the way to 100
- On the tracks you want reverb/delay on go to the sends and select the bus you picked as the input of the aux track
- Make sure the send to the Aux track is in "Pre" mode (should be a little P button)
- Throw the sends volume all the way up to 0dB and adjust to taste

Doing reverb/delay in this way will allow more control over the reverb compared to throwing the reverb on a aux strip. With the sends, you can select how much reverb you want each track to have by adjusting the levels of the sends. This will save CPU as well because you can send as many tracks into the same reverb as you want. Give it a try, and let me know if you need anything clarified!
 
using an aux is all good for stuff like compression, gating, eq, etc... but for any time based effects such as reverb and delay, they should be sent using the sends on the PT channel strip. Here's a quick run through of how to do so:

- Create an Aux track and set the input of the channel to a bus
- Throw the reverb/delay plugin you want to use on this aux track and make sure to have the MIX setting of the plugin all the way to 100
- On the tracks you want reverb/delay on go to the sends and select the bus you picked as the input of the aux track
- Make sure the send to the Aux track is in "Pre" mode (should be a little P button)
- Throw the sends volume all the way up to 0dB and adjust to taste

Doing reverb/delay in this way will allow more control over the reverb compared to throwing the reverb on a aux strip. With the sends, you can select how much reverb you want each track to have by adjusting the levels of the sends. This will save CPU as well because you can send as many tracks into the same reverb as you want. Give it a try, and let me know if you need anything clarified!

That is always not true. Sometimes I want different reverbs for different tracks. And since I don't use reverb on every track I have no problems with cpu power used by 50 reverbs. Also I don't bus my tracks unless I need to. Why would I load up an Aux just for adding fx when I can throw them on the audio channel? Sends are cool, but not always called for, so don't tell people that your way is the right way to do it.
 
That is always not true. Sometimes I want different reverbs for different tracks. And since I don't use reverb on every track I have no problems with cpu power used by 50 reverbs. Also I don't bus my tracks unless I need to. Why would I load up an Aux just for adding fx when I can throw them on the audio channel? Sends are cool, but not always called for, so don't tell people that your way is the right way to do it.

Point noted, i didnt mean to say that this is the RIGHT way...but its the conventional way of applying reverb. This is the way i learned how to use reverb on an ssl and its how its just become habit to use this same method in PT or any other daw.
 
Pro tools seems so different than logic in terms of busses. When i want to send something click on a send pot and choose a bus. then logic will automatically create an aux with the input of that bus. I read somewhere that the term bus and aux are used differently in logic than in pro tools..
 
cwrite...

If you go to my thread "Pro Tools help for free!!!" in this section, I answer that specific question in one of my posts (if you already haven't figured it out). If you check it out and still have questions about it, I'd be more than happy to clear anything up for you. Good luck
 
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