Hi everyone. Had a quick question about automating delays using send tracks. So basically, I was reading about how dub producers make shooting snare sounds etc by basically playing them live, i.e, using a send track with a delay effect on it and fading it in and out as needed. This got me wondering how I could automate this effect and use it on several tracks at the same time.
I thought I could do it by putting a send on each track I want to affect, sending them all to the same send track, using the keep source setting and then using a gainer on the send track (at the end of the chain) to mute it until needed. Then I could automate it to fade in and out again. This does work but unfortunately messes up the volumes of each track. (Since they are originally different volumes, one of them was -5db and one -2db) By sending them both to the same send track and using the gainer, they both end up at the same volume which clearly isn’t what I want.
Anyways, sorry if this is a bit rambling but hope I’ve explained what I’m trying to do. Any ideas as to how to fix the volume issue? Or do I have to have a separate send for every track and set up the same effects chain on each one? Many thanks
Not really sure I follow what the problem is. Put a send device on each track, keep source. Automate the send level as and when you want an echo or spring shot. A lot of old school dub producers used the track faders to bring instruments in so you could use a gainer before the track sends and learn to get good at judging the levels when you bring the faders up. Perhaps I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to do because I can’t figure out what you mean by the volumes getting messed up.
Sorry. Was afraid it wouldn’t be clear. Basically, I want to put the effect on multiple tracks at the same time. (A drum track and some pads) These are originally at different volumes. I’ve sent them both to the same send track, which has a looping echo effect on it, followed by a gainer. When I want the effect, which is at the end of a section, the pads and drums both stop at the same time and I bring up the gainer to add a looping echo to the end. Now I could be being stupid here, if so I apologise, but it was late last night when I was trying it. It seemed to me that when I brought up the gainer, it made both the pads and the drums the same volume, which meant that the pads were now too loud in the mix. Hope that’s a little clearer?
Another thought that maybe I haven’t made clear, I want the echo effect to come in right when the pads and the drums stop and so if I automated the send to kick in right after the pads and drums stop, I wouldn’t get the echo effect would I?
I know I could put the effect on multiple different send tracks and automate multiple different faders but I was hoping to keep it simple by just bringing up one fader (the gainer).
Ok, so it appears I was being a bit thick. In case anyone is wondering and wants to do something similar, the mistake I made was leaving the send volume at 0db.
So, complete chain is as follows… Each track that wants the delay effect (assuming it could be used with various other echo/reverb effects too if wanted) put a send on it (all routed to the same send track i.e send1), set to keep source and with the volume the same as the original track volume. Then on send1, put the looping echo delay then a gainer. Automate the gainer to be set to -inf until you want the effect, then automate it to open (in my case to 0db and fade out as necessary, or just let the delay do that for you,)
(Probably something most people already know but since it took me a while to work out what I did wrong, thought I’d share it)