OFFICIAL SITE RELEASE DATE: Christmas Day (December 25th)
Signal Flow
What is signal flow you ask? It is simply the flow of signal inside of Pro Tools. It's basically the word for how sound gets around Pro Tools.
BUSSes and Interface Outputs - Everything you hear coming out of Pro Tools runs through one of these Audio "Roadways".
BUSSes and Interface Outputs - Everything you hear coming out of Pro Tools runs through one of these Audio "Roadways".
Busses
What is a BUSS? In addition to the Outputs on your audio interface, Pro Tools offers us BUSSes which are literately roadways inside of Pro Tools that we can run audio on to get it to another place.
-You can send a track's output to a BUSS directly, by selecting the buss from the BUSS menu in the Output drop down in the Track I/O section.
-You can send [a copy of] the track's signal to a BUSS be clicking on one of the sends slots on the track and adjusting the volume.
Master Tracks, also, can control BUSSes in addition to Interface Outputs (See "Track Sends section" on the Mix Window page).
*Remember that a BUSS is just a road to nowhere until you tell it where to go (unlike an Interface output, where the signal always goes to an output on the interface). There are a few different places that BUSSes can end up. Usually they are selected as an AUX track's input, that way all the tracks and sends getting on the BUSS will all end up and the end of the road in that AUX track. Another place they are found is in compressor side-chains.
There are Mono and Stereo BUSSes. A stere BUSS consists of two mono BUSSes (one for the left side and the right side).
To manage busses, go to "Setup" (in the top menu bar) then to "I/O". Click on "Bus". Here you can see all the BUSSes, their names, their stereo/mono format, and if they route to an Interface output.
It is posible to change the names of the BUSSes. Simply right-click on a slot where a bus is selected (either in the sends section or in the track I/O section). Here you will be given a menu where you can re-name the BUSS. You can manage this in the I/O menu discussed in the previous paragraph.
-You can send a track's output to a BUSS directly, by selecting the buss from the BUSS menu in the Output drop down in the Track I/O section.
-You can send [a copy of] the track's signal to a BUSS be clicking on one of the sends slots on the track and adjusting the volume.
Master Tracks, also, can control BUSSes in addition to Interface Outputs (See "Track Sends section" on the Mix Window page).
*Remember that a BUSS is just a road to nowhere until you tell it where to go (unlike an Interface output, where the signal always goes to an output on the interface). There are a few different places that BUSSes can end up. Usually they are selected as an AUX track's input, that way all the tracks and sends getting on the BUSS will all end up and the end of the road in that AUX track. Another place they are found is in compressor side-chains.
There are Mono and Stereo BUSSes. A stere BUSS consists of two mono BUSSes (one for the left side and the right side).
To manage busses, go to "Setup" (in the top menu bar) then to "I/O". Click on "Bus". Here you can see all the BUSSes, their names, their stereo/mono format, and if they route to an Interface output.
It is posible to change the names of the BUSSes. Simply right-click on a slot where a bus is selected (either in the sends section or in the track I/O section). Here you will be given a menu where you can re-name the BUSS. You can manage this in the I/O menu discussed in the previous paragraph.
Interface Outputs
In addition to the BUSS menu, you can also select to send the signal directly to an Output on the Interface.
Like busses, Tracks can be sent to a Interface Output directly by selecting the Output in the I/O section of the Track. Also a you can send [a copy of] the track's signal using one of the Sends on the Track (See "Track Sends section" on the Mix Window page).
Master Tracks can control Interface Outputs.
Commonly, an Interface Output is connected to Monitor Speakers or Headphones
Like busses, Tracks can be sent to a Interface Output directly by selecting the Output in the I/O section of the Track. Also a you can send [a copy of] the track's signal using one of the Sends on the Track (See "Track Sends section" on the Mix Window page).
Master Tracks can control Interface Outputs.
Commonly, an Interface Output is connected to Monitor Speakers or Headphones
How Will These Two Work Together In My Sessions?
Well obviously, you need to use an Interface Output to get the audio out of the session for you to hear. You may also use another Interface output to setup a headphone output for a performer(s).
You may use BUSSes to send signals to and AUX track with a reverb or delay,
Or you could use a BUSS to rout all the drum Tracks to a single AUX track, for easier control.
You may use BUSSes to send signals to and AUX track with a reverb or delay,
Or you could use a BUSS to rout all the drum Tracks to a single AUX track, for easier control.