FL Send Mixing

[Debutante]

...here's a pretty elementary question: in FL, what is the difference between using a send insert plugin in a mixer channel and turning the small send knob in mixer, aside from the available option of panning given by the plugin?

[Lazarus Machine]

I assume you're talking about the four small knobs that are present on the right hand side of the regular effect channels and absent on the Send effect channels? Those that are marked "1", "2", "3" & "4"?

As per my own experience with FL, i think they are to control how much a particular generator/VST's output gets "affected" by the Send effect. For instance, you might add a delay on Send effect 1 and then route say, a synth through Effect channel 1.

Now if you turn the knob marked "1" all way to the right in effect channel 1, then the synth being routed through it will be "affected" most by that Send delay [meaning the delay efffect will be very pronounced]. If you turn the knob only halfway, it'll be "affected" less.

I guess this is to facilitate the use of global effects. But it definitely cuts down CPU usage too.

By the way, the way you frame your question, it seems you already knew the answer. What is this? A pop quiz?

[Debutante]

...I know about the amount of send using the little knobs...I was wondering how it was any different from using the send plugin...and if you use both, are you getting twice the send?...?

[rbet]

I never figured out why the seperate send plugin was there for...

[dasdeck]

I never figured out why the seperate send plugin was there for...

its there to send before an effect, so you can send before compressing for eqample, or fisrt sent to a verb. and tehn delay the signal. You can often switch between pre and post fx send, this is fruity's way to handle this. the verb would be before the dry signal then. try it!

D3CK

[Jbravo]

I think the send plugin is for using in the middle of an fx chain, that way you don't have to send the whole of the channel to that effect.... if that makes sense

[Debutante]

...makes sense...

[Lazarus Machine]

My mistake.

That ole Send plugin? Although i don't know if that's how it's supposed to be used, but i use it to send the output of a VST to be processed by the send effects BEFORE i put other effects in its own mixer channel. then i can use other effects on the mixer channel after the output has already been processed by the Send FX. I think it is there to selectively apply Send effects to an individual VST output at any point during your mixing.

[arke]

Once something is routed to a send track, though, it doesn't "return", but goes directly to the master out. So if you send some track to a delay and reverb at the same time the delays won't have the reverb effect and vice versa because they're separate. Similarly, if you send in the middle of the mixing chain you get two voices, one with only the send effect and one with only the effects added after the send.

[Debutante]

Once something is routed to a send track, though, it doesn't "return", but goes directly to the master out. So if you send some track to a delay and reverb at the same time the delays won't have the reverb effect and vice versa because they're separate. Similarly, if you send in the middle of the mixing chain you get two voices, one with only the send effect and one with only the effects added after the send.

Okay...that is where my confusion lay, because I know that sends cannot be routed to any other tracks, so I was unsure as to just how the return chain worked if you used a send in the middle of a chain. It sounded to me as though the send plugin put an end to the effect chain. I'm going to look into this again. Thanks for this bit, by the way. I don't think the manual explained the send plugiin so thoroughly.

[Lazarus Machine]

Now I’m confused. Are you saying that once you’ve used the Send effect in a mixing chain, [say to send the signal to Send effect 1] you can’t use the little knobs to send the signal to a second Send channel? Is that how it works? But i do it all the time and it seems to work...

[rbet]

if it seems to work, it works

[Debutante]

You can use the multiple sends on the same channel, but just as someone mentioned earlier, if you apply an effect AFTER the send, this effect will not act on what is in the send channel...E.G.

I used a hihat to see this work properly:

I loaded the hihat in mixer channel 1, along with a send plugin set to send 1...
...then I loaded a simple distortion in send 1. At this point it is very easy to see how the send plugin works and allows you to use pan and volume controls of the send effect independantly of the dry volume. Simple enough...
Now following the send plugin in channel 1, I loaded a reverb. The reverb does NOT act on the distortion from the send, and what you have is two distinct signals. Mr arke had it right the whole time.

So basically the send plugin is there to give you the option of affecting your input in two different ways in the same channel without having a cumulative effect.

[Lazarus Machine]

Kindly help me get this right.

Let's say, i put a delay in Send FX 1 and a Reverb in Send FX 2 and then use the Send plugin to route a signal to Send FX 1. After this Send plugin insert, i tweak the knob [on the right] to send the signal to Send Fx 2. Now the signal which has delay added to it [thanks to Send Fx 1] will NOT have the reverb from Send FX 2? Is that it?

I'm this curious because i have limited CPU resources and these Send effects let avoid the typical stuttering and other lapses that RAM-hungry VSTs and FX cause.

cheers!

[arke]

if you route to two send effects at the same time, they both apply their effects onto the dry version, so that you get two sounds with two effects, but not a combination of both.