Hi All,
This question of mine doesn't fit into any of the other categories, so I hope it's ok if I post it here.
I have a couple of synths and two FX loops. I typically like to route the synths (individually) through the FX loops, and in order to do so I just plug the synth I want into the loop I need and it works. So far so good.
However, I'm wondering if there is a way to avoid plugging/unplugging everything every time. What I was looking for is a sort of "mixer" with an Audio IN, then a FX Insert loop (with a knob to adjust the amount of signal to be sent to the FX board) and an Audio OUT for the wet signal. I know several mixers have this capability (a.k.a. the Insert loop, but correct me if I'm wrong), however the mixers by definition will mix everything up, while I'd like to keep the channels separated. All the channels then will be individually routed to my multichannel I/O interface.
In other words, I'm looking for something like the sketch here below, but possibly with more that one channel.
Does anything like this exists? What would be its name, in case?
Thanks, Luca
Audio / FX mixing - what to look for?
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- KVRAF
- 8705 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
Sounds like you're describing aux FX. Yeah, you can use inserts for FX, but by far the more common way is to use aux send/return for FX on mixers. Most mixers will have these. You put your synth into a mix channel, and you plug your FX unit into the aux channel (the send is the FX unit input, the return is the FX unit output) a really common way is mono send but stereo return. Depending on the mixer though, many will have stereo send and stereo return possible.
On the synth's mixer channel you can dial in as much send to the FX as you want, and there will be a return output control (might be a knob or it might be faders). Either way, the FX are on their own channels and the synths are on their own too. It all mixes together at the master output and you connect from mixer to I/O interface whichever way the mixer lets you.
Even budget small mixers will have at least one aux FX loop, usually 2 or even more. Mid size mixers you'd expect at least 4 aux send/returns. Big mixers let you do far more flexible stuff such as return the FX to proper mixer channels, or inline channels or even on groups if you choose. Not expensive. You can pick up, say a Behringer for a couple of hundred or even less.
EDIT: thought I'd better mention aux is short for auxiliary, but everyone calls them aux though. Aux or Aux sends or Aux send/return or Aux channels. DAWs all have them too. On your DAW there will be inserts and sends for each mixer channel. The sends are exactly this. Most DAWs will have the aux returns set up to look like standard mixer channels. You can do loads more with sends, but the basic is for FX loops.
On the synth's mixer channel you can dial in as much send to the FX as you want, and there will be a return output control (might be a knob or it might be faders). Either way, the FX are on their own channels and the synths are on their own too. It all mixes together at the master output and you connect from mixer to I/O interface whichever way the mixer lets you.
Even budget small mixers will have at least one aux FX loop, usually 2 or even more. Mid size mixers you'd expect at least 4 aux send/returns. Big mixers let you do far more flexible stuff such as return the FX to proper mixer channels, or inline channels or even on groups if you choose. Not expensive. You can pick up, say a Behringer for a couple of hundred or even less.
EDIT: thought I'd better mention aux is short for auxiliary, but everyone calls them aux though. Aux or Aux sends or Aux send/return or Aux channels. DAWs all have them too. On your DAW there will be inserts and sends for each mixer channel. The sends are exactly this. Most DAWs will have the aux returns set up to look like standard mixer channels. You can do loads more with sends, but the basic is for FX loops.
Last edited by kritikon on Sun Sep 04, 2022 2:17 am, edited 2 times in total.
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- KVRAF
- 8705 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
Here's some tips on using aux channels:
And the page link:
https://virtuosocentral.com/mixer-aux-send/
And the page link:
https://virtuosocentral.com/mixer-aux-send/
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- KVRAF
- 8705 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
This one's just over $NZ 200 - cheap as chips. Only has 1 aux send/return but you get the idea. Slightly larger mixers with 2 aux don't cost that much more.
This one has 2 aux channels and is a bit more like a traditional mixer format. $NZ 375. I'd be amzed if you can't get them a lot cheaper depending on where you live. NZ is traditionally very expensive for this stuff:
The red and orange knobs are the aux FX. On the right hand side will be the aux send level and aux return level. On the mixer channels the red and orange knobs let you control how much signal from that channel goes to the FX 1 and 2.
This one has 2 aux channels and is a bit more like a traditional mixer format. $NZ 375. I'd be amzed if you can't get them a lot cheaper depending on where you live. NZ is traditionally very expensive for this stuff:
The red and orange knobs are the aux FX. On the right hand side will be the aux send level and aux return level. On the mixer channels the red and orange knobs let you control how much signal from that channel goes to the FX 1 and 2.