Multiple mix busses

[Heabow]

Hi!

I was thinking about the use of multiple mix busses to improve the dynamic of the entire mix. Say you have drums tracks with some aux tracks (for the kick, snare, tom tracks whatever) which are sent to a DRUM BUS, then 2 or more bass tracks sent to an BASS BUS and 4 guitar tracks also sent to a GTR BUS then vocal tracks sent to a VOX BUS. Ok, pretty common. But until now I was sending all these busses to the main mix buss. I will experiment to create some "blend busses" if that makes sense to send say BASS and GTR BUSSES and apply some minor processing to glue them in a better way. This way, I could make some element pump without affecting the vocals for example. Dunno if I'm clear but do some of you usually do that? Is this a common way of mixing? Or maybe I'm overthinking... Anyway will try!

 

[wishtheend]

As long as it makes your stuff sound better, do it. No right or wrong. Personally I use a shitton of busses. For example in drums, I may have at least 12 drum mics tracks with things like kickx2, snarex2, tomsx4, ohx2, hats, ride and then I'll send each group to a buss: kick, snare, toms, ohs which are then routed to an overall drums buss (also routed to a parallel comp). I've even heard of people grouping instruments on a buss before the final master buss to do some ducking with the vocal buss for clarity.

 

[Studdy]

I always have an ALL DRUMS, ALL MUSIC BUS, ALL VOCALS BUS, ALL FX BUS. Fed by all the other busses (vocals, gtrs, bass, drums, etc.) All feeding a SUBMASTER BUS that feeds the master bus.

So yes I guess I do this. Cheers.

 

[HOFX]

Other than the obvious, I usually do this:

- Bass Buss --> Bass Drum Buss --> Master Buss
- Drum Buss --> Bass Drum Buss --> Master Buss

Bass Buss has level control, HPF, maybe a presence boost.
Drum Buss has FG-Grey, maybe HPF, high shelf boost, 200 Hz cut?

Bass Drum Buss may have:
ReaXComp (for just low end tightening)
FG-Grey again, but for gluing drums and bass together - have to be careful, because if the drums go through too many compression stages before they reach the speakers, they can sound fatiguenly poppy. May have another VTM/VCC-Buss instance here, depending if I'm going for clean and clicky or thick and dirty.

 

[amarshism]

I mix into parallel mix busses itb and otb.