User guide

Using Sends and Busses
You can use sends to split an audio signal into two or more separate signals. A send taps
a track’s audio signal and routes it down a separate but parallel path. In Soundtrack Pro,
these separate paths are known as busses. (Some might call these auxiliary busses.) This
process is analogous to diverting a portion of a river to an alternate (but parallel) stream.
Busses are like alternate streams of audio. They can be processed or combined
independently of the “main river.” They can rejoin the main signal further “downstream,”
at the final mix, or they can be routed to altogether separate outputs.
Send
Track
Submix bus
Bus
1
Audio clip Effects Volume fader
By preparing these alternate versions and combinations of track audio signals, you give
yourself more options at the final mix stage, when all of your project’s media elements
and adjustments are in place.
For an example of adding effects with sends and busses, see Example: Adding Effects
with Sends and Busses.
For an example of combining track signals with busses, see Example: Combining Track
Signals with Sends and Busses.
Example: Adding Effects with Sends and Busses
The following example shows how you could add a reverb effect to a music track using
a bus. The main reason to apply effects this way (rather than directly on the track) is so
you can control the amount and characteristics of the effect (in this case, reverb) on
multiple tracks using one set of controls.
For more information on using sends and busses, see Using Sends and Busses.
To add a reverb effect to a music track using a bus
1 Create a new bus. (In this example, the new bus is named “MusicReverb.”)
2 Add a send to the music track.
For specific information about how to add sends to tracks and route them to busses, see
Adding Sends to Tracks.
3 Route the new send to the MusicReverb bus.
313Chapter 12 Basic Mixing in Soundtrack Pro