Instruction Manual

611
Using Real-Time Effects
Mixing
Using Real-Time Effects
In the Console view and Track view, you can use plug-in effects non-
destructively, in real time (to apply effects offline, see Applying Audio
Effects). You can also hear your plug-in effects in real time on any live
instruments you are recording—just make sure Input Monitoring is enabled
(see Input Monitoring). You can also insert effects directly on clips (see
Effects on Clips).
For example, suppose you want to add a reverb effect to an audio track
containing a recorded violin solo. You could do it in two different ways:
• Destructive—The digital audio data itself is modified. Although this may
be exactly what you want, it does limit your options. If you want to
modify the effect parameters slightly or to remove the effect and try a
different effect, you must use the Undo command, or revert to a saved
copy of the original data.
• Non-destructive (real-time)—The digital audio data in your track is not
changed but simply altered on the fly during playback. This means you
can experiment with effects parameters, bypass effects, or remove
them entirely at any time. Since most effects require complex numeric
calculations, real-time effects processing puts a heavy load on your
computer’s CPU. If you use too many effects, the CPU will not be able
to keep up and playback will sound choppy and disconnected.
You can also apply real-time audio effects to a submix in a bus. For
example, rather than patching separate reverb effects in each of several
guitar tracks, you can mix the guitar tracks together in a bus and apply a
single reverb effect to the submix. This makes much more efficient use of
CPU time. Patching effects on a bus also opens up new creative
possibilities.
There are several reasons why you might want to apply effects offline
(destructively):
• If you want to apply more effects than your CPU can handle, applying
some of the effects offline will reduce CPU usage during playback.
• If you want to apply effects to an individual audio clip, rather than the
whole track, it is simpler to do so using offline effects.
The File-Export-Audio command, allows you to apply real-time effects
when you export, so you do not need to apply your effects destructively or
use the Edit-Bounce to Track(s) command to prepare the tracks
beforehand. For information about exporting audio, see Preparing Audio for
Distribution.