How do you uses buses/submixes?

[tape7500]

Looking for ideas and tricks pertaining to buses/submixes, anything from what you group together to treatment of these buses like Parallel Compression, EQ, FX etc.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

If I'm working on tape (4 or 16 track at home) or have more sources/mics than computer inputs I'll bus multiple things to one track. On the 4 track that might mean all the drum mics plus a drum machine or whatever else, on a regular studio session it might be multiple kick or snare mics or bass mic & DI bussed to one track. If the kit is going to be mono I'll often pre-mix and bus all the tom mics to one track.

When I'm mixing I'll use the busses for parallel compression. Kick and snare usually get bussed to a Sta-level and brought up on another fader, all the drums mics will get bussed to something like a compex or Micro-limiter and brought up on another fader.

I'll also use them as a master fader for strings or horns or backing vocals or anything where you have multiple mics that you'd like to add common processing to (like a stereo comp) or ride the levels on.

I'll also sometimes use the busses to output stem mixes.

[tjcasey1]

I work in the box exclusively, so running out of inputs on the mixer is never a problem for me. However, I use busses feeding submixes to group the drums together into one kit so I can adjust the overall level of the drums without messing the balance between the separate drums. It's easy to then put a compressor/limiter on the whole kit.

I also use busses feeding submixes to gather up all the background vocals for the same reason. It's easy to then EQ or otherwise add an effect to all the backing vocals as a group.

I've occasionally done the same when there's a lot of guitars or keys, but not very often.

I used to actually bounce the drums to a new stereo audio track for the same reason, and also to lighten the CPU load, but I haven't needed to do that for years now.

[tape7500]

If I'm working on tape (4 or 16 track at home) or have more sources/mics than computer inputs I'll bus multiple things to one track. On the 4 track that might mean all the drum mics plus a drum machine or whatever else, on a regular studio session it might be multiple kick or snare mics or bass mic & DI bussed to one track. If the kit is going to be mono I'll often pre-mix and bus all the tom mics to one track.

When I'm mixing I'll use the busses for parallel compression. Kick and snare usually get bussed to a Sta-level and brought up on another fader, all the drums mics will get bussed to something like a compex or Micro-limiter and brought up on another fader.

I'll also use them as a master fader for strings or horns or backing vocals or anything where you have multiple mics that you'd like to add common processing to (like a stereo comp) or ride the levels on.

I'll also sometimes use the busses to output stem mixes.

Makes sense to separate the kick and snare from the rest of the kit. Do you ride or mute/unmute the parallel compression faders during the mix?

[tape7500]

I used to actually bounce the drums to a new stereo audio track for the same reason, and also to lighten the CPU load, but I haven't needed to do that for years now.

Yes, so much easier now that we have powerful computers.

[drumsound]

I always set up a drum parallel bus, ITB or on the console. As for outputs form the computer, I usually have the backing vocals coming out to a stereo pair, Overheads and Rooms often come out to the same pair. Effects to a pair, possibly guitars to one pair, but the solo to its own fader for different effects/treatments. Lead vocal, if on separate tracks for verses and choruses will end up on one channel of the console.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Makes sense to separate the kick and snare from the rest of the kit. Do you ride or mute/unmute the parallel compression faders during the mix?

Kick & snare as well as the rest of the kit mics get their own fader. Kick & snare then get bussed together to a comp and brought back on another fader and snuck in under the rest of the kit. I don't usually mute/unmute or ride the levels on the parallel comp. It's there to add weight so I usually set it and forget it.

[tape7500]

Thanks everyone, some good information here.