Reverb Return - TOO Quiet

Recording Techniques, People Skills, Gear, Recording Spaces, Computers, and DIY

Moderators: drumsound, tomb

Post Reply
User avatar
akg414
re-cappin' neve
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:44 am
Location: Easton, PA

Reverb Return - TOO Quiet

Post by akg414 » Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:30 am

Having some issues with my reverb returns in Pro Tools.

I have an audio track with some audio. I have an aux-return track with a D-verb or Reverb-One plugin loaded.

I have a the audio sending to a normal mono-bus. The bus is the input on the aux-return.

I hear very little reverb... Even when I slam the fader all the way up on the aux return track. Even when I slam the send level all the way up as well.

All routing is properly done. However, if I substitute the (plugin) for an IO into my Lexicon reverb or Alesis reverb, the sound level is normal and loud.

I'm using a MAC G4 MDD | Pro Tools Mix-Plus | (2) 888-24's | Pro Tools 6.4.1.

Any idea what the problem may be?
- Brad

chris harris
speech impediment
Posts: 4270
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2003 5:31 pm
Location: Norman, OK
Contact:

Post by chris harris » Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:31 am

How do you have the wet/dry setup on the effects, both for the plugs and the outboard?

You've got your plugin on an insert of your aux track? And, you're sending from your audio track via a send with the send level at unity? If you remove the plugin from the aux insert, does the meter show you getting a good healthy signal to the unprocessed aux track? Also check that the output of your aux track is assigned properly.

User avatar
akg414
re-cappin' neve
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:44 am
Location: Easton, PA

Post by akg414 » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:23 am

subatomic pieces wrote:How do you have the wet/dry setup on the effects, both for the plugs and the outboard?

You've got your plugin on an insert of your aux track? And, you're sending from your audio track via a send with the send level at unity? If you remove the plugin from the aux insert, does the meter show you getting a good healthy signal to the unprocessed aux track? Also check that the output of your aux track is assigned properly.
I tried the Wet/Dry mix all the way up to 100%. And yeah, the audio track is at unity (level of audio is about -16). The send level is at unity and the aux track is at unity as well. Audio is strong when I remove the plugin-insert.

Weird (and totally pissing me off ) :evil:
- Brad

vorian
gimme a little kick & snare
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:48 am
Location: AZ

Post by vorian » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:28 am

Are you for sure you're actually hearing reverb? If not did you maybe select analog 1 instead of bus one (or whatever number bus you happen to be using)? Or is the output of the aux incorrect?

User avatar
akg414
re-cappin' neve
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:44 am
Location: Easton, PA

Post by akg414 » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:47 am

vorian wrote:Are you for sure you're actually hearing reverb? If not did you maybe select analog 1 instead of bus one (or whatever number bus you happen to be using)? Or is the output of the aux incorrect?
Yeah, I hear a small amount of reverb and see the level-meters just barely moving. And again, I gotta slam all the levels up. When I switch over to an IO and route into a hardware reverb, my God - beautiful lush reverb.
- Brad

vorian
gimme a little kick & snare
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:48 am
Location: AZ

Post by vorian » Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:57 am

bradjacob wrote:
vorian wrote:Are you for sure you're actually hearing reverb? If not did you maybe select analog 1 instead of bus one (or whatever number bus you happen to be using)? Or is the output of the aux incorrect?
Yeah, I hear a small amount of reverb and see the level-meters just barely moving. And again, I gotta slam all the levels up. When I switch over to an IO and route into a hardware reverb, my God - beautiful lush reverb.
This doesn't solve your issue at all but why not use the outboard reverb? I don't think I've heard a plugin I like more than an SPX 90 or 900, not that those are the most amazing verbs ever.

Back to the PT thing.. very strange. There's not a trim automation somewhere is there?

drumsound
zen recordist
Posts: 7474
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2004 10:30 pm
Location: Bloomington IL
Contact:

Post by drumsound » Wed Apr 08, 2009 12:47 pm

Is there an input level on the plug-in like there would be on a hardware unit?

User avatar
akg414
re-cappin' neve
Posts: 689
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 7:44 am
Location: Easton, PA

Post by akg414 » Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:30 pm

Here's a weird twist. I created a new session - brand new.

Mac/PC compat
44.1
24 bit
+6

It worked fine.

Could it be that some of my other sessions were 48k? Could it be that they are +12 ?

Something fishy....
- Brad

User avatar
ott0bot
dead but not forgotten
Posts: 2023
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:54 pm
Location: Downtown Phoenix

Post by ott0bot » Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:55 pm

I use PT7 le and every once and while a the aux sends act strange. Usually I'll just delete the track and try it again. That has fixed it every time.

User avatar
Nick Sevilla
on a wing and a prayer
Posts: 5555
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
Contact:

Re: Reverb Return - TOO Quiet

Post by Nick Sevilla » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:08 am

bradjacob wrote:Having some issues with my reverb returns in Pro Tools.

I have an audio track with some audio. I have an aux-return track with a D-verb or Reverb-One plugin loaded.

I have a the audio sending to a normal mono-bus. The bus is the input on the aux-return.

I hear very little reverb... Even when I slam the fader all the way up on the aux return track. Even when I slam the send level all the way up as well.

All routing is properly done. However, if I substitute the (plugin) for an IO into my Lexicon reverb or Alesis reverb, the sound level is normal and loud.

I'm using a MAC G4 MDD | Pro Tools Mix-Plus | (2) 888-24's | Pro Tools 6.4.1.

Any idea what the problem may be?
Are you using PREFADER or POST FADER send?

That's where my buck is being bet...

Cheers
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

edisrud
audio school
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:48 pm

Post by edisrud » Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:59 pm

I'm running a TDM system with 3 cards and 3 888/24's and I just started having the same problem today. I've had my system for years and never had any problems. I use it every day too. On several tracks of a record I'm right in the middle of, I've I run the drums through an aux channel with a compressor. Suddenly today, anything I have bussed through an aux, whether it's a group or a parallel effect, is REALLY low. I have to pull up my drum mix by about 10db to get it near the right level. These are tracks that we've been working on for months, some of which are nearly mixed and everything is off now. I've never seen this before and nothing's changed with my setup. I've tried everything I can think of. Has anyone ever had issues like this? Any suggestions?

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 85 guests