You will read this question and sigh, just a warning

[jackson park]

Now that you've read the disclaimer, I have some really beginner questions that I need clearing up.

What do you guys mean when you say "mix buss" or "2 buss"?

I think the mix buss means the whole mix, all tracks together, right? Is is generally referring to L/R stereo? Am I even in the ballpark?

I sincerely tried searching but searching for mix buss is hopeless and googling definition mix buss led me nowhere too.

I appreciate the help fully.

[Professor]

A buss (or bus) is something everyone jumps on to get to the same destination.
On mixing consoles you'll see at least a main stereo buss, which is the main L&R output into which each channel feeds.
On bigger consoles you may see any number of extra busses, usually just numbered, 1-4, maybe 1-8, maybe as many as 1-24 or more. Those busses can also be routed onto the main stereo L&R buss, or they can be used independently. Maybe in a recording studio during mixdown, the engineer will choose to 'buss' the 10 or 12 drum tracks to a stereo pair, like busses 1&2 before going on to the main L&R buss. He might do that to process those tracks as a whole with EQ, compression, etc. or maybe just to have a single 'master fader' so he doesn't have to move all those individual channels up and down and potentially lose the balance between them. An engineer might do that for instruments and voices too, like perhaps all the drums to 1&2, all the other rhythm instruments to 3&4, all the lead instruments to 5&6, and all the vocals to 7&8, for precisely the same reasons. In live sound, an engineer might do precisely the same thing, or maybe he will buss all his channels identically to L&R, 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, etc. so he can use the main L&R fader for his primary speakers, bus 1&2 for the delay stacks, 3&4 for the balcony, or whatever the setup might be. In surround sound mixing, we need more than just a L&R main stereo buss, and so we use 6 busses for L, R, Ls, Rs, C, & Sub without routing any of those to the L&R buss.
In computers, you might have any number of virtual busses that are used as either "auxilliary busses" which are like the "aux sends" on an analog console (used for effects, monitors, etc.) or they can be used as mixing busses similar to the numbered busses on the console or the main stereo bus.

And so when you're seeing terms like "mix buss" or "2-buss" or whatever, the folks are usually talking about the main, final, stereo L&R output. Sometimes they might mean any pair of busses, like if they're talking about sending all the drums to 1&2, putting a buss compressor there, then sending it into the main buss, but in general we're just using all those terms somewhat interchangeably.

-Jeremy

[wedge]

A buss (or bus) is something everyone jumps on to get to the same destination.

That one sentence just cleared away years of conceptual confusion for me. Now I *see* signal flow in a mixer, which always used to be quite hard for me...

Thanks!

[E-money]

3 favorite buss lyrics:

"Hop on the buss gus you don't need to discuss much,"
Paul simon

"Hey buss driver, keep the change, bless your children give them names"
Springsteen

"Buss Stop bus goes she stays love grows under my umbrella"
The Hollies

I know that has very little to do the question.

[wedge]

I know that has very little to do the question.

Or does it?!?

[johnmarkpainter]

Give me a HO if you've got your funky bus fare... HO

There's a double dutch bus comin' down the street

[Professor]

A buss (or bus) is something everyone jumps on to get to the same destination.

That one sentence just cleared away years of conceptual confusion for me. Now I *see* signal flow in a mixer, which always used to be quite hard for me...
Thanks!

Always a pleasure to be of service, especially when it's one of my favorite simple analogies. All those little audio signals hop on the bus at their local stop and ride it together to the station downtown. The only catch is that nobody gets off until they all make it to the end of the line.

-Jeremy

[JGriffin]

A buss (or bus) is something everyone jumps on to get to the same destination.

That one sentence just cleared away years of conceptual confusion for me. Now I *see* signal flow in a mixer, which always used to be quite hard for me...

Thanks!

the mnemonic in college was "you take the buss to get to the track."

[kayagum]

3 favorite buss lyrics:

"Hop on the buss gus you don't need to discuss much,"
Paul simon

"Hey buss driver, keep the change, bless your children give them names"
Springsteen

"Buss Stop bus goes she stays love grows under my umbrella"
The Hollies

I know that has very little to do the question.

Don't forget the Magic Bus!

[jackson park]

Thank you prof. You are a diamond fountain of clear and concise explanations.

[drumsound]

3 favorite buss lyrics:

"Hop on the buss gus you don't need to discuss much,"
Paul simon

"Hey buss driver, keep the change, bless your children give them names"
Springsteen

"Buss Stop bus goes she stays love grows under my umbrella"
The Hollies

I know that has very little to do the question.

What about
"No need to fuss just get on the Bus!" from Zappa?

[drumsound]

A buss (or bus) is something everyone jumps on to get to the same destination.

That one sentence just cleared away years of conceptual confusion for me. Now I *see* signal flow in a mixer, which always used to be quite hard for me...

Thanks!

Signal flow is a HUGE part of what we do. When I got my first engineering job I sat with the mixer manual so I could really understand it, even before I started working. I drew diagrams so I could really get inside it.

I encourage interns and beginners to do the same.

[Mark Alan Miller]

Signal flow is a HUGE part of what we do. When I got my first engineering job I sat with the mixer manual so I could really understand it, even before I started working. I drew diagrams so I could really get inside it.

I encourage interns and beginners to do the same.

I completely agree. Not understanding signal flow and the gain stages that go with it means not really understanding how one is recording...

On the original topic, you were basically on target, as others have said. The L/R bus is often called the mix- or 2-bus(s). Or 2-mix, or possibly a handful other similar things.

[spectralgrey]

Signal flow was totally drilled into my brain during my first year of school. I think I can draw the signal flow of an SSL 4000 E/G+ in my sleep.

[syrupcore]

I always think of mixers as 'just a bunch of inputs and outputs'. you can combine inputs on the bus, you can split inputs with auxiliary outputs. you can do all manner of things, some more complicated than others but really it's just a bunch of inputs and outputs. once that's down, it's just about learning the topology of the mixer.

thinking of it as a pluming system with water coming in and out and a series of valves to control the flow may make it seem less odd. or it may fuck you up. I dunno.