Level 1

4 points

Routing to a multi channels audio bus

Hello !

I'm trying to make a multi-sources mix (6 speakers in a special configuration, not circular, for a special immersive experience).

I would like to distribute for each track, the output to each channel of my sound system (so 6 speakers + 4 subs = 8 channels). My problem is with the "surround" output, it's not possible to do that because I don't want to have the algorithm with spread, distances, etc, it only lets us to do that with AL, AR, M, L, R. I'm really searching for a solution to have 8 output tracks (or one multi-channels track with 8 channels to output a 8-channels file) and to have the possibility to route each track (and pilot the sending volume with an automation) to it.

Do you know the solution ?

I know Pro Tools has this feature but I can't find it on Logic...

Thanks a lot !

Pierre

Mac Pro, macOS Sierra (10.12.6)

Posted on Jul 12, 2018 4:18 AM

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Radarhus

Level 4

3,048 points

Posted on Jul 15, 2018 12:12 PM

If I do like you just said : I route (by using outputs instead of sends) all my tracks to a track of an aux → I won't be able to decide in which output (of my sound card) it will sounds because all my tracks have ONE output which will be the bus and which will be assigned to ONE output.

I do not know how else I can explain it to you, but, as I mentioned above a few times, for a multichannel bus setup with eight different submixes you have to use eight Aux channels (and not one, as you describe above).

Alternatively, join your eight submix elements into stacks and send each stack's output to a SEPARATE bus (e.g. stack one goes to Bus 100, stack two goes to Bus 101, and so on). These Buses serve as inputs for 8 SEPARATE Aux channels to which you assign eight SEPARATE outputs on your audio interface.

Get it now?

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23 replies

Pierreko Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 15, 2018 12:48 PM in response to Radarhus

But, I think, where we aren't in agreement, is that I don't have 8 submixes !

I take an example : track 1 goes to out 1 (-10dB) and out 4(-15dB) at 00:00 and out 1(-inf), out 2 (0dB) at 01:00.

What I'm trying to say is that I won't have 1 submix per output. If you say you're ok and your technique will let me decide at each moment I can send ANY track to ANY output, so I will read you again...

Pierreko Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 15, 2018 1:00 PM in response to Pierreko

Maybe I used "each" instead of "any" ? the idea is not to send ALL my tracks to EACH output but to choose in function of the time (with an automation curve per channel) in which output(s) EACH track will be sound ! 😁

Pierreko Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 15, 2018 3:58 PM in response to Radarhus

Okay ! So now, we are in agreement x)

I understand your idea, and it’s a good idea... I think we are in front of a feature request for Logic to Apple... because you shown a solution for 8 outputs, but not for « n » outputs (imagine this solution if you have 250 tracks...). In ProTools you can create multi channels busses and manage the sending to any/each channel of the bus. Noted that in Logic we can’t create a n-channels track either so it’s logically the same with busses, and it’s why I post this question here ^^

I will show you tomorrow how I do with less than 8 outputs but more than 2, without using the surround panner. You will see that is very simpler :-(

I will search if it’s possible to suggest this idea to Apple, because Logic is very cool, but the channels count is a very big problem.

Thanks for your help and I’ll post my solution soon ;-)

Pierreko Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 12, 2018 11:40 AM in response to Radarhus

Thanks ! But it’s not that I’m searching for... I already know this way to « configure » the surround...

Do you know another way ? A no-spatialized multi-channels. Juste multi-channels so ^^

Radarhus

Level 4

3,048 points

Jul 13, 2018 10:57 PM in response to Pierreko

because as I said before, I can’t use 1 send per outputs because I have to use sends for effects too ^^

How's that an issue, exactly? Did you run out of Aux channels in your project?

Pierreko Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 15, 2018 12:54 AM in response to Radarhus

Because you are limited in sends count per track ! If I renember, you can just set 10 sends per track.

Radarhus

Level 4

3,048 points

Jul 16, 2018 9:50 AM in response to Pierreko

Glad you figured it out.

Radarhus

Level 4

3,048 points

Jul 15, 2018 3:58 PM in response to Pierreko

Alright, I get what you're trying to achieve. Well, you can do this with stacks and sends.

Your problem is that you have used all the send slots on your tracks, correct? However, when you create a new summing stack, the stack channel itself has 8 available send slots. So, what you have to do is:

1) Group each of your 8 tracks and their respective sends into 8 summing stacks, where each stack has an audio track and whichever Aux channels this audio track sends output to for send effects processing. The only issue here is that summing stacks cannot "share" sends, so you'll have to carefully duplicate Aux channels and copy-paste effects plugins in case your tracks send stuff to the same sends.

When a stack is created, it also creates an Aux channel (serving as a stack master), where you can configure 8 sends. However, set each of the stacks' output to "No Output". You'll use sends to output audio to your sound system.

2) When you have 8 summing stacks ready, create 8 more Aux channels, and configure each of them to output signal to a separate output in your sound system. Configure a separate bus as an input on each of these Aux channels (e.g. Bus 40 to 47).

3) Now, configure each of the summing stacks' to send audio to the Aux channels you created in the previous step: each will send audio to each of the input buses 40-47.

In this screenshot the summing track stack for 1 audio track and its 8 send tracks (with no effects loaded) is marked red. The Aux channels used to send audio to 8 different destinations (here they are all configured to St Out), and their respective send buses are marked green.

4) You can now automate the sends on the summing stack channels to achieve what you described above.

Cheers!

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Routing to a multi channels audio bus