Blackmagic Forum

From my understanding the:

"Bus Outputs": you can choose to which busses the channel/bus is sending it's final sound. After all EQ, DyNamics, Pan, volume adjustments etc.

"Bus Sends": you can choose to which busses the channel/bus is sending it's sound before some adjustments are applied. But which exactly adjustments are excluded? EQ? Panning? FX Effects? Volume adjustments on timeline?

I know that you can include/exclude main fader from "Sends" by a button with settings icon on the "Bus sends" button. But what else?

I am buffled because it seems that the DyNamics are applied to the signal sent by "Bus Sends".

If I am wrong please explain the difference between "Bus Sends" (AUX) versus "Bus outputs" (normal) way of sending the signal from a track to the bus.

As explained in your other thread:

The Flexi Bussing mode's Bus Send is the equivalent of an Aux Send in Fixed Bussing mode.

Bus Output in Flexi Bus mode is the equivalent of routing to a Main or Sub Buss in Fixed Bus mode.

The manual includes signal flow diagrams:
Page 3328 | Chapter 161 | Signal Flow Diagrams

Reynaud Venter wrote:As explained in your other thread:

The Flexi Bussing mode's Bus Send is the equivalent of an Aux Send in Fixed Bussing mode.

Bus Output in Flexi Bus mode is the equivalent of routing to a Main or Sub Buss in Fixed Bus mode.

The manual includes signal flow diagrams:
Page 3328 | Chapter 161 | Signal Flow Diagrams

Thank you - great answer. Very precise. With good source for further reading. Really!

I have read both diagrams. It seems that both OUT and SEND are sending sound after dynamics, eq, inserts and plugins. In reality the only difference is that with SEND you can bypass the fader and pan. Optionally.

I do not really understand the need for SEND function in such case, when you can OUT your signal to as many busses as you want and the only difference is omitting fader. It is overcomplicating the whole picture and confusing users. You can achieve everything with simple OUT without using SEND. Or rather by only using "SEND" which is like "OUT" but more flexible.

Would Blackmagic add option to enable /disable fader for each OUT from your track and eliminate "SEND" they would achieve the same result. Without overcomplicating stuff (like cluttered "Bus assign" window), confusing users (the same name "Send" is used in DyNamics and in "Bus sends" which is suggesting this is the same thing and it is not ("Send" in DyNamics is hardcoded to one bus named "Sidechain".

It would be much more usefull to replace "Bus sends" with "Listens to" and to allow choosing which bus is sent to DyNamics of this track. For instance to allow music being ducked by specific tracks and other channel being ducked by yet another track. And would eliminate the hardcoded "Sidechain" bus.

But this is just my opinion. Maybe there is some other hidden reason for "SEND" that I do not see now.

Bus Sends or Auxiliary Sends, have multiple uses including configuring independent Cue Mixes, building crude mix minuses, constructing internal Sub Mixes, setting up parallel processing, routing the path as an Effects Send to either internal or external processing with independent pan, mute, level, and level including pre- or post-fade control and all Bus Send controls are automatable without affecting your channel's primary panning, level, and routing.

Reynaud Venter wrote:Bus Sends or Auxiliary Sends, have multiple uses including configuring independent Cue Mixes, building crude mix minuses, constructing internal Sub Mixes, setting up parallel processing, routing the path as an Effects Send to either internal or external processing with independent pan, mute, level, and level including pre- or post-fade control and all Bus Send controls are automatable without affecting your channel's primary panning, level, and routing.

Can you name any of the above which cannot be achieved with "Out"? In which case you have to "Send" instead of "Out" or it will not work? IMHO if you can "Out" to any bus where is the reason for separate "Send"? They both do the same. Adding flexibility to bypass fader for the "Out" as it is with "Send" would make both totally identical.

For instance you want independet cue mix: you simply create a new bus, call it "cue mix", then "Out" to this bus and it works without "Send". The same for all above mentioned uses.

damago1 wrote:you can "Out" to any bus where is the reason for separate "Send"?

For instance you want independet cue mix: you simply create a new bus, call it "cue mix", then "Out" to this bus and it works without "Send". The same for all above mentioned uses.

The Bus Output will always be post-fader, whereas the Bus Send may be configured as either pre- or post-fader.

If you mute the channel, signal to the destination Busses will be cut, whereas the Send if configured as pre-fader will still route signal to its destination Buss regardless of the mute status of the channel.

Likewise, pulling the channel fader down to negative infinity will affect the signal routed to the destination Busses, whereas the Send if configured as pre-fader will still route signal to its destination regardless of the channel's fader level.

Again, the Send features independent pan, mute, and level - including pre- or post-fader control. All Bus Send controls are automatable without affecting your channel's primary panning, level, and routing.

Reynaud Venter wrote:The Bus Output will always be post-fader, whereas the Bus Send may be configured as either pre- or post-fader

Ok. let me reverse the question: why there is a separate "Out" command if the same can be achieved with "Send" which can be also post fader?

damago1 wrote:why there is a separate "Out" command if the same can be achieved with "Send" which can be also post fader?

Bus Outs always use the Channel's Panner and Fader, whereas Bus and Aux Sends provide dedicated Pan and Send Level controls independent of the Channel.

The Bus Send still provides all of the benefits and functionality of the traditional Auxiliary Send, it is simply the name that has changed slightly between Fixed to Flexi Bus mode in version 17.