{"id":6331,"date":"2020-10-02T10:06:48","date_gmt":"2020-10-02T09:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/soundid-reference\/blog\/?p=6331"},"modified":"2024-07-22T12:39:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T11:39:15","slug":"take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes","title":{"rendered":"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Mixing is about efficiency. As mixers, we are constantly drifting between right-brain (creativity) and left-brain (technical\/analytical) activities. We should try to maximize our creative focus and activities by minimizing our technical load. A little forethought and planning go a long way to freeing our mind from distracting technical issues that inevitably arise during complex mixes. Effectively using subgroups and the main mix bus provides a lot of flexibility as we get into our mix and starting out with an appropriate bus strategy will keep the workflow moving forward. Stopping a mix to change routing or the entire gain structure of a mix can really break the creative momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Reasons for mix groups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Mixing with a single stereo mix bus may cause loud instruments, like the lead vocal or kick drum, to adversely affect the overall mix bus processing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Subgrouping allows for processing groups of similar instruments (drums, keyboards, vocals, etc.) with plugins or even analog processors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Proper use of subgroup and master faders facilitates maintaining proper gain structure throughout the mixing process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Groups allow for easy parallel mixing techniques (usually for adding either punch or dirt to an instrumental group)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Subgroups simplify printing stems after a mix is finished.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clever routing can provide separate monitor paths for reference tracks and the mix.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The mix bus lets us monitor the mix with meters and analyzers and even check for mono compatibility.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>Mix Bus or Subgroup Bus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Personal style dictates how you will set up the bussing for a given mix. A simple vocal and guitar session that contains just a few audio and effects tracks probably needs only one stereo mix bus. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Duality-Routing.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6332\" width=\"169\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Duality-Routing.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=338 338w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Duality-Routing-304x300.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=304 304w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>A 100-track pop production that contains countess drum, keyboard, guitar, vocal, and effect tracks may require multiple subgroup busses with some processing before summing into the stereo mix bus. For our purposes, subgroups and busses are synonymous\u2014the stereo mix bus is just the main mix subgroup!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some mixers, like <strong>Michael Brauer<\/strong>, organize instruments into subgroups based on energy or function. Low-end instruments, lead instruments, percussive instruments, energetic instruments, smooth instruments may each be blended for specific signal processing. Other mixers prefer to bus each instrument section to a bus, like a drum bus, keyboard bus, acoustic guitar bus, lead vocal bus, etc. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/better-mixes-with-top-down-mixing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Top-down mixing<\/a> is another specific style of subgrouping and utilizing mix bus processing that we covered in another blog post.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These techniques or any variations you can imagine are perfectly valid, as long as the strategy makes sense to you and allows you the freedom to experiment and achieve your goals. Choose a method that makes sense and keep refining your system over each consecutive mix.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixing-block-1000x279.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6333\" width=\"750\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixing-block-1000x279.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1000 1000w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixing-block-400x112.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=400 400w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixing-block-768x215.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=768 768w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixing-block.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1668 1668w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Instruments are subgrouped into Aux faders (triangles) and sent along to the mix bus via the Master fader (circle). Processing can take place on individual tracks, on the subgroup masters, on the master fader, or any combination.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3>Technical Considerations to Bussing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Each DAW works differently, so you need to learn about your particular DAW, but I\u2019ll explain how Pro Tools utilizes <strong>Aux faders<\/strong> versus <strong>Master faders<\/strong> to control busses. Pro Tools allows both Aux faders and Master faders to control any bus and multiple Aux and Master faders may be used in a given session. Each type of bus fader has certain benefits and limitations that help you decide which one is appropriate for a given purpose.<br><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/img_5f76eda9cd6b4.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" width=\"54\" height=\"170\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Aux bus<\/strong> channel has an input, output, insert slots, and send assignments. Any signal routed into an Aux channel can be processed via the Aux\u2019s inserts and sent on to somewhere else, like the mix bus or a physical output. If an Aux channel is overloading, the individual instruments feeding into the Aux must be lowered to avoid clipping the Aux input. Aux channel <strong>inserts are pre-fader<\/strong> and the sends can be set to pre- or post-fader. Both the input and output of an Aux channel can be internal busses or physical inputs\/outputs to\/from the audio interface.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/SUMMING-SIGMA.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6342\" width=\"56\" height=\"96\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>A <strong>Master fader <\/strong>also controls a mix bus, which can be a subgroup bus or a physical output from the audio interface. Master faders don\u2019t need an input <em>and <\/em>an output, just an assignment to the bus they control. <strong>Master fader inserts are post-fader<\/strong> and there are no sends on a Master fader. Unlike an Aux channel, if you overload a Master fader, simply lowering the Master fader effectively increases your <strong>headroom<\/strong> and removes any clipping.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Pro Tools, if you create a Master fader set to Bus 1-2 <em>and also <\/em>an Aux fader with its input set to Bus 1-2, the Master fader affects the subgroup signal <em>before<\/em> it hits the Aux fader. So, Master faders work well when you know you may need to adjust your gain structure without having to rebalance dozens of audio tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Mix Bus Processing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The mix bus is our final stereo mix path and everything we want to hear winds up there. The Mix bus is the source that we bounce or print from and also what we monitor while mixing. Any compression, EQ, saturation, or stereo image processing can be applied to individual subgroups and also to the stereo mix bus. In Pro Tools, the Mix bus can be controlled by either a Master fader or an Aux fader.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/SSL-Master-Fader-206x750.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6343\" width=\"52\" height=\"188\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>If your mix bus uses a Master fader<\/strong>, the fader controls the headroom of your mix bus, meaning if you start to overload your mix bus, you can simply lower the Master fader and you will regain your headroom. This doesn\u2019t sacrifice quality in any way and it may just save your butt from time to time. The Master fader adjusts the mix level before the plugins, so you can control the level, or \u201cdrive,\u201d into your bus processing. I often automate the Master fader level to hit the mix bus processing a little harder (by just 0.5 to 1dB) during the choruses to provide an extra sense of energy during the hooks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since the fader is before the plugins, fading out the mix on a master fader may cause the mix bus compressor to \u201clet go\u201d of the mix and you may hear the level of the mix change in a strange way as the fade begins. In practice, this is not usually an audible problem, but you may want to wait until mastering to create the fade-out for your mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If your mix bus uses an Aux fader<\/strong>, you can only control the level of your mix bus by adjusting all your individual tracks. The fader on an Aux track is post-processors, so your compression won\u2019t change if you adjust your Aux fader level, such as during a fade-out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Pro Tools, I use a Master fader to process my mix bus (usually Bus 1-2 renamed to MIX) but since the Master fader is processing a bus and not a physical output, I can\u2019t yet hear the MIX bus. So I need to set up the Master fader and also an Aux fader with its input set to MIX (Bus 1-2) and its output set to Mon L-R. As on an analog console, the Master fader controls my main mix bus and the Aux fader becomes my monitor volume control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Master-and-Monitor-fader-1000x322.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6344\" width=\"750\" height=\"242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Master-and-Monitor-fader-1000x322.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1000 1000w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Master-and-Monitor-fader-400x129.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=400 400w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Master-and-Monitor-fader-768x247.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=768 768w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Master-and-Monitor-fader.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1652 1652w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In Pro Tools, a Master fader assigned to a bus comes before an Aux fader on the same bus, allowing a clever monitor path to be developed, as shown here. When bouncing the mix, the path Bus 1-2 is the final mix, through the Master fader, but not affected by the Aux fader. For monitoring, the Aux fader functions as the \u201cControl Room Volume\u201d fader.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3>Subgroups, Parallel Processing, and Stems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say we decide to put all of our <strong>drums and percussion tracks into a subgroup<\/strong> so that we can add compression and EQ to that group. We would use an Aux track with <em>Bus 3-4<\/em> as its input, route all of our drum tracks to <em>Bus 3-4,<\/em> and set the output of the Aux track to our Mix bus. The process would be repeated for any other instruments we decide to subgroup. Certain individual tracks, like reverbs or delays, may simply be routed directly to the stereo Mix bus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Parallel-Faders.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6345\" width=\"90\" height=\"136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Parallel-Faders.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=360 360w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Parallel-Faders-199x300.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=199 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 90px) 100vw, 90px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you decide you would like to add <strong>parallel processing<\/strong> to your drum subgroup for a bit of dirt or saturation, you could simply duplicate the drum Aux channel. This new channel will have the same input and output assignments as your main drum Aux and you can apply some saturation to that parallel bus and mix it against the main drum Aux. Any subgroup can be duplicated for an instant parallel processing chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned earlier, if you know you will need to <strong>print stems<\/strong> at the end of a mix session, subgrouping instruments during the mix may simplify setting up for printing, since you can just create new audio tracks and set their inputs to receive each subgroup bus\u2014drums, bass, keyboards, etc. This way, you can print all of your stems in one record pass. Additionally, you could create an \u201cinstrumental\u201d subgroup and an \u201call-vocal\u201d subgroup to facilitate printing a full mix, instrumental, and acapella all at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Bussing Reference Tracks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I import the artist\u2019s rough mix as well as a few <strong>reference tracks<\/strong> into every mix session, and when I listen to those tracks, I need to make sure I hear them without any of my mix bus processing. I need to route the reference tracks to my monitor output, but not through my mix bus. Each DAW is slightly different, but here is my workflow in Pro Tools. Remember that I have a Master fader on my mix bus (Bus 1-2) and an Aux fader that routes that mix bus to my monitor outputs, Mon L\/R.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Any reference track is routed directly to the Mon L\/R outputs so it goes directly to my monitors, but not through the mix bus. This way, I can<strong> A\/B between my mix and the reference mix<\/strong> just by soloing the reference track. Further, if I choose to use the Sonarworks Reference plugin (instead of Sonarworks Systemwide) on my monitor fader, these plugins do not affect my MIX bus. They only affect my monitor bus. When I <strong>bounce or print my mix<\/strong>, I set the bounce source as the mix bus, not the Mon L\/R output! Flexibility is key to an effective mixing and monitoring workflow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Meters and Analyzers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Where should metering plugins go? I usually place my <strong>metering plugins<\/strong> on my monitor fader (the Aux fader) and not on my Master fader. The meters go after all of my mix processing and before my monitor volume control, so they accurately display information about my mix. Meter plugins could be inserted as the last plugins on your master fader, but placing them on my monitor (Aux) fader keeps things a bit more tidy and organized.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Metric-AB.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6346\" width=\"194\" height=\"138\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>I usually include a <strong>LUFS meter<\/strong>, a <strong>spectrum analyzer<\/strong>, and maybe Meterplugs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meterplugs.com\/loudness-penalty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Loudness Penalty<\/a> plugin. You may also choose to include a reference track plugin utility, like ADPTR\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plugin-alliance.com\/en\/products\/adptr_metricab.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MetricAB<\/a> or Mastering the Mix\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.masteringthemix.com\/products\/reference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reference<\/a> plugin. (See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/mixing-and-mastering-with-reference-tracks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this post <\/a>for more about reference track utility plugins and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/using-your-eyes-while-mixing-and-mastering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this post<\/a> for specifics about metering.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with metering and analyzers, you may wish to include a plugin that auditions your mix in mono for<strong> checking mono compatibility<\/strong> or simply starting your mix in mono. Your DAW may provide a utility for converting your output to mono, or you may use one of many plugins that folds the stereo mix to mono. For free, try the <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plugin-alliance.com\/en\/products\/bx_solo.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bx_Solo<\/a> from Brainworx or Maat Digital\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maat.digital\/2buscontrol\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2busControl<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Analog Summing or Mix Bus Processing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We often want to include the coloration of real <strong>analog processing<\/strong> or analog summing<strong> <\/strong>to our in-the-box mix and you might want to plan for that as you set up your initial subgroup bussing. If you desire only stereo mix bus processing, you can simply insert an analog processor on your DAW\u2019s master fader, if your DAW allows that. Otherwise, you may need to route the mix bus to a stereo output of your interface, patch into an analog processor, and return the signal to a new aux input or audio track in your DAW (with input monitor engaged).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Neve-Summing.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6356\" width=\"94\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Neve-Summing.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=374 374w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Neve-Summing-247x300.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=247 247w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 94px) 100vw, 94px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind that most analog gear works best with a signal level around <strong>+4dBu (0VU)<\/strong>, which correlates to an average digital level around -18 dBFS in your DAW. If your master fader is showing average levels above -18 dBFS and peaks above -5 dBFS, you may want to add a trim plugin before your analog insert or reduce the DAW fader that feeds your analog gear. You can always bring up the level with plugins after you return the signal back to your DAW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you wish to add an <strong>analog summing mixer<\/strong> into your workflow, you can simply assign each of your DAW subgroups to analog outputs of your interface. Your routing will vary depending on how many channels you are able to sum. For eight-channel summing, I would recommend drums and bass (1-2), guitars (3-4), keys (5-6), and vocals (7-8). Your reverbs and effects can go wherever makes sense to you. For 16-channel summing, you can split out the subgroups as you see fit. Then return the summing mixer\u2019s stereo output into an aux input that feeds your mix bus in a way that prevents any sort of feedback loop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Routing to Multiple Monitors or Headphones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You may wish to switch between different sets of <strong>monitors or headphones<\/strong> while mixing and you can accomplish this from inside your DAW, even without a dedicated monitor controller. Additionally, switching via your DAW allows you to apply different Sonarworks Reference settings to each monitor\/headphone output. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixcube-753x750.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6357\" width=\"188\" height=\"188\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixcube-753x750.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=753 753w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixcube-301x300.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=301 301w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixcube-768x765.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=768 768w, https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Mixcube.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=900 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 188px) 100vw, 188px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>For this, simply create two or more monitor faders (Aux channels in Pro Tools). Each Aux fader will have its input set to the MIX bus and its output set to a stereo monitor output of your interface. For instance, output 1-2 could go to your main speakers, 3-4 to your Mixcubes, and 5-6 to your headphone amp. This setup allows for one Sonarworks Reference plugin on each Aux channel and individual faders for volume control of each monitor path.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Setting Default Routing Preferences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In each DAW, you should be able to set a preference to assign newly created channels to a specific bus or output. In Pro Tool I\/O setup, you can assign a \u201cDefault Output\u201d bus for new tracks and set them to Bus 1-2, the MIX bus. Each DAW also allows you to rename your busses and you should do this to help keep things organized. As you develop more complex routing strategies, update your templates to reflect your new routing options and start new mixes from the template that is appropriate to your workflow for that project. Alternatively, you can simply import tracks from sessions that are similar to your current project and work from there.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subgrouping and bus processing may seem confusing at first, but the sooner you start to use subgroups, the sooner you will discover a new world of mixing possibilities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mixing is about efficiency. As mixers, we are constantly drifting between right-brain (creativity) and left-brain (technical\/analytical) activities. We should try to maximize our creative focus and activities by minimizing our technical load. A little forethought and planning go a long way to freeing our mind from distracting technical issues that inevitably arise during complex mixes.&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6370,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_improvement_type_select":"improve_an_existing","_thumb_yes_seoaic":false,"_frame_yes_seoaic":false,"seoaic_generate_description":"","seoaic_improve_instructions_prompt":"","seoaic_rollback_content_improvement":"","seoaic_idea_thumbnail_generator":"","thumbnail_generated":false,"thumbnail_generate_prompt":"","seoaic_article_description":"","inline_featured_image":false,"seoaic_article_subtitles":[]},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.11 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes - Sonarworks Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Effectively using subgroups and the main mix bus provides a lot of flexibility. Lear how to create great sounding mixes by taking advantage of this\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes - Sonarworks Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Effectively using subgroups and the main mix bus provides a lot of flexibility. Lear how to create great sounding mixes by taking advantage of this\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sonarworks Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SoundIDCreate\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-02T09:06:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-22T11:39:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Screenshot-2020-10-02-at-12.06.06.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"976\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"774\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Adam Kagan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@soundidcreate\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@soundidcreate\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Adam Kagan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Adam Kagan\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/64a6b7bd45e468cc4824a84d2b93dc05\"},\"headline\":\"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-02T09:06:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-22T11:39:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes\"},\"wordCount\":2540,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Tips and Tricks\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes\",\"name\":\"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes - Sonarworks Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-02T09:06:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-22T11:39:15+00:00\",\"description\":\"Effectively using subgroups and the main mix bus provides a lot of flexibility. Lear how to create great sounding mixes by taking advantage of this\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Tips and Tricks\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sonarworks Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Sonarworks Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2022\/08\/sonarworks-blog-8.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2022\/08\/sonarworks-blog-8.png?auto=compress%2Cformat\",\"width\":483,\"height\":61,\"caption\":\"Sonarworks Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/soundidcreate\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/sonarworks\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SoundIDCreate\",\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@soundidcreate\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SoundIDCreate\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/soundidcreate\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/64a6b7bd45e468cc4824a84d2b93dc05\",\"name\":\"Adam Kagan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2019\/09\/Adam-Kagan-400-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2019\/09\/Adam-Kagan-400-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Adam Kagan\"},\"description\":\"Adam Kagan has over two decades of experience in the recording industry as a producer, mixer, engineer and designer, contributing to more than 19 Grammy nominated projects, and dozens of gold and platinum selling records. Artists Adam has worked with range from Gladys Knight to The Swedish House Mafia. From hip-hop artists like Lil' Wayne to latin jazz by Oskar Cartaya to feature film mixing. Adam has been lucky enough to be involved with many award-winning and creatively gifted artists and projects. Adam's background includes the study of music, electrical engineering, and acoustics, which has led him to work extensively in music, multimedia and as a product developer of software and hardware. From his roots in Chicago and a few years in Miami, Adam has been living and working in Los Angeles for over 20 years and besides creating audio, he is involved with pro audio manufacturers and designers and also teaches audio courses in mastering and signal processing at Musicians Institute in Hollywood.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes - Sonarworks Blog","description":"Effectively using subgroups and the main mix bus provides a lot of flexibility. Lear how to create great sounding mixes by taking advantage of this","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes - Sonarworks Blog","og_description":"Effectively using subgroups and the main mix bus provides a lot of flexibility. Lear how to create great sounding mixes by taking advantage of this","og_url":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes","og_site_name":"Sonarworks Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SoundIDCreate","article_published_time":"2020-10-02T09:06:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-07-22T11:39:15+00:00","og_image":[{"width":976,"height":774,"url":"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2020\/10\/Screenshot-2020-10-02-at-12.06.06.png?auto=compress%2Cformat","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Adam Kagan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@soundidcreate","twitter_site":"@soundidcreate","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Adam Kagan","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes"},"author":{"name":"Adam Kagan","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/64a6b7bd45e468cc4824a84d2b93dc05"},"headline":"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes","datePublished":"2020-10-02T09:06:48+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-22T11:39:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes"},"wordCount":2540,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Tips and Tricks"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes","url":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes","name":"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes - Sonarworks Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-10-02T09:06:48+00:00","dateModified":"2024-07-22T11:39:15+00:00","description":"Effectively using subgroups and the main mix bus provides a lot of flexibility. Lear how to create great sounding mixes by taking advantage of this","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/take-advantage-of-busses-and-subgroups-for-great-sounding-mixes#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tips and Tricks","item":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Take Advantage of Busses and Subgroups for Great Sounding Mixes"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/","name":"Sonarworks Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Sonarworks Blog","url":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2022\/08\/sonarworks-blog-8.png?auto=compress%2Cformat","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2022\/08\/sonarworks-blog-8.png?auto=compress%2Cformat","width":483,"height":61,"caption":"Sonarworks Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/soundidcreate\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/sonarworks\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SoundIDCreate","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@soundidcreate","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SoundIDCreate","https:\/\/twitter.com\/soundidcreate"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/64a6b7bd45e468cc4824a84d2b93dc05","name":"Adam Kagan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2019\/09\/Adam-Kagan-400-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blog-uploads.imgix.net\/2019\/09\/Adam-Kagan-400-96x96.jpg","caption":"Adam Kagan"},"description":"Adam Kagan has over two decades of experience in the recording industry as a producer, mixer, engineer and designer, contributing to more than 19 Grammy nominated projects, and dozens of gold and platinum selling records. Artists Adam has worked with range from Gladys Knight to The Swedish House Mafia. From hip-hop artists like Lil' Wayne to latin jazz by Oskar Cartaya to feature film mixing. Adam has been lucky enough to be involved with many award-winning and creatively gifted artists and projects. Adam's background includes the study of music, electrical engineering, and acoustics, which has led him to work extensively in music, multimedia and as a product developer of software and hardware. From his roots in Chicago and a few years in Miami, Adam has been living and working in Los Angeles for over 20 years and besides creating audio, he is involved with pro audio manufacturers and designers and also teaches audio courses in mastering and signal processing at Musicians Institute in Hollywood."}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6331"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6331"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10050,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6331\/revisions\/10050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}