I started with the koralfx mixovnik because it has lots of channels and some send/returns but I realised that it’s not very useful when I want to record the tracks in to a daw because I have to unplug everything and route to an individual output so I lose the levels I previously set and the send fx.
So I then started using cf modules to build custom mixers. This works really well (I think so far) because I can just use the Out to route the signal to a dedicated output and everything stays the same. I’m a bit stuck with sends though, at the moment I connect the Out to a Fundamental VCA and route that to a unity and then to the fx so that the slider is the send level. I like this, it’s very visual, automatable and simple. However if my source channel is stereo things get a bit more complicated - do I use two VCAs for L and R? It gets a bit messy. Also, as Plateau only allows one cable to be connected to each input, summing all the sends with unity before they get to the reverb only gives one output so should I use two instances of unity for L and R? Again, it gets messy and big quite quickly.
I’m sure there must be an easier way to do this. I know there is the cf sub but I don’t really understand it even after watching a few videos about it.
it seems that we have no real solution at this time, I use the mixers of mscHack because of the 4 aux busses, but it has no direct outs beside the group outs and they are without effects. Real direct outs you find at the Nysthi mixers (activated via the context menu) but here are no aux busses. Omri and I have requested a mixer capable of both from a developer and hopefully there will be soon one to satisfy our needs. One possibility can also be the paid module Console from VCV, but I haven’t purchased it yet and therefore cannot test and confirm.
The trick is to plug your signal into the input of the cf sub, then the out of the sub into a mono or stereo channel. Chain the sends together and run the last one to the effect, set to 100% wet. Then the output of the effect comes back in to a mono or stereo channel. The trade-off is either it gets visually confusing to have subs and regular channels intermingled, or you get a multi-row mixer.
Hi!
I’m also multi-track recording rack into my DAW, and in the last few weeks I’ve started to use the mixer modules from AS (there are 3 versions now with various sizes). I should mention though that I don’t use send effects so I don’t face the problem of recording the effects also, but as mentioned in the comment above, the cf mixer modules should do the work. I like the AS mixers because they have individual outputs for each channel, and I also like how their pan law is working and their cv input of the level control. I record my sessions live so it’s important for me to have a nice feel of the faders. What was bothering me with the cf modules is that when controlling a certain parameter like level or pan, the modulation would start at zero, which means I had to add offset and set the levels all over again. With the AS modules the faders\knobs set the maximum modulation amount, which is much easier.
I recommend the VCV Console. It solves your issues and I get the feeling it sounds a bit better than other mixers, which is either the built in soft saturation or my imagination… or maybe something with the summing… don’t know.
The only downside with it is that you have to use 2 channels if you want a stereo channel, would be nice if it could be upgraded to stereo channels…
Console is excellent, however it does currently not solve one of the issues that the OP mentioned.
Which I would like to be doing as well.
That is post-fader direct out, as a switchable choice.
They are now pre-fader, which when making multi track recording from direct outs, requires leveling again.
So I’ve worked out how to use the cf Sub module. It does the job but it’s difficult to keep track of which is for which track and which is which effect. By the time you have about 8 tracks with 2 or 3 aux tracks and even half of the tracks feeding each of the 3 you end up with a huge mess of cables and no real way to see what is controlling what. I tried with the Subs on the top row and the mono/stereos on the row below so they could sort of be close to their corresponding tracks but still isn’t ideal, if it’s a mono track I can just use one Sub to feed 2 sends but if it’s a stereo track I will need 2 Subs to do the same so you end up more confused.
If the Koralfx mixer had post fader outs it would be perfect for me.
Indeed, Console unfortunately isn’t much of an improvement for this problem, I have been looking at it because I would like to support vcvrack but it doesn’t do what I need.
Omri I noticed that with the pan as well. The AS mixers do look appealing and I like how small they are compared to the same number of channels with cf. I’m starting to wonder if I should start thinking differently about mixing, maybe it’s better not to use sends from the mixer and use insert fx or vult’s aux loop so that the outputs from the mixer contain everything for that track. Since discovering the vcv fork that has multithreading I haven’t tried to push my cpu too hard but a couple of Plateaus make a big dent.
Yeah, that’s true, using Insert effects can really use up the CPU, but maybe try to mix a few voices together and send them to the same reverb for example. You can still record a few different channels and mix them later on. What you can also do is record each channel separately, before the send effects, and record the send effects on their on channel so if you have 8 mono voices going to a reverb, you can send all 8 to your DAW, dry, but send them also to the reverb and the reverb to another 2 channels. That way you will have the 8 dry signals and another stereo channel of the reverb. Another thing you can do, which is maybe a bit silly, you can work with send effects in VCV Rack, but record only the dry signals and add later a different reverb and delay in your DAW.
I didn’t know that, didn’t record this way yet but was planning to do it when I have something worth it…
Maybe this could be requested from Andrew? He inserted pre-fader sends because of a user request so maybe he could also insert post-fader outs… seems like a good idea.
you can use a dual nysthi mixer, exporting the direct out to a secondary mixer that uses effects, and eventually a third mixer if you want to record also the total mixing in your DAW
every channel in nysthi 4mix 8mix 16mix contains a VCA cv controllable and a PAN with dedicated control with visualizer and CV with VCA
animation of faders are enabled to represent the CV effects
Otherwise I have to say thank you @synthi, I gave your mixer another try and I think I’ve found a good solution, one main mixer feeding a reverb mixer and a delay mixer track for track. It’s a lot of cables for 16 channels but seems to work really well.
Not to take anything away from this issue, but do you also notice this :
When you turn on the power meter in vcv ,
when the ms turns to 0 (zero) it also bleeds through the browser.
This happens with all modules, not only NYSTI’s.
Are you still using this solution @TroubledMind ? It has been a year, I wondered if you modified this at all? Thanks for sharing at patchstorage, I will be using it for now unless there is an all-in-one solution? Well done on working this all out btw.
or maybe something with the summing… don’t know.