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VCA-groups [SOLVED]


danyg

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Hi jster,

it's the same discussion with any software or plugin. Does it make sens to recreate the "real analogue thing" with every detail and mistake? VCA is coming from analogue consoles (like SSL or NEVE) and should a software behave exactly the same? I didn't know about Cubase coming out with it and it's surely not vital to have it for doing a great mix. Neither it has to behave the same in Logic, Protools or Cubase.

 

I'm just playing around with different setups in Logic to learn what it does exactly to "maybe" get a benefit for my default mix template.

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concerning my remark above:

 

I did a few more routing tests. It seems that VCA isn't working at all on sends.

 

I have a LV with multiple different post fader sends to different // compressors and their input always shows a singnal, even when there is no sound (VCA to -oo)

 

 

I selected all the single tracks going to a BUS and the corresponding BUS and sent them to a VCA fader. In that case the fader sends behave differently as if I deselect the BUS from the VCA.

 

... pffff ... really useless to discuss, just interesting to know... :-)

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Thanks dany. Yeah, that is what I was wondering about. That last comment. I read the thread carefully and wasn't sure what you guys had decided.

 

@ Jordi: Notice how dany actually understood that I was asking abot his very last comment? He knew I had read the thread. Funny that.

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  • 1 month later...
Hey Eric, I'm not getting the difference between normal Groups and VCAs, even after reading and re-reading this post. Can you please explain?

Groups link the parameters in a group of channel strips. So that if you turn the volume fader down on one of them, all the others follow as well. And that's not just for volume: you can group pans, sends, solo, mute, record, color, track zoom, editing, etc...

 

VCA just gives you one fader that offsets the volume of all the volume faders in a group of channel strips. That allows you for example to keep the individual volume automations in the individual tracks in the group, while slowly fading everything out. Or turning everything down by a few dBs. etc... VCAs are limited to volume, mute and solo.

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Eric, where to click to get this menu? Never saw it...

 

Did you update to 10.1?

 

And now it's pretty straight forward.

Functionality appears to be exactly the same though.

 

Hey Eric, I'm not getting the difference between normal Groups and VCAs, even after reading and re-reading this post. Can you please explain?

 

I see I'm late to the party and that David has answered this.

Please get back to us if there is something that is unclear. :)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey guys,

 

Great thread! I think I'm starting to get a grip on the VCA vs. Edit Group concept, but would appreciate a little more insight on application within Logic from the gurus.

 

Since Logic X came out I have completely switched to using the Summing Stack feature to clean up and oranize my sessions. Back in Logic 9 & pre L9 I lived with the Folders workflow & window linking to "blow-up" folders work inside them and then close them and control things in that way. I found the summing stack really seemed to do this great (nice GUI workflow with the visual nesting, etc.), so I have almost completely ignored the Folder stacks so far.

 

From this post it looks like I can only get the VCA functionality with Folder Stacks and/or just creating a VCA fader in the mixer, right?

Can any of you describe a good example or best practice implementation of the VCA's when using summing stacks? I saw Eric mentioned flattening stacks earlier in the post. I assume you flatten and then create the VCA and add it to the arrange (organize it above what you want to control for example) and then can you re-create a summing stack? Or do you lose the summing stack in this configuration? I guess my goal is to not lose the tidy nesting visual organization I get with Summing Stacks. I hope that makes sense? Maybe I'm overlooking something and there is a totally better way to get VCA integrated into the workflow.

 

Obrigado!

 

~pm

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VCA just gives you one fader that offsets the volume of all the volume faders in a group of channel strips. That allows you for example to keep the individual volume automations in the individual tracks in the group, while slowly fading everything out. Or turning everything down by a few dBs. etc... VCAs are limited to volume, mute and solo.

 

 

David,

 

I've read this whole thread and the only thing I'm still curious on - what would be the benefit of using a VCA fader over just bussing a group of tracks to an Aux channel? Doesn't the Aux channel give you the same functionality as the VCA, plus allows plugins and panning?

 

Thanks.

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I've read this whole thread and the only thing I'm still curious on - what would be the benefit of using a VCA fader over just bussing a group of tracks to an Aux channel? Doesn't the Aux channel give you the same functionality as the VCA, plus allows plugins and panning?

The VCA does not affect your original routing at all. You could for example have two tracks going to a bus, two others going to another bus, and one 5th going straight to the stereo out, and control the volume of all 5 together, while leaving their original routing intact.

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I've read this whole thread and the only thing I'm still curious on - what would be the benefit of using a VCA fader over just bussing a group of tracks to an Aux channel? Doesn't the Aux channel give you the same functionality as the VCA, plus allows plugins and panning?

The VCA does not affect your original routing at all. You could for example have two tracks going to a bus, two others going to another bus, and one 5th going straight to the stereo out, and control the volume of all 5 together, while leaving their original routing intact.

Ahh ok, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

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