Exporting Stems with Buss FX

I know this question has been asked one thousand times, but I can't seem to figure out exactly how Logic's Export functions are working in my use-case and it's driving me mad.

I mix with a lot of busses/routing. I always create tracks for them in the arrangement window so that my mixer is congruent with my arrangement window. I have things routed pretty complex (and not always the most efficient way) but it works for me while I'm mixing.

I am looking for a way to bounce down all tracks while maintaining all bus fx that are being added (to be used for live playback). So it would essentially be the same as that track being played in solo.

I can't quite tell when Logic does or does not apply buss FX. I've tried many tests on almost all export settings (export all tracks, export selected audio tracks, etc.) and the results seem extremely varying. I also can't tell how it treats hidden/off tracks.

I understand the drawing empty midi regions onto busses method, but this still does not apply any FX that are on my master submix aux.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

-Alex

go to mixer, select buss and aux channels, go to mixer option menu "select opt + T Create tracks for selected channel strips" after you will see your aux and buss channels on the main 1 Arrange screen.

you can now easily select all tracks as audio files (all ch +all aux and buss)

I have found that "Bounce and Replace Tracks" records the aux channels properly. The audio is just what I need.

Does this apply mixbus processing? I didn't think to try this, but I'm not sure it would yield different results than creating an auxiliary track in the arrangement window, creating the empty midi region and then bouncing down?

Not around my computer, but I'll try this ASAP and let you know.

go to mixer, select buss and aux channels, go to mixer option menu "select opt + T Create tracks for selected channel strips" after you will see your aux and buss channels on the main 1 Arrange screen.

 

you can now easily select all tracks as audio files (all ch +all aux and buss)

As I indicated in my post, this is how I am currently working. I prefer to have my arrangement window mirror my mix window for simplicity and continuity sake. However, when I export all tracks, or export "selected" tracks, it still does not write my main submix processing to the stems. I've even tried adding empty midi regions to the corresponding Aux tracks that I would like bounced (a hack I found on this forum, and it still was unsuccessful.) Any ideas how to accomplish this?

When I bounce and replace all tracks, with mix bus, reverb, delay as 'tracks' I get all of it. Each track is what I expect - reverb only, delay only, mix bus.

When I use folder stacks (VCAs that get placed in the arrange window) the folder/VCA track gets replaced with the audio from the enclosed/controlled tracks.

Personally I have no use for a vocal track solo along with the bus reverb for that track as separate entities. If there is a special effect bus for the vocal tracks, well, that's a separate bus and it gets bounced accordingly.

The combination of my summing stacks (aux buses) + effects tracks (reverb, delay) create a proper set of audio that gets fed to my mix bus.

Real point is, I don't put processing on my mix bus other than a bit of "mastering EQ" and some mix bus "glue" compression which is easily added to stems if required. All of the color and flavor stuff goes on the AUX buses that feed the mix bus.

When I bounce and replace all tracks, with mix bus, reverb, delay as 'tracks' I get all of it. Each track is what I expect - reverb only, delay only, mix bus.

Amazing. This is exactly what I need and it seems like this is the only way of doing it. Thanks so much for your help. I texted this by putting a heavy low-pass filter on the very last aux buss that all of my channels were being routed to and it effected every channel and bounced down the track accordingly. I can then select the desired busses and/or tracks that I'd like to output, select "export selected tracks as audio files" and voilà.

My only other question... Is this the best method for archiving projects? i.e. save two different projects and bounce and replace audio tracks for both: in , bypass the plugins, and in the other, engage them and then delete unused audio from the media browser? Then you would have essentially reduced your project's size significantly while also giving you two versions of stems - one version that is not effected and one version that is not effected if you ever need to come back? The only downside would be if you wanted to make a small tweak to a track, you'd have to start from scratch as far as the chain goes.

These days I am archiving projects with all of the original audio, all of the intermediate mixes, and the final mix. Once made final I create a new alternative and bounce and replace all tracks. All stages of the project are preserved. I can go back and tweak if I need to. I can start from "finished" mix in the future without concern about plugins etc.

Every intermediate mix gets it's own alternative. All mixes get bounced into the project audio.

I don't use two projects. One works well. Everything "recalls" just fine.

These days I am archiving projects with all of the original audio, all of the intermediate mixes, and the final mix. Once made final I create a new alternative and bounce and replace all tracks. All stages of the project are preserved. I can go back and tweak if I need to. I can start from "finished" mix in the future without concern about plugins etc.

 

Every intermediate mix gets it's own alternative. All mixes get bounced into the project audio.

 

I don't use two projects. One works well. Everything "recalls" just fine.

Awesome good to know. So you're less worried about conserving hard drive space and more worried about being able to come back to it at any stage in the process?

Do you bounce and replace two versions? one with plugins and one without?

Thanks!

-Alex

I do not bounce a version with no plugins. The only time I might consider that would be if I edited the tracks (timing, pitch, whatever). If I edit the track it gets bounced in place before mixing.

The project has original audio, edited tracks, intermediate mixes if any (2-track), final mix (2-track), bounced and replaced tracks for archived stems.

Each of the parts gets an alternative, so I can work with the project in any state necessary.

Disk space is cheap. 16GB thumb drives are inexpensive and can hold almost any project that I want.