Create mix subgroups

Create mix subgroups

You can group several channel strips and route them via a single bus to a single aux channel strip. This provides you with one set of controls over the entire group.

For example, say your mix contains multiple drum tracks that you want to manage using a single set of channel strip controls, or you want to put a compressor across the whole drum kit. You can do this by sending each of the drum tracks to the same bus, which in turn sends their signals to the same aux channel strip. You might then route your vocal tracks to a second aux channel strip, providing a separate group control for these channel strips. Finally, you have the option to output both subgroups (drums and vocals) to the same destination or to separate destinations.

Note: There are some similarities between using aux channel strips as subgroups and working with Mixer groups. You can control the group/subgroup properties from one set of channel strip controls. However, Mixer groups are used to control channel strip group properties, and not the signal flow.

Create a subgroup using an aux channel strip

  1. Select multiple channel strips by doing one of the following:

    • Shift-click the channel strips you want to group.

    • Drag over the background of the channel strips (drag horizontally across multiple channel strips over the word Inserts, or I/O text, for example).

  2. Click-hold the Output slot of a selected channel strip, then choose a bus from the pop-up menu.

    The Output slots of all selected channel strips reflect the chosen bus. A new aux channel strip is created, except when the chosen bus is already in use as an input source on another channel strip. Its Input slot contains the channel strip signal flow coming via the chosen bus.

  3. Click-hold the Output slot of the aux channel strip, then choose the output destination for the main mix.

  4. Use the aux channel strip controls to process the submix—adding inserts, setting volume and pan, and so on.