What actually is an aux channel?

[GJ999x]

No secret to it i dont think.

A send is when you want to add an effect but keep the dry signal 100% intact. Using sends in logic means the output of your main channel is simply added to the output of the send, can be useful for getting e.g. a reverb vol. just right, and for automation.

An aux channel is when the entire sound from the channel is to be effected, and is often used to apply effects to groups of channels, so e.g. often you'll want to seperate drums on different channels so you can apply effects just to the snare, just to the kick etc., but then you may also often want to then apply effects to the whole of the drum sound as well (e.g. mild gluing compression, reverb etc - to make the kit sound coherent again). Wherever you want to apply an effect to a group of channels, with the effect dependnt on the entire group sound... this is where only an aux channel will work.

Outputing to an aux channel just to get a "full" sound in logic, as OP mentions, sounds like myth to me, unless the kit your using has some magic sounding summing going on (easy guys! stay away! go back to the other thread

You can then use a send effect on the aux channel of course, e.g. applying reverb to the whole kit but in parallel (on a send) rather than on the aux channel itself.

Logic lets you do all this and whatever the hell else you'll want to do...

That would be my take anway.

[Macavity224]

Originally Posted by GJ999x

No secret to it i dont think.

A send is when you want to add an effect but keep the dry signal 100% intact. Using sends in logic means the output of your main channel is simply added to the output of the send, can be useful for getting e.g. a reverb vol. just right, and for automation.

An aux channel is when the entire sound from the channel is to be effected, and is often used to apply effects to groups of channels, so e.g. often you'll want to seperate drums on different channels so you can apply effects just to the snare, just to the kick etc., but then you may also often want to then apply effects to the whole of the drum sound as well (e.g. mild gluing compression, reverb etc - to make the kit sound coherent again). Wherever you want to apply an effect to a group of channels, with the effect dependnt on the entire group sound... this is where only an aux channel will work.

Outputing to an aux channel just to get a "full" sound in logic, as OP mentions, sounds like myth to me, unless the kit your using has some magic sounding summing going on (easy guys! stay away! go back to the other thread

You can then use a send effect on the aux channel of course, e.g. applying reverb to the whole kit but in parallel (on a send) rather than on the aux channel itself.

Logic lets you do all this and whatever the hell else you'll want to do...

That would be my take anway.

Thanks, this clears up a ton!

What exactly do you mean by running it in parallel. And what would be the benefit of bussing an aux channel to yet another aux channel? This is what's confusing me the most.

Thanks again for your reply.

[Jason West]

Originally Posted by Macavity224

So basically, what is an aux channel, in the most literal, basic sense?...

Also, I use Logic Pro 9, but I guess this is more of a general question than anything.

You are right, it's a generalized concept.

The aux concept is confusing because many folks encounter it within the digital world DAW software (such as Logic) instead of seeing it in real life as separate channels on a real mixing board.

See if this helps...

Auxiliary routing -- wikipedia

The auxiliary bus, auxiliary channel is basically an extra place where you can route and combine signals. All sorts of uses for this concept such as submixing, sharing/applying effects to multiple channels, headphone cues, etc.

[lbrantsen]

Originally Posted by Macavity224

Thanks, this clears up a ton!

What exactly do you mean by running it in parallel. And what would be the benefit of bussing an aux channel to yet another aux channel? This is what's confusing me the most.

Thanks again for your reply.

Running in parallel means that you run the original dry signal together with the processed signal (an aux channel) to another channel or output, thus they run in parralel. For example, thats why they call it "parallel compression" when using a compressor as an aux send or via a bus instead of on an insert (wich is serial)

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[deft_bonz]

Originally Posted by Macavity224

Thanks, this clears up a ton!

What exactly do you mean by running it in parallel. And what would be the benefit of bussing an aux channel to yet another aux channel? This is what's confusing me the most.

Thanks again for your reply.

Parallel means you have both signals (usually the original / dry and the FX / wet) signal on separate channels.

Bussing (aux) channels together (not via send, thus serial not parallel) just helps you to gather tracks/channels into one fader, where you also can FX them, automate them all together.

Bussing aux channels via send for yet another FX just depends on your creativity. I've got an example for you:

Channel 1 with the vocal
Send 1 on ch 1: vocal to reverb
Send 2 on ch 1: vocal for doubling (creating a chorus sound)

Aux 1: reverb
Aux 2: doubler effect

Now you put on aux 2 a send to aux 1, because you'd also like to have the reverb on the "chorus".

[johnnyv]

Best way to learn this is go play with a real mixing board.
Aux sends simply do as they say, Send the signal to another output. They can be pre or post fader.
They are used for sending to stage monitors, recording channels or EFX's
To me a buss is the opposite of a Aux send and it is where you send the signal to, not from.

[Macavity224]

Originally Posted by johnnyv

Best way to learn this is go play with a real mixing board.
Aux sends simply do as they say, Send the signal to another output. They can be pre or post fader.
They are used for sending to stage monitors, recording channels or EFX's
To me a buss is the opposite of a Aux send and it is where you send the signal to, not from.

This is the shortest answer in the thread, but it answers my question perfectly. Thanks everybody!