Running test tones through busses to make sure they are balanced...

Jules · 31st January 2005

I've been doing this a lot just recently...

hardware EQ on drum bus
hardware EQ on gtr bus
hardware EQ on B vox bus

hardware + drum compression
hardware mix bus compression

I've been sending out the PT plug in SIGNAL GENERATOR sine wave tone and sweeping high to low....through all the various bus's to make sure the final output of them are balanced L & R.

I find I need to nudge an eq knob here and there to get it balanced..NONE of the eq's have detents, so I feel this tone testing is the only way to get close to a good balance..

Anyone else running tones through gear at the mix stage?

Shan · 31st January 2005

Jules, I'm not sure what you mean by that. A bit confused. Can your explain further? Thanks.

Shane

Tim L · 31st January 2005

Absolutely. I use tones to set up unity gain structure as well as L-R balance on my Trident 65's Aux sends/ returns, sub grps, 2-mix processing, ad/da conversion, it's all good. Tones are an important tool in my little world!

CrazyBeast · 31st January 2005

yep, I do this a lot - especially when summing...

quadwould · 31st January 2005

Yep here too,
Anything important like Bussing or Mix stage summing, or Mix buss, they always get a tone and are lined up accordingly. even on sequentially serial pairs. they may sound closer, but still dont have perfectly identical gain structures.

and once a month i send tone to and from every recording format to make sure things are still lined up

PRobb · 31st January 2005

Another yes. Also, something dry and panned center, like a bass, can work.

pan60 · 1st February 2005

great idea

Bob Olhsson · 1st February 2005

In 1968 Cal Harris taught me to do this at the beginning of every mix along with marking all the pan pot centers with a grease pencil. It's uncovered all sorts of bizzare problems over the years!

juniorhifikit · 1st February 2005

Only when I don't trust the monitoring environment and suspect a problem. Otherwise I just trust the old ears. Sometimes different settings can be helpful - like when there's a heavy floor tom on one side.

LittleDogAudio · 2nd February 2005

Yep, I still have an older console, so it's pretty much a maintenance thing for me. The channels seem to drift around a bit daily.

It also helps me to understand how I'm hearing that particular day.

Chris

faeflora · 2nd February 2005

I do this all the time.

31st January 2005	#1
Jules Gearslutz.com admin Joined: Apr 2002 Location: A Yank in London, UK Posts: 17,808 Thread Starter 1 Review written	Running test tones through busses to make sure they are balanced... I've been doing this a lot just recently... hardware EQ on drum bus hardware EQ on gtr bus hardware EQ on B vox bus hardware + drum compression hardware mix bus compression I've been sending out the PT plug in SIGNAL GENERATOR sine wave tone and sweeping high to low....through all the various bus's to make sure the final output of them are balanced L & R. I find I need to nudge an eq knob here and there to get it balanced..NONE of the eq's have detents, so I feel this tone testing is the only way to get close to a good balance.. Anyone else running tones through gear at the mix stage? __________________ Jules Add your reviews to the new reviews area! Gearslutz on Facebook Follow my GS picks on Twitter

31st January 2005	#3
Tim L Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Lawn Guy Land Posts: 1,368	Absolutely. I use tones to set up unity gain structure as well as L-R balance on my Trident 65's Aux sends/ returns, sub grps, 2-mix processing, ad/da conversion, it's all good. Tones are an important tool in my little world! __________________ "Play ƒuckin' Loud!!!..." - Bob Dylan, May 17 1966

1st February 2005	#8
Bob Olhsson Motown legend Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Songwriter Gulch, Nashville TN Posts: 10,879	In 1968 Cal Harris taught me to do this at the beginning of every mix along with marking all the pan pot centers with a grease pencil. It's uncovered all sorts of bizzare problems over the years! __________________ Bob's room 615 562-4346 Georgetown Masters 615 254-3233 Music Industry 2.0 Interview

2nd February 2005	#10
LittleDogAudio Gear nut Joined: Nov 2004 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 109	Yep, I still have an older console, so it's pretty much a maintenance thing for me. The channels seem to drift around a bit daily. It also helps me to understand how I'm hearing that particular day. Chris __________________ Little Dog Audio *Gear You'd Trade Your Wife For!* www.littledogaudio.com

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31st January 2005	#2
Shan Lives for gear Joined: Nov 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 767	Jules, I'm not sure what you mean by that. A bit confused. Can your explain further? Thanks. Shane

31st January 2005	#4
CrazyBeast Gear addict Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 452	yep, I do this a lot - especially when summing...

31st January 2005	#5
quadwould Gear addict Joined: Mar 2003 Location: London Posts: 443	Yep here too, Anything important like Bussing or Mix stage summing, or Mix buss, they always get a tone and are lined up accordingly. even on sequentially serial pairs. they may sound closer, but still dont have perfectly identical gain structures. and once a month i send tone to and from every recording format to make sure things are still lined up

31st January 2005	#6
PRobb Gear Guru Joined: Jun 2004 Location: NYC Posts: 14,163	Another yes. Also, something dry and panned center, like a bass, can work.

1st February 2005	#7
pan60 500 series nutjob Joined: Nov 2004 Location: 500 series Guru SKANK! ; ) Posts: 10,940	great idea

1st February 2005	#9
juniorhifikit Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Paris/SanFrancisco Posts: 1,274	Only when I don't trust the monitoring environment and suspect a problem. Otherwise I just trust the old ears. Sometimes different settings can be helpful - like when there's a heavy floor tom on one side.

2nd February 2005	#11
faeflora Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2002 Location: washington dc Posts: 2,022	I do this all the time.

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