Possible to adjust speakes and master separately?

ingvarai wrote on 4/26/2015, 8:06 PM
Hi, I just want to send the master audio output to my speakers, routing it through a separate bus.
That is, one slider for the matser volume for my rendering, and one slider for the speakers' output.
In short - I would like a one-way Send for the master, to an "Output bus".
Possible with the current Vegas 13?

-Ingvar

Comments

TheHappyFriar wrote on 4/26/2015, 9:52 PM
If it's just for the speakers to listen, couldn't the Windows volume control do the same thing?
Chienworks wrote on 4/26/2015, 10:14 PM
I keep the amplifier within easy arm's reach of my keyboard. I just grab the volume control on the amp and twiddle as desired. The other nice thing about this is that it cannot possibly affect the editing of the project at all.
ingvarai wrote on 4/26/2015, 11:09 PM
Hi guys!
I know it is a silly question. But I will explain.
I have an external Motu 828x sound box. And I have a powerful multimedia machine, which I use for all multimedia work. For various reasons, and after a lot of experimenting, the Motu gets its Windows sound (all sound on webpages, videoplayers etc.) from the S/PDIF output from the on-board sound card. Using an extra PCI Express card I bought, and a cable. All is fine, I am very satisfied with this setup, very indeed. The S/PDIF solution is not very common I think, but I managed to convince at least a couple og guys over at the EVGA motherboard group, to go for the same :)

Yes, for video players and YouTube watching on the Internet, the Windows volume control functions prima.
However, in Vegas, I don't want to use the default Windows Sound Mapper. I have microphones, tape decks etc., and Since Vegas is so good with sound, I want to be able to choose from various input sources when recording. So I select MOTU Audio ASIO as the Audio device in Vegas. This has the side-effect of me not being able to regulate the output sound from Vegas anymore, without going in and doing it in the Motu Cuemix software, and fiddle with a control there, each and every time I want the speaker volume to be adjusted.
What I need is two TRS cables, to hardware route one of the unused outputs to one of the unused inputs, and then, use Motu's Cuemix to trim the Vegas output to a reasonable level. Still no good solution, but the best found so far. If you happen to use Cakewalk Sonar, like I do, you will find what I want there. So a one-way Send function in the Master bus in Vegas, to an "Speakers Output" bus, would be fantastic.

-Ingvar
astar wrote on 4/27/2015, 3:33 AM
I made this post awhile back.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=920581


It looks like there maybe a separate preview track. You may have to play around with the project setup. Unfortunately you would have to save a template as default to get the configuration every new project.
ingvarai wrote on 4/27/2015, 6:24 AM
Hi astar,

thanks for this! Looks very interesting. I will look into it later today. And post my result here.

-Ingvar
pwppch wrote on 4/27/2015, 9:09 AM
No simple way to do this. There is no mechanism to create a send from the master bus.

You could set up a sub bus that is routed to the specific output on your MOTU. You would then have to send every track - or sub bus that mixes to your master - to this send.

This approach is typically used to create a cue/headphone mix, but could be used for your workflow.

It would be a seperate mix - and any FX you have on your master would have to be duplicated and manually kept in sync with what is on the master bus.

However, you master bus would still send to hardware - you cannot route the master bus to nothing.

You would then have to use the Cue Mix software for your MOTU to control which of its outputs is sent to your monitors.


It is do-able, but requires a lot of manual maintenance.

Peter



ingvarai wrote on 4/27/2015, 6:03 PM
Hi Peter,

>It is do-able, but requires a lot of manual maintenance.

Yes,. I am aware of this way of solving it, but it is not applicable, I think, for practical reasons. Too time consuming.
I will get two TRS cables, and use them to hardware-route the channels. And hope for SonyCreative to add an Output bus, getting its signal from then input surface of the Master bus. So that everything that is sent to Master, automatically is set to this bus too. And is not influenced by the position of the Master-slider. Maybe I shouild submit a feature requesy.

-Ingvar


pwppch wrote on 4/27/2015, 6:38 PM
"And hope for SonyCreative to add an Output bus, getting its signal from then input surface of the Master bus. So that everything that is sent to Master, automatically is set to this bus too. And is not influenced by the position of the Master-slider. Maybe I shouild submit a feature requesy."


The point of the master bus is to allow you to monitor what you would render. Having it send to an aux output so as to bypass all of its pre-fader gains is not the intent.

I tried a few things, and the easiest work around is this:

Mix to a sub bus instead of the master. (This will only work for stereo mixes, as Vegas does not have 5.1 sub buses.)

Create a sub bus and label it pre-master.
Route all of your tracks and/or stem mixes and AuxFX sends to it. This pre-master would still routed to the master bus.

Create a second sub bus and route it to the hardware output you desire. You can then send from the pre-master bus to this hardware output bus - pre fader, but with the send gain controlling the output signal as well as the output bus to control the monitor gain.

Your rendered mix is still the Master Bus. You can still monitor it by using the Cue Mix - A-B between it and the pre-master bus hardware send.


Please submit a feature request.

Peter
ChristoC wrote on 4/28/2015, 4:42 PM
You are using Motu 828x which has balanced line outputs; all you need to do is get hold of a SM Pro Audio "Nano Patch" and use it (in the Balanced lines) between the Motu 828x and your amp/speakers, which works very well, and is balanced using precision 4-gang potentiometer.

For more info see http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/sm-pro-audio-nano-patch-passive-volume-attenuator

Google for it - well under $100 - plenty on eBay.

BTW very bad idea to have a "software solution" for many reasons, especially when things "go wrong" - I have had digital systems "lock up" or lose Clock in the past, sometimes outputting full level noise in the process; nothing beats a Volume Control and Mute Switch between digital equipment's analog outputs and analog amplifier+speaker if you value your equipment and hearing!

Here I have a SPL Volume8 (see http://spl.info/index.php?id=186&L=1) between my soundcard hardware outputs and a very powerful Cinema 5.1 speaker system, which comprises all powered speakers. It was expensive!


ingvarai wrote on 4/28/2015, 7:16 PM
First to Christo, the external piece of software is a good solution. But not for me right now.

Then to Peter, yes, what you suggests works. But to change the default output channel for each and every track I might add to the timeline - it it not going to happen. Unless I write a plugin that wil do it (I write Vegas plugins now and then).

Here is my feature request which I just submitted:
The Master bus should have the possiblity to send Pre/Post to another bus,
which in turn should be able to output to any output channel available from the currently selected Audio Interface.

As simple as that ;)

-Ingvar