all the volume knobs!

[JaceFace]

Hey guys I’m feeling pretty lost (and ultimately not mixing right) on exactly what I’m doing level-wise.

You got the SSL desk knobs.. they have trim knobs on top.. You got clip volumes in the audio files.. You got all the volume knobs in the midi devices and insert stuff like REs, plugins..

My question is where do you start and where does it end. Obviously the master fader is last but what starts, continues, and ends the signal flow in Reason?

Because I’ve always thought the audio file volume is first, or midi devices, then inserts, then the top blue trim, then the SSL faders for fine tuning adjustments and then the master fader. Too many conflicting informations online!

[ekss]

Hey guys I’m feeling pretty lost (and ultimately not mixing right) on exactly what I’m doing level-wise.

You got the SSL desk knobs.. they have trim knobs on top.. You got clip volumes in the audio files.. You got all the volume knobs in the midi devices and insert stuff like REs, plugins..

My question is where do you start and where does it end. Obviously the master fader is last but what starts, continues, and ends the signal flow in Reason?

Because I’ve always thought the audio file volume is first, or midi devices, then inserts, then the top blue trim, then the SSL faders for fine tuning adjustments and then the master fader. Too many conflicting informations online!

All you need to know is in this video:

[PhillipOrdonez]

Because I’ve always thought the audio file volume is first, or midi devices, then inserts, then the top blue trim, then the SSL faders for fine tuning adjustments and then the master fader.

That’s it. Ignore whomever says otherwise, that’s the signal flow in basic terms.

What are you wondering about now that you know you were right about that?

[Pepin]

Because I’ve always thought the audio file volume is first, or midi devices, then inserts, then the top blue trim, then the SSL faders for fine tuning adjustments and then the master fader. Too many conflicting informations online!

Bold is the part you have wrong. The gain knob always goes before any other mixer sections.
Dynamics, eq, and inserts are then applied according the order displayed in the "signal path" section. This order can be changed using the buttons above the display.

input.png

[huggermugger]

Because I’ve always thought the audio file volume is first, or midi devices, then inserts, then the top blue trim, then the SSL faders for fine tuning adjustments and then the master fader. Too many conflicting informations online!

The Gain is on the Mix Channel's input, so depending on how you've wired it, the inserts either come before or after the Gain. If you attach the effect to the instrument, the effect basically becomes part of the instrument, and so it precedes the Gain. But if you drag the effect into the Insert area of the Mix Channel, the effect is not directly connected to the device, and therefore it follows the Gain.

[Pepin]

That's also true. I tend to think of inline effects as part of the sound source, so I wasn't really thinking of those when reading "inserts". Hopefully OP won't come away even more confused.

[bitley]

Never override unity gain on a channel, go from that

[JaceFace]

So what I’ve always done is leave the mix faders and the top blue knobs at 0 and exclusively work in the rack/insert (adjust audio file volume first) on gain, EQ, compression, fx.. until I’m ready for the final mix down and then apply send fx, and use the SSL desk for enhancements and automation.

Honestly I never used the SSL’s insert section. I always thought that’s what the rack is for (inserts). Something to look into. Just didn’t see a need for it.

And for the SSL EQ, dynamics, insert I always left that with both lights on because again, I thought that’s referring to the inserts in the rack…

So you’re telling me there’s 2 different kinds of inserts?

[selig]

Hey guys I’m feeling pretty lost (and ultimately not mixing right) on exactly what I’m doing level-wise.

You got the SSL desk knobs.. they have trim knobs on top.. You got clip volumes in the audio files.. You got all the volume knobs in the midi devices and insert stuff like REs, plugins..

My question is where do you start and where does it end. Obviously the master fader is last but what starts, continues, and ends the signal flow in Reason?

Because I’ve always thought the audio file volume is first, or midi devices, then inserts, then the top blue trim, then the SSL faders for fine tuning adjustments and then the master fader. Too many conflicting informations online!

All you need to know is in this video:

Even though Ryan consulted me for this video, I don't like to work that way.

I have a simple approach adapted from digital tape workflows tried and true for over 40 years now, which is basically to use a consistent peak level.

Happy to answer specific questions if you got 'em!

[deeplink]

Made a signal flow diagram which can help understand everything. (See website below)

But to answer your question more directly, it doesn't matter where you adjust volume. BUT it does matter if you have any kind of distortion or compression effect involved in your chain - then there will be a resulting difference.

[huggermugger]

Honestly I never used the SSL’s insert section. I always thought that’s what the rack is for (inserts). Something to look into. Just didn’t see a need for it.

You're right, you add and configure inserts in the Rack. If you add them to the Insert FX window of a Mix Channel in the Rack, then they are identified in the SSL as INSERT in the Signal Path diagram at the top, and can be re-ordered relative to the EQ and DYNAMICS of the SSL channel strip.

And for the SSL EQ, dynamics, insert I always left that with both lights on because again, I thought that’s referring to the inserts in the rack…

If you have both lights on (as in the image I've attached), then it just means that the Insert effects in the Rack precede the Channel EQ and Dynamics (assuming you added them to the Insert section of a Mix Channel in the Rack). Reason lets you change the order of the Inserts/EQ/Dynamics, which can sometimes be helpful.

So you’re telling me there’s 2 different kinds of inserts?

An insert effect simply means the effect is inserted somewhere between the source and the destination. In Reason, they use the term Insert to identify effects that you add to the Insert window of a Mix Channel. What's important to know is that attaching an effect to the bottom edge of an instrument is different than adding it to the Insert FX window of the Mix Channel. The difference is either the effect is part of the instrument itself, or the effect is further down the chain.